Chase Reid rises from USHL release to CHL top prospect

After suiting up for just 10 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks, Reid recorded 40 points in 39 games with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds following his December 2024 arrival.

Release fuels defensive growth

Reid’s release after 10 USHL games in 2023-24 contrasted sharply with his immediate impact on the Greyhounds blue line, where 40 points in 39 regular-season games plus three playoff points established a new baseline. The move from Bismarck Bobcats in the NAHL to the OHL created the environment where assistant coach Brendan Taylor could demand and receive the defensive element Reid had previously lacked. Reid credited the coaching staff for the transformation that allowed him to average nearly 30 minutes per game without sacrificing offensive production.

The 2024-25 season in Bismarck provided the low point that Reid later converted into sustained motivation, producing 40 points in 39 games once the Greyhounds opportunity arrived. This numerical jump from Tier II to major junior hockey validated the decision to accept the contract at 3:30 a.m. after a road trip. Reid’s path shows the causal link between the release and the subsequent commitment to add the defensive structure that Central Scouting ultimately rewarded with the No. 2 ranking.

Reid’s alternate captaincy in 2025-26 further illustrates the contrast: 18 goals and 48 points in 45 games while wearing the A in only his second OHL season. The Greyhounds gave the seventh-round 2023 priority selection the platform that previous organizations withheld, directly enabling the 58 total points across two seasons that placed him ahead of most North American peers.

OHL production and award recognition

Reid’s 18 goals and 48 points in 45 games during the 2025-26 campaign, combined with 40 points in 39 games the prior season, produced the 58-point OHL total that secured the CHL top draft prospect award. Previous winners of the same award include Matthew Schaefer, Connor Bedard, Connor McDavid, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Jordan Staal, Joe Thornton and Eric Lindros, underscoring the historical weight of the honor Reid accepted in Toronto.

The award ceremony highlighted Reid’s statement that the Greyhounds alone enabled the player he became, contrasting the self-doubt after the Waterloo release with the current reality of a top-two ranking. Reid’s nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game across 84 OHL contests demonstrated the durability and two-way reliability that separated him from other prospects who lacked comparable defensive growth.

Central Scouting’s final list positioned Reid as the No. 2 North American skater entering the June 26 draft in Buffalo, a ranking built on the 58 points and the defensive additions Taylor demanded. The numerical progression from 10 USHL games to 84 OHL games with heavy minutes directly traces the causal chain from adversity to draft prominence.

Resilience defines draft profile

Reid’s insistence that he never considered quitting after the release produced the mental framework that allowed him to post 18 goals while averaging nearly 30 minutes nightly. The Greyhounds environment converted that mindset into on-ice results that scouts measured against the historical list of CHL award winners. Reid’s own words at the ceremony credited the organization for the opportunity that turned a basement phone call into NHL draft status.

The 2026 draft on June 26 will test whether the defensive upgrades Reid added in Sault Ste. Marie translate to professional hockey, yet the 58 OHL points already separate his trajectory from the 10-game USHL endpoint. Reid’s portrait remains defined by the contrast between release and recognition rather than any single statistic.