2025-26 Team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Date of Birth: Sept. 18, 2007
Place of Birth: Fairbanks, AK, USA
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 185 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 64th (among NA skaters)
- Peter Baracchini’s Final Rankings: 73rd
- Andrew Forbes’ Final Rankings: 73rd
- Jordan Orth’s April Rankings: 82nd
- SMAHT Scouting: 44th
The United States Hockey League continues to be a strong developmental league for players heading for the collegiate route. As the league continues to produce a number of players that are eligible for the draft, Landon Hafele is certainly one name that continued to get some recognition this season.
Moving on from the National Team Development Program for a better opportunity to develop, Hafele had a decent draft year as he had 42 points in 52 games, good for a 0.81 point per game average. He certainly showed that with an expanded role with the Gamblers, as he can very well be a productive and impactful player overall.
Hafele’s game revolves around his non-stop motor, compete and pace of play. He’s constantly on the move and in attack mode. He’s always buzzing in all three zones applying pressure and forcing mistakes when he can. He’s got a great first step and strong agility to be tenacious on the forecheck, get the inside edge on opponents and pull away from them to create some separation. He has great strength in board battles to out muscle his opponent, gain possession and create an opportunity by constantly pushing the middle of the ice as he doesn’t stay on the perimeter.
Hafele has great offensive and playmaking instincts, putting the puck in great spots for his teammates to receive a pass. He can make quick and crisp passing plays and his head is always up assessing his options. He has great habits when he has the puck, showing great protection skills and control. He drives hard to the net, can easily get around defenders and get to the middle with his skating and body positioning when he attacks from the wing. He can break up and intercept plays well and can quickly transition to create rush opportunities.
Hafele has a decent shot, but isn’t much of a threat from far out as he does most of his damage in tight. He shows great patience and deception when he creates in the high danger area as he can pass it off, make great fakes and then shoot the puck when he can, getting goalies or defenders to bite. He isn’t flashy, but he’s effective and can make very smart plays.
NHL Draft Projection
Hafele isn’t going to be ranked high on a lot of draft boards, but he definitely will catch the eye of teams on Day 2 of the NHL Draft. He’s definitely going to be a valuable pick up as a third or fourth-round selection. As he continues to fly under the radar, he could be one of those players that could be a high upside pick that could pan out.
Other THW Profiles
Quotables
“His skating allows him to apply pressure with all angles, his penalty-killing play is top-of-class worthy. The skill level isn’t high-end for a sub 6-foot winger but he excels without the puck and has solid enough finishing ability.” – Nathan Hutchinson, SMAHT Scouting
“The growth in Hafele’s game has been impressive. He’s a defensively responsible player who understands how to put himself in position to win puck battles and keep attackers out of the middle of the ice. His forechecking is a combination of getting in on defenders with his speed and engaging physically before they even get to the goal line.” – Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News
“His physicality has also stood out early in the season. He is winning puck battles in the corners and using his frame to create separation. In the faceoff circle, he has earned key draws, especially in the offensive zone on the power play where possession is crucial.” – Ryan Sikes, USHL.com
Strengths
- Relentless worth ethic
- Constantly engaging in battles
- Great speed and edges
- Strong transitional game from defense to offense
- Deceptive and effective creator
Under Construction/Improvements to Make
- Offensive production and consistency may be limited at next level
- Continue to add strength and improve game
- Not a strong shot, but can do damage in close
NHL Potential
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk- 1.5/5, Reward 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense- 5/10, Defense 6/10
Awards/Achievements
Hafele won a gold medal for Team USA at the World Jr. A Championship this year. He’s committed to Arizona state University for next season.
Landon Hafele Stats
Videos
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