Undrafted Stanley Cup champion Logan O’Connor reflects on draft process

Teams hope to stockpile talent at the NHL Draft, but it's not always first-round picks that pay off. Sometimes, it's the players who were never picked at all.

Ahead of the NHL Entry Draft, former Calgary minor hockey player and Stanley Cup champion Logan O’Connor serves as a reminder that players don’t need to hear their name called to find success.

“I remember I had one questionnaire come through from a team—I want to say in my first or second year (of eligibility)—and I was like, “pretty cool,” because I had never done that before,” said O’Connor.

“But besides that, I had zero interactions with an NHL team.”

O’Connor grew up playing for the Calgary Royals.

The undrafted NHLer was also never selected in the Western Hockey League’s Bantam Draft.

The only time he was drafted was in the 2013 United States Hockey League’s Entry Draft in the 13th round by the Sioux Falls Stampede, with selection No. 194.

“I was always a late bloomer. That’s something I sort of pride myself on is getting to where I am at being a late bloomer, never really looking too far ahead. The thing with the draft is, at the end of the day, whether it’s the (WHL) Bantam Draft, the NHL Draft, my dad always says it’s just an invite to camp,” said O’Connor.

“It’s on me to prove those people wrong.”

In 2013, he was able to crack the Stampede before earning a scholarship to the University of Denver.

He won a USHL Championship in 2015 and a national championship with the University of Denver in 2017.

“I think the expectations were that my career would probably be done after college for most people,” said O’Connor.

“I just, again, used that as fuel, continued to work on my game, be the best person and player I could be at school, trying to round out my game in different ways and then I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity with the Avalanche.”

In 2018, he signed with the Colorado Avalanche, spending two seasons playing with the club and its minor league affiliate.

During the 2020-21 season, he cracked the Avalanche lineup full-time and hasn’t looked back.

He was a part of the squad when it won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

“Winning the Stanley Cup and having that joy and jubilation and having everything pay off … in that moment, it’s a lot of reflection,” said O’Connor.

Craig Button, TSN’s director of scouting, says O’Connor “just kept taking advantage of his next opportunity” while building up his confidence.

“He won a USHL championship, he won an NCAA championship, he won a Stanley Cup. There is something that is not accidental about what Logan O’Connor has done being part of winning teams,” said Button.

“He knew exactly what his game was and he brought it.”

Reliable, dependable and consistent are three things Button says are key to a player’s longevity in the NHL.

“Sometimes, you’ve just got to keep banging on the door and showing that you’re capable. Sooner or later, somebody is going to open that door because you’ve banged hard enough,” said Button.

O’Connor has his own take on the draft process.

“The draft is, obviously, a big honour, but I think there’s a lot more hype to it than there should be,” said O’Connor.

“At 18, most players are developed at that age, but everyone has a lot more developing to do in order to make that jump to the NHL. You’re playing against men; you’re playing against the best in the world and it’s tough for anyone to jump in.

“You’re seeing more and more guys are percolating more in the minors, spending more time there before they make the jump, just to ease the transition.

“I feel like it’s the guys that make the jump early that tend to have negative consequences because of it, and they’re not quite ready.”

O’Connor has signed a multimillion-dollar, six-year contract set to begin in 2025-26.