Isaac Howard
American ice hockey player (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isaac Howard (born March 30, 2004) is an American professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
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| Isaac Howard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Howard with Team USA in 2025 | |||
| Born |
March 30, 2004 Hudson, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Edmonton Oilers Bakersfield Condors (AHL) | ||
| National team |
 United States | ||
| NHL draft |
31st overall, 2022 Tampa Bay Lightning | ||
| Playing career | 2025–present | ||
He played college ice hockey at Michigan State and won the Hobey Baker Award in 2025.[1][2] He was drafted 31st overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022 NHL entry draft.
Playing career
Howard competed at the 2022 BioSteel All-American Game.[3] He was drafted in the first round, 31st overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022 NHL entry draft.[4]
College
Howard began his college ice hockey for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs during the 2022–23 season. During his freshman season he recorded six goals and 11 assists in 35 games.[5]
On March 25, 2023, Howard announced he would transfer to Michigan State University for the 2023–24 season. During his sophomore year he recorded eight goals and 28 assists in 36 games.[6]
During the 2024–25 season, in his junior year, he recorded 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. During conference play he led the Big Ten in scoring with 16 goals and 17 assists in 24 games.[7] Following the season he was named the Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Player of the Year and the Big Ten Scoring Champion.[8] He also won the Hobey Baker Award.[9] During the 2025 Big Ten men's ice hockey tournament, he recorded three goals and two assists in two games, including the game-winning goal in double-overtime to help Michigan State win their second consecutive Big Ten men's ice hockey tournament championship. He was subsequently named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and Big Ten Tournament MVP.[10]
Professional
On July 8, 2025, Howard’s NHL rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Sam O'Reilly.[11][12] He then signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers, beginning during the 2025–26 season.[13] He scored his first NHL goal on October 21, 2025 in a 3–2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators.[14]
International play
.jpg) Howard at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing United States | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2025 Sweden/Denmark | |
| Youth Olympic Games | ||
 | 2020 Lausanne | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| 2024 Sweden | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| 2022 Germany | |
Howard represented the United States at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics and won a silver medal.[15]
Howard represented the United States at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he recorded one goal and three assists in five games.[16] He again represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he was the leading scorer for the United States, with six goals and five assists in six games and won a silver medal.[17]
On December 16, 2023, Howard was named to the United States' roster to compete at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He recorded a team-leading seven goals and two assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[18]
Howard made his senior national team debut for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded one assist in four games and helped Team USA win their first gold medal since 1933.[19]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2020–21 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 51 | 32 | 41 | 73 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 60 | 33 | 49 | 82 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth | NCHC | 35 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Michigan State University | B1G | 36 | 8 | 28 | 36 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Michigan State University | B1G | 37 | 26 | 26 | 52 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 108 | 40 | 65 | 105 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | United States | U18 | 5th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | United States | U18 |  |
6 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2024 | United States | WJC |  |
7 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | United States | WC | |
4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 18 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Big Ten First Team | 2025 | [20] |
| Big Ten Scoring Champion | 2025 | |
| Big Ten Player of the Year | 2025 | |
| Big Ten All-Tournament Team | 2025 | [10] |
| Big Ten Tournament MVP | 2025 | |
| Hobey Baker Award | 2025 | [9] |
| AHCA West First Team All-American | 2025 | [21] |