Red Wings select Carter Bear No. 13 overall in 2025 NHL Draft
A young and talented scorer has heard his name called by an NHL team for the first time. The Detroit Red Wings selected forward Carter Bear, 18, with the 13th overall pick Friday night at The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Bear entered this year’s draft as one of the intriguing two-way forwards with the ability to play down the middle and on the wing. NHL Central Scouting had the Winnipeg native listed as the 10th-best North American skater, seventh among forwards behind the likes of Michael Misa, James Hagens and Porter Martone. Daily Faceoff draft expert Steven Ellis has Bear as the 14th overall prospect heading into the draft, 10th among forwards.
From his brief stint with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League at the end of the 2022-23 season to now, Bear has become a sought-after prospect thanks to his incredible work ethic and his ability to play with desperation. He garnered a lot of attention during his rookie campaign in 2023-24, putting up 57 points in 67 games.
This past year saw his best performance so far, setting career highs in goals (40), assists (42) and points (82) in just 56 games. Unfortunately, an Achilles injury late in the season made him unavailable for the playoffs. derailing him from bolstering his draft stock even further.
The former Winnipeg Thrasher was named to the WHL West Division’s Second All-Star Team.
Despite being a solid prospect, Bear is one of the few players this high up on people’s draft boards who have no significant international experience. He did play one game for Team CHL in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge this past season.
Bear isn’t the biggest guy in the draft class, standing at 6 feet and weighing 176 pounds, but his ability to make players helps him stand out. Ellis believes he’s one of the top prospects coming out of the Western League.
“He’s a difficult player to play against,” Ellis wrote. “His athleticism is top-notch. I still think he goes high in the draft, but it’ll be interesting to see if his late injury impacts his draft status. For what it’s worth, I don’t think so. Bear should be one of the most interesting prospects to watch in the Dub next year as he looks to get back on track.”
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