[{"id":36340,"date":"2026-04-21T14:55:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36340"},"modified":"2026-04-21T14:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:55:23","slug":"65-whl-alumni-to-compete-on-nhl-rosters-as-2026-stanley-cup-playoffs-get-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/65-whl-alumni-to-compete-on-nhl-rosters-as-2026-stanley-cup-playoffs-get-underway","title":{"rendered":"65 WHL Alumni to compete on NHL rosters as 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013<\/strong> Sixty-five WHL Alumni will compete on NHL rosters as the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway Saturday, April 18.<\/p>\n

Of the 16 NHL teams to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, four will be captained by former WHL players, including the Anaheim Ducks (Radko Gudas), Dallas Stars (Jamie Benn), Minnesota Wild (Jared Spurgeon), and Vegas Golden Knights (Mark Stone).<\/p>\n

There are a total 190 Canadian Hockey League alumni across NHL rosters in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 86 from the Ontario Hockey League and 40 from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.<\/p>\n

KEY STORYLINES<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Geekie, Minten guide Bruins back to post-season<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2024, the Boston Bruins can thank notable regular season performances from Morgan Geekie \u2013 who finished with a career-high 39 goals and 68 points \u2013 and Fraser Minten, whose rookie season featured 35 points (17G-18A) in 82 games.<\/p>\n

Ruff, Byram & Co., lead Sabres back to Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Buffalo Sabres return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons, led by Head Coach and WHL alumnus Lindy Ruff (Lethbridge Broncos, 1976-77 to 1978-79). Stanley Cup champions Bowen Byram and Luke Schenn help anchor the Sabres blueline.<\/p>\n

Jarvis critical to Carolina\u2019s success<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Portland Winterhawks star Seth Jarvis currently ranks as the fourth highest playoff producer in Carolina Hurricanes \/ Hartford Whalers franchise history \u2013 safe to say that the product of Winnipeg is a catalyst. Jarvis will be vital if the Hurricanes hope to lift Lord Stanley\u2019s Cup for the first time since 2006.<\/p>\n

Kelly\u2019s secondary scoring invaluable to Avalanche<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

WHL Champion and former Prince Albert Raiders forward Parker Kelly enjoyed a breakout season, reaching the 20-goal plateau and securing a career best 35 points for an Avalanche squad that isn\u2019t short on firepower. Winners of the NHL regular season title, the Avalanche now aim to follow through on a Stanley Cup championship run. Kelly\u2019s experience during the 2019 WHL Playoffs will help him be a valuable contributor down the lineup.<\/p>\n

Captain Benn back for more with Stars<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jamie Benn won a WHL Championship during his time with the Kelowna Rockets, but he has yet to lift Lord Stanley\u2019s Cup with the Dallas Stars. After 1,252 NHL regular season games and 13 seasons as captain of the Stars, will this be the year Benn reaches the promised land? He\u2019s won an Olympic gold medal and a World Juniors gold medal on top of his WHL Championship. He has 120 games of NHL post-season experience.<\/p>\n

Draisaitl ready to return to Oilers after missing time with injury<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

WHL Champion Leon Draisaitl is ready to return to the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers after missing the final month of the NHL regular season. The former Kelowna Rocket and Prince Albert Raider nearly reached the 100-point plateau for the fifth consecutive season, but injury held him just short as he finished 2025-26 with 97 points (35G-62A) in 65 games. The captain of Germany\u2019s 2026 Winter Olympic team, Draisaitl has been a monster for the Oilers as they have made back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final (2024, 2025).<\/p>\n

Captain Spurgeon brings Championship experience to Minnesota<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A veteran of 16 seasons and 1,012 NHL regular season games, Jared Spurgeon\u2019s experience having won a WHL Championship and Memorial Cup with the Spokane Chiefs will serve him well as the Wild make a second consecutive post-season appearance. The Wild haven\u2019t advanced beyond the first round since 2015 \u2013 Spurgeon will play an important role if that is to change in 2026.<\/p>\n

