Mathis Preston

Mathis Preston (born July 21, 2008) is a Canadian ice hockey centre for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He is considered a top prospect eligible for the 2026 NHL entry draft.

Playing career Preston started playing ice hockey at age three for Penticton Minor. He was a member of Penticton Minor until age 12, when he joined Okanagan Hockey Academy. Preston was a member of the Okanagan under-15 prep team in 2021–22 and 2022–23, scoring 81 points in 26 games in the latter year while being named the division's most valuable player. He appeared in a total of five games for the Chiefs in 2023–24 at age 15, scoring four points. In his first full WHL season, 2024–25, he scored 23 goals and 45 points while appearing in 54 games. He helped the Chiefs to an appearance in the WHL finals and scored nine goals and seven assists while appearing in 20 playoff games.

Preston was regarded as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft. Ultimately, he would not be selected until the second round, when he was selected with the 50th overall pick by the Anaheim Ducks.

International play Preston competed for Canada at the 2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, helping them to the gold medal while posting six goals which ranked first in the tournament. He grew up in Penticton and competed in basketball, lacrosse and triathlon in addition to hockey.