Local star Cover is set for NHL

The Cayman Islands may soon boast one of their own in the National Hockey League!

Teenage sensation Jaxon Cover is in line to be drafted from the Ontario Hockey League this weekend in the NHL Draft which is on Friday and Saturday from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. 

The 18-year-old winger/centre plays for the London Knights in Ontario. His sporting rise is another amazing one which is a regular feature amongst talented Caymanians.

Cover’s introduction to the game came not on frozen ponds or indoor arenas, but on the smooth surfaces of roller hockey courts in George Town, particularly at King’s gym.

“My dad is from Canada and wanted me to get into hockey,” Cover says. “The roller hockey community in Cayman is strong, but it’s not as big as it used to be. It set the foundation and gave me the fundamentals for stick handling and the way I see the ice.”

While roller hockey was the start, Cover always eyed conquering the ice. Aged just 10, he began attending skating camps in Toronto, and within a few years he was fully immersed.

“Getting into ice skates is a lot different, it’s much faster,” he says. “But I love it.”

Transitioning to ice quickly revealed a special talent. Cover first became a roller hockey sensation around the Caribbean, eventually moving into the pro division of the North American Roller Hockey Championships. He played in Arizona, impressing there too.

Cover progressed on ice gradually and was eventually signed by the London Knights in March 2025. He immediately made a huge impression with his skill and speed.

“What stood out to me was how hard the team worked on and off the ice and how they came together to win a championship,” Cover reflects. “I’ve taken that mind-set into this year.”

And that talent matched with his determination has paid off. After another brilliant season he could get the nod from a pro team this weekend.

Whatever happens at the NHL Draft, Cover will return to the London Knights in the fall before heading off to Penn State in 2027. He wants to study law and go into corporate law after his NHL career finishes.

Also in the Draft is Ryder Cali, who Cover knows from playing together as kids in Cayman before Cali’s family moved back to Canada.  As they await hearing their names called to become the NHL’s next generation, the pals from the Cayman Islands are ready to inspire the generations coming behind them.