Cayden Lindstrom

Cayden Lindstrom (born February 3, 2006) is a Canadian ice hockey forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 NHL entry draft.

Playing career
Lindstrom was playing midget A hockey in Fort Saint John, British Columbia when he was first scouted by his agent, who helped him join the Delta Hockey Academy. Joining the team required him to move 1200 km south to Delta. While playing there, he was selected 54th overall in the 2021 Western Hockey League (WHL) draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers. He signed with the Tigers and made his WHL debut on December 30, 2021, in a 3–2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen.

In his first full WHL season in 2022–23, Lindstrom was shifted between wing and centre, and at points had been a healthy scratch. At the season's end, he had recorded 19 goals and 42 points across 61 games, respectable for a 16-year-old. He was named rookie of the year for the WHL Central Division, and was a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for WHL rookie of the year.

Beginning the 2023–24 season on a torrid pace, Lindstrom recorded nine points in three preseason games followed by ten goals and fifteen points in the first twelve games of the regular season. His stellar play through the early stages of the season led to his receiving an 'A' rating from NHL Central Scouting in their October list. Although this was somewhat of a surprise at the time, he continued to produce points at an elite rate, and his draft stock continued to rise. Entering the Christmas break and riding a 12-game point-scoring streak that saw him score 13 goals and 21 points, he sustained injuries to his back and hand, derailing what was on pace to be a 55-goal, 100-point season. Although he was one of 40 draft-eligible prospects chosen to compete at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, he was not able to participate due to recovery from his injuries, which included hand surgery. He finished the year with 27 goals and 46 points in 32 games, the highest points per game rate by a Medicine Hat player since Joffrey Lupul 22 years earlier, and would go on to win the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award as the best draft-eligible player in the three CHL component leagues.

Lindstrom returned from injury in the first round of the playoffs against the Red Deer Rebels, but was not fully recovered and did not perform nearly to his previous standard. In four playoff games before the Rebels eliminated the Tigers, he scored just two points and logged fourteen penalty minutes. Entering the 2024 NHL entry draft, Lindstrom was lauded for his size, athleticism, skating, and puckhandling, but was regarded as unpolished, particularly in his decision-making. His final ranking from Central Scouting was third among North American skaters.

International play
At the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, Lindstrom played for Team Canada White, recording two goals and four points in six games.

Lindstrom represented Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording two goals and five points in five games and winning a gold medal.

Personal life
Lindstrom and his three younger sisters were raised by a single mother, Trisha, a medical assistant. Throughout his childhood, he was very close with his mother and grandmothers. He grew up a multi-athlete, playing track and field, baseball, and soccer, but when he was thirteen high-level play in both baseball and hockey forced him to choose between the two.