Senators' Jaxon Cover totally unmatched at NHL Prospect Challenge

Ottawa Senators rookie camp started at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa Friday. Ottawa Senator prospect Jaxon Cover during practice Friday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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It’s just a rookie tournament, but what Ottawa Senators prospect Jaxon Cover did over the weekend in Gatineau was truly sensational.

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The Senators scored eight goals. He was in on seven of them.

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After a three-point performance on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which included an exhilarating game-winning goal in 3-on-3 overtime, Cover put on a four-point encore against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday at Slush Puppie Centre.

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“(My main goal) is just to show everything that I have,” Cover said. “My playmaking, my vision, just everything that I can offer and bring to the team.”

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Cover, who had two goals and two assists, took a cross-ice feed from Christian Kyrou on a rush and beat Montreal goalie Mikus Vecvanags with a curl-and-drag wrister over the glove to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead at 17:39 of the first. Just over two minutes later, the puck found him in the slot again and he scored with a quick shot blocker side to make it 3-1.

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“He’s obviously pretty dynamic, as we saw these last two games,” said Belleville Senators coach Andrew Campbell, who was behind Ottawa’s bench for the tournament. “Some highlight-reel goals, a lot of good plays out there.”

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After playing wing on Saturday, Cover got a chance to show his abilities at centre against Montreal. It’s not his usual position, but that didn’t seem to matter.

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As crazy as it seems, Cover could’ve done more damage. He was robbed by Vecvanags on a nasty breakaway deke in the first; he twice missed a wide-open net for the hat trick on a power play.

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Cover’s most consistent linemate over two games was winger Kasper Halttunen. They first met when Cover was called up to play a few games with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights in 2024-25. Halttunen, a pure goal scorer with a deadly release, had five points (two goals, three assists) this past weekend.

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“He’s just a special kid,” Halttunen said. “I’ve been obviously following the London Knights a lot. He’s going to be a really good player one day.”

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Cover, who grew up playing on roller rinks before transitioning to ice hockey at age 13, has made considerable improvements with his stride and edge work since the Senators selected him 32nd overall at the NHL Draft in June. He’s always been an agile skater, but he seemed to have more explosiveness and power out of tight turns and stops-and-starts, and he assertively cuts through the neutral zone with quick crossovers.

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“He almost looks like he’s floating out there,” Sens goalie Jackson Parsons said. “No one can touch him.”

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Said forward Eskild Bakke Olsen after centring a line with Cover on Saturday: “Just an unreal talent.”

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Rookie tournaments are not for the faint of heart. They can get out of control quickly, as charged up teens and 20-somethings look to prove themselves to rows of NHL brass in the building.

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There were a ton of huge hits, several fights, and scrums after nearly every whistle over two days in Gatineau, and Cover seemed completely at ease. At 185 pounds, he’s not exactly bullying the opposition out there, but he understands the importance of body position and puck protection. He uses opposing players’ momentum against them, spinning off of bodies and constantly changing direction.

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“Well, he’s so smart, right?” Campbell said. “So, he doesn’t put himself in compromising positions; he knows where he is on the ice. He makes his way around, he’s elusive, he’s shifty, he’s fast. So, he doesn’t get hit all that often.”

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It is certainly high-event hockey when Cover is on the ice. There are things to clean up in the defensive zone — too often electing for cutesy chip plays instead of crisp, tape-to-tape passes — but his hockey IQ will take care of that in due time.