Tynan Lawrence of Boston University in Hockey East will file a draft diary for NHL.com this season leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft, which will be held June 26 and 27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The 17-year-old center (6-foot, 185 pounds), who was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, is No. 7 in NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2026 draft. He had 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 13 games with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League to begin the season, and seven points (two goals, five assists) and 35 shots on goal in 18 games after joining BU on Jan. 8.
Hi, hockey fans.
Our season ended (on March 14) with a loss against Connecticut in the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East Tournament. It was disappointing, but I certainly learned a lot in my 18 games with the Terriers this season.
There were a lot of adjustments and changes after making the jump from junior hockey to college. Having the opportunity to spend every day with guys who were already drafted, already signed and now playing in the NHL was kind of unique. Seeing their experiences and kind of how they went about their day, I was able to take away a lot of little things.
I feel college hockey is a lot closer to pro than the junior level. At the end of the day, you don't play as many games, but you work out a lot more. There's more opportunity to develop on those off days and I thought that was one of the things a lot of teams focus on ... getting bigger, stronger. It's kind of a different experience but it's a fun one, being able to develop off the ice just as much as on the ice.
I wouldn't say there's one moment that stood out at BU. There are probably a couple moments with the team where we were in a tough spot but were able to come out on top. I feel like having those experiences and being able to get those games under your belt will only make it easier when you go through those experiences next year.
I feel like I became more comfortable with my teammates down the stretch. We knew we could build something and it took some time, but I feel like in the end, we had a lot of good chemistry. You kind of saw that on the ice with how we were clicking and understanding how each other played, and that helped a lot.
I learned a lot from the leadership group, too. It's a really talented and highly skilled group. You learn just by talking to them, watching them practice. There aren't a lot of games in college, so you’ve got to give it your all every time you do play. I feel like they just want to keep driving the team, wanted all of us to get better. That was a great thing.
I enjoyed my time with the BU coaching staff. They just wanted me to go out there and play, and not worry about things I couldn’t control. They know I'm a good player. They're confident in my ability and know what I can do on the ice to help the team. I was able to play with confidence down the stretch, and I want to take those moments and build on it for next year.
Speaking of next year ... my goal this offseason is just getting bigger, getting stronger, getting faster, working out more. I just want to keep developing on and off the ice. Improve the little details on the ice since I can always get better at those. Off the ice, I want to put on muscle, put on weight, and just get stronger.
Next up is a possible chance to represent Canada at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship (in Slovakia from April 22-May 2). It's always a lot of fun to play for Canada, and it should be a great opportunity to go overseas and once again play against the other countries. It'll hopefully be a great experience, so I'm excited for the opportunity.
Well, that's it for this month. Thank you for reading!
