16 players developed across the CHL selected in First Round of 2026 NHL Draft
The WHL, OHL, and QMJHL accounted for 50 per cent of Round 1, including six of the top 10 and three of the top four selections
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that 16 players developed across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) were selected in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, accounting for 50 per cent of all Round 1 selections — more than any other development league in the world.
The CHL’s impact was felt immediately at the top of the Draft, with CHL-developed players representing six of the first 10 selections and three of the first four. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) alumnus Gavin McKenna opened the night by going first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, followed by Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) forward Caleb Malhotra at No. 3 to the Vancouver Canucks and Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) defenceman Daxon Rudolph at No. 4 to the Buffalo Sabres.
The 16-player showing marked the CHL’s second-highest first-round total in the last five NHL Drafts, trailing only the 21 players selected in 2025. Combined with last year’s opening round, the CHL has now produced 37 first-round selections over the last two NHL Drafts — its strongest two-year total since 2014 and 2015. The WHL and OHL each produced seven first-round selections, while the QMJHL added two.
Friday’s result also extended the CHL’s streak of producing 10 or more first-round picks to 58 consecutive NHL Drafts, a run that dates back to 1969.
McKenna’s selection marked another historic moment for the CHL. The Whitehorse, Yukon, product became the 43rd CHL-developed player selected first overall since 1969, the 10th from the WHL, and the first player developed by the Medicine Hat Tigers to go No. 1 overall. He also became just the second CHL-developed player selected first overall by the Maple Leafs, joining Saskatoon Blades (WHL) alumnus Wendel Clark in 1985. Since 2000, CHL-developed players have now gone first overall in 17 of 27 NHL Drafts, including four of the last seven.
The opening round also featured one of the CHL’s strongest blueline showings in more than a decade. Seven CHL-developed defencemen were selected in Round 1 — Rudolph, Carson Carels, Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, Ryan Lin, Maksim Sokolovskii and Tommy Bleyl — marking the league’s highest first-round total among blueliners since eight were chosen in 2013. Four went inside the top 10, giving the CHL its strongest top-10 showing among defencemen since 2012.
Rudolph’s selection by Buffalo made him Prince Albert’s highest-drafted player since Leon Draisaitl in 2014 and the Raiders’ highest-drafted defenceman since Chris Phillips went first overall in 1996. Carels’ selection at No. 6 gave Prince George a first-round pick for a third straight NHL Draft, while Reid going seventh overall extended the Soo Greyhounds’ streak to 20 consecutive NHL Drafts with at least one player selected.
At No. 9, Verhoeff became the highest-drafted player developed by the Victoria Royals, surpassing former teammate Cole Reschny, who went 18th overall in 2025. Later in the round, Lin became the Vancouver Giants’ highest-drafted defenceman since Bowen Byram in 2019, while Sokolovskii and Jaxon Cover helped London extend its CHL-record streak to 58 consecutive NHL Drafts with at least one player selected. Their selections also stretched the Knights’ active first-round streak to four straight drafts — the longest active run in the CHL.
The opening round produced several other notable milestones. Malhotra became the highest-drafted player of the Brantford Bulldogs era, while he and his father, Manny, became the first CHL father-son duo both taken in the NHL Draft’s top 10. Nikita Klepov’s selection at No. 15 gave Saginaw a first-round pick for a third straight NHL Draft, Maddox Dagenais became Québec’s highest-drafted player since Mikhail Grigorenko in 2012, and Ethan Belchetz gave Windsor first-round picks in three straight drafts.
The CHL’s U.S.-born talent pipeline was also on display, with four U.S.-born CHL players selected in the first round: Reid, Klepov, Hurlbert and Bleyl. That total matches the highest single-draft first-round total by U.S.-born CHL players in the 21st century, equalling the four selected in 2016.
Bleyl’s selection at 31st overall by the Nashville Predators gave Moncton first-round picks in back-to-back NHL Drafts and made him the Wildcats’ first defenceman selected in Round 1 since Brandon Gormley in 2010.
Eleven of the 16 CHL-developed players selected in the first round also competed in the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, further highlighting the event’s role in showcasing the next wave of NHL talent from across the CHL.
