Cole RESCHNY

Center
5’10/187
Left
Victoria Royals/WHL

Related: Bill Zonnon

Cole Reschny currently plays as a center for the Victoria Royals in the WHL, Known for his playmaking abilities, Reschny is a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s ranked among the top North American skaters, with his rankings varying between late first-round and early second-round projections. Reschny is celebrated for his exceptional hockey IQ, passing skills, and ability to create space for his teammates. He’s also a strong two-way player, contributing both offensively and defensively. While he’s not the strongest player physically, Reschny is effective at driving play on-puck, with a mechanically sound skating base, smooth hands, and the ability to manufacture offence for both himself and his Victoria teammates. Reschny’s offensive game revolves around finesse, passing ability, and vision. His strong lower half allows him to create off the cycle and spin off contact down low. He’s displayed a great motor in all 3 zones, but the overall strength is concerning to his projectability. As his size suggests, he loses a big share of physical battles along the boards and isn’t reliable in defensive situations. Still, Reschny possesses top-six upside due to his offensive involvement and play-driving tendencies. This season, he has been a standout performer, leading his team in assists per game and excelling in faceoffs. Reshny tallied 26 goals, 66 assists and 92 points during the regular season, as well as 9 goals and 25 points in the playoffs. His dominant performance this season has been turning heads and has him rocketing up draft boards. With a lack of top high end talent in this year’s draft, Cole Reschny could make a case to get drafted way higher than he is projected.

Size/Strength Below Average
Skating Great
Shot/Scoring Great
Puckhandling Excellent
Physical Play Average
Offensive Play Excellent
Defensive Below Average
Hockey Sense Excellent
Competitiveness Excellent

Strengths

1. Reschny excels at creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. He leads WHL draft-eligible players in assists per game. His ability to read plays and anticipate movements is exceptional. He uses his intelligence to create space and maximize his team’s potential.
2. Reschny is heavily involved in both offensive and defensive plays. With a faceoff win rate of 56.92% this season, Reschny is reliable in critical situations. He is deployed in all situations, including special teams, empty-net scenarios, and period starts.
3. For a player who is not very big, Reschny does show some chops as a physical asset. He is willing to play dirty for pucks and can be a rough forechecker. He’s also quite mentally aware in his own end
Areas of Improvement.

Areas for Improvement

1. Does not have a professional-ready frame, his smaller stature can sometimes be a disadvantage.
2. Needs to improve his finishing ability; His shooting percentage this season is 11.9%, the lowest of his WHL career.
3. Possible Boom or Bust Player.

Scouting Report

Cole Reschny is a highly skilled 5-10 centre who has put together a solid WHL career so far with his playmaking, offensive instincts, and motor. Across 62 games this season, Reschny has scored 26 goals and 66 assists for 92 points, along with 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 10 playoff games. He has also shone in tournaments like the U17 and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, showcasing his ability to perform on a global stage. Reschny is a do-it-all center for the Victoria Royals. He’s a high-level playmaker for the 2025 class, leading the WHL in assists per game played among draft-eligible players. Heavily involved both offensively and defensively, chipping in to retrieve pucks and consequently maintain the flow of the game, Reschny’s small size is less of a concern because he doesn’t let it prevent him from making an impact While he’s not the strongest player physically, Reschny is effective at driving play on-puck, with a mechanically-sound skating base, smooth hands, and the ability to manufacture offence for both himself and his Victoria teammates. Reschny’s offensive game revolves around finesse, passing ability, and vision. His strong lower half allows him to create off the cycle and spin off contact down low. A big reason is Reschny’s superb hockey brain. He reads plays well, displaying exceptional passing ability to put his teammates in positions to score. He is an elite creator of space for his linemates, waiting for the perfect moment to dish pucks across. Reschny is able to force defenders on him so those around him have more breathing room. He maximizes the fullest potential of a roster that lost more games in regulation alone than they won in total last season. Another strength here is Reschny’s defensive game. He’s involved on the backcheck, helping to prevent odd-man situations. He’s not afraid to play down low to get the puck out of the zone. His complete game has made the Royals a noticeably better team when he’s on the ice. Reschny drives play at a very high level, and adds to that with a 56.92% faceoff win rate. Reschny’s understanding of the game has allowed him to be deployed in every kind of situation. On both special teams units, he’s out there. Despite all the positive things to like about him, there are issues concerning to his projectability. As his size suggests, he loses a big share of physical battles along the boards and isn’t reliable in defensive situations. Still, Reschny possesses top-six upside due to his offensive involvement and play driving tendencies. He could become a solid complementary scorer at the next level, similar to players like Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes, who is not a star but a great player to have playing alongside a star player. Reschny’s combination of skills and two-way production should make him a clear-cut first-round pick—no overthinking it. His brains and usage in all situations should make him primed to go off the board around the mid-to-late teens, or perhaps around the early 20s. Small centers can fall in the draft, even if they are productive, but Reschny is poised to walk up to the podium on day one. Ultimately, Reschny projects as a two-way, all-situations second-line or middle-six center. Reschny’s complete game and high-level playmaking make him a strong candidate for the first round of the draft.

Skill: High scoring, skilled, two-way center, reliable in all situations

NHL Comparable: Seth Jarvis

NHL Potential: Second Line Center

Season	Team	League	GP	G	PTS
2023-24	Victoria Royals	WHL	61	21	59
	Canada Red U17	WHC-17	7	3	8
2024-25	Canada U18	Hlinka Gretzky Cup	5	3	7
	Victoria Royals	WHL	72	35	117