For reasons beyond just his size, Sam Dickinson stands out among his peers in the NHL draft class while following the footsteps of many household names.
For reasons beyond just his size, Sam Dickinson stands out among his peers in the NHL draft class while following the footsteps of many household names.
The OHL’s London Knights have a well-earned reputation for delivering a ridiculous volume of top-tier talent to the NHL.
Brendan Shanahan, Rick Nash, Patrick Kane and Mitch Marner are just a few of the names on their long list of superstar alumni – and they were all seen as top prospects before they were drafted.
These days, former Knights Evan Bouchard and Nikita Zadorov are both first-round picks making big impacts on NHL bluelines. And on the way soon are Oliver Bonk, taken 22nd by Philadelphia last summer, and Sam Dickinson, who’s ranked seventh among North American skaters for the upcoming draft by NHL Central Scouting.
You’d never guess at a glance that Dickinson, who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, is one of the youngest players in his draft class. He celebrated his 18th birthday at the scouting combine in Buffalo June 7.
And while size is not as important for NHL defensemen as it once was, hockey scout and analyst Shane Malloy says it’s still a valuable attribute.
“One of the biggest things that Dickinson has begun to figure out is how to use that size effectively,” Malloy said. “And I don’t mean in terms of banging and crashing but understanding how to take away time and space. And how to force the forwards to do things they don’t want to do.”
Dickinson’s mental maturity also shines through.
“Sam, at a young age, has good self-discipline,” Malloy said. “And that makes a big difference, because he knows what he has to do, and he knows what he’s not supposed to do.”
In his second year on a dominant Knights squad that featured 10 drafted players (including Bonk), Dickinson grew his role over the course of the season. He played big minutes in all situations and led Knights defensemen with 70 points. And he didn’t neglect his own end of the ice. He was a vital member of the Knights’ top-ranked penalty kill.
Dickinson’s skill set was on full display during the on-ice testing at January’s Top Prospects Game in Moncton, where he finished second overall among his draft-eligible peers from across the CHL. Even as one of the bigger players in his class, Dickinson’s earned him fastest-skater honors with the puck on his stick, going both forward and backward. He also ranked second in transition ability.
In the Top Prospects Game itself, Dickinson wore the ‘C’ for Team Red, which skated to a 3-1 win. That followed his alternate captaincy on Canada’s gold-medal team at the 2023 U-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer. And in the fall of 2022, he was captain of Canada Black at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he was also named to the tournament all-star team.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and for them to choose me is a huge honor,” he said of being a captain for his country. “Through the tournament, I’ve had to take on a couple more responsibilities, but nothing that I haven’t been challenged with before. I’ve just tried to stay the same and lead the guys as best I can.”
A Toronto native, Dickinson came up through the U-14 and U-16 programs of the GTHL’s Toronto Marlboros, following in the footsteps of Nash, John Tavares, Jason Spezza and Connor McDavid. At the 2022 OHL draft, the Niagara IceDogs made him the first defenseman selected, fourth overall. On the eve of training camp, he was dealt to London, in a trade that saw seven draft picks go the other way.
This is an excerpt from The Hockey News’ Draft Preview. To read the full article and much more, they're all available to you with a subscription at THN.com/Free. Your subscription includes access to more than 76 years of exclusive articles at The Hockey News Archive.
Which team could be in the running for Dickinson at the NHL draft? Adam Proteau gives his take:
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here.