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Meet Tynan Lawrence, one of the 2026 NHL Draft’s most explosive centers

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Apr 22, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 21, 2026, 11:21 EDT
Meet Tynan Lawrence, one of the 2026 NHL Draft’s most explosive centers
Credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)

Like many others that fell short at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, Tynan Lawrence wants revenge.

Canada is always expected to do well at the season-opening international event. They’ve won it 25 times, with no other active participant having more than 15 medals. They looked like clear favorites in 2025, but had to settle for bronze after a surprising 4-3 shootout loss to the eventual gold medalists, the United States.

Lawrence will have the opportunity to reclaim gold at the U-18 IIHF World Championship if all goes well. It was the Hlinka, though, that thrust Lawrence not only into the top five conversation for the 2026 NHL Draft, but had some scouts wondering if he could realistically go No. 1. It was clear 2026 was going to be a weak year for centermen, and while Lawrence wasn’t as skilled as, say, Gavin McKenna, the total package was there.

The Fredericton, New Brunswick native finished the tournament with just three points in five games. But scouts saw someone capable of much more.

“Nobody dominated shifts like Lawrence did (in Czechia),” one scout said about Lawrence’s Hlinka performance. “The physicality, the off-puck play, the hockey sense, it was all there.”

Unfortunately, Lawrence wasn’t able to capitalize on the hot start. He suffered a lower-body injury during the 2025-26 USHL preseason with the Muskegon Lumberjacks and didn’t make his season debut until Oct. 24, 69 days after taking home bronze. He’d play two games before finding himself back on the sidelines, but would become a full-time player a month later. Lawrence stayed close to his Muskegon teammates throughout, which made it easier for him to acclimate to the system. It was a huge year for Lawrence, after all, especially after an extremely impressive 54-point rookie season the year prior.

Lawrence managed to score 10 goals and 17 points in 13 games with Muskegon, quickly proving why scouts loved him so much. But it was clear the USHL was looking a bit too easy for him. Lawrence had met all the academic requirements to join the NCAA early and was already committed to Boston University, which desperately needed some offensive help.

On Jan. 6, 2026, BU officially confirmed Lawrence was leaving the USHL to head to college. It was a surprise, but many believe it was the best move for his development. And Muskegon had his full support throughout, releasing a public statement praising the decision. That’s unusual when a player leaves for a different program, but it meant a lot to Lawrence.

“They meant so much for me for my development, both on and off the ice,” Lawrence said over the phone from Slovakia. “It started with my first main camp two years ago, through my whole first year, and this year too. They treat their players really well and really care about their development.”

The move was one that scouts absolutely loved. They wanted to see him take on the challenge of the NCAA, and with BU being a midpack team, he had a chance to lead. But offense was hard to come by – it took him six games to register his first point, and 11 to snag his second. Lawrence finished with seven points in 18 games, and Boston University ultimately ended the season on March 14 with a loss to UConn. Lawrence did finish the season on a bit of a heater, registering five points in his final five games.

But overall, it was clear he was playing catch-up. For Lawrence, he’s focused on the bigger picture, and not necessarily about simply maximizing his draft stock in the short term.

“Coming in halfway through the year, it’s difficult,” Lawrence said. “You’ve got to learn your teammates and kind of build chemistry on the fly. But I feel like once you get that down, you know what happens, you just kind of build on that, it gets easier and easier.”

Now, a month off from game duty, Lawrence is ready to get back into the swing of things. He’s expected to play a big role in Canada’s pursuit of its third straight gold at the U-18 World Championship, taking place in Trencin and Bratislava, Slovakia. Lawrence’s brother, Joshua, is currently in the midst of the Slovak league playoffs with HK Nitra. He himself is a Hockey Canada alum, having participated in the U-17 World Challenge back in 2018.

Lawrence sees this as an opportunity to prove what he’s fully capable of.

“I’ve been working on getting faster, keep learning, continuing to watch hockey and picking up on different things,” Lawrence said. “Being able to add things to your tool bag and expand upon that, learn from others, continuing to build all around, that’s important.”

Lawrence is one of the smartest forwards in the draft class. He reads open ice exceptionally well and consistently makes the right passes through traffic. Lawrence isn’t massive at six feet and 185 pounds, but he plays with a ton of power. He plays a solid two-way game, and he boasts a boatload of energy, too. If you’re not moving quickly enough, Lawrence will swarm you instantly and make you pay. Nobody will mistake him for a burner. But Lawrence is a highly competent skater who should have no issue adjusting to the big leagues in that regard.

Daily Faceoff has Lawrence as the 11th-ranked player and third center in its latest draft rankings. The difference between Caleb Malhotra, Viggo Björck, and Lawrence isn’t massive, with each having a legitimate argument to be the first center off the board. Lawrence will be the only one of the three at the U-18s, where hundreds of scouts will get a close eye on him.

Next season will be an interesting one for Lawrence. He’ll have an opportunity to become BU’s No. 1 center, and without many distractions. It could be a case where he just needs one, uninterrupted season to prove to everyone why he’s highly touted. His competitive nature never wavered, and he created quality scoring chances quite often down the stretch.

But it’s never easy to deal with early season injuries, only to then switch teams midway through. Scouts still think it was the right move, and Lawrence can prove that if he starts off strong at BU.

“It’s easy to believe in him,” one scout said. “His drive to win, get better, and dominate shifts is impressive. And once the numbers follow, he could make a scouting department look really smart for taking him.”

You’ll hear a lot about how this year’s draft class isn’t deep down the middle. Some scouts think Lawrence is more liekly going to be a No. 2 center in the NHL. But most will agree he has a top-six pedigree. For now, he’s focused on chasing gold at the U-18s with his country.

And if Lawrence can channel that energy that made him such a force in the eyes of scouts back in August, he’ll be just fine.

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