Top prospects Di Iorio, Edwards talk friendship, playing for Sarnia on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

Alessandro Di Iorio and Beckham Edwards showcased the chemistry they've built as teammates and friends with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League on the latest episode of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast.

The forwards are playing for Team CHL against the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

Di Iorio had one shot on goal and Edwards had two shots for Team CHL in a 4-2 loss to Team NTDP in Game 1 of the event, at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Tuesday. The second game is tonight at VisitLethbridge.com Arena in Lethbridge, Alberta (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN).

Di Iorio, who got an A rating on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary list of players to watch for the 2026 NHL Draft, is still getting his season going after missing Sarnia's first 17 games because of an elbow injury sustained during the preseason. But with six points (three goals, three assists), the 17-year-old looks to be in good shape now.

"Just playing with 'Dio,' he's competitive," Edwards said. "He likes to go for every puck. I think that's why he had so much success last year and continues to bring it this year. I think just playing on a line with him, he's always working hard, and he's just super-easy to play with. He gets to the right spots. He just makes life easier for the people he's playing with."

The players discussed the strengths of their games and, of course, found time to get in a few good-natured chirps.

"He's a little bit of a jokester," Di Iorio said of Edwards, 17, who leads Sarnia with 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 23 games and got a B rating in the preliminary rankings. "He's a great bowler, too. We went bowling a couple times, guy got a turkey, three strikes in a row, and he likes to celly, which gets annoying sometimes when you're on the other team. But if you're with him, it's pretty fun."

The players also discussed the value of morning skates vs. evening practices, what traits their perfect NHL player would have, and answered a few trivia questions.

"NHL Draft Class" co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike Morreale also discussed how the season has gone so far for Penn State freshman forward Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old forward, who earned an A rating from Central Scouting, is tied for the lead among NCAA freshmen with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 16 games.

The "NHL Draft Class" podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.