Layton Ahac Is Paving A Path All His Own

Layton Ahac's resume is a bit more complex than the typical college freshman.
While most of his peers are busy packing up their childhood rooms and deciding which brand of ramen will be their go-to, the newly minted Ohio State University student spent his summer at the Vegas Golden Knights Development Camp after being selected in the third round (#86 overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Not to mention he already has two years of playing for the BCHL's Prince George Spruce Kings under his belt.
Not bad for someone who has yet to step foot in a dorm room.
His contributions helped the Spruce Kings hoist the Doyle Cup after their 2018-19 playoff run, where he notched 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 17 games played. That's on top of the 32 points (4 G, 28 A) he tallied during 53 games in the 2018-19 regular season. In his BCHL rookie season, the defenseman collected 29 total points (6 G, 23 A) in 57 games.

At development camp, Ahac got the opportunity to mingle with Golden Knights prospects of all ages, skill levels and experiences. Players like Nic Hague, Ben Jones and Cody Glass who have a few years' worth of development camp experience in their repertoire served as great role models for the 18-year-old.
"You can tell they're great leaders just naturally," said Ahac. "I don't think they're even trying too much to be a leader, it's just who they are. It's just great being surrounded by people like that."
Being around veteran players also gave him the opportunity to reflect on areas of his game that he can improve on. Most notably, he hopes to bulk up when he hits the ice with Ohio State.
"I think strength would be a key for me playing against these older guys," said Ahac. "Next year I'm going to be playing with guys up to 24-years-old so strength is going to be a big key for me."
Additionally, Ahac was selected #66 overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, but ultimately he decided the college hockey route was the path he wanted to take.
"I didn't see a point to signing until I could play in the league and I just went with my gut feeling," said Ahac. "I've been dreaming of putting on a Vegas jersey or an NHL jersey for so many years and I finally get to do it."