The Moose Jaw Warriors ‘Cap is officially a Capital.
Lynden Lakovic has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals, Senior Vice-President and General Manager Chris Patrick announced Saturday morning.
The 18-year-old will return to Moose Jaw for the 2025-26 season.
Washington recently selected Lakovic with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound forward is coming off a career-best season that saw him pick up 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in just 47 games and earned Moose Jaw’s Captaincy in February.
Lakovic led the Warriors in goals and points while ranking second in assists in an injury-shortened campaign, while going on a career-long 13-game point streak (10G-9A) from November 8, 2024, to December 27, 2024.
He represented the WHL at the first-ever CHL-USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada, where he scored the series-opening goal and added a helper in a 6-1 victory in Game One.
The Kelowna, B.C. product also played a key role in helping Moose Jaw secure its first WHL Championship in the 2024 WHL Playoffs.
Lakovic notched eight points (5G-3A) in 20 playoff contests, highlighted by a league-leading four game-winners.
The 2024 Eastern Conference Championship between Moose Jaw and Saskatoon saw six of seven games require overtime, with Lakovic forcing Game 7 with a season-saving strike before punching the Warriors’ ticket to the Championship Series with the Game 7 overtime dagger.
He added another assist in four games as the Warriors reached the semifinal of the 2024 Memorial Cup.
Originally selected by the Warriors with the 27th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Lakovic has tallied 47 goals and 57 assists for 104 points in 153 regular-season games.
On the international stage, Lakovic has represented Canada Black at the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he scored a goal and two helpers.
