The Ottawa Senators selected forward Jaxon Cover with the 32nd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, held June 26 in Buffalo, N.Y. Cover, who grew up in the Cayman Islands, began playing ice hockey at age 12 after a decade as a roller hockey phenom.
From Roller Hockey to NHL Draft Pick
Cover's path to the NHL is unique. He grew up in the Western Caribbean territory, where the only rink was dedicated to roller hockey, not ice. He didn't play ice hockey or fully understand its rules until his U14 year. A few seasons later, playing AAA for the first time, he was selected by the London Knights in the fourth round of the Ontario Hockey League draft.
“It means the world to me,” Cover said of being drafted to the NHL.
Untapped Potential and Skill
Ottawa's head scout Don Boyd emphasized Cover's talent. “It’s a great story, but we drafted him because we believe that he’s got ability; we believe that he’s got skill,” Boyd said. “We believe he’s going to have a chance to be an offensive guy. He plays in a good program. We know he’s going to get good coaching. We know he’s going to be managed well.”
After NCAA eligibility rules were revised, Cover, a Penn State University commit, joined the Knights for his 17-year-old rookie season and recorded 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 67 games. He wears No. 87 in honor of his idol, Sidney Crosby.
Senators Forced to Keep Pick
General manager Steve Staios had been shopping the club’s assets, but this pick was non-tradable. The Senators were penalized with the forfeiture of a first-round draft choice in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 for mishandling a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, failing to communicate a player's proper no-trade list. Ottawa opted not to forfeit earlier picks, hoping for a lesser penalty. Owner Michael Andlauer's advocacy led to Commissioner Gary Bettman's decision in mid-March that Ottawa would receive the final pick of the first round in 2026, non-tradable, regardless of standings.
Addressing Forward Depth
The Senators addressed a need for forward prospects; outside of wingers Kasper Halttunen and Blake Montgomery, their system was thin up front. Earlier in the first round, Ottawa selected Swedish winger Jonas Lagerberg Hoen 25th overall. Barring trades, the Senators have three third-round picks (72nd, 87th, 91st), one in the fourth (110th), one in the fifth (151st) and one in the sixth (183rd).
