Wild select Adam Benak No. 102 overall in 2025 NHL Draft

One of the NHL Draft’s most unique prospects came off the board on Saturday when the Minnesota Wild selected diminutive centerman Adam Benak with the 102nd overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

A Czech national, Benak is one of the smallest players in the draft at 5-foot-7, and 160 pounds. He played center at the junior level with Czechia’s national team and the USHL Youngstown Phantoms, but his measurables will make that a difficult proposition in the pro ranks; Benak is even dwarfed by undersized centers like Brayden Point (5-foot-11, 164 pounds) and Yanni Gourde (5-foot-9, 174 pounds).

If Benak’s frame could keep him out of the middle as a pro, it’s his skill on the puck that will give him a chance to reach those ranks to begin with. 

Benak, the all-time leading scorer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (21 points in 10 GP), has blazing speed, which helps him avoid getting lost in games despite his size. A skilled outside player with excellent hands and hockey sense, he has piled up points at every stop in his young career despite a below-average shot.

With HC Plzen’s U-20 club, Benak scored at a point per game pace as a 16-year-old to force an informative if altogether uneventful audition with the men’s team (two points in 18 GP). After his arrival stateside with Youngstown last season, he recorded 17 goals and 49 points in 42 games.

Benak has a decision to make about his immediate future. He can stay in the USHL and rise to dominant levels, test his mettle against grown men in his native league with Plzn, or join the collegiate ranks to ease into tougher competition. 

Whichever path he chooses, the Wild will be watching closely to see if his physical progression can match his already excellent skill and hockey sense.

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