Players at Leafs development camp skated in two groups at the Ford Performance Centre on Saturday.

One name kept popping up when players at Leafs development camp were asked who stood out during the three on-ice sessions.

"Tyler Hopkins looked really good," said winger Ryan Kirwan, who signed an American Hockey League deal with the Toronto Marlies in March after wrapping up his season with Arizona State University. "He's such a smooth skater. He handles the puck really well from what I got to see, and just really poised."

The Leafs picked Hopkins, a centre with the Kingston Frontenacs, in the third round (86th overall) of last week's NHL draft.

"I thought Hopkins looked great all week," echoed defenceman Blake Smith, who signed with the Leafs in April after finishing his Ontario Hockey League season with the Flint Firebirds. "He's a good pickup. He was good, shifty, he was tough to defend out there. I like his game a lot."

It wasn't just the prospects on the ice, who appreciated how Hopkins performed.

"He stood out for me as well just because of his hockey sense," said Leafs assistant general manager, player development Hayley Wickenheiser. "He made some really nice plays. Not an overly big kid (6-foot-1, 179 pounds), not an overly fast kid, but you notice him out there many times just by the ability to complete plays and put the puck on people's sticks."

The Leafs saw those attributes last season as Hopkins scored 20 goals and piled up 31 assists during 67 games. It's a good sign that the 18-year-old looked so comfortable despite facing older players and experiencing his first few days in the Leafs organization.

"It was nice to see," Wickenheiser continued. "That's kind of what we saw of him in the draft as well, and it seemed to translate the last few days."

"Honestly, I felt pretty good," said Hopkins. "None of those nerves really came out. Once I hit the ice everyone was real welcoming here."

Hopkins even agreed to wear a microphone during one practice for a fun feature, which was posted to the team's social media channels.

The native of Campbellville, Ont., grew up a Leafs fan.

"Putting the jersey on for the first time is probably my favourite moment," Hopkins said. "Just being a Leafs fan growing up, putting that stuff on for the first time was a pretty cool experience and something that I'll never forget."

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Toronto's top pick in the 2025 draft was the last player on the ice at development camp. Tinus Luc Koblar, a centre who played for Leksands in the Swedish junior league last season, was still working on his craft when Wickenheiser did her camp debrief with the media.........

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