Carter Bear on being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings 2025 first round pick Carter Bear, June 27, 2025.
The Detroit Red Wings used their first pick in the 2025 NHL draft on forward Carter Bear.
Bear is a left-shooting winger who posted 82 points in 56 games with Everett in the Western Hockey League He’s been rehabbing a partially torn Achilles tendon since March, but he’s smart and skilled and a hard worker.
Bear (6-foot, 179 pounds ) tied for seventh in the WHL with 40 goals in 56 games, and led Everett with 82 points and 14 power-play goals before the injury. He’s projected to be cleared by September.
The Wings held the 13th overall selection in the event held on Friday, June 27. Comedy great and Michigan’s own Dave Coulier made the announcement from Detroit, shown on screen at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The NHL moved to a decentralized format this year, which meant general manager Steve Yzerman and his hockey operations personnel were hunkered down in the Detroit area.
Bear appeared with Yzerman and Kris Draper on a screen after the selection was made. Bear said he “was speechless.”
The Wings were pushed back from 12th (from the bottom, where they finished in the standings) as a result of the draft lottery when the Utah Mammoth moved up from 14 to 4. It’s the second-lowest the Wings have picked under Yzerman, behind making their first pick at 15th in the 2024 draft. They also got the 17th pick in 2023 from a trade, and used it on defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka.
The draft continues with Rounds 2-7 on June 28.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
2019: No. 6 overall
The pick: Moritz Seider.
Position: Defenseman.
Amateur team: Adler Mannheim (Germany).
NHL career stats: 29 goals, 151 assists, minus-32 plus-minus rating.
2020: No. 4 overall
The pick: Lucas Raymond.
Position: Forward.
Amateur team: Frolunda HC (Sweden).
NHL career stats: 98 goals, 156 assists, minus-76 plus-minus rating.
2021: No. 6 overall
The pick: Simon Edvinsson.
Position: Forward.
Amateur team: Frolunda HC Jr. (Sweden Jr.).
NHL career stats: 10 goals, 25 assists, plus-5 plus-minus rating.
2021: No. 15 overall
The pick: Sebastian Cossa.
Position: Goalie.
Amateur team: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL).
NHL career stats: 1-0, 2.67 GAA, .857 save percentage.
2022: No. 8 overall
The pick: Marco Kasper.
Position: Forward.
Amateur team: Rogle BK (Sweden).
NHL career stats: 19 goals, 18 assists, plus-1 plus-minus rating.
2023: No. 9
The pick: Nate Danielson.
Position: Forward.
Amateur team: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL).
NHL career stats: None.
2023: No. 17 overall
The pick: Axel Sandin Pellikka.
Position: Defenseman.
Amateur team: Skelleftea Jr. (Sweden-Jr.).
NHL career stats: None.
2024: No. 15 overall
The pick: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Position: Forward.
Amateur team: Mora (Sweden-2).
NHL career stats: None.
2025: No. 13 overall.
The pick: Carter Bear.
Position: Forward.
Amateur team: Everett Silvertips (WHL).
NHL career stats: None.