Sharks select Cole McKinney No. 53 overall in 2025 NHL Draft

The San Jose Sharks have selected center Cole McKinney with the 53rd overall selection of the 2025 NHL Draft on Saturday at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.

McKinney was projected to be selected 36th overall on average across all of the main draft rankings, going as high as 20th and as low as 57th. He was also ranked 32nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis projected the Chicago, Illinois product to go closer in the middle at 39th overall.

Ellis had this to say about Schmidt in his most recent draft rankings:

“McKinney was one of the USNTDP’s top forwards all year long, and he was also one of the most aggressive. McKinney is a mid-sized, two-way center who can play on the penalty kill, block shots and win a ton of faceoffs. He’s not going to be a play driver in the NHL, but he’s detail-oriented and astute. McKinney is also not afraid to land a big hit to channel some energy. I hope he gets stronger when he heads to college to really maximize his pure power, but the overall package right now is a solid base to build around.”

McKinney spent the season split with the United States U-18 team for the National Team Development Program, and with the USNTDP Junior team in the United States Hockey League.

With the U-18 team, McKinney finished the season with 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points in 60 games. His performance led the team in scoring, and he was the only player to finish the season above a point-per-game, as the U-18 team finished with a 30-6-25-4 record.

With the Junior team, McKinney had 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points in 23 games. Despite only playing the 23 games, he managed to finish fourth on the team in scoring, and was first in points-per-game. The Junior team finished seventh in the USHL’s Eastern Conference with a 23-35-4 record, and did not qualify for the playoffs.

McKinney also played for Team USA for the 2025 IIHF World U-18 Championship, where he had three goals and two assists for five points in seven games. The United States went on to win its fourth bronze medal in the tournament.

McKinney has committed to the University of Michigan for the 2025-26 season.