The Florida Panthers selected 19-year-old Californian Brendan Dunphy in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
After going undrafted in 2024, the Panthers took Dunphy with the 197th pick after the physical defenseman scored four goals and added 18 assists in 47 games with the Western Hockey League’s Wenatchee Wild. He joined the club after startng the season in the BCHL with the Langley Rivermen (19 games, six assists) after the Wild acquired his rights from the Regina Pats. He finished his first (and only) year of major junior with 66 penalty minutes and a minus-nine rating.
As is customary, Dunphy attended Florida’s annual development camp after he was drafted. He made the move to college hockey by enrolling at the University of Connecticut.
In his freshman season at UConn, Dunphy appeared in 37 games and finished the campaign with two goals, four assists, 29 shot blocks while posting a plus-six rating. He made his NCAA debut on October 3 and blocked a shot in a 5-1 win at Colorado College. His first point, an assist, came in his third game on October 18 in a 4-2 loss to Ohio State. He recorded his only multi-point game of the season on November 1, when he collected two assists against Merrimack. Dunphy scored his first goal in a 4-1 win over New Hampshire on November 21. His only other goal, a shorthanded marker, came in a 4-1 victory over Long Island University on New Year’s Eve. He blocked three shots and registered a shot on goal in UConn’s final tilt of the season, a 2-1 loss to Michigan State at the Worcester Regional.
Dunphy was one of eight defensemen to attend development camp this summer. He is a large, 6′,5″ mobile blueliner with agility who also has a physical side. His puck game remains a work in progress. Dunphy handled the jump from the WHL to the NCAA rather well. After being scratched in the season-opener, he played in the remainder of the team’s games as UConn finished second in Hockey East and reached the NCAA Tournament. Dunphy will look to build off his strong freshman season when the Huskies resume play in October.