WHL Prospects: A rare breed of elite talent from Yukon

Dylan Cozens is set to make a little history.

He is already the first Whitehorse-born hockey player to be drafted in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft. Now, he is predicted to go in the first round of this summer’s NHL Entry Draft, which will be another first.

“I’m so grateful to be from there,” said the Lethbridge Hurricanes forward. “It’s definitely a different path than most people take.”

Only two Yukon-born players before him have suited up in the NHL. Cozens is a highly ranked prospect, third among North American skaters in Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.

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It’s a pressure-filled year for the forward, who just turned 18 on Feb. 9.

“I definitely have a lot of expectations set for myself,” said Cozens. “I can’t get too down on myself or be too hard on myself if I have a bad game. I just gotta put it behind me and move forward, it’s a long season.

“I just want to perform and do my best and stay as consistent as I can.”

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