NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Incoming freshman Aiden Fink became the 15th Nittany Lion in program history to be drafted by an NHL squad when he was selected in the seventh round (No. 218) by the Nashville Predators in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft on Friday afternoon.
Fink joins teammate Chase McLane in the Predators system after he was selected by Nashville in the seventh round (No. 209) in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Fink, a 5-10 right-winger, will begin his Nittany Lion career this fall after spending the previous two seasons with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. This past season, Fink was named the top forward as well as the Most Valuable Player of both the AJHL and the CJHL (Canadian Junior Hockey League) following a league-best 97 points in just 54 games.
Fink tallied 41 goals and 56 assists during the regular season to rank second and fourth in the AJHL, respectively, before adding eight goals and five assists for 13 points in 15 playoff games leading the Bandits to the 2023 AJHL Championship, the seventh in team history. Brooks was also named National Champions for the second-straight season after claiming the 2023 Centennial Cup with a 4-0 blanking of the Battlefords North Stars of the SJHL. Fink led all players with six goals and seven assists for 13 points in six Centennial Cup games.
The Calgary, Alberta native was also invited to compete for Team Canada in the World Junior A challenge this season where he led the tournament in scoring with 12 points on five goals and seven assists in six games.
Fink has a high hockey IQ which he uses to anticipate defensive movements making him slippery off the puck to find open ice where he can utilize his lethal shot to find the back of the net with ease. He is also a very skilled skater with a tremendous motor and great vision making him a very creative playmaker who is hard to defend with the puck on his stick.
Fink joins current Nittany Lion draft picks Chase McLane (2020 – 209th – Nashville) and Reese Laubach (2022 – 217th – San Jose) giving Penn State three draft picks on its 2023-24 roster.
What they are saying:
"Fink's skating and energy stand out when he's on the ice. He has excellent speed and quickness and often pushes the pace with his skating." – Corey Pronman, The Athletic
"The CJHL player of the year was dominant for the Brooks Bandits this season. He can wheel around the ice well and clearly has skill." – Chris Peters, FLO Hockey
"He's a small but extremely talented player with high-end puck skills, rare craftiness in possession, an NHL release, and a great sense of spacing and timing inside the offensive zone." – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
