Cayden Lindstrom (born February 3, 2006) is a Canadian ice hockey forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 NHL entry draft.
| Cayden Lindstrom | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
February 3, 2006 Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada [1] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| WHL team | Medicine Hat Tigers | ||
| NHL draft |
4th overall, 2024 Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
Playing career
editLindstrom was playing midget A hockey in Fort Saint John, British Columbia when he was first scouted by his agent, who helped him join the Delta Hockey Academy. Joining the team required him to move 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) south to Delta.[2] While playing there, he was selected 54th overall in the 2021 Western Hockey League (WHL) draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers.[3] He signed with the Tigers and made his WHL debut on December 30, 2021, in a 3–2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen.[4]
In his first full WHL season in 2022–23, Lindstrom was shifted between wing and centre, and at points had been a healthy scratch.[2] At the season's end, he had recorded 19 goals and 42 points across 61 games, respectable for a 16-year-old.[5] He was named rookie of the year for the WHL Central Division, and was a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for WHL rookie of the year.[6]
Beginning the 2023–24 season on a torrid pace, Lindstrom recorded nine points in three preseason games followed by ten goals and fifteen points in the first twelve games of the regular season. His stellar play through the early stages of the season led to his receiving an 'A' rating from NHL Central Scouting in their October list. Although this was somewhat of a surprise at the time, he continued to produce points at an elite rate, and his draft stock continued to rise. Entering the Christmas break and riding a 12-game point-scoring streak that saw him score 13 goals and 21 points, he sustained injuries to his back and hand, derailing what was on pace to be a 55-goal, 100-point season.[2] Although he was one of 40 draft-eligible prospects chosen to compete at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, he was not able to participate due to recovery from his injuries, which included hand surgery.[7] He finished the year with 27 goals and 46 points in 32 games, the highest points per game rate by a Medicine Hat player since Joffrey Lupul 22 years earlier, and would go on to win the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award as the best draft-eligible player in the three CHL component leagues.[8]
Lindstrom returned from injury in the first round of the playoffs against the Red Deer Rebels, but was not fully recovered and did not perform nearly to his previous standard. In four playoff games before the Rebels eliminated the Tigers, he scored just two points and logged fourteen penalty minutes.[9] Entering the 2024 NHL entry draft, Lindstrom was lauded for his size, athleticism, skating, and puckhandling, but was regarded as unpolished, particularly in his decision-making.[10][11] His final ranking from Central Scouting was third among North American skaters,[2] and he would see his name called fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets.[12]
International play
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | ||
 |
2023 Czechia/Slovakia | |
At the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, Lindstrom played for Team Canada White, recording two goals and four points in six games.[6]
Lindstrom represented Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording two goals and five points in five games and winning a gold medal.[13]
Personal life
editLindstrom and his three younger sisters were raised by a single mother, Trisha, a medical assistant. Throughout his childhood, he was very close with his mother and grandmothers. He grew up a multi-athlete, playing track and field, baseball, and soccer, but when he was thirteen high-level play in both baseball and hockey forced him to choose between the two.[2]
Lindstrom is a member of the Driftpile Cree Nation.[14]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 61 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2023–24 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 32 | 27 | 19 | 46 | 66 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | ||
| WHL totals | 99 | 46 | 42 | 88 | 102 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canada White | U17 | 6th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2023 | Canada | HG18 | 
|
5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | |
| Junior totals | 11 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 20 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHL | |||
| CHL Top Draft Prospect Award | 2024 | [8] | |
References
edit- ^ "Cayden Lindstrom Stats and News". NHL.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Wheeler, Scott (May 21, 2024). "Inside 2024 NHL Draft star Cayden Lindstrom's emergence — and the status of his health". The Athletic. New York Times. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ Booth, Mark (December 10, 2021). "Delta Hockey Academy players dominate proceedings at WHL Prospects Draft". delta-optimist.com. Delta Optimist. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Tubb, James (January 4, 2022). "Lindstrom shows confidence in WHL debut". medicinehatnews.com. Medicine Hat News. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Peters, Will (August 5, 2023). "Chetwynd's Cayden Lindstrom scores crucial goal for Canada in Hlinka Gretzky Cup final victory". myprincegeorgenow.com. My PG Now. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Tubb, James (April 8, 2023). "Lindstrom nominated for WHL rookie of the year". medicinehatnews.com. Medicine Hat News. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Tubb, James (January 24, 2024). "Tigers avoiding losing streaks with tight division race". medicinehatnews.com. Medicine Hat News. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Séguin, Christopher (June 1, 2024). "Jagger Firkus named Player of the Year as the best & brightest from the CHL are recognized at the 2024 CHL Awards". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Basu, Arpon (June 7, 2024). "Cayden Lindstrom's dream of playing under the bright lights of the NHL is approaching". The Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Neumeier, Derek (November 26, 2023). "2024 NHL DRAFT: EARLY SEASON FAVOURITES – WHL – Cayden Lindstrom, Tanner Howe, Lukas Matecha, Nate Misskey". mckeenshockey.com. McKeen's Hockey. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Bukala, Jason (November 16, 2023). "Future Considerations: Scouting reports on top NHL Draft prospects". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Hedger, Brian (August 27, 2024). "Columbus Blue Jackets playing it safe with top prospect Cayden Lindstrom". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Tubb, James (August 23, 2023). "Lindstrom relishes golden opportunity at Hlinka Gretzky". medicinehatnews.com. Medicine Hat News. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Svoboda, Jeff (June 28, 2024). "Instant analysis: Blue Jackets draft Cayden Lindstrom at No. 4 overall". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database