“I am one of the most unique players going into the draft,” Christian Humphreys said. “I am a natural center but can adjust to situations and do what is best for the team.”
General Manager Daniel Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers have lots to consider before the upcoming NHL Draft on June 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada. With a good idea of who will be available on the board at what time, the Orange and Black look like they will have a productive class to build on from last year.
Humphreys, the 18-year-old center has spent the last two seasons in the USNTDP as part of the NTDP and USHL, with some international competition mixed in at the WHC-17 and WJC-18. He may not be the flashiest player on the ice, but he is extremely confident. Upon arriving at camp, it was the opposite. He struggled to find his natural charisma and footing in the early going.
Humphreys noticed he was not himself, but still held high standards and despite not being very tall, at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, showcased great compete as a two-way forward, especially as he got more comfortable.
“The weight room and practicing were a big piece for me when I arrived,” Humphreys told me during our one-on-one interview. “I am fortunate to have a chance to play here. It is important to get the most I can out of the program and as time went on, it became easier day-by-day.”
His compete level strives from being one of three triplets and also having an older brother, so nothing was ever given which played a big factor in his drive to win and the need to be the best. No matter what it was, the five of them made a game out of the smallest things. Humphreys owes a lot of his success to his family.
“I am grateful for the connection I have with my brothers,” he notes. “It is something so special that not everyone has. I do not think I have taken a moment for granted and there are definitely a lot of holes in the wall from when we played hockey.”
He may not hold national scoring records or score highlight real goals like many of his counterparts in the program, but Humphreys does all the little things right and has stood out as one of the strongest players throughout the NTDP.
He is coming off a career year, tying a career-high in goals with 23 assists well as setting new highs in assists with 35 and points at 58 in 52 games. His main struggle was in the faceoff dot, regularly facing bigger, older, and stronger centermen. But pushing himself in the weight room and continuing to hone in on those areas will help him immensely moving forward.
“One of the most important things for me was learning a two-way game,” Humphreys expressed. “The biggest thing is how can I create turnovers in the D-zone and get more offense from it? Scoring goals is one thing, but learning the defensive zone and a 200-foot game was key.”
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native idolized Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby while also playing in the Penguins junior program growing up. But unlike Crosby, Humphreys will take the NCAA route, as he is committed to Michigan State University for the 2025-26 fall semester.
“It will be great for me to develop not only as a person but a player along with my game and I’m excited for the next couple of years,” Humphreys told me. “I will strive from playing against older competition, which I have already grown accustomed to.”
“When they (Michigan State Univ.) reached out to me, it was a no-brainer,” Humphreys stated proudly. “All the history it has, the drive to win, it’s perfect for me.”
Humphreys has effectively added more physicality to his game this past year, which is crucial for his 200-foot game. Humphreys with his excellent shot and overall game knows he can play better than he has shown over the last year and a half. He thinks he is overlooked with his keen one-timers, something he has been working on a lot and has found a groove in and around the hash marks.
“I definitely underperformed a little bit from last year to this year,” Humphreys said, holding himself accountable. “I think one thing I was passing up too many opportunities, I started shooting a little bit more and I have more faith in my shot as well in my game.”
He excels in all three zones, it is a matter of buckling down and working for it. A setback he experienced this past year was an upper-body injury that had him sit out a decent amount of time. He suffered an injury that affected his spine and had to wait until it was completely healed to not risk a more serious issue.
“I begged the doctor to play, I knew I was fine but there was, of course, a risk factor,” Humphreys said. “It was something in my vertebrae that was off. I understand, in my first game back I had a lot of drive and I do not think I have even hit my ceiling yet as a player.”
Upon recovering from his injury and as the season went on, he fought for positioning, battled in the faceoff dot, not allowing himself to get beat and got more scoring opportunities doing so. Now nearing the draft, Humphreys knows he left a lot on the ice and wants to prove to himself and others that he still has more in the tank.
Granted, he earned top-line minutes this season despite the difficulties. Having battled through injuries, adjusting to a new environment and trying to regain his confidence, it has not been easier for the 18-year-old.
“At times I was a little down on myself, it happens,” Humphreys said humbly. “I can tell you right now that I am a first-round talent. I know I am, but I need to clean up my game a bit and at the end of the day, wherever I get picked, it is just a number in my head. I am just excited to get to work and start the grind.”
Humphreys is not worried about who will draft him or when. He wants to show others what he can bring. On that note, he would be more than honoured to hear his name called by the Philadelphia Flyers. Humphreys said he never cared for the rivalry between the two Pennsylvania teams and loves the city of Philadelphia.
“Philly is a great spot. They’ve had a lot of success. I think that they have done a great job all around.” Humphreys said. “If I heard my name called by them, words wouldn’t be able to describe it.”
Near the end of our interview, I told him I looked forward to hearing his name called in the draft. He jokingly said, “Let’s hope it’s by the Flyers.”
Humphreys is a deceptive transitional puck carrier, takes long strides with heavy cuts, and can turn on a dime. He moves extremely well in the neutral zone when weaving through a cycle, around the net, or moving laterally near the blue line to create space and look for a scoring chance.
He has such silky hands on the offensive side and great vision, with situational awareness all over the ice. Not to mention, paired with immense hockey IQ, he is a constant running motor. It is incredible how Humphreys can find teammates in ridiculous passing lanes and make crisp tape-to-tape passes. He is like a hawk with NHL-level puck movement and potential.
“I am one of the most unique players in the draft,” Humphreys said proudly. “I am a natural center but can alter my game to do what is best for the team. I have adjusted to a two-way game and become more of a 200-foot player, which is something I have really focused on the last year and it has become a huge part of my game, it has made me a better overall player.”
Michigan State will get a very gifted, unique centerman and so will one of the 32 NHL teams on draft night. Humphreys will play wherever a team needs him. He prides himself on being an unrepeatable individual. Not only that, but he truly believes he is a first-round talent.
“The mentality that I just want to prove people wrong,” Humphreys noted. “The best thing for me is I want the team that drafts me to say, “This was the best pick we had, we are lucky to have him,” I am beyond excited for next year (college) and every aspect.”
