Heidt focused on consistency prior to 2023 NHL Draft

Riley Heidt is just beginning his road toward the 2023 NHL Draft, but the 17-year-old center prospect already is well-schooled in the path.

Heidt, who plays for Prince George of the Western Hockey League, already has been studying up on what to expect, how to navigate the waters, and how to hold his own through the upcoming season.
He said it's provided some early, much-needed perspective.
"A lot of guys I've talked to ... I've talked to so many good prospects and they've all just said they admit themselves they get caught up in the draft and look at rankings and stuff," Heidt said. "At the end of the day if you just watch the (2022) draft, it's not about your points, it's about your 200-foot game. Stay on track. It's a long season. You have a rough start, you can't let that get to you. Just keep going.
"Consistency is going to be a huge thing for me, and that's one thing I want to get better at. I think just being consistent and putting pucks in the net every night is the best way to go about it. Don't worry about it. Just go out and have fun."
Heidt is representing Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, an eight-team U-18 international tournament that runs through Saturday. He had a goal and an assist in a 14-0 win against Switzerland to open the tournament Sunday, and has four points (three goals, one assist) in two games. He said he hopes to maintain his consistency throughout the event, which has been a hallmark of his game for the past several seasons.

Heidt, who said he models his game after Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, led Prince George in scoring as a 16-year-old last season with 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 65 games. He finished two points shy of the team record by a rookie, set by Brett Connolly in 2009. Heidt also had three points (one goal, two assists) in three playoff games.
"He is an intelligent and skilled natural center who is good at winning face-offs," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "He has a high hockey IQ making him a strong playmaker, excellent hand/eye coordination with his puck skills and can generate and finish scoring plays every time he has the puck. He's a very smart player who can contribute."
Heidt a bit of a student too. He watched as two teammates, goalies
Tyler Brennan
and
Ty Young
, were selected in the 2022 NHL Draft. Brennan was picked in the fourth round (No. 102) by the New Jersey Devils; Young was chosen in the fifth round (No. 144) by the Vancouver Canucks.
Their experiences gave Heidt a look at what to expect, as well as his experiences leading up to the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. Prince George selected Heidt with the No. 2 pick, one spot after Regina chose Connor Bedard, who is a favorite to be the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.
"I think I put too much pressure on myself," Heidt said. "I think it's human nature for someone to do that. I'm so hard on myself. I put so much pressure on myself and I just want to keep getting better. I want to be a top guy and be regarded as a top guy and prove to everybody I can do it. I'm always going to be wanting to be picked high in the back of my mind, but I think I'm not going to try to worry about that too much and go do the best I can.
"I'm just going to focus on becoming a better player overall as much as I can and keep learning. I'm always open to advice, so I'll soak everything in."
Photos: James Doyle/Prince George Cougars
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