NHL's Blue Jackets Snap Up North Peace's Lindstrom and Gardner

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Cayden Lindstrom, in front, was selected fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft (Medicine Hat Tigers, Facebook)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The National Hockey League (NHL)’s Columbus Blue Jackets looked north – specifically, the North Peace – in selecting players at last week’s entry draft in Las Vegas.

Chetwynd’s Cayden Lindstrom, who played last year with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Medicine Hat Tigers, was selected fourth overall by the Blue Jackets.

It was an emotional moment for Lindstrom, who was captured embracing his mother as his name was selected at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

“I wanted to hug her for as long as I could,” said Lindstrom on Rogers Sportsnet. “I wanted to hug her and my grandma.”

“Just the amount of support and everything they’ve done for me to this point has meant a lot to me and them.”

The 18-year-old forward had 27 goals and 19 assists for 46 points in 32 regular season games played in 2023-24 and won the Canadian Hockey League’s top draft prospect award for 2024.

Lindstrom added a goal and an assist in the playoffs as the Tigers lost to the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL’s Western Conference quarterfinals.

Fort St. John goaltending prospect Evan Gardner had to wait a little longer for his name – but is heading to Ohio along with Lindstrom.

Gardner was selected in the second round, 60th overall, continuing a banner year for the Saskatoon Blades netminder.

He went an impressive 21-5-0-2 with a goals against average (GAA) of 1.91, and was a finalist for the league’s Rookie of the Year award. He also had four shutouts.

Fort St. John goaltending prospect Evan Gardner was also selected by the Blue Jackets in the second round (Saskatoon Blades, Facebook)

Gardner also had a shutout in the playoffs, as his play between the pipes was instrumental in the Blades’ run to the WHL Western Conference Finals.

In April, Gardner was named seventh among goaltending prospects by NHL Central Scouting in their final assessment before the draft.

Over the draft, 225 players were selected by one of the NHL’s 32 teams, with 34 players – or little under 39 per cent – of those chosen playing in the WHL.

The draft was held over two days, on June 28th and 29th at the Las Vegas Sphere.
More details about the draft can be found here.