The Edmonton Oilers used the penultimate pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft to select centre Aidan Park from the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.
Park, 19, stands at 6’1″, 187 lbs. and is a right-shot who scored 33 goals and 66 points in 55 games last year with the Gamblers. A native of Hermosa Beach, California, 20 miles south of where the draft was being held, Park was one of the only players who stayed at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre waiting to hear his name called.
After getting a chance to put on an Oilers jersey, he told Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis he wasn’t expecting to get selected.
An overage prospect, Park wasn’t selected in last years draft after having an electric season at the notorious Shattuck St. Mary’s program, scoring 30 goals, 63 assists and 93 points in 56 games. He led all players that year in assists, and finished third in scoring behind Ryker Lee, who was selected 25th overall by the Nashville Predators on Friday, and Boston Bruins prospect Will Zellers, who was taken 76th overall in last years draft.
Park was listed as one of the top 10 overage prospects to watch in this years draft class by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis:
Many scouts thought Park was going to get drafted a year ago, but was passed over. He left the famed Shattuck St. Mary’s program to play full-time in the USHL, and he showed how competitive he could be. He had 33 goals and 66 points in 55 regular season games with Green Bay before finishing the season with a three-game playoff stint with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. Park has a decent fame but he’s not strong, and he can be prone to turning the puck over if he isn’t able to beat opponents with pure speed. The University of Michigan commit will likely get taken in the latter half of the draft, but he’s still a bit away from being a legit prospect.
Park committed to play for the NCAA’s University of Michigan in 2022, but signed a Scholarship and Development Agreement with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen in April after being taken in the first round of the 2021 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.
His uncle, Richard Park, had a 14 year, 738-game NHL career, playing for the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers. He retired after the 2011-12 season, and has spent the last 11 years in the Wild organization, working as a development coach between the 2014-15 and 2018-19 seasons, working as a pro scout in each of the last seven years.
Park was the Oilers’ fifth and final pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
