shane wright Archives - Boutique Hockey Agency

Wright on track maturing game with Firebirds

Posted on March 21, 2024

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA – It only seems that Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Shane Wright is older than his birth certificate indicates.

Wright, after all, has been a household hockey name for years. Nothing has been normal or routine for him.

He was barely a teenager when he was already attracting attention as an emerging star in the ultra-competitive world of minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Area. His teammates with the Don Mills Flyers included the likes of eventual NHL first-rounders Brandt Clarke and Brennan Othmann. It was that kind of environment that Wright dominated.

Then came 2019 and Hockey Canada granting Wright exceptional-player status, a decision that allowed him to join Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League as a 15-year-old. He delivered on the hype, providing 39 goals and 66 points to win top rookie honors in both the OHL and the Canadian Hockey League.

Shane Wright still working hard as his Kraken camp nears its end

Posted on October 5, 2023

SEATTLE, WA – Kraken prospect Shane Wright was again one of the last players off the ice Wednesday morning before accompanying his travel group to British Columbia for the night’s penultimate preseason game.

Wright’s appearance in a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the B.C. town of Abbotsford will likely be his last this preseason as remaining players leave Thursday for Edmonton, Alberta, and Friday’s finale against the Oilers before the Oct. 10 regular-season opener. It has been a workmanlike training camp for last year’s No. 4 overall draft selection, evidenced not only by Wright staying late after practices but also his picking up on professional hockey nuances.

“I think, overall, I’m feeling more comfortable out there,” Wright, who assisted on a first period Andrew Poturalski goal, said before leaving for Wednesday’s game. “I’m more comfortable holding on to the puck a little bit more, making plays and understanding our systems just a little bit better. And understanding teammates and systems and all that.”

Wright Place, Right Time For Seattle Kraken’s Shane Wright

Posted on April 1, 2023

WINDSOR, ONT – To borrow a line from the legendary Johnny Cash, Shane Wright has been everywhere this season, man. And while no one could have predicted all the locations the talented young center ended up, it feels like the Seattle Kraken prospect is getting precisely the reps he needs after a first half filled with different and challenging experiences.

The tale of Wright’s draft day is well-worn at this point. Seen as the potential No. 1 overall pick, he instead slid to fourth when the Montreal Canadiens opted for a winger in Juraj Slafkovsky. New Jersey didn’t need a center, so they took defenseman Simon Nemec second overall, while Arizona preferred Logan Cooley down the middle. And all of that was just fine with the Kraken, who were more than happy to snap up Wright for their new pipeline.

‘Absolutely poetic’: Shane Wright gets revenge with first NHL goal vs. Canadiens

Posted on December 7, 2022

SEATTLE, WA –

Shane Wright is officially a goal scorer in the NHL, and just as fate would have it, his first tally came against the Montreal Canadiens.

This past summer, the Canadiens passed over the long-expected top pick with their No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft, selecting Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky instead.

Wright, who infamously stared down the Canadiens’ table at the draft after the Seattle Kraken selected him fourth overall, also said he was “definitely gonna have a chip on my shoulder” since he fell in the draft.

Sometimes a little chip on your shoulder is a good thing. In this case, it’s paying off with a bit of revenge.

Wright’s first-career NHL goal came in the first period of the Kraken’s game against the Canadiens Tuesday in Seattle, when forward Oliver Bjorkstrand laid the puck on a platter in the low slot for the rookie, who hammered it past netminder Jake Allen.

Not only is it some sweet revenge for Wright, but it’s also a major monkey off his back. The 18-year-old had gone goalless in his first seven NHL games and has struggled to find ice time with the Kraken.

Seattle Signs Its Top 2022 Draft Pick Shane Wright to Entry Level Contract

Posted on July 13, 2022

SEATTLE, WA – Shane Wright signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old forward was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

“It was the overall fit and what the organization is building to,” Wright said on Day Two of Kraken development camp Tuesday. “They are a new team, so they don’t have as many prospects in the system as some other teams do. I feel it’ll just give me a lot more opportunities, stepping in to make a difference right away. The potential ability to be part of a situation and be a building block and a huge piece in their team and the organization for the future was something that really excited me. Now that it finally worked out this way, I couldn’t be happier.”

