What are the Blackhawks getting in No. 29 overall pick Mason West?

One of the more aggressive moves made by Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson at this year\'s draft came near the end of the first round, when he packaged a few picks together to nab a third first-rounder and used it to draft a two-sport standout who\'s going to be a high school senior this fall in Mason West.

There are plenty of physical attributes to like about the Minnesota teenager, who turned 18 years old over this initial weekend of August. How well the other parts of his hockey game come together down the road will tell the tale of his athletic future, but we likely won\'t receive answers to any of those questions for a few more years, at least.

Background

Position: Forward

Age: 18 (Aug. 3, 2007)

Hometown: Edina, MN

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 218 pounds

Shoots: Right

Team: Fargo Force (USHL)

Production: 9 points (1 G, 8 A) in 10 regular season games; 0 points in 2 playoffs games; Also had 49 points (27 G, 22 A) in 31 games for Edina High School

The clip that circulated all over social media on the night the Blackhawks selected West with the No. 29 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft had no ice in sight:

Lost in the shuffle of some awesome plays this week, what a fantastic TD connection between @MasonWest2026 and @StraderJabari !

That duo helps @edinahornets beat Stillwater 19-16. pic.twitter.com/RD6CGBW50a

— Will Hall (@WillHallKARE11) October 13, 2024

That\'s West as a high school quarterback, which he\'s expected to do one more time this fall as a senior before his football career ends and his full-time hockey career starts. Like fellow Blackhawks prospect AJ Spellacy, West was good enough at football to be garnering looks from college programs but has elected for a future in hockey, where the athleticism that\'s helped him evade defenders on the gridiron is also a key part of his hockey toolkit.

West has been a top producer since he arrived at Edina High School, starting with a 27-point season (9 G, 18 A) in 30 games as a freshman. He added 38 points (15 G, 23 A) in 30 games a sophomore and took that production to an even higher level as a junior with 49 points (27 G, 22 A) in 31 games last season. At the end of the 2024-25 hockey season, he joined with the USHL\'s Fargo Force for 10 games, picking up a goal (clip below) and eight assists.

MASON WEST WITH HIS FIRST USHL GOAL AND SCHEELS ARENA IS ROCKING🎉 pic.twitter.com/hsGfFjpjtE

— Fargo Force (@FargoForce) April 6, 2025

Patience is going to be the operative word with West, though, as the fact that he\'s a month away from his senior year of high school offers a glimpse into where he is at the moment and how far away he is from a potential NHL future -- along with the fact that he just turned 18.

Skills Breakdown

Skating is his best, most robust skill set currently -- he skates with a long, fluid stride that allows him to cover ice efficiently and stay involved in the play on both ends of the ice. His mobility projects well at the next level, where pace and reach are prized in power forwards.

The below is from Chris Ralph at Upside Hockey :

He\'s also a remarkable skater for his size with a powerful stride on long legs and a deep knee bend; he is fast enough to catch up to streaking opponents and pick their pockets with a stick-lift. His edges and agility are smooth as well, with the ability to pivot rather quickly and change direction seamlessly.

West’s has shone above average hockey IQ so far, albeit in a limited sample. This shows up mostly on the playmaking side of the game, including the ability to scan the ice, anticipate pressure, and execute a variety of pass types fairly well. Some coaches and scouts have compared West\'s playmaking on the ice to his playmaking on the football field, where his experience finding open receivers in the passing game could benefit his hockey skills. Those instincts will still need some refinement and there isn\'t really a large enough sample size yet to see those particular skills shine, but it does appear to be the next best set of skills for West.

This from David Gregory, associate director of NHL Central Scouting :

Not only is he big but he can be physical and is smart with the puck … he makes great decisions. The way he surveys the ice is a lot like he’s a quarterback out there. You can really see that. So that makes him super interesting.

