Draft eligibility is an exciting moment that gives a player the ability to be selected by an NHL team, but one that sets off a ticking clock for North American NHL prospects. Only eligible from ages 18-20, skaters have a limited window in which they can reliably secure a spot in an organization’s system. Many amateurs end their career without ever hearing their name called, a fate Teydon Trembecky is hoping to avoid in 2025.
The 2005 born Trembecky won’t be found on any prospect lists or mock drafts. Despite being near teammate and projected first round pick Cole Reschny in points, the left winger doesn’t have near the amount of hype. Born just outside of Edmonton in Strathcona County, Trembecky and Reschny played for the same Northern Alberta Xtreme prep team, just in different age brackets. Not long after both boys would find themselves members of the Victoria Royals, but through very different paths.
Reschny was a top pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam draft, swiftly making an international youth team and nearing the top end of prospect lists. Trembecky, in contrast, was drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings 57th overall in 2020 and struggled to find ice time on a team fighting for playoff contention.
After a disappointing start to the 2022-2023 campaign, where he only played in 19 games and managed one point, he was traded to the Royals along with a few draft picks in a win-now trade for Brandon. Travelling across the country, arriving in a new city on a new team with far more opportunity to see playing time, Trembecky was pragmatic about the change.
“It’s always tough. You go from something you’re so used to. It’s kind of an every-day thing in one place to a completely different every-day thing in another place,” Trembecky said. “You have to adjust but I thought I handled it pretty well.”
Arriving in Victoria didn’t bring immediate success. Suffering an upper body injury that left him out two months, his first full season with the Royals was a mixed bag. 10 goals and 10 assists in 50 games left him in the middle of the pack amongst team forwards. The Royals were bounced after four games in the playoffs, a series where Trembecky contributed a single goal.
Going into the current 2024-2025 season, Trembecky was going to need to seriously improve his game if he were to find meaningful success beyond being a midline forward. And improve he would.
Through 41 games this season, Trembecky has 22 goals and 21 assists, leading the team in scoring and neck and neck in points with who else, but Cole Reschny, who has 13 goals and 33 assists. It’s not only the scoresheet that’s improved for Trembecky though: he’s taking penalties at a lower rate, and his plus/minus has shot up dramatically. On pace to challenge for a top five goal scoring season in team history, his upside is on display. How has he been doing it? According to Neutral Zone scouts, Trembecky has excellent top end speed mixed with very good puck skills that allow him to make plays at high speed off the attack. He works extremely hard, using this determination on puck battles on the wall and will without hesitation take pucks to the tough areas. Continuing to round out his game will be required for his continued success.
Early projections and mock drafts can analyze, compare, and ultimately guess which players will be drafted years before players are eligible to be chosen. Deriving who can be successful after taking the leap up is even more of a gamble, with full time scouts often making errors in assessing talent. While going under the radar of most scouts and any large media attention, can Trembecky prove to the world he is one of those players who shouldn’t have been ignored?
by Johnny Cole
Johnny Cole is a 23 year old writer and university student working out of Victoria, British Columbia. A passionate sports fan and lifelong athlete, Johnny is focused on telling human stories that often go under appreciated and under-covered.