2024-25 Team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Date of Birth: Jan. 6, 2006
Place of Birth: Hermosa Beach, California
Ht: 6-foot-1 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Forward
NHL Draft Eligibility: second-year eligible
Aidan Park is a second-year eligible two-way forward who surprisingly went undrafted in 2024 despite being projected as a mid-round pick. He shouldn’t go undrafted again after his strong season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Green Bay Gamblers. His draft stock has recently climbed, jumping from 151st in the midterm rankings to 94th in the final rankings—one of the biggest moves among eligible players.
Park has progressed well through his career, posting great numbers at each level. At Shattuck St. Mary’s, he had 133 points in 50 games at the 14U level, followed by 118 points in 54 games at 16U and 82 points in 53 games at 18U. In 2022, he was drafted third overall in the USHL Futures Draft, later joining the Gamblers late in the 2023-24 season.
Park is a well-rounded forward with some playmaking ability, a high hockey IQ, and a heavy shot. He also brings positional versatility, capable of playing center, right wing, and left wing, something that adds to his potential as a future depth piece. His 66 points in 55 games for Green Bay placed him second in goals and fifth in points in the USHL in the 2024-25 season, proving his ability to create offense in a league known for its tight-checking style.
Park scores most of his goals from the slot and around the net-front, firing home plenty of rebounds when crashing the net.
Aidan Park's initial shot is turned aside, but the @umichhockey commit buries his second chance. 2-0 GB just like that.@GamblersHockey pic.twitter.com/UNfX7LnOQa
— Ryan Sikes (@rms_hockey) April 15, 2025
Beyond his offensive production, Park is defensively responsible, consistently back-checking and blocking plenty of shots for a forward. While his defensive game doesn’t always get attention due to his scoring numbers, it’s an underrated part of his skill set. He also brings postseason experience, having played in the Clark Cup Playoffs twice, though Green Bay was eliminated in the first round this past season. Even with a short playoff run, that level of competition will be valuable for his development.
With a well-rounded offensive game, solid defensive details, and the flexibility of NCAA development at a high-level program in Ann Arbor, Park is a great early mid-round option, one that I mentioned in a prior Columbus Blue Jackets mock draft article.
I’d take Park somewhere in the early-mid rounds—third or fourth feels right. I like him as an overager prospect with real upside. Not sure how he went overlooked in the 2024 NHL Draft, but after the season he had in Green Bay, he’s earned another look. With his size, motor, and two-way game, he’s the kind of pick that could return solid value down the line.
“Park is a clever centre with a never-say-die motor and polished defensive habits. He combines non-stop movement with puck- winning skills, puck-protection ability, and an assertive defensive game. He scans often and makes plays quickly, gets to the net, and fires off the catch with power and precision.” – EliteProspects 2025 NHL Draft Guide
“Aidan was on the Gambler’s top units. He has tremendous awareness off the puck with the strong two-way game, he can read the breakout attempts and intercept the passes. Aidan would use this awareness when he made an amazing individual read in the neutral zone; he would intercept the pass and feed it forward to his teammates for an odd-man rush. When his teammates were unable to score, Aidan would make another read and intercept the breakout attempt.” – Neutral Zone
“Park continues to be one of the more prolific players for the Gamblers. A lot of his success is rooted in his continuous effort and awareness of high-quality times to shoot the puck. He has a way of getting into the right areas and times his shots just right. He allows opponents to get close enough to possibly obstruct a goalie’s vision but never close enough to disrupt the shot. Scored a nice goal on the power play getting his big body in a shot lane where was able to get a stick on a shot from the point.” – Neutral Zone
I see Park developing into a bottom-six NHL forward. He’s versatile, works hard off the puck, and brings a reliable two-way game. Heading to the University of Michigan gives him a great chance to adjust to the NCAA’s tighter-checking style and focus on development with fewer games on the schedule.
That program’s been an NHL factory lately, pumping out talents like Adam Fantilli, Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski, Kent Johnson, Zach Hyman, and Kyle Connor. With how stacked the Big Ten is this coming season, he’ll be tested every weekend. It’s a great setup for his growth.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 8.5/10, Defense – 7.5/10
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