West\'s shot is a bit lacking. It\'s strong, but he too often finds himself shooting from low-danger/perimeter areas. He’s at his best when attacking the middle of the ice and pushing into high-danger scoring zones, but he doesn\'t do it enough to be effective. Additionally, he doesn\'t have quite the arsenal of shots from which to draw. Getting to high-danger areas consistently and diversifying his shot are habits he’ll need to build if he wants to consistently drive offense at the next level.

There are some decision making issues in West\'s game, mostly during transition play, which is something that could be handled once he devotes 100 percent of his sports time to hockey. He is a fairly reliable two-way player, though. Defensively, West is ahead of the curve for a player still splitting time between two sports. He reads forechecking lanes well, breaks up plays with an active stick, and uses his body to seal off opponents in board battles. His awareness away from the puck and willingness to support in his own zone point to a player committed to becoming a complete center.

At 6-6, Mason West brings the kind of frame NHL teams covet, but he hasn’t fully learned to weaponize his size. When in the USHL, it was obvious he\'d need some time adjusting to the physical demands of high-level competition, where winning board battles and net-front scrums often separates prospects from pros. With targeted development, he could become a force along the walls and in net-front scrums, but for now, it remains an untapped part of his game.

Scouts at Elite Prospects observed just that:

Like many high school prospects, West’s habits are still developing... A major concern was his physical game. Despite his size advantage, he often lost battles and ended up outside in positioning, suggesting a lack of understanding of how to leverage his body properly.

Conclusion

Like many other Blackhawks prospects we\'ve discussed over the years, patience will be vital when it comes to West. He certainly has the athletic ability to project as a future pro, with recent articles from Ben Pope at the Sun-Times and Scott Powers at The Athletic saying that West continues to elicit offers from Division-I football programs, although Powers\' article said that West maintains his future is on the ice.

But that two-sport approach means there are details within West\'s hockey game which will need attention, such as the section above that said West hasn\'t found the most efficient ways to take advantage of his massive frame. But those are all items which seem to be correctable with a more hockey-centric schedule, and West is expected to begin that once this final football season in the fall is over. It certainly seems like there is a future NHLer within West somewhere -- we\'ll just have to wait and see if that\'s what emerges over the next few seasons.

Scouting Reports

West has received a lot of praise in the scouting community recently. He’s a 6-foot-6 center who loves to overpower defenders and beat opponents with skill. He spent most of the year playing high school hockey but then finished the season with some excellent performances with the USHL’s Fargo Force. Every time I watch him, he finds a way to get better. The upside is tremendous, and he doesn’t struggle with traits that some other big forwards can, including slower hands and feet. A team looking to swing big could take West much higher in the second round.

-- Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

One of the most fascinating players in the draft, West is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound junior in high school who is both the star forward for Edina H.S. and the football team’s star quarterback. Athletes like West don’t come along often, which is why he’s rocketing up the charts. He’s fast and has some clear skill that allowed him to both play at a high level in High School and with the Fargo Force in a 10-game stint where he had nine points. It was that stint that made West realize his sporting future may be best served in hockey. NHL teams are still nervous about taking him because he plans to play his senior season in football before moving over to the USHL for the remainder of the season. NHL personnel have questioned what will happen if West gets big Division I football offers after getting primarily mid-major offers following his junior year. West says he is choosing hockey for the long-term, but there’s still that risk factor.

-- Chris Peters, FloHockey

West is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. He’s a two-sport athlete at Edina High in both hockey and football. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 27th among North American skaters in their final rankings, but he’s also a three-star quarterback recruit who had offers to play football at Miami, Marshall, Kent State and South Dakota before choosing to pursue hockey. He’s also an August birthday who is nearly 6-foot-6... You can see some of the natural athleticism in his skating (which could still use another step but isn’t awkward for his size), handling and dexterity. He can make plays into space and can catch and tip pucks. He also sees the ice well and plays the game with good poise and his eyes up, though there’s even some room to grow and develop his game there as well. He’s also a natural center, though there are some who view him as a winger up levels. Teams are very intrigued by both his raw talent and athleticism and strength but also the runway he still appears to have ahead of him.

-- Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

What are the Blackhawks getting with No. 29 overall pick Mason West?

Background

Talking Points