Scott Laughton

Lore & Background

Laughton grew up in Oakville, Ontario, and was coached by his father from age five to 14. He captained the Toronto Marlboros Minor Midget AAA team in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) and was drafted third overall in the 2010 OHL Selection Draft by the Oshawa Generals. In his sophomore OHL season, he recorded 21 goals and 32 assists in 64 games, earning a spot in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He was drafted by the Flyers in 2012 and signed a three-year entry-level contract, but returned to the OHL for the 2012–13 season, where he was suspended twice.

Laughton made his NHL debut on January 19, 2013, and scored his first NHL goal on December 13, 2014. He spent parts of several seasons with the Flyers and their AHL affiliates, the Adirondack Phantoms and Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In the 2019–20 season, he set a career-high in goals with 13 and was awarded the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as the team's most improved player.

Roots in Oakville: A Family Built on Farm and Field

Scott Laughton's story begins in the suburban town of Oakville, Ontario, where he was born on May 30, 1994, to Craig and Bonnie Laughton. His upbringing was steeped in the rhythms of family and sport in equal measure. His father took on the role of personal hockey coach, guiding him on the ice from the age of five until he was fourteen and ready for major junior competition.

Beyond the rink, young Scott was a multi-sport athlete who captained the Mimico Mountaineers Peanut Rep lacrosse squad in 2000, steering them to an undefeated season. Summers were spent on the family's eighth-generation pickle farm, a detail that grounds his identity far from the NHL spotlight. He attended Holy Family Elementary School and Holy Trinity High School in Oakville, and as a child he idolized Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays, a testament to the well-rounded, community-oriented kid he was before hockey consumed his life.

From the Marlboros to Oshawa: Forging a Junior Legend

Laughton's junior hockey journey began with the Toronto Marlboros Minor Midget AAA of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, where he cited Jarome Iginla and Steven Stamkos as the players who shaped his competitive fire. His final GTHL season was a statement: 55 goals and 40 assists across 76 games, plus two appearances with the St. Michael's Buzzers of the Central Canada Hockey League. That production earned him the third overall pick in the 2010 OHL Selection Draft, landing him with the Oshawa Generals. His rookie year was modest—12 goals and 11 assists in 63 games—but his sophomore campaign in 2011–12 exploded to 21 goals and 32 assists in 64 games, drawing a spot in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and a 40th-place ranking from NHL Central Scouting.

The Generals still fell to the Niagara IceDogs in six games. After that season, the Philadelphia Flyers selected him 20th overall in the 2012 NHL entry draft. His final OHL year was marred by two suspensions for hard hits, limiting him to 49 games, though he still posted a career-high 56 points.

The Long Road to the NHL: Patience and Reinvention

The path from Oshawa to the NHL was anything but linear. After the 2012–13 lockout shortened the season, Laughton made the Flyers' roster and debuted on January 19, 2013, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, logging 12 minutes and 14 seconds alongside Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read in a 3–1 loss. Five scoreless games later, he was sent back to junior hockey, where he added 13 points in seven playoff games before finishing the year with the Adirondack Phantoms.

The 2013–14 season brought another detour: loaned back to Oshawa, he admitted to feeling overconfident at camp, yet responded with four points in his first game and a breakout 24-goal, 26-assist stretch by December. Flyers coach Craig Berube later credited the reassignment, calling Laughton one of the best players in all of junior hockey. In 2014–15 he finally scored his first NHL goal against Carolina, and by 2015–16 he was a regular bottom-six contributor, playing 71 games before a boards collision in the playoffs ended his season.

Canada's Representative and a Career in Motion

Beyond the North American league structure, Laughton has carried the Canadian jersey at multiple international tournaments, a distinction that speaks to his standing among his generation of players. His most prominent international role came during the 2013 World Junior Championships, where he was named captain of Canada's under-20 squad—a leadership position he earned after a standout stretch with Oshawa that saw him post 24 goals and 26 assists in just 29 games by December. The captaincy underscored that his value extended beyond raw scoring; he was a player teammates and coaches looked to for direction on the world stage.

His professional journey has continued to evolve since his Philadelphia roots. After signing a three-year entry-level deal with the Flyers in August 2012, Laughton's career has taken him through multiple organizations and developmental stages. He is now suiting up for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL, a testament to a career defined by perseverance through repeated reassignments, suspensions, and the patience to let his game mature before finding sustained success at the highest level.

Reader's Guide

Scott Laughton's career illustrates the trajectory of a first-round draft pick who developed through the OHL and AHL before establishing himself as a reliable bottom-six forward and penalty killer in the NHL. His early years were marked by strong junior production, including a career-high 56 points in 49 games during his final OHL season despite suspensions. After his NHL debut, Laughton split time between the Flyers and their AHL affiliates, gradually earning a regular role. He set new career highs in goals, assists, and points during the 2018–19 season while playing on the third and fourth lines.

The 2019–20 season saw him overcome injuries to set a new goal-scoring high and earn the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy. Laughton's versatility and defensive play made him a valued contributor for the Flyers before he joined the Los Angeles Kings. His international experience with Canada adds to his profile as a dependable two-way forward.

Did You Know?

• He was protected by the Flyers in the 2017 NHL expansion draft.