What are the Columbus Blue Jackets Getting in BC Men's Hockey Forward Oscar Hemming?
On Friday night, rising sophomore winger Oscar Hemming became Boston College men’s hockey’s 28th first-round pick in program history, going No. 14 overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2026 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft.
The 28th first round pick in program history!
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) June 27, 2026
Congrats to Oscar Hemming on being selected 14th overall by @BlueJacketsNHL in the #NHLDraft! pic.twitter.com/7IdatfQ4LB
Just 17 years of age, the 2008-born Vaasa, Finland, native joined the program at the midpoint of the 2025-26 season, while some of the Eagles were on winter break and others were playing in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in St. Paul, Minn.
Before signing with BC, there was technically a chance that Hemming would not play hockey at all this past season due to a dispute with the IIHF and one of his former teams, but he ultimately dodged that by committing to the NCAA side.
It was clearly the right decision for both the Eagles and Hemming, as it provided NHL teams a live glimpse at the absolute specimen that he truly is and gave BC a star in the making.
While he technically lacked in production (1 G, 7 A, 19 GP) compared to some of his vetted linemates, such as James Hagens and Andre Gasseau, the expectations for a player in his mid-to-late teens transitioning into a brand-new environment against players two to three years older than him were not lofty by any means.
If anything, Hemming broke the standard of what a player in that position should have even been able to accomplish.
In his very first appearance for the Eagles, Hemming broke the ice with a will to prove himself, peppering the net with three shots in what ended up being a 5-3 loss against Western Michigan.
The following day, he generated a pair of assists and sent five shots on net in a 4-3 victory over Lake Superior State, sending a resounding message to Hockey East and the rest of the NCAA that BC had landed a quality playmaker with the physical makeup of a future major leaguer.
The moment Oscar heard his name called! pic.twitter.com/9frhFPNGyk
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) June 27, 2026
From the very onset of his collegiate career, the left-handed Hemming, who boasts a 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, showcased an elite knack for puck control and spacing, which is necessary for a forward that possesses such length.
Simply put, Columbus made a safe bet by plucking Hemming in the first round this year, and if his performance throughout just half a season was an indicator of what is to come, teams in the NCAA need to watch out.
But for BC head coach Greg Brown and company, this is a moment to rejoice over the very fact that they will see him return to the Heights for at least another year.
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Graham Dietz is a 2025 graduate of Boston College and subsequently joined Boston College On SI. He previously served as an editor for The Heights, the independent student newspaper, from fall 2021, including as Sports Editor from 2022-23. Graham works for The Boston Globe as a sports correspondent, covering high school football, girls' basketball, and baseball. He was also a beat writer for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2023.
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