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FN Draft Profiles: Jack Hextall is right-shot centre and a weapon on the power play
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Adrian Kiss
May 28, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: May 28, 2026, 02:30 EDT
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Right-shot centres have been a desired addition for the Flames over the past couple of seasons. They have been desperately searching for a game-changing centre to round out the top six. While they added promising prospects at last year’s draft in Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter, both are left shots, meaning the high-end right-shot prospect remains elusive.
The early selection of right-shot centres in this draft is slim. If this remains a priority for the Flames, then you have to look at Jack Hextall as a potential option.

Scouting report

A product of Rolling Meadows, Ill., located just outside Chicago, Hextall is listed as a right-shot centre standing six-foot-one and weighing 188 pounds. Jack is a part of the legendary Hextall family dynasty. Jack’s dad, Cory Hextall, is cousins with the great Ron Hextall. That family breathes hockey, so you know the genes are there.
Hextall spent his early hockey years playing in and around Chicago before being tendered by the Youngstown Phantoms for the 2024-25 season. He played two seasons for the Phantoms and next year will suit up for Michigan State University as he makes the jump from the USHL to the NCAA.
Hextall is known as an ultra-competitive playmaking centre who excels in the faceoff circle and is a legitimate weapon on the power play.
On his recent top-75 prospect list, Steven Ellis from Daily Faceoff had this to say about Hextall:
“Hextall had multi-point efforts in nearly all my viewings this year, both internationally and domestically, with Youngstown. He was no stranger to dominant performances, showcasing a dynamic skill set with an endless motor. That’s what I love about his game – he won’t be a high-end producer in the NHL, but he can play a variety of roles while being effective. He has a good shot, but he’s even better as a set-up guy. On the power play, he doesn’t waste much time blasting shots past goalies. I also think he got better physically as the season wore on. I think he’ll be a solid support guy at the next level”.
Elite Prospects’ Sebastian High spoke to Hextall’s development when he said this:
“Hextall has grown significantly more engaged, stronger, and more stable on his feet, allowing him to win battles along the boards and inside positioning around the net far more effectively than back in October. He’s always had the smarts, puck skills, and two-way intuition to build the foundation of a potentially second-line centre game, but until recently, that projection lacked cohesion. Not anymore. Look at Hextall to rise on our next board and maybe flirt with a return into our top-32.”

The numbers

Hextall’s first year with the Phantoms was solid. He scored eight goals and added 26 assists in 53 games. He followed that up with an even better season this year. In 59 games, he improved across the board with 20 goals and 38 assists, finishing just shy of a point per game.
Speaking to his power-play effectiveness, he recorded nine goals and 22 assists with the man advantage. That means 31 of his 58 points came on the power play this season.
We all know that plus-minus is not necessarily a great stat to gauge how good a player is. But it is worth noting he finished with a plus rating (plus-5, plus-8) in each of his two seasons with the Phantoms, which shows just how well he played for them.
Now that he’s joining a talented Michigan State team that had the second-best power play in the NCAA last season, there is little doubt Hextall can help them reach another level while continuing to improve his own skills at the same time.
Hextall also made an appearance at the most recent Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he had seven points in five games, including two goals and five assists.

Availability and fit

Hextall checks a lot of boxes for the Flames. He’s a right-shot centre with size, is effective on the power play and otherwise plays a very well-rounded game. He is far from a finished product, though. Hextall is just entering his first year in the NCAA, where he could likely stay for two years before making the jump to the professional ranks.
Timing-wise, a Hextall arrival in Calgary would more likely be three years away if everything works out. That timeline could align with when Calgary begins competing again, making Hextall a valuable addition to a solid young lineup.
Many scouting outlets have Hextall being selected early in the second round of the draft, while a few have him sneaking into the late first round. With the Flames holding three draft picks in close proximity in this range, it may be in the cards for Calgary to select a player like Hextall.

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