Building Blue: A Surreal Summer has Kieren Dervin Prepared for First Full OHL Season

The exciting transitions from being drafted to attending the Canucks development camp, a prospects showcase, and an NHL training camp, and now playing in the OHL have made the last few months a surreal experience for 18-year-old centre Kieren Dervin.

At this time last year, Dervin had nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 11 games with St. Andrew College, which won 10 of its first 11 games for the 2024-25 year.

Now, he is playing for the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL and has picked up three points in his first two games of the 2025-26 OHL season.

His first summer as a Vancouver Canucks prospect was an exciting one, filled with new experiences and opportunities to develop his game.

“It was a great experience, especially the prospects camp. Going out there, wearing the Canucks jersey, playing games against Seattle with the other prospects as well, it was a really fun experience. And I know all of us enjoyed it,” said Dervin.

“And then obviously, when we went up to Penticton for Canucks training camp, and that was, honestly, just a surreal experience. Being out there with NHLers, those are guys you watch, and you look up to, and then you’re out on the ice with them. So, it was a really fun experience.”

Dervin viewed his summer as one long learning experience, whether he was picking up advice from NHL players or chatting with development coach Mikael Samuelsson; his summer was full of growing his knowledge on what it takes to be a pro.

After skating with top-level prospects and being around NHL players, Dervin is ready to take on his first full season as an OHL player. He played in 10 regular season games and 11 playoff games with the Frontenacs last year and felt good in his opening weekend of play, where he scored a goal and added two assists through the first pair of outings in the black and gold.

The Frontenacs feel good about their team’s chances in the OHL this season. Dervin noted strong depth in the forward group and a lot of skill at the top of the lineup. He likes the size they have on defence and feels like they will be a team that can shut down opponents when they get a lead.

Those 21 OHL games last season helped Dervin feel confident going into this season after he put up 92 points in 61 games with St. Andrews College.

“Those games definitely helped a lot. Just to understand the speed of the game, you know what you have to do, you know certain things that won’t work at this level, and know certain things you can do. Dipping my feet in [the OHL] and seeing what it’s like definitely helped me prepare a lot for this season.”

Dervin doesn’t have any specific goals for himself this season aside from trying to stay in the moment and take everything day by day. As a team, he wants his teammates to hold each other accountable in workouts, practice, and games.

He’s excited to be able to talk to the Canucks’ development coaches throughout the season and build on his game as he continues to develop it in his last couple of years as a teenager.