Jaxsin Vaughan turns Memorial Cup exposure into NHL Dev Camp spot

Published 10:57 am Tuesday, July 28, 2026

The Memorial Cup attracts eyes from all over North America, so when Everett Silvertips forward Jaxsin Vaughan dropped the gloves with Kitchener Rangers defenseman Andrew MacNeil midway through the teams’ round-robin matchup at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia on May 25, the hockey world learned about Vaughan what Silvertips faithful have long known already: He’s not afraid to mix it up and provide a spark for his team. In fact, he embraces it.

“It was a good time to give a little bit of energy to our team,” Vaughan said after the game. “And yeah, we were down one (goal), and there was a good opportunity. We kind of got out of our zone and then into theirs, and I asked him to go and we did. Obviously it didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but it’s part of my role and I’ll do that whenever I have to.”

The Silvertips would ultimately lose that game 6-2, but Vaughan’s fight with MacNeil created a bit of a viral moment. Spittin’ Chiclets, the popular hockey podcast from Barstool Sports, posted a clip of the fight on X, and videos made the rounds on other social media sites.

However, the widespread attention did more than give Jaxsin ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughan some internet clout. It opened a door in real life as well. The following morning, the Boston Bruins invited Vaughan to their Development Camp in July.

“When I called my agent, he (told me), ‘They really like you, and they like your style of play,’” Vaughan told The Herald over the phone earlier this month. “‘They like what you bring in all aspects of the game,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, it’d be awesome if I could go to that. And cool to have someone take a chance on me. It was my first Development Camp, so pretty cool for me.’”

NHL teams hold their Development Camps shortly after the draft as an opportunity to formally introduce the selected players to the organization while building on their skillsets and providing benchmarks for the following season. Many teams will bring in their prospects from recent drafts as well as non-roster invites and undrafted players they can evaluate from up close.

The 20-year-old Vaughan falls into the latter category, and while he will suit up for Boston’s Prospect Challenge roster in September, his participation provides no guarantees for his association with the franchise going forward. That said, the Bruins liked what they had seen, and will continue to keep an eye on him this upcoming season.

“I was kind of a ‘throwback player,’ they kept saying,” Vaughan said. “Historically, the Bruins are more of a hard-skill team, and they’re rough and gritty, and they like that I had some of those aspects. They said they’re excited to see me play at the rookie tournament to see me more in game form, and they think my effectiveness will be displayed a little better in a game setting other than skill practices and stuff like that. So it was good feedback from them, and they just said keep doing what I’m doing and I’ll be fine.”

On top of earning an opportunity to showcase his skills for an NHL team, Vaughan also got to explore the city of Boston for the first time. In fact, the Merritt, British Columbia native had never been that far east before. The Bruins set up off-ice activities for the players, such as watching a Red Sox game at Fenway Park and a scavenger hunt that took them to different landmarks across the city. The presence of the World Cup at the time only added to the experience.

On the ice, Vaughan worked on a variety of skills, but the drills for puck handling, puck protection and board work are some he plans to take away from the camp and implement into his own training this summer.

As much attention as his fight and physicality received, Vaughan took a step forward in all aspects of his game. After scoring three goals in 48 games following his trade to Everett from the Regina Pats early in the 2024-25 season, Vaughan scored 21 goals and 38 points in 68 games this past year. He stepped into a larger role on the ice, and was selected as an alternate captain in just his first full season with the team.

Following the departures of captain Tarin Smith and fellow alternates Carter Bear, Landon DuPont and Jesse Heslop, the latter announcing his commitment to UConn last week, Vaughan will be the only player who wore a letter this past season returning to the roster. He will be tasked with leading the squad in its defense of the Ed Chynoweth Cup after experiencing significant turnover, particularly at the top of the roster.

Vaughan had the opportunity to move on as well. However, while college hockey and possibly even the Bruins could still be in his future, he wanted to run it back in Everett for his final year of CHL eligibility.

“There’s some stuff, schools and stuff, but I don’t think I could leave here early,” Vaughan said during exit meetings on June 2. “It’s paradise here for me. Amazing staff, and lots of the boys are coming back, so yeah, I’m excited to come back here.”