2026 NHL Draft Diary: Tynan Lawrence

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. The 17-year-old center (6-foot, 185 pounds), who was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, is No. 7 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2026 NHL 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 has one goal in nine games since joining Boston University on Jan. 8.

Hi hockey fans.

So, I've been at Boston University for almost a month and it's been great. I think the college game is just a faster game. You're playing against guys who are quite a bit older and stronger but one of the main differences is your time and space. In the USHL, you have 3-4 seconds to make a play. In college, you have 1-2 seconds. The hockey is a lot faster, but I think once you get adjusted to it, it becomes easier.

I experienced my first Beanpot game on Monday -- a 3-2 shootout win against Northeastern. It was definitely a cool experience, a great atmosphere at TD Garden in Boston. It's a great building to play in, especially with all the teams that play there and I'm looking forward to the Beanpot final against Boston College on Monday.

BC got us the first time (on Jan. 30), beating us 4-1 on our home rink, but it's definitely going to be a fun game playing against them for in the Beanpot final for sure.

One moment I'll never forget was scoring my first collegiate goal (in a 4-3 loss against Providence on Jan. 23). That was definitely a cool moment. I think one of the guys got the puck for me after I scored and I still have that here with me. It's cool because when I look back 5-10 years from now, I'll remember that one.

As you would expect, college life has been an adjustment, but it's been fun. It's different getting adjusted to the college lifestyle, going in-person to classes. Being around different people and being able to build chemistry and come together has been fun.

My roommate is freshman defenseman Charlie Trethewey (Pittsburgh Penguins). He's been great, helping me out with little things, getting around campus, and knowing what to do. A lot of the guys on the team have helped me with that, too. If I have any questions, everyone is very open and welcoming. It's been an awesome experience so far.

On the ice, coach Jay Pandolfo has told me that it's not going to be perfect right away. But if I play the game the right way, keep sticking to it and do the little things right, everything else will fall into place. So that's what I'm going to do.

I just want to continue getting better, offensively and defensively. Take care of the game and play the game the right way.

Thanks for reading this month. Enjoy the Winter Olympics!