Cozens helps Sens to second consecutive post-season appearance<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Dylan Cozens enjoyed a 59-point (28G-31A) campaign in his first full season in Canada\u2019s capital, helping the Senators to a second consecutive post-season appearance. The product of Whitehorse, Yukon, is no stranger to post-season play, having laced up for 35 WHL Playoff games with the Hurricanes, where he recorded 29 points (14G-15A) along the way.<\/p>\n

Sanheim set for shutdown role on Flyers blueline<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fresh off representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, former Calgary Hitmen blueliner Travis Sanheim will be tasked with slowing the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the Philadelphia Flyers face the Pittsburgh Penguins. During his WHL tenure, Sanheim was a force \u2013 tallying 26 points (7G-19A) in 28 WHL post-season appearances with the Hitmen.<\/p>\n

Kindel ready for Stanley Cup Playoffs debut<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Calgary Hitmen star Ben Kindel exploded onto the scene as an 18-year-old rookie this season, registering 35 points (17G-18A) in 77 games. The product of Coquitlam B.C., was a reliable post-season performer in the WHL, collecting 15 points (8G-7A) in 11 WHL Playoff games over two seasons. He will look to compliment a long list of veteran Pens stars as they return to the NHL post-season.<\/p>\n

Point looks to power Lightning once again<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

No NHL team has more post-season appearances (10), series wins (15), or Stanley Cups (2; tied) than the Tampa Bay Lightning have since 2015-16. Former Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Point led all players in post-season goals during Tampa Bay\u2019s most recent Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021.<\/p>\n

Guenther & Mammoth make first playoff appearance in Utah history<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For the first time in NHL history, there will be playoff hockey in the state of Utah, with two-time WHL Champion Dylan Guenther primed to play a pivotal role for the Mammoth. The former Edmonton Oil King and Seattle Thunderbird hit 40 goals for the first time in his NHL career, finishing the season with 73 points (40G-33A). In 38 WHL Playoff games, he registered 49 points (29G-20A). Will his regular season success and WHL experience translate to the Stanley Cup Playoffs?<\/p>\n

Golden Knights boast more WHL Alumni than any other Stanley Cup Playoff team<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Led by GM Kelly McCrimmon \u2013 a longtime staple of the Brandon Wheat Kings \u2013 along with captain Mark Stone, the Vegas Golden Knights are boosted by 10 WHL Alumni \u2013 more than any NHL team to have qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stone and defenceman Shea Theodore helped Vegas win it all in 2023 and they both represented Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

LIST OF WHL ALUMNI on ROSTERS FOR 2026 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

(last WHL Club listed)
\n* = injured \/ non-roster player<\/p>\n

ANAHEIM DUCKS (3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Radko Gudas (Everett Silvertips), Jansen Harkins (Prince George Cougars), Olen Zellweger (Kamloops Blazers)<\/p>\n

BOSTON BRUINS (5)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Morgan Geekie (Tri-City Americans), Tanner Jeannot (Moose Jaw Warriors), Henri Jokiharju (Portland Winterhawks), Mark Kastelic (Calgary Hitmen), Fraser Minten (Saskatoon Blades)<\/p>\n

BUFFALO SABRES (6)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zach Benson (Winnipeg ICE), Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants), Tyson Kozak (Portland Winterhawks), Peyton Krebs (Winnipeg ICE), Beck Malenstyn (Swift Current Broncos), Luke Schenn (Kelowna Rockets)<\/p>\n

CAROLINA HURRICANES (3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seth Jarvis (Portland Winterhawks), Jordan Martinook (Vancouver Giants), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers)<\/p>\n

COLORADO AVALANCHE (2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parker Kelly (Prince Albert Raiders), Brett Kulak (Vancouver Giants)<\/p>\n

DALLAS STARS (4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jamie Benn (Kelowna Rockets), Tyler Myers (Kelowna Rockets), Alexander Petrovic (Red Deer Rebels), Sam Steel (Regina Pats)<\/p>\n

EDMONTON OILERS (7)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Colton Dach (Seattle Thunderbirds), Leon Draisaitl (Kelowna Rockets), Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers), Tristan Jarry (Edmonton Oil Kings), Curtis Lazar (Edmonton Oil Kings), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels), Matt Savoie (Moose Jaw Warriors)<\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES KINGS (2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joel Edmundson (Kamloops Blazers), Darcy Kuemper (Red Deer Rebels)<\/p>\n

