Drake Batherson Bio
Drake Batherson (born April 27, 1998) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays right wing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Senators selected him in the fourth round, 121st overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, and he has since developed into one of the team’s most reliable scoring forwards. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 191 pounds, Batherson combines size with offensive skill and shoots right-handed. He also represents Canada in international competition.
Early Life and Background
Drake Batherson was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on April 27, 1998, while his father was playing for the Fort Wayne Komets. Because he was born in the United States but raised in Canada, Batherson holds dual Canadian and American citizenship. Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to Germany, where his father continued his professional career across seven seasons with four different clubs. Batherson spent his earliest years in Germany and began developing his hockey skills in the German hockey system before the family eventually returned to North America.
After his father retired from professional hockey in 2006, the Batherson family settled in New Minas, a community in the Annapolis Valley region of western Nova Scotia. Batherson grew up and was raised in that small-town Canadian environment, where he continued to refine his game. His great uncle is Canadian Juno Award-nominated musician Matt Minglewood, giving the family a creative dimension beyond sport.
Path to Hockey
Following the 2014–15 season with the Valley Wildcats, Batherson was selected by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in the sixth round, 97th overall, of the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. In his first major junior campaign, he split the 2015–16 season between the Wildcats and the Screaming Eagles, recording two assists in ten games with Cape Breton. He then joined the Screaming Eagles full-time for the 2016–17 season, his QMJHL rookie year, and produced 22 goals and 58 points in 61 games.
Batherson returned to the QMJHL for the 2017–18 season and split the year between the Screaming Eagles and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, to whom he was traded on January 2, 2018. With Cape Breton he tallied 17 goals and 39 points in 24 games, and with Blainville-Boisbriand he helped the team capture the league title for best overall regular-season record. The Armada reached the playoff final before falling to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, and Batherson led the entire QMJHL in playoff scoring with 13 goals and 20 assists.
Drake Batherson Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Batherson began the 2018–19 season with the Senators’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators. After recording 20 points in 14 games, he was recalled by Ottawa on November 12 and made his NHL debut on November 15, 2018. He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot, a game-winner, in a 2–1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Later in the season he was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for February 2019, was selected to the 2019 AHL All-Rookie Team, and won MVP honours at the 2019 AHL All-Star Game after scoring five goals for the North Division.
In 2019–20, Batherson split time between Belleville and Ottawa. He made the Senators out of training camp but was reassigned after two games, then dominated the AHL by setting franchise records for goals, assists and points while also leading the league in scoring and earning another AHL All-Star Game selection. After being recalled by Ottawa in January 2020, he produced three goals and ten points in 23 NHL games before the season was paused and ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ottawa Senators Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Batherson made the Ottawa roster out of training camp for the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 NHL season and posted 17 goals and 36 points in 56 games, tying for second on the team in goals and fourth in points. In February 2021, he tied a Senators franchise record by scoring in six consecutive games. He capped the year with a three-point performance in a 4–0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens on April 17, 2021.
On September 3, 2021, Batherson signed a six-year, $29.85 million contract with the Senators, securing his long-term future with the organization. On October 27, 2021, he recorded his first NHL hat trick against Ilya Samsonov in a 7–5 loss to the Washington Capitals, also assisting on a Josh Norris goal for a four-point night. He later scored twice and added two assists in a 6–3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 13 to end a seven-game winless streak, was named to the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, and finished the injury-shortened campaign with 17 goals and 44 points in 46 games.
Sustained Production (2022–2024)
Batherson opened 2022–23 with a three-point game in a 7–5 win over the Boston Bruins on October 18, then played the full 82-game schedule for the first time in his NHL career. He recorded 22 goals and 62 points that season, demonstrating improved durability after his previous injury. After a slower start to 2023–24, he rebounded by December, including a three-point outing in a 5–3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on March 24, 2024. He finished the year with new career highs of 28 goals and 66 points in 82 games.
Top-Line Era (2024–Present)
For the 2024–25 season, Batherson moved onto Ottawa’s top line alongside Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk. He opened the year with a multi-point effort in an 8–7 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings on October 14, then scored two goals and added an assist in a 5–4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning two games later. On December 11, 2024, he registered a hat trick that included his 100th NHL goal in a 5–1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, and later produced a ten-game point streak from February into March 2025. He capped the regular season with a three-point effort in a 7–5 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on April 17, and the Senators qualified for the playoffs for the first time in Batherson’s career. He made his playoff debut on April 20 and scored his first NHL playoff goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs before Ottawa was eliminated in six games.
Driving Style and Strengths
Batherson plays a power-forward style built around his 6-foot-3 frame, strong skating and a heavy right-handed shot. He thrives as a playmaker on the top line, using his vision to set up linemates such as Norris and Tkachuk while still finishing his own chances. His ability to drive play at even strength and produce on the power play has made him a cornerstone of Ottawa’s modern offence.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones include his first NHL goal and game-winner on his first shot against Detroit in November 2018, his first NHL hat trick in October 2021, his 100th NHL goal in December 2024, and his first NHL playoff goal in April 2025. He has also represented Canada at the 2018 World Junior Championships and the 2022 IIHF World Championship, helping Canada to a silver medal.
Drake Batherson Career Wins
Across the NHL, AHL and QMJHL, Drake Batherson has built a steady résumé of victories, individual honours and personal milestones. His wins and recognitions span major junior titles, AHL records, NHL career firsts, and international medals.
NHL Highlights
At the NHL level, Batherson’s signature wins include his debut goal against Detroit, his first hat trick against Washington, and a pair of decisive multi-point performances against Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. He reached 100 career NHL goals in December 2024 and scored his first playoff goal in April 2025 as the Senators returned to the post-season.
QMJHL and AHL Performances
In the QMJHL, Batherson helped the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada win the regular-season title in 2017–18 and led the league in playoff scoring. In the AHL with Belleville, he set franchise records for goals, assists and points, was named to the 2019 AHL All-Rookie Team, won MVP honours at the 2019 AHL All-Star Game, and represented the league again at the 2020 AHL All-Star Game.
Drake Batherson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Batherson has deep roots in professional hockey. His father, Norm Batherson, was a former professional player who spent time in the Ottawa Senators organization with the Prince Edward Island Senators and the Thunder Bay Senators, and later played seven seasons in Germany after his North American career. His uncle, Dennis Vial, played several seasons with Ottawa in the 1990s and was one of the NHL’s most frequent fighters during that era.
Personal Life
Although he was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Batherson grew up in Germany and was raised in New Minas, Nova Scotia, after his father retired from professional hockey in 2006. He holds dual Canadian and American citizenship. His sister, Mae Batherson, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 PWHL Draft by the Minnesota Frost, continuing the family’s hockey tradition. He is also the great nephew of Juno Award-nominated musician Matt Minglewood.
2025 Season Performance
Drake Batherson entered the 2025–26 season looking to build on Ottawa’s return to the playoffs. After a slow start to the year, the Senators rebounded to secure a playoff spot for the second consecutive season. Batherson led the team’s offensive charge, finishing the regular season with 33 goals and 38 assists for 71 points in 79 games and once again serving as a top-line driver alongside Brady Tkachuk.
In the post-season, Batherson paced Ottawa’s scoring with three goals and four points through four games, even as the Senators were swept in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes. His consistency at even strength, combined with renewed chemistry on the top line, suggests he will remain a central figure in the Senators’ push to climb the Eastern Conference standings.
