Brayden Schenn

Brayden Michael Schenn (/ʃɛn/ SHEN; born August 22, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a centre for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings fifth overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft. He also played for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2011 to 2017 before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2017.

Schenn has represented Canada internationally at several tournaments, and won two silver medals at the 2010 and 2011 World Junior Championships. At the 2011 tournament, Schenn tied Canada's record for points in a single tournament, and was selected to the Tournament's All-Star Team and named Top Forward and Most Valuable Player. Schenn won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Blues in 2019.

Schenn played minor hockey in his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He played AAA midget hockey for the Saskatoon Contacts. During the 2006–07 season, his teammates included Jared Cowen and Carter Ashton. In the 2006 WHL bantam draft, Schenn was selected in the first round, ninth overall, by the Brandon Wheat Kings. His teammates Cowen and Ashton were selected first and eighth overall, respectively. In his last season of midget hockey, he scored 70 points in 41 games.

Schenn started his major junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2007–08. He was Brandon's first pick in the 2006 WHL bantam draft. Schenn made his WHL debut on September 21, 2007, against the Saskatoon Blades, earning his first WHL point, an assist. Later in the season, on October 17, he notched his first WHL goal against the Red Deer Rebels. Schenn finished his first season as the Wheat Kings' leading scorer and as the top rookie scorer in the WHL tallying 28 goals and 43 assists for 71 points, earning him the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year, and a spot on the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) All-Rookie Team. He was also the inaugural winner of the 2007–08 Boston Pizza WHL 'Fan's Choice' Award. He also picked up the Wheat Kings team awards for Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Player.

Schenn spent the 2008–09 season playing with the Wheat Kings and served as their co-captain alongside Matt Calvert. In January 2009, he was named the WHL and CHL Player of the Week, after scoring 7 points in two games. Also in January, Schenn was selected as the winner of the H. L. (Krug) Crawford Memorial Medal which is emblematic of athletic achievement in western Manitoba. He finished the season with 85 points in 69 games to lead the Wheat Kings in scoring a second consecutive season. He finished seventh overall in scoring for the WHL, and was named to the WHL's Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team. During the season, Schenn played in the CHL Top Prospects Game and represented the WHL in the ADT Canada–Russia Challenge.

Leading up to the 2009 NHL entry draft, Schenn had been listed as the third highest prospect among WHL players in the NHL Central Scouting Service (CSS)'s preliminary rankings, while International Scouting (ISS) ranked him at fifth overall and first in the WHL. Schenn's ranking remained the same at fifth overall with the NHL CSS's midway ranking. E. J. McGuire, the director of NHL's Central Scouting Bureau compared facets of Schenn's game to Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton. At the 2009 NHL entry draft, he managed to be drafted in exactly the same amateur selection position his brother Luke had two years earlier, as he was drafted fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings.

At the start of the 2009–10 hockey season, Schenn attended training camp with the Kings, but was considered a long shot to make the team. Schenn was returned to Brandon after being one of the last cuts at camp. He served as Brandon's captain for the 2009–10 WHL season. During the season, Schenn again represented the WHL in the Canada-Russia Challenge series. He finished the regular season with 99 points (34 goals, 65 assists) in 59 games, which tied him for fourth overall in WHL scoring with teammate Matt Calvert. Schenn was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.

On December 3, 2010, the Kings returned Schenn to the Brandon Wheat Kings. He played two games with the Wheat Kings during the 2010-11 season before joining Team Canada at the 2011 World Junior Championships. After the tournament was complete, Schenn was dealt to his hometown Saskatoon Blades for a package of draft picks and prospects. He played in 27 games with the Blades, scoring 21 goals and adding 32 assists. Despite playing less than half a season in the WHL, Schenn was named to the league's Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.