MINNESOTA WILD (2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daemon Hunt (Moose Jaw Warriors), Jared Spurgeon (Spokane Chiefs)<\/p>\n

MONTREAL CANADIENS (3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades), Brendan Gallagher (Vancouver Giants), Kaiden Guhle (Edmonton Oil Kings)<\/p>\n

OTTAWA SENATORS (4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Ridly Greig (Brandon Wheat Kings), James Reimer (Red Deer Rebels), Lassi Thomson (Kelowna Rockets)<\/p>\n

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rodrigo Abols (Portland Winterhawks), Noah Juulsen (Everett Silvertips), Travis Sanheim (Calgary Hitmen)<\/p>\n

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (5)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Connor Dewar (Everett Silvertips), Caleb Jones (Portland Winterhawks), Ben Kindel (Calgary Hitmen), Stuart Skinner (Swift Current Broncos), Parker Wotherspoon (Tri-City Americans)<\/p>\n

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (4)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oliver Bjorkstrand (Portland Winterhawks), Gage Goncalves (Everett Silvertips), Brandon Hagel (Red Deer Rebels), Brayden Point (Moose Jaw Warriors)<\/p>\n

UTAH MAMMOTH (2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dylan Guenther (Seattle Thunderbirds), Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs)<\/p>\n

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (10)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips), Adin Hill (Portland Winterhawks), Brett Howden (Moose Jaw Warriors), Keegan Kolesar (Seattle Thunderbirds), Kaedan Korczak (Kelowna Rockets), Brayden McNabb (Kootenay ICE), Akira Schmid (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Colton Sissons (Kelowna Rockets), Mark Stone (Brandon Wheat Kings), Shea Theodore (Seattle Thunderbirds)<\/p>\n

About the Western Hockey League<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarded as the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada\u2019s National Junior Hockey Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Of the 16 NHL teams to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, four will be captained by former WHL players.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36341,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/18111348\/Playoff-Rosters_1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36338,"date":"2026-04-16T21:19:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T01:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36338"},"modified":"2026-04-16T21:19:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T01:19:25","slug":"hurlbert-and-evaschesen-on-nhl-central-scouting-final-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/hurlbert-and-evaschesen-on-nhl-central-scouting-final-rankings","title":{"rendered":"HURLBERT AND EVASCHESEN ON NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS"},"content":{"rendered":"

HURLBERT AND EVASCHSESEN NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kamloops, BC<\/strong> \u2013 The Kamloops Blazers have two players listed on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

Forward J.P. Hurlbert is 12th<\/sup> on the North American list. Forward Josh Evaschesen appears for the first time on the list at 187th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Hurlbert finished fourth in WHL in scoring with 42 goals, 55 assists and 97 points playing in all 68 games this season. The 17-year-old from Allen, Texas led all first year players in goals, assists and points.<\/p>\n

Hurlbert has been nominated for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year and also for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year.<\/p>\n

Evaschesen had an outstanding year with the Blazers compiling 33 goals, 40 assists and 73 points in 67 games. The 19-year-old from Medicine Hat, AB<\/p>\n

The NHL Draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26-27. The NHL Draft Lottery to determine the first 16 picks is May 5.<\/p>\n

-30-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HURLBERT AND EVASCHSESEN NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS Kamloops, BC \u2013 The Kamloops Blazers have two players listed on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Forward J.P. Hurlbert is 12th on the North American list. Forward Josh Evaschesen appears for the first time on the list at 187th. Hurlbert finished fourth…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[{"term_id":485,"name":"Josh Evaschesen","slug":"josh-evaschesen","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":485,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","term_order":"7"},{"term_id":374,"name":"JP Hurlbert","slug":"jp-hurlbert","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":376,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":7,"filter":"raw","term_order":"246"}],"class_list":["post-36338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-josh-evaschesen","tag-jp-hurlbert","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/04\/16211723\/JP-Evy-CentralScouting.jpg",544,680,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36321,"date":"2026-04-10T14:40:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36321"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:40:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:40:19","slug":"whl-announces-finalists-for-four-broncos-memorial-trophy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/whl-announces-finalists-for-four-broncos-memorial-trophy","title":{"rendered":"WHL announces finalists for Four Broncos Memorial Trophy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013<\/strong> The Western Hockey League announced today the 2025-26 finalists for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL\u2019s Player of the Year.<\/p>\n

