DU Commit Aidan Thompson Dreams Of Being Picked In The NHL Draft

DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado native Aidan Thompson is hoping to hear his name called in the 2020 NHL Draft.

"I think every kid that plays hockey, their dream is to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup," said Thompson, who lives in Fort Collins.

"I'm right there with a lot of kids. This is the start of that journey, so hopefully it goes well."

The draft was scheduled to take place June 26-27, but has been postponed due to the coronavirus. There is no current date announced for a make-up.

Thompson, who was recently ranked in the top 125 of North American skaters by Central Scouting, just finished his senior season at Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts. He made the decision to move east after he got tired of driving from Fort Collins to south Denver while playing youth hockey.

"It was a tough process to leave home, but I think in the end it was the right decision. I knew I'd always come back."

Thompson will indeed be coming back. No matter what happens in the NHL draft he plans to play for the University of Denver during the 2021-2022 season.

"I'm very excited. I grew up watching a lot of the Pioneers," he recalled after a recent skate at the NoCo Ice Center. "Hopefully when I get there we can win a national championship or two."

Thompson isn't the only one excited that he'll be back home in Colorado.

"That was one of the bummers of him going to prep school was you don't get to see him live as much," said Thompson's dad, Brad.

"Now he'll be right down the road. For me it's perfect. And since we've moved out here we've been huge DU fans," added Brad.

For Aidan, the chance to dawn the crimson and gold, and represent Colorado in the draft is something he relishes.

"I'm very proud of where I live. At school we used to joke about seeing the real mountains," he recalls. "I'm very proud of being from Colorado and possibly being picked in the draft, couldn't be more of a dream come true."