The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and round 2-7 are on June 29 (11:30 ET; ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a profile on Waterloo forward John Mustard. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.
BUFFALO -- Mr. Mustard, on the ice, with a stick and puck. Or on a lacrosse field with a ball. Maybe on a golf course with a club.
No, it isn’t a sports version of the board game “Clue.” It’s just a few things you’ll likely find John Mustard doing.
For Mustard, No. 27 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters, sports are a big part of who he is. In addition to hockey, the forward (6-foot, 180 pounds) grew up playing box lacrosse until two years ago. When he’s hanging out with friends back home in Oradell, New Jersey, you can find him golfing and, more recently, he’s picked up pickleball.
Those are just the ones he’s played. There are lots of others he’s wanted to try but just never was able to.
“It's always usually sports that I'm interested in,” he said.
“Many kids are kind of pushed into doing stuff and doing extra,” said Matt Smaby, his coach with Waterloo of the United States Hockey League. “But I think the big-time games, and really the love for the game grows when it's organic, and I see that with John.”
Mustard was named USHL Rookie of the Year after leading all first-year players with 29 goals and finishing second with 56 points in 60 games.
“It’s hard not to notice him when he's on the ice,” NHL Central Scouting’s Pat Cullen said. “He backchecks extremely hard, works defensively. But yet when he's in the offensive zone and around, he gets open, he is perpetually in motion. He's a guy that seems to utilize what he does well, very well. He skates and competes hard. And then, to top it off, he has good sense to get open when he doesn't have the puck.”
Central Scouting didn’t have him ranked before the season. Then he caught their eye early in the season. His game continued to improve as the season progressed and Central Scouting began watching him more often and had him No. 41 among North American skaters in its midterm rankings, which were released in January.
“My development was definitely a little later than most guys,” said Mustard, who is headed to Providence College next season. “That's why I think the USHL route, college route, was perfect for me, because I think I needed a couple of extra years to fully bloom into the player that I am.”
He describes himself as a “dynamic, energy forward” who likes to create space for his teammates and “create chaos and havoc in the zone.” He likes to watch a lot of forward Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes.
Mustard, who was born in Newmarket, Ontario, and moved to Oradell when he was 8 years old, started skating at 4 years old and soon after began playing hockey. He produced over the years, but his offense truly popped in 2022-23, when he had 56 goals and 117 points in 65 games with the North Jersey Avalanche 16-and-under team.
But whichever team selects him won’t be getting a one-trick pony.
“He’s responsible defensively, he plays a very smart, intelligent game, he thinks it,” Cullen said. “Just plays the right game the right way, and he's a very well-rounded player. … This isn't just a guy that can put up points. This is a guy that is on the ice in critical situations.”
One of those was in overtime at the 2024 Chipotle All-American Top Prospects Game on Jan. 15. He received a pass in the neutral zone just outside the defensive blue line, skated down the left wing and, with forward Max Plante on his back, scored glove side from the edge of the slot.
“The big moments are never too much for him,” Cullen said.
Mustard always has been one to stay in the moment and take things day by day. So much so that the dream of making the NHL one day never overwhelmed his thoughts.
“I didn't really focus on it too much,” he said. “I think this year is when it really kind of became a reality and something that I really want to push hard to do.”
He had 40 points (22 goals, 18 assists) through his first 37 games, including at least one point in 26 games. But in mid-February the offense slowed. He went seven games without a goal but had five assists during that stretch. After ending the goal drought, he then went six games without any points.
“It was definitely a little frustrating, especially when we were losing the games,” Mustard said. “I needed to get back to my offensive production to help the team win, so that was my main focus.”
Meeting with the coaching staff helped him get through it. He learned to concentrate on other parts of his game and not worry too much about goals and points.
“John is always hungry for more, so whether it was working with our forwards coach and going in and watching clips, he's not a guy we had to chase down to show him something,” Smaby said. “He's always kind of hungry to look for more feedback or more information.”
Mustard has a strong work ethic, which he attributes to his love of hockey. He doesn’t need much to motivate him; it’s already deep within.
“Super kind, super polite,” Smaby said. “He carries himself really well. Yeah, just kind of rave reviews. Good teammate. On top of that, I think he's really driven. I think he's competitive, and he was a great part of our team.”
Mustard hasn’t decided yet what his college major will be. But it’s a good bet he’ll try to find something to do with sports.