The most prestigious individual award in the WHL, the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is named in memory of the four members of the Swift Current Broncos who died in a tragic bus crash December 30, 1986. Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff all died when the Broncos bus crashed while en route to a game in Regina.<\/p>\n

Finalists for WHL Awards are voted upon by WHL General Managers.<\/p>\n

Winners of 2026 WHL Awards will be announced from Tuesday, April 21, through Wednesday, May 6.<\/p>\n

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Eastern Conference Finalists<\/p>\n

Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers
\nLiam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers
\nMarkus Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers<\/p>\n

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Western Conference Finalists<\/p>\n

JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
\nTij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
\nCameron Schmidt, Seattle Thunderbirds<\/p>\n

Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Chauvin, Alta., had a breakout campaign, registering 45 goals, 83 points, and a plus-55 rating in 55 games as captain of the Tigers. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound right-shot blueliner\u2019s 45 goals were tied for second in the WHL, while his 83 points finished second among all WHL defencemen. With 11 game-winning goals, the smooth-skating defender finished tied for first in among all WHL skaters. \u00a0Pickford\u2019s 45 goals set a Medicine Hat Tigers franchise record for goals by a defenceman, surpassing the previous mark of 32 set by Kris Russell in 2006-07. A two-time WHL Champion (Seattle \u2013 2023; Medicine Hat \u2013 2025), Pickford was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round (81st overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft. Originally selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the second round (38th overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Pickford has played 224 career WHL regular season games, tallying 165 points (73G-92A).<\/p>\n

Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Osoyoos, B.C., finished second in WHL scoring with 104 points (45G-59A) in 68 games. The 6-foot, 175-pound right winger\u2019s 45 goals were tied for second in the WHL, while his 59 assists ranked fifth across the League. Ruck\u2019s 16 power-play goals were tied for third best in the WHL, and his 10 game-winning goals were also tied for third in the League. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Ruck is ranked 26th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. In November, he was selected to represent Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. He followed that in February by being named to Team East for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected by the Tigers in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Ruck has skated in 132 career WHL regular season games, recording 147 points (71G-76A). Ruck was a member of the Tigers 2025 WHL Championship.<\/p>\n

Markus Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Osoyoos, B.C., and twin brother of Liam, finished first in WHL scoring with 108 points (21G-87A) in 68 games. The 6-foot, 167-pound centre\u2019s 87 assists were tops in the WHL this season, leading the next best skater by 21. Ruck\u2019s 38 power-play assists were best in the WHL. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Ruck is ranked 31st among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. In February, he was selected to represent Team East for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected by the Tigers in the first round (21st overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Ruck has played in 132 career WHL regular season games, tallying 137 points (29G-108A). Ruck was a member of the Tigers 2025 WHL Championship.<\/p>\n

JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 17-year-old product of Allen, Texas, exploded onto the WHL as a rookie, posting 97 points (42G-55A) in 68 games with the Blazers. Hurlbert\u2019s 97 points were fourth in the WHL, while his 42 goals were tied for fourth. He led all WHL rookies in scoring. The 6-foot, 182-pound right winger served as an alternate captain for the Blazers in his first WHL season. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Hurlbert is ranked 10th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. The first-year WHL forward was named to Team CHL for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November, before representing Team West in the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. He was originally selected by the Blazers in the first round (20th overall) of the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.<\/p>\n

Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Lake Country, B.C., returned following an injury-shortened 2024-25 season to lead the WHL in points per game (1.88), registering 90 points (41G-49A) in 48 games with the Rockets. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound centre established new career highs in both assists and points, best his previous marks from 2023-24 when he tallied 37 assists and 84 points in 64 games. Iginla finished sixth in both goals and points among all WHL skaters. Selected by the Utah Mammoth in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Iginla has played 184 career WHL regular season games, posting 225 points (108G-117A). Prior to arriving in Kelowna, he was a member of Seattle\u2019s 2023 WHL Championship squad. Iginla was originally selected by the Thunderbirds in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

