Drake Batherson Bio
Drake Batherson (born April 27, 1998) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a right winger for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. Batherson was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round, 121st overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and began his professional career in 2018.
Early Life and Background
Drake Batherson was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while his father played minor professional hockey there, and he holds dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship. He was raised in New Minas in the Annapolis Valley region of western Nova Scotia after his father retired from professional hockey, and he developed his early game in both Germany and Canada where his family lived during his father’s playing career.
Batherson comes from a hockey family. His father, Norm Batherson, played professionally and was part of the Ottawa organization at the minor pro level, and his uncle Dennis Vial played several seasons with the Ottawa Senators in the 1990s. Those ties shaped his exposure to the sport and helped guide his development through junior hockey.
Path to Hockey
Batherson moved through junior ranks after playing with the Valley Wildcats; he was selected by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the sixth round, 97th overall, of the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. He split time between the Valley Wildcats and Cape Breton during the 2015–16 season and then joined the Screaming Eagles full time for 2016–17, recording 22 goals and 58 points in 61 games in his rookie major junior season.
He returned to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for 2017–18 and was traded midseason to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Batherson finished the 2018 QMJHL playoffs among the scoring leaders, tallying 13 goals and 20 assists in the post-season while helping the Armada reach the final. Those junior performances raised his profile ahead of the NHL draft.
Drake Batherson Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Batherson turned professional in 2018 and began the 2018–19 season with the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League. After producing 20 points in 14 AHL games, he was recalled by Ottawa and made his NHL debut on November 15, 2018, scoring his first NHL goal — the game-winner — on his first shot in a 2–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
He returned to Belleville to continue development and established himself as a top rookie in the AHL. Batherson set a Belleville franchise record for most goals by a rookie in a season, finished the year with 22 goals and 62 points in the AHL, and earned selection to the 2019 AHL All-Star Game where he scored five goals and was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.
AHL Breakthrough (2018–2020)
Across his early AHL appearances Batherson became one of Belleville’s leading scorers and received league recognition. He was named AHL Rookie of the Month for February 2019 and was later named to the AHL All-Rookie Team. Those seasons established Batherson as an offensive prospect capable of producing at the professional level and accelerated his push for a full-time NHL role.
Batherson continued to split time between Belleville and Ottawa in 2019–20 while leading Belleville in scoring and setting franchise records for goals, assists and points. He was chosen to participate in the 2020 AHL All-Star Game and entered the NHL environment with an established track record of consistent production in the minors.
Ottawa Senators Era (2021–Present)
Ottawa signed Batherson to a six-year contract on September 3, 2021. He emerged as a top-six forward for the Senators during the 2021–22 season, recording his first NHL hat trick on October 27, 2021, and producing multiple four-point efforts in his first full seasons. Batherson was selected to the 2022 NHL All-Star Game but missed the event after sustaining an injury in late January; he returned to finish the season with 17 goals and 44 points in 46 games.
Batherson played the full 2022–23 season with Ottawa, totaling 22 goals and 62 points in 82 games. He continued to set career highs, and in 2023–24 he matched and then exceeded those marks, finishing with new career highs of 28 goals and 66 points in 82 games. During the 2024–25 season he moved onto the Senators’ top line alongside Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk, scored his 100th NHL goal in December 2024, and made his NHL playoff debut in April 2025, recording his first playoff goal in that series.
Driving Style and Strengths
Batherson is a right-shooting winger known for his combination of size at 6 ft 3 in and playmaking touch. He displays a competitive edge around the net, uses reach effectively on the forecheck, and blends power with puck skill to create scoring opportunities. His vision and ability to find linemates have translated to both goals and assists at the NHL level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones include scoring his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot, earning AHL All-Star Game MVP honors in 2019, signing a six-year NHL contract in 2021, and recording multiple multi-point NHL games including his first hat trick in 2021. Internationally, Batherson starred at the 2018 World Junior Championship and later contributed to Canada’s run to the silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
Drake Batherson Career Wins
Batherson’s career highlights include standout seasons in the American Hockey League where he led Belleville in scoring and set franchise records, followed by progressive offensive seasons in the National Hockey League with the Ottawa Senators. His transition from junior standout to AHL leader and then to a consistent NHL scorer defines his professional scoring résumé.
NHL Highlights
In the NHL, Batherson scored his first goal on November 15, 2018, and later produced seasons of increasing output: 17 goals and 44 points in 46 games in 2021–22, 22 goals and 62 points in 2022–23, and career highs of 28 goals and 66 points in 2023–24. He reached the 100-career NHL goal milestone in December 2024 and has been a regular contributor on Ottawa’s top lines.
Other Wins & Perfromances
At the AHL level Batherson set franchise scoring records with the Belleville Senators, recorded 22 goals and 62 points in 2018–19, and received multiple All-Star selections. Internationally he led Canada in goal scoring at the 2018 World Junior Championship, scoring a hat trick in the semifinal and assisting on the game-winning goal in the gold-medal game, and he scored the overtime winner for Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championship en route to a silver medal.
Drake Batherson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Batherson’s family has deep hockey roots. His father, Norm Batherson, played professional hockey and spent time in the Ottawa organization at lower professional levels, and his uncle Dennis Vial played several seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. Those family connections provided early exposure to professional hockey environments.
Personal Life
Although born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while his father played there, Batherson was raised primarily in Nova Scotia and lists New Minas, Nova Scotia, as his residence. He has family ties beyond hockey: his great uncle is Canadian musician Matt Minglewood, and his sister Mae was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 PWHL draft by the Minnesota Frost.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 season marked Batherson’s first full playoff appearance with the Ottawa Senators. He played on the team’s top line with Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk and scored his 100th NHL goal in December 2024. Batherson contributed through the regular season with multi-point games and entered the playoffs as one of Ottawa’s regular offensive options, scoring his first NHL playoff goal in the opening-round series in April 2025.
Looking ahead within the term of his six-year contract signed in 2021 and running through 2027, Batherson projects as a core offensive player for the Senators who combines size, playmaking and goal scoring as he continues to establish his place in the NHL forward group.