Chicago Blackhawks trade back into the first round, select Mason West in 2025 NHL Draft

Blackhawks No. 3 overall pick Anton Frondell meets with the media

The Chicago Blackhawks selected Anton Frondell with the No. 3 overall pick. He meet with reporters on draft night. (Video courtesy the Chicago Blackhawks).

If you thought the Chicago Blackhawks were done for the night, they decided to surprise some.

The 'Hawks traded back into the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, and selected Mason West with the No. 29 overall pick.

What we know:

The Blackhawks had picks No. 3 and 25 in the first round. Then, general manager Kyle Davidson got back in the first round.

Davidson traded the 34th and 62nd picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, as well as a fifth round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 29th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

With that pick, the Blackhawks took West.

West is a 6-foot-6 center who currently plays at Edina High School, and is committed to play at Michigan State. He's also a quarterback for the Edina football team.

West said he'll play quarterback at Edina this fall before moving on to the UHSL.

"I'll play football in the fall and then head to Fargo," West told NHL.com. "It was really important for me to play football as a senior with my friends. I always set goals for the year, and that was to win a state high school hockey championship and also a football championship."

On his high school hockey team, West led Edina with 27 goals, tied for first with five game-winning goals, and was second with 50 points in 31 games as a junior this season.

West ranked No. 27 among North American skaters according to the NHL Central Scouting rankings.

Dig deeper:

The Blackhawks have taken two draft picks in the first round who size up at 6-foot-6.

Chicago is taking players who measure up – literally – to some of the bigger players in the NHL. If the Blackhawks can develop them into NHL players, that could give them size to use in a myriad of ways.