16 CHL Players selected in the First Round of the 2026 NHL Draft
*denotes players who competed in the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge
1. Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL, LW) – Toronto Maple Leafs: Selected first overall by Medicine Hat in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, McKenna recorded 289 points (91G-198A) in 158 career WHL regular-season and playoff games before playing the 2025-26 season at Penn State; the 2024-25 CHL Player of the Year led the Tigers to a WHL Championship and set a modern CHL record with a 54-game point streak. Following his time in the WHL, McKenna played the 2025–26 season with Penn State University.
3. Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL, C)* – Vancouver Canucks: During the 2025-26 season, Malhotra recorded 84 points in 67 regular-season games with the Brantford Bulldogs, setting a new franchise record for points by a rookie. The 6-foot-2 centre was selected to the CHL All-Rookie Team after scoring eight game-winning goals, producing 30 power-play points, and being named a finalist for the Eastern Conference’s Best Stickhandler in the OHL Coaches Poll.
4. Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL, D)* – Buffalo Sabres: During the 2025-26 season, Rudolph led the Prince Albert Raiders in scoring while helping the club capture the WHL’s East Division title. The CHL Third Team All-Star finished third among WHL defencemen in goals and points, with his 28 goals matching Josh Morrissey’s franchise record for goals by a Raiders defenceman. Originally selected first overall by Prince Albert in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Rudolph also represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and captained Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game.
6. Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars / WHL, D)* – Calgary Flames: During the 2025-26 season, Carels recorded 73 points (20G-53A) in 58 regular-season games with the Prince George Cougars, the second-highest single-season total by a defenceman in franchise history. The 6-foot-1 blueliner was a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL Defenceman of the Year after tying for fourth among WHL defencemen in points, reaching the 20-goal mark, and posting a 17-game point streak.
7. Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds / OHL, D)* – Seattle Kraken: During the 2025-26 season, Reid recorded 48 points (18G-30A) in 45 regular-season games with the Soo Greyhounds. Selected to the CHL Second All-Star Team, the 18-year-old from Chesterfield, Mich., won the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award, becoming the second Greyhounds player to earn the honour after Joe Thornton in 1996-97. Reid was also a finalist for the OHL’s Max Kaminsky Trophy, named the OHL Western Conference’s Best Offensive Defenceman, and one of just six first-year draft-eligible CHL blueliners to average at least a point per game this season.
9. Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals / WHL, D) – San Jose Sharks: During the 2024-25 season, Verhoeff scored 21 goals with the Victoria Royals, setting a franchise record for single-season goals by a defenceman while becoming just the third 16-year-old WHL blueliner to score 20+ goals in a season. The 6-foot-4 defenceman tied for second among WHL blueliners in goals, posted a 10-game point streak, and helped Victoria capture its second B.C. Division title. Following his time in the WHL, Verhoeff played the 2025–26 season at the University of North Dakota.
15. Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit / OHL, RW)* – Anaheim Ducks: During the 2025-26 season, Klepov recorded 97 points (37G-60A) in 67 regular-season games with the Saginaw Spirit, capturing the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s leading scorer and the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as its top-scoring right winger. The Deerfield Beach, Fla., product was named to the CHL Second All-Star and All-Rookie Teams after becoming the first rookie to lead any CHL Member League in scoring since Patrick Kane in 2006-07. Klepov also tied Saginaw’s rookie goal record while setting new franchise rookie marks in assists and points.
16. Maddox Dagenais (Québec Remparts / QMJHL, C)* – St. Louis Blues: During the 2025-26 season, Dagenais recorded 62 points (30G-32A) in 62 regular-season games, finishing second on Québec in scoring while earning the QMJHL’s Mike Bossy Trophy as its Best Professional Prospect. The Montréal, Que., native improved by 36 points from his rookie season, when he helped the Remparts return to the playoffs after their only postseason absence in franchise history. Dagenais also represented Canada at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship, while he and his father, Pierre, became the first father-son duo in QMJHL history to both be selected first overall.
17. Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires / OHL, LW)* – Utah Mammoth: During the 2025-26 season, Belchetz recorded 59 points (34G-25A) in 57 regular-season games with the Windsor Spitfires, helping the club finish second in the OHL’s Western Conference and tie its third-highest single-season win total in franchise history. The 2024 first-overall OHL Priority Selection was named to the 2024-25 OHL Second All-Rookie Team after finishing 10th in OHL rookie scoring, highlighted by a four-goal, six-point performance that made him the first Spitfires 16-year-old rookie since Taylor Hall to score four goals in a game. Belchetz also won gold with Canada White at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
21. Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL, D)* – San Jose Sharks: During the 2025-26 season, Lin recorded 57 points (14G-43A) in 53 regular-season games with the Vancouver Giants, finishing tied for 11th among WHL defencemen in both assists and points. Named the 24th captain in Giants franchise history on January 9, 2026, Lin built on a standout rookie season in 2024-25, when he led all WHL rookies with 48 assists and finished fifth among first-year players with 53 points. Internationally, Lin won gold with Canada at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, while also earning bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
22. Liam Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL, RW)* – Pittsburgh Penguins: During the 2025-26 season, Ruck recorded 104 points (45G-59A) in 68 regular-season games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Osoyoos, B.C., product was named to the CHL First All-Star Team after finishing second in scoring among all WHL and CHL skaters, while ranking tied for second in the WHL in goals and fifth in assists. One of only four CHL players to reach 100 points this season, Ruck also tied for third in the CHL with 10 game-winning goals and helped Medicine Hat finish atop the Central Division.
23. JP Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers / WHL, RW)* – Detroit Red Wings: During the 2025-26 season, Hurlbert recorded 97 points (42G-55A) in 68 regular-season games with the Kamloops Blazers, setting a new franchise rookie scoring record by surpassing Scottie Upshall’s previous benchmark of 87 points. The Allen, Texas product led all WHL rookies in scoring and tied Nikita Klepov for the CHL rookie scoring lead. Hurlbert was selected to both the CHL Third All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team, and became just the third player in Blazers history to win the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year, joining Upshall and Ron Shudra.
24. Adam Novotný (Peterborough Petes / OHL)* – Vancouver Canucks: During the 2025-26 season, Novotny recorded 65 points (34G-31A) in 58 regular-season games during his first OHL campaign with the Peterborough Petes. The Hradec Kralove, Czechia, product finished tied for the second-most goals and fourth in points among OHL draft-eligible skaters after arriving from Czechia’s top professional league, where he played in 2024-25. Novotny also represented Czechia five times internationally, earning silver at the 2026 World Junior Championship and 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as bronze at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
27. Maksim Sokolovskii (London Knights / OHL, D) – Philadelphia Flyers: During the 2025-26 season, Sokolovskii recorded eight points (2G-6A) in 44 regular-season games with the London Knights. The Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan, product brought rare size to London’s blue line at 6-foot-8, making him the second-tallest player in the OHL this season. A first-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, Sokolovskii also entered the year after a dominant 2024-25 campaign with Atlantic Coast Academy U16 AAA, where he led all defencemen in goals and tied for first in points with 84 in 65 games.
31. Tommy Bleyl (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL, D) – Nashville Predators: During the 2025-26 season, Bleyl recorded 81 points (13G-68A) in 63 regular-season games with the Moncton Wildcats, setting a QMJHL record for points by a rookie defenceman. The CHL Rookie of the Year was named to the CHL Second All-Star and All-Rookie Teams after leading the QMJHL with 68 helpers, marking the highest single-season total by a CHL rookie defenceman in the 21st century. Bleyl won both the Émile-Bouchard Trophy as Defenceman of the Year and Sidney-Crosby Trophy as Rookie of the Year, while helping Moncton capture a second straight regular-season title.
32. Jaxon Cover (London Knights / OHL, LW) – Ottawa Senators: During the 2025-26 season, Cover recorded 52 points (20G-32A) in 67 regular-season games with the London Knights, finishing fourth among OHL rookies in both assists and points. The Coral Springs, Fla., product made his OHL debut with London in 2024-25. Born in Florida and raised in the Grand Cayman Islands, Cover began his hockey journey on roller skates, attended his first skating camps in Toronto at age 10, and did not begin playing competitive ice hockey until he was 14.
