The future of hockey will be on full display when NHL Productions presents the award-winning "Welcome to the NHL," presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink, which goes behind the scenes with exclusive access to several of the top prospects for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
The first episode of the two-part show, titled "Meet the Prospects," will premiere June 24 (8 p.m. ET) on ESPN2 in the United States and Sportsnet 360 in Canada. It also will air on NHL Network on June 27 (4 p.m. ET) as well as on NHL social channels and TVA Sports.
The program provides an in-depth look at several prospects as they describe how they've charted their path to future NHL stardom.
For Matthew Schaefer, the defenseman of Erie of the Ontario Hockey League and the projected No. 1 pick, it's about how much his family means to him, especially following the death of his mother, Jennifer, from breast cancer two years ago.
"It makes me happy to be able to talk about her," Schaefer says on the show. "She was one of a kind. The best mother I could have ever asked for. I had 16 years with her but those will be the best 16 years of my life because I got to spend it with her."
We also see Schaefer training on the ice with former NHL defenseman Mark Giordano, who won the Norris Trophy, voted as the top defenseman in the League in 2019.
"The raw talent is there," Giordano said. "The speed is the one thing that sticks out. I don't want to put expectations on the kid that are too high but he's in that that same group with [Cale] Makar, Quinn Hughes."
The show also takes fans on a fishing boat with Boston College center James Hagens and his father; into the backyard shooting range with Brampton (OHL) forward Porter Martone and a special friend, Jeff the goalie; and for workouts with Saginaw (OHL) forward Michael Misa and his older brother, Calgary Flames forward prospect Luke Misa.
Cameras also followed some of the prospects as they went through interviews and fitness testing during the NHL Scouting Combine, including Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) forward Brady Martin, Brantford (OHL) forward Jake O'Brien and forward William Moore from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team.
Episode two, titled "Class of 2025," will premiere in September and feature exclusive access to the 2025 NHL Draft as the players hear their names called.
The 2025 NHL Draft will be held at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater. The first round will be held June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1).
