Cowan: Prospect Hayden Paupanekis hopes to bring size, physical element to Canadiens
Canadiens management would like the team to get bigger and tougher to play against in the future.
Hayden Paupanekis is hoping he can help with that.
The 19-year-old centre is one of the players who stood out at the Canadiens’ development camp last month at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard in part because he’s 6-foot-5 and 208 pounds.
It was the second development camp for Paupanekis after the Canadiens traded up to select him in the third round (69th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft. He looked bigger last month both on and off the ice, with the teenager starting to fill out his large frame. He was also impressive with his skill level and physicality in the four-on-four scrimmage that wrapped up the camp.
“I put on about 10 pounds (from last year),” Paupanekis said.
Paupanekis should continue to fill out this season following his decision to leave the junior Kelowna Rockets of the WHL after posting 15-22-37 totals in 57 games, along with 52 penalty minutes, to attend St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. The NCAA schedule has fewer games, which gives players more time to work out in the gym and there’s also more of a focus on nutrition.
“I think it’s going to be a jump for me, a step,” Paupanekis said. “But I’m ready for it, I think. I need to keep levelling up every season and that’s another step I need to take. … I think just playing with older guys. That’s the next step for me. I want to obviously play in the NHL one day, so I think just levelling up every year will be good for me. It’s going to be a fun time there.”
Paupanekis will be one of 17 new players at St. Cloud State this season, so he should get plenty of ice time as a freshman. St. Cloud State also has a new head coach with Nick Oliver replacing Brett Larson, who moved on to the University of Minnesota.
“I think he’s really passionate about the game,” Paupanekis told St. Cloud Live about Oliver. “He wants to win. Mainly, he wants the best for his players. When he was talking to me, he wants the best for me and he wants to develop me and help me sign an NHL contract. I want to play for someone who wants the best for me.”
One of the reasons Paupanekis chose St. Cloud State is it’s about a six-hour drive from his family home in Winnipeg. Family is important to Paupanekis and he’s proud of his First Nations heritage. His father, Mike, is from Norway House Cree Nation, which is about an eight-hour drive north of Winnipeg, and Paupanekis has two younger brothers.
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His family owns Tomahawk Excavation & Landscaping Ltd., with his grandfather the CEO and his father a special projects consultant. The company’s mission statement is: “An indigenous company building lasting value for all Canadians by delivering quality, safety and professionalism in every project, while fostering a culture of efficiency and effectiveness.”
Paupanekis said he wants to be a role model for kids in First Nations communities.
Last season got off to a bad start for the teenager, who had to miss the Canadiens’ rookie camp in early September because of mononucleosis. He recovered in time to join the Rocket in mid-October.
“Missing rookie camp was brutal,” he said. “I was watching on my phone the rookie camp and the Bell Centre was just rocking. I was really jealous that I missed out. But nothing I could do there.”
When asked where his game improved the most last season, Paupanekis said: “Just playing more mature. Playing on the defensive side of the puck. I got a little bit bigger, so that helps out in the corners and stuff like that. Just maturing as a player.”
His goal this season is to get stronger off the ice while adding more maturity to his game and becoming a player the St. Cloud State coaching staff can trust in any situation.
The Canadiens’ Josh Anderson is a player Paupanekis wants to model himself after.
“I think he’s a really good player and a lot of great things to say about him,” Paupanekis said about the 6-foot-3, 226-pound winger. “That’s kind of who I look up to now.”
Paupanekis hasn’t had a chance to meet Anderson yet, but said: “Hopefully, I can play with him on a line.”
Paupanekis has heard Canadiens GM Kent Hughes talk about wanting to add size and physicality to the team. As Hughes has put it: “There’s not a 5-foot-9 hockey player that scares me, but 22 of them would scare me.”
“That’s the kind of player I want to be,” Paupanekis said about bringing size and physicality. “I want to be a strong centre, someone you can trust to be put on in any position. I think that will help the Canadiens and I think every team’s looking for that as a depth player and I think that’s kind of my role. Josh Anderson is a great example.
“I just want to keep going and keep levelling up every year and, hopefully, make the team and help them win.”
