53 CHL developed players take part in 2026 NHL Combine
A total of 53 players developed in the CHL took part in this week’s NHL Combine in Buffalo, NY., as preparation for the 2026 NHL Draft continues to ramp up.
In all, 25 players from the WHL, 20 from the OHL and six from the QMJHL were put through their paces in a series of tests.
The combine ran from June 1-6 and gave the 32 NHL teams physical and medical assessments of the top prospects ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft later this month.
“The NHL Combine is a rite of passage on a player’s path to the NHL and is an event that NHL clubs and prospects look forward to participating in,” NHL Central Scouting vice president and director Dan Marr said.
“It’s a week full of interviews, medicals, and fitness testing where the players get to interact with NHL personnel and the NHL clubs get to learn as much as possible about the future stars of our game.”
📍 Buffalo
It’s #NHLCombine week! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/kms2ubPwDB
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 4, 2026
In all, 90 players — 56 forwards, 29 defensemen and five goalies — attended the combine.
Teams had 1-on-1 interviews with prospects at KeyBank Center from June 1-5. The medical examinations took place June 3, the Maximal VO2 bike test and isokinetic squat test, which is new to the Combine, happened June 5, and the remaining eight of the 12 fitness tests occured at HarborCenter on June 6 (standing height/wingspan, horizontal jump, force plate vertical jumps, bench press, pro agility test, pull ups, 10-meter sprint, Wingate Cycle Ergometer test). The 10-meter sprint, also new to the Combine, will be conducted in conjunction with the pro agility test. To see the full results click here.
Putting in the work at the #NHLCombine with the #NHLDraft rapidly approaching 💪 pic.twitter.com/P3qDiDCnMX
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 6, 2026
In NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, reigning CHL Player of the Year Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat / WHL) topped the list where he was followed by Chase Reid (Soo / OHL) at no. 2, Carson Carels (Prince George / WHL) at no. 3, Keaton Verhoeff (ex-Victoria Royals / WHL) at no.4 and Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert / WHL) at no. 5.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the first overall pick at the 2026 NHL Draft and with it, the chance to select elite CHL developed talent.
53 developed CHL players take part in 2026 NHL Combine:
WHL (27):
Landom Amrhein (Calgary Hitmen)
Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars)
Jake Gustafson (Portland WInterhawks)
Beckett Hamilton (Red Deer Rebels)
Chase Harrington (Spokane Chiefs)
JP Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers)
Kayden Lemire (Prince George Cougars)
Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants)
Brek Liske (Everett Silvertips)
Benjamin MacBeath (Calgary Hitmen)
Ethan MacKenzie (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers)
Zach Olsen (Spokane Chiefs)
Michal Orsulak (Prince Albert Raiders)
Giorgos Pantelas (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Mathis Preston (Vancouver Giants)
Markus Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers)
Liam Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers)
Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders)
Timofei Runtso (Victoria Royals)
Jonah Silvertson (Prince Albert Raiders)
Tyus Sparks (Spokane Chiefs)
Tobias Tvrznik (Wenatchee Wild)
Jakub Vanecek (Tri-City Americans)
Matias Vanhanen (Everett Silvertips)
Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals)
Cooper Williams (Saskatoon Blades)
OHL (20):
Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires)
Alexander Bilecki (Kitchener Rangers)
Ryder Cali (North Bay Battalion)
Jaxon Cover (London Knights)
Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting)
Vladimir Dravecky (Brantford Bulldogs)
Beckham Edwards (Sarnia Sting)
Colin Fitzgerald (Soo Greyhounds)
Layne Gallacher (Guelph Storm)
Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Pierce Mbuyi (Owen Sound Attack)
Adam Nemec (Sudbury Wolves)
Adam Novotny (Peterborough Petes)
Brooks Rogowski (Oshawa Generals)
Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs)
Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds)
Wesley Royston (Owen Sound Attack)
Maksim Sokolovskii (London Knights)
Thomas Vandenberg (Ottawa 67’s)
Cole Zurawski (Owen Sound Attack)
QMJHL (6):
Tommy Bleyl (Moncton Wildcats)
Maddox Dagenais (Quebec Remparts)
Jan Larys (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Liam Lefebvre (Cape Breton Eagles)
Charlie Morrison (Quebec Remparts)
Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
