Fiddler enjoying home-ice feel for U.S. at World Under-18 Championship

FRISCO, Texas -- Blake Fiddler is feeling right at home during the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.

The United States defenseman played a lot his youth hockey here at Comerica Center, the Dallas Stars practice facility and one of the host arenas for the tournament, which began April 23 and runs through May 3.

"[Going] through the Dallas Stars Elite program and being able to come back around and play in this tournament here, it's special," Fiddler said. "It means a lot to me being from here, somewhere where growing up maybe hockey wasn't the biggest. With it growing and all of the NHL players that are from here, like [Florida Panthers defenseman] Seth Jones, [Calgary Flames forward] Blake Coleman, [Detroit Red Wings forward prospect] Cross Hanas, it means a lot to me to be from Texas."

Blake's father, Vernon Fiddler, was a forward for 14 NHL seasons, including (2011-16) with the Stars. Blake, born in Nashville when his father played for the Nashville Predators, was 4 years old when the family moved to the Dallas area. Once his father retired in 2017, the family settled back in Texas where Vernon spent time coaching Blake during his formative hockey years.

Blake (6-foot-4, 209 pounds) has grown into one of the top prospects for the 2025 NHL Draft; the 17-year-old is No. 26 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American prospects.

He was not always a defenseman, though. Up until the age of 10, Blake was a center.

"I was trying to be like my dad," Blake said. "I think that was good for me playing both positions. It helped me with my offensive side of my game, with my hands. One tournament we were low on [defensemen], and I went back there. I loved it. I could see the ice better and I could use my skating better.

"It's a position where you've got to be good at defending but you can also create offense. I like to do a lot of both. I like to play a two-way game. I love to defend hard and be physical and keep pucks out of my net but also help provide offense and score some goals some time."

He's done both this season. At the U-18s he has two points (one goal, one assist) with a plus-7 rating while leading the U.S. in ice time at 20:14 in four games.

He also had 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) in 64 games with Edmonton of the Western Hockey League.

"Fiddler has an excellent set of physical tools and can handle and transport the puck," Central Scouting's Tim Campbell said. "He's a playmaker from the blue line who can get shots through but also jump down and create scoring chances. He has the puck on his stick often and handles it with good composure in all situations."

Fiddler believes the best two-way defenseman in the NHL is Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, a player he has seen a lot while skating at Comerica Center. But he also looks at Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider's physical game and skating ability to model his game after.

That two-way style of play has been effective so far for the U.S., which will play Latvia in the quarterfinals Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN) after going 4-0-0-0 to finish first in Group B during the preliminary round.

While this may be the last competitive play prospects get in front of NHL scouts before the draft, Fiddler said the focus is on winning gold for his country and representing his home state.

And his father will be watching every step of the way.

“The state of Texas has given me so much with playing with the Stars," Vernon Fiddler said. "They've taken me in as their own. I'm a proud Texan and my kids have been completely raised in Texas.

"I feel like the standard that Texas people set with my son is taking him farther than I think he should be at right now. Those core beliefs in being a good person, and having good faith in God, and working your hardest and being a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, has really set him up for success."