Danielson, Red Wings prospect, was toughest opponent in WHL, Bedard says

DETROIT -- There were several reasons Nate Danielson was selected by the Detroit Red Wings with the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The Red Wings liked the center prospect's 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, intelligence, poise and scouting report -- filed by none other than center Connor Bedard, who the Chicago Blackhawks chose with the No. 1 pick in the draft and said Danielson was the toughest center he faced in the Western Hockey League.

"It kind of stands out when you hear Connor Bedard talking about how tough he is to play against," Red Wings assistant general manager Kris Draper said. "That brought a smile to our faces."

Danielson, who played for Brandon of the WHL, saw plenty of Bedard, who played for Regina. Though he led Brandon with 76 points (32 goals, 44 assists) in 63 games last season, Danielson also excelled in his own zone, which Detroit took notice of as well.

"He's a good-sized centerman and a really smart 200-foot player," Draper said. "He was a captain at age 17, and he's a very impressive young man with real passion towards the game.

Draper was also impressed by Danielson's poise playing for Brandon (26-33-9), which finished 10th in the WHL Eastern Conference.

"On most nights, they were overmatched -- this was a team that struggled -- but he kept playing and doing his thing," Draper said. "That's something you love to see. He could have gotten frustrated, but he's a character kid and he wanted to lead by example."

The 18-year-old isn't expected to make the Red Wings' opening night roster and is not eligible to play in the American Hockey League, so is likely to remain in the WHL this season. Still, he got his first taste of the NHL at Detroit's development camp last week.

"It's been a whirlwind going to Nashville for the draft and then coming here to meet everyone," he said. "But it's been awesome -- I'm having a ton of fun."

Danielson said he was impressed by the Red Wings facilities and with the level of instruction he received at the five-day camp.

"The rink is unreal, and so are the amenities we have here," he said. "But there are a ton of great people. They're teaching us about nutrition, strength and mobility training, and then when we get on the ice, they're showing us skating skills."

Danielson isn't expected to make the NHL roster, and because he's not eligible to play in the AHL, he'll get another season with Brandon. He'll return to Detroit later this summer for the Red Wings' annual prospect tournament, followed by training camp, but in the meantime will work on the plan the Detroit staff gave him.

"I know I need to get bigger and stronger as well as, just being quicker and more explosive," he said. "So ... I'm going to go home (to Edmonton), get in the gym and start working on those things.

"I have an NHL team now, but I still have to earn an NHL roster spot."

Photo courtesy of: Zack Silver, Detroit Red Wings