Wright persevered through missed season to be best player in 2022 Draft

Posted on June 29, 2022

MONTREAL, QC – Shane Wright has the confidence to succeed and the perseverance to thrive at any level of hockey.

He’s really had no other choice to this point in his career.

A month after Hockey Canada granted him exceptional-player status in March 2019 at age 15, he was chosen No. 1 by Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League priority draft (regular draft age is 16). He was named rookie of the year in the Canadian Hockey League after he had 66 points (39 goals, 27 assists) in 58 games in 2019-20.

He was proving to be everything everyone expected. And then the OHL canceled its 2020-21 season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

“It was just a lot of off-ice training, working out in my garage, the gym, trying to maintain my body as best as possible with weights, medicine balls, and I skated on rollerblades or wherever we could find ice,” Wright said. “I mean, you can do all the skating you want but it’s really tough to simulate a game-like scenario and that’s something I missed a lot, something I definitely missed doing for sure.”

He wasn’t alone. But for a player of his status, a lost season was a missed opportunity to solidify his standing as the best the 2022 NHL Draft class had to offer.

To his credit, Wright did all he could this season to answer questions regarding his chances of developing into an NHL franchise player. He was eighth in the OHL with 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games, including 51 points (17 goals, 34 assists) in his final 32 games. He then had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 11 OHL playoff games, including the overtime series-clinching goal in the first round against Oshawa.

The 18-year-old has established himself as a leading option to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Wright (6-foot, 199 pounds) was No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of North American skaters from start to finish. He did so despite missing more than 13 months of competitive hockey. His last organized games prior to this OHL season was the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship when he was second among all players with 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in five games while serving as captain for first-place Canada.

Shane Wright’s success is equal parts talent and work ethic

Posted on March 2, 2022

KINGSTON, ONT – Hockey fans love highlight-reel goals. Those kinds of plays get a lot of attention but that doesn’t make them better than complete players.

Kingston Frontenacs star, Shane Wright has been the consensus top pick in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft for some time now and yet some in the media are looking for reasons to knock him out of the top spot. Maybe his point production isn’t overtly dominant or maybe his unselfish play can be boring to some. The fact is every NHL team wants players like Wright who understand the little things as much as scoring points.

Shane Wright named OHL East Division Academic Players of the Month

Posted on January 7, 2022

KINGSTON, ONT – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs, Owen Van Steensel of the North Bay Battalion, Matthew Poitras of the Guelph Storm and PJ Forgione of the Saginaw Spirit have been named Academic Players of the Month for December.

East Division: Kingston Frontenacs captain and top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright is the OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month for December. Recording an 87 percent average at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School, Wright also worked on his studies remotely throughout his time representing Canada at the recent World Junior Hockey Championship.

Wright maintains a full academic course load, which includes achieving a 92 percent in English, and a 97 percent in Religion.

“Since being granted exceptional player status and selected first overall in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Shane has continued to excel, setting and upholding the highest standard for himself, both on and off the ice. He is an exceptional role model to both his class and teammates,” said Frontenacs academic advisor Kristi LeSarge.

The Burlington, Ont. native and former OHL Rookie of the Year has earned 30 points (11-19–30) in 22 games this season. This marks Wright’s second time receiving East Division Academic Player of the Month honours.

Canada beats Russia to Capture Gold at U18 World Championship with Shane Wright Leading as Captain

Posted on May 7, 2021May 7, 2021

FRISCO, TEXAS – Canada is golden at the under-18 men’s hockey championship after another strong performance from two of the youngest players at the tournament.

Led by 17-year-old captain Shane Wright and 15-year-old Connor Bedard, the Canadians beat Russia 5-3 on Thursday in the championship game, going undefeated along the way.

Wright had two goals and an assist while Bedard added a goal and a helper.

Brennan Othmann scored a highlight-reel between-the-legs goal for Canada, which got another from Logan Stankoven.

Benjamin Gaudreau made 31 saves and was named top goaltender at the 10-nation event.

Wright and Bedard — two of only seven players in Canadian Hockey League history to be granted exceptional player status to join major junior a year early — finished 2-3 in tournament scoring behind Russia’s Matvei Michkov.

Wright ended the tournament with nine goals and 14 points in only five games — scoring at least a goal in each contest. Bedard wrapped up the event with seven goals and 14 points in seven games.