Penn State hockey will have a first-round NHL Draft pick on the roster for the first time in program history. Defenseman Jackson Smith, who committed to Penn State on June 15, was drafted 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night:
THE PICK IS IN
With the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, we’ve selected D Jackson Smith from the Tri-City Americans of @TheWHL!
Welcome to Columbus, Jackson! pic.twitter.com/KamfYZSjjy
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 28, 2025
Most projections had Smith as a first round prospect ahead of Friday’s draft. He recorded 19 goals and 66 assists in 133 career games with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL.
After finishing no better than 6th in their division from 2021 to 2024, the Blue Jackets finished fourth in 2024-25 and narrowly missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 89 points. Though Zach Werenski has been a consistent force on the blue line for Columbus since his NHL debut in 2016, the rest of the defense is a work in progress. The Blue Jackets finished 25th in the NHL in goals against per game and 28th in shots against per game. With at least a year of development at Penn State ahead, Smith has a promising future in the Blue Jackets organization.