While many of his fellow 2024 NHL draft-eligible players were at the Sphere in Las Vegas, eagerly awaiting their names to be announced and donning jerseys, Trevor Hoskin was at home in Ontario with his family.
Having already been overlooked twice and in his final year of eligibility at age 19, Hoskin faced uncertainty about being selected. However, given the challenges he had navigated in his young career, being picked felt like a deserved outcome.
When the Calgary Flames chose him in the fourth round as the 106th overall pick, the Hoskin family erupted in celebration.
“I wasn’t certain when or if I would be selected,” Hoskin reflected. “I anticipated it might happen around the fourth round or later. Seeing my name next to an NHL logo, especially Calgary’s, was surreal and exciting.”
Hoskin’s journey has not been linear, and the obstacles he has overcome to reach this milestone are commendable.
At 15, he stood just under 5-foot-7 and weighed only 125 pounds during his OHL draft year. He faced a setback when he was cut from his local U16 AAA team, the Quinte Red Devils, where his father worked as a Zamboni driver. This left him scrambling to find another team, eventually securing the last position on a squad in Kingston, about an hour away.
“It was challenging,” Hoskin admitted. “I had played for that team for six years before being cut; they said they needed bigger players. A few of my close friends remained on that team, and being in high school made it tough to see them succeed while I was uncertain about my own future in hockey.”
Fast forward to the previous season, and Hoskin had grown to 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds. In his third year of Jr. A, he earned the OJHL MVP award and scoring title with 100 points in 52 games for the Cobourg Cougars, led the World Jr. A Challenge in scoring with 12 points in six games for silver-medal Canada East, and was named the Canadian Jr. A forward of the year.
#WJAC | Trevor Hoskin (‘04 @CougarsHockey & @GriffsHockey) gets Canada East on the board! It’s a tied game in Truro 🚨🍁 pic.twitter.com/GFVixX4fia
— CJHL (@cjhlhockey) December 16, 2023
As Hoskin started making a significant impact in the Jr. A leagues, his family advisor, Joe Resnick, worked to attract the attention of NHL scouts, who began attending Cobourg games. The Calgary Flames were one of the teams that made several visits.
“Honestly, when I first went to see him, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m just watching a 19-year-old play Tier-II hockey,’ so I wasn’t expecting much,” recalled Flames scout Terry Doran. “However, I saw enough to realize I needed to come back. Each time I watched him, he was the standout player on the ice. You might look for reasons to doubt him because of his age, but I believed his performance would remain consistent regardless of the competition.”
While Hoskin excelled during the regular season, he arguably raised his game even higher in the playoffs.
In the initial two rounds, the fifth-seeded Cougars pulled off upsets against higher-seeded teams, with Hoskin playing a crucial role. Doran observed how the right winger decisively influenced a game against Haliburton County in the first period and witnessed another stellar performance in the following round against St. Michael’s from Toronto. After Hoskin scored the overtime winner in Game 6 against the Buzzers, Doran was present to see him contribute to all five goals in a comeback victory that allowed Cobourg to win the series on the road after overcoming an early 2-0 deficit.
Trevor Hoskin’s OT winner from tonight’s 5-4 win!#DoTheROAR | #CougarCounty pic.twitter.com/xQjqoUfaUT
— Cobourg Cougars (@CougarsHockey) April 1, 2024
Hoskin’s Character and Potential Shine Through.
Flames scout Terry Doran was impressed by Hoskin’s character and dominance on the ice, which he believes will translate well to the next level.
“That to me spoke volumes of his character,” Doran said. “That’s what you want to see; you want to see him dominate.”[1]
Doran praised Hoskin’s well-rounded game, noting his skating ability, quickness, vision with the puck, unselfishness, leadership, tenacity, and drive. He highlighted Hoskin’s ability to create scoring chances, particularly while shorthanded, using his acceleration to pounce on pucks.
Joining Niagara University and Reuniting with Reist.
This fall, Hoskin will attend Niagara University, where he will be reunited with his Cobourg linemate Andy Reist. The Purple Eagles coaching staff has been very supportive of Hoskin, and he is excited about the opportunity to make an immediate impact as a college freshman.
Hoskin acknowledges that he still needs to get bigger, which he believes will be aided by the NCAA weight-room schedules. However, his impressive skills package makes him a player to watch in the coming years.
Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Dreams.
Hoskin’s journey from being cut from his U-16 team to becoming an NHL draft pick has been remarkable. He has taken the lessons he learned along the way to heart and is now focused on achieving even bigger dreams.
“When I first signed with Cobourg, it was mini-footsteps,” Hoskin said. “In 2021, I just wanted to make Cobourg and play Jr. A. Then you play half a year or so and you realize your goal is either OHL or NCAA, and I turned my focus to NCAA. It would be an absolute dream to commit to a D1 school, and that happened for me. Then it was my last year for the NHL draft, and I knew I’d have to have a wicked year if I want to be picked. It just skyrocketed from there.
Hoskin’s perseverance and dedication have paid off, and his journey is just beginning. With his impressive skills and character, he has the potential to make a significant impact at the collegiate and professional levels.
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