Dylan Cozens (ice hockey)

Dylan Cozens (born February 9, 2001), nicknamed the "Workhorse from Whitehorse", is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Sabres selected him seventh overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He is the first player from Yukon to be a first-round Western Hockey League (WHL) draft pick, a first-round NHL draft pick, and a member of the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team.

Born and raised in Whitehorse, Cozens began ice skating on a backyard rink when he was three years old. He often played against older opponents due to the limited pool of ice hockey players in his hometown, and after being injured by an adult player in a house league game, Cozens decided to move to British Columbia and play within his age group. After attending the Delta Hockey Academy, he was taken by the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes. After posting 22 goals and 53 points in his rookie junior ice hockey season, he received the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for the top first-year WHL player. He followed this performance with 84 points in 68 games the next season, and 85 points in 51 games before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2019–20 WHL season early. In his final WHL season, Cozens was a First Team All-Star and the runner-up for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy.

Cozens joined the Sabres for the 2020–21 season, recording a point in his NHL debut. He battled several setbacks during his rookie season, including time in COVID-19 protocols and two upper-body injuries. The following season, Cozens, who had been playing on the wing as a rookie, moved back to his natural centre position to occupy a space abdicated by Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel.