With the 30th pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames went with Jack Hextall, a USHL center whose game is built more on brains and consistency than flash.
Hextall comes from Rolling Meadows, Illinois, shoots right, and plays center. He is committed to Michigan State University for the 2026-27 season, setting up the next stage of his development before he eventually turns pro.
His path to the first round started in minor hockey with the Windy City Storm 13 AAA in the HPHL, followed by one season with the Chicago Mission 15U team. After that, he moved on to the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL, where his production climbed sharply.
In 2024-25, Hextall posted 8 goals and 26 assists for 34 points in 53 games. This season, he took another step, finishing with 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points in 59 games. That jump helped push his draft stock upward, and he also represented the USA at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he scored seven points in five games.
What makes Hextall stand out is the way he plays the game. He is not the most explosive or eye-catching prospect in the class, but he keeps showing the kinds of habits teams love: intelligence, work ethic, and attention to detail. Those are traits the Flames have consistently valued in young players, and Hextall fits that mold well.
His best trait is his hockey IQ. He reads the game quickly, sees plays before they fully open up, and usually makes the right choice with the puck or without it.
He positions himself well in all three zones and tends to avoid risky, low-percentage decisions. Even when he is not filling the scoresheet, he still has a way of influencing shifts.
The playmaking is there too. Hextall has a knack for finding teammates in good spots and helping his team keep the puck.
His style is connected and efficient, built on vision and timing rather than raw skill. That kind of game often translates because it is not tied to physical gifts.
The biggest question is physical development. Hextall already wins plenty of battles through effort, anticipation, and positioning, but he is going to face bigger, stronger, more mature opponents as he moves up.
Adding muscle and overall strength will matter if he wants to stay effective at center. It would help him hold onto pucks longer, establish inside position near the net, become tougher to knock off the puck, and handle faceoffs and tougher defensive matchups more effectively.
There is also a question about how much offense he can drive at a top-six NHL level. He does a good job supporting plays and facilitating offense, but he does not always take over sequences himself. If he can become more assertive over the next few years, attack scoring areas more often, use his shot when it is there, and create under pressure instead of always distributing, his ceiling rises.
His next step will come at Michigan State, where the competition will be faster, stronger, and more physically advanced than what he saw in the USHL. The NCAA has become a major development route for NHL prospects, and Michigan State’s recent track record makes it a strong fit for Hextall’s growth. The focus will be on strength, explosiveness, and proving he can produce against older players.
He is expected to spend time in college before signing with the Flames. After that, the AHL could be the next stop, and if everything breaks right, he could reach the pros sooner than many might expect.
Hextall’s profile is different from many first-rounders. He is not built around elite tools or highlight-reel offense.
His appeal comes from hockey sense, playmaking, defensive reliability, and the idea that he can become a center coaches trust in every situation. That gives him a fairly high floor.
The best-case version is a highly intelligent two-way center who can handle all situations and still chip in top-six offense. The more likely outcome is a reliable middle-six center, someone who can play second- or third-line minutes, help drive possession, contribute in all three zones, and be counted on defensively. Even without becoming a point-per-game player, that kind of player would still have real value in a competitive lineup.
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