Worth the Wait | FEATURE

The disappointment of being passed over in the 2025 NHL Draft fueled a fire in Matias Vanhanen.

But in the end, everything turns out as it should.

“Obviously, you're disappointed if you don't get drafted,” Vanhanen said. “And (I) had a good summer because of that. Made me work harder, and then just had the mindset, I'm going to show everyone that I'm a good player and try to get drafted this year.”

The disappointment lingered, but so did the motivation.

For many draft-eligible players, hearing their name called is the culmination of years of work. For Vanhanen, it became something different. Every workout, every practice and every game heading into his second year of eligibility became another opportunity to prove NHL teams had gotten it wrong.

Rather than dwelling on being passed over, he used it as fuel.

That hard work set him on the path to being selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 37^th overall, as an overager.

His time had finally come.

“It's such a special moment with my family, so this feels unreal,” he said from his lake house in Finland.

Even more unreal? His standout season with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League set him on the path to joining the organization of two of his hockey idols: Jack Hughes and Lenni Hämeenaho.

For someone who had spent years watching Hughes, hearing the Devils announce his name made the moment even more surreal.

“That's unreal,” Vanhanen acknowledged being part of Hughes’ organization. “I've been looking for him for 10 years now, so that feels so cool.”

What must also have felt very cool was watching his game flourish as he headed into a second opportunity to be drafted into the NHL.

He left home and moved to Everett in Washington state.

Choosing to leave Finland wasn't just about changing leagues. It was about challenging himself.

The Western Hockey League would force him to adapt to a faster, more physical style of hockey on North American-sized ice while living thousands of miles from home.

For a player intent on becoming an NHL draft pick, it was exactly the challenge he wanted.

His season with Everett was remarkable. He made the move to play against the best possible competition in the world for his age group. He was driven by being passed over in 2025, and he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers.

It didn't take long for Vanhanen to show he belonged.

He became one of Everett's most consistent playmakers while also proving he could finish around the net.

He finished the regular season with Everett, setting a franchise record for rookie scoring with 21 goals and 66 assists for 87 points in 62 games. His 87 points also led the entire team. He made a run with the Silvertips all the way to the Memorial Cup.

His motivation and work were paying off.

That’s not to say it wasn’t without its challenges. He made the move away from Finland for the first time to join the WHL, halfway across the world from home.

“I think off ice, the new language,” he said of the biggest adjustment he faced. “You don't know anyone, and you've got to prepare to speak a new language you don't speak that good. And on the ice, I would say the smaller ice. You've got to move your feet so much faster and be ready to be smart and playing a small rink.”

Smaller rink? Clearly, no problem.

The challenge of it all? Clearly, no problem either.

The disappointment of not being drafted in 2025 turned into a remarkable story one year later.

Turns out, going undrafted wasn't the end of Vanhanen's draft story. It was just the plot twist. One record-breaking season later, the Devils didn't just draft a talented forward, they drafted a player who already knows how to turn disappointment into drive.