Mason West is all about hockey these days

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson isn’t afraid to be aggressive when it comes to drafting a prospect he’s big on. He’s traded back into the late first round multiple times to select guys like Sam Rinzel and Marek Vanacker. In 2025, he traded two second-round picks and a fifth-rounder to the Carolina Hurricanes to snag Mason West with the 29th overall pick.

From the Gridiron to the Rink

West’s post-draft season started on the football field instead of on a sheet of ice. He quarterbacked Edina High School to the Minnesota 6A state championship, their first football title in over 50 years. With him committed to a big football school like Michigan State University, there has been some concern that West would choose the pigskin over the puck.

While at the Blackhawks development camp last week, West said he is “all about hockey.” He noted the difference between the two sports. With football, there is a lot of strength training like power lifts, while hockey training focuses more on legwork and agility. He is using his offseason to focus on his core strength to help with his skating and coordination on the ice.

“I can see myself getting better every day,” he said. “It was hard with football because there are different movements and my body isn’t as comfortable. I have longer limbs, so it was harder for me in the gym. But now that I have just hockey, I get to be more comfortable in those uncomfortable positions.”

Bring on the Sparty Party

Once West’s football season was over, he headed to the United States Hockey League to finish out the season with the Fargo Force. After an adjustment period, he finished the year out strong with 10 goals and 25 points in 38 games. He had a pair of goals and six points in nine postseason games.

“I faced some adversity at the start,” West said of his time in Fargo. “My mind was ready to go. You want to do good and produce right away, but it definitely took me some time to get used to the speed. Jumping in right away was difficult, but once I got comfortable, I started to gain confidence.”

On June 16, the Portland Winterhawks traded a first- and seventh-round draft pick to the Vancouver Giants for West’s Western Hockey League playing rights. This made some wonder whether he would play juniors rather than honor his commitment to Michigan State. That is not the case.

If you watched the first round of this year’s NHL Entry Draft, it felt like half the players were committed to Michigan State. Four incoming freshmen were drafted: defenseman Chase Reid, winger Nikita Klepov, and centers Ethan Belchetz and Jack Hextall. Defenseman Tommy Bleyl, a 2027-28 commit, was also taken in the first round. When you add in Cayden Lindstrom, Ryker Lee, Joshua Ravensbergen, and Cullen Potter, there are nine first-round picks slated to begin the season for the Spartans.

With such a talented crop in East Lansing, it will be tough for West to earn big minutes during his freshman season. However, that’s exactly how he wants it.

“I’m a competitive guy; I have been my whole life,” West said. “I’m not afraid of the competition. I’m excited to learn stuff. I’m a freshman, so I get to learn from seniors, juniors, and the coaching staff. I’m really excited just to practice and then get into the games. I’m going to work hard and give it my best.”

That’s what you want out of your top players. You want West to embrace the challenge and use it to become a better player rather than take an easier path in juniors.

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