Cameron Schmidt, Seattle Thunderbirds<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Prince George, B.C., finished third in WHL scoring with 100 points. He was one of only three WHL players to reach the 100-point plateau and was the lone WHL player to register 50 goals in 2025-26. Having split the season between the Vancouver Giants and Thunderbirds, the 5-foot-8, 158-pound right winger finished tied for first in the WHL with 11 game-winning goals. Selected by the Dallas Stars in the third round (94th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, Schmidt has collected 237 points (123G-114A) in 195 career WHL regular season games. Schmidt was originally selected by the Giants in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

About the Western Hockey League<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarded as the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada\u2019s National Junior Hockey Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is presented annually to the WHL Player of the Year. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/09115412\/POTY_Finalists-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36319,"date":"2026-04-10T14:39:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36319"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:39:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:39:36","slug":"2026-player-tracker-whl-to-ahl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/2026-player-tracker-whl-to-ahl","title":{"rendered":"2026 Player Tracker: WHL to AHL"},"content":{"rendered":"

As WHL seasons wrap up, NHL prospects and WHL free agents can be invited to compete with professional hockey clubs in the American Hockey League via assignment from their NHL teams or by signing Amateur Tryout Agreements (ATOs). The WHL will keep track of these opportunities until the conclusion of the AHL season.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS<\/strong><\/p>\n

F- Luke Mistelbacher- Belleville Senators- ATO*<\/p>\n

KAMLOOPS BLAZERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

D- Harrison Brunicke- Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton Penguins- Reassigned<\/p>\n

F- Tommy Lafreniere- Bakersfield Condors- ATO<\/p>\n

MOOSE JAW WARRIORS<\/strong><\/p>\n

G- Chase Wutzke- Iowa Wild- Reassigned<\/p>\n

PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

F- Ryan Miller- Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton Penguins- ATO<\/p>\n

SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

D- Radim Mrtka- Rochester Americans- Reassigned<\/p>\n

TRI-CITY AMERICANS<\/strong><\/p>\n

D- Charlie Elick- Cleveland Monsters- Reassigned<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*Mistelbacher signed an AHL contract that will take effect at the start of the 2026-27 season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As WHL seasons wrap up, NHL prospects and WHL free agents can be invited to compete with professional hockey clubs in the American Hockey League via assignment from their NHL teams or by signing Amateur Tryout Agreements (ATOs). The WHL will keep track of these opportunities until the conclusion of the AHL season.\u00a0 BRANDON WHEAT…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36320,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/08170416\/WHLtoAHL_Tracker.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36317,"date":"2026-04-10T14:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36317"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:38:34","slug":"four-whl-alumni-among-those-ranked-no-50-through-no-41-on-chl-top-50-players-of-the-last-50-years-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/four-whl-alumni-among-those-ranked-no-50-through-no-41-on-chl-top-50-players-of-the-last-50-years-list","title":{"rendered":"Four WHL alumni among those ranked No. 50 through No. 41 on CHL Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

The Top 50 players were identified through a media vote, with the final rankings determined by a weighted combination of media and fan voting. Full player bios are available at <\/i>chl.ca\/chl50<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to reveal the players ranked No. 50 through No. 41 on its Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list (<\/span>see below<\/i><\/b>), a signature initiative launched as part of the CHL\u2019s 50th anniversary season. The countdown celebrates the greatest players from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since 1975-76, honouring the stars who have shaped major junior hockey over the past five decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four WHL alumni find themselves ranked from 50 to 41 on the CHL’s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years, including Brian Propp (47), Mark Recchi (45), Cam Neely (43), and Leon Draisaitl (42).<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of the initiative, a panel of media members first identified the Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years (since 1975-76)<\/span><\/a>. From there, the final ranking order was determined using a weighted formula that combined media and fan voting to rank the players from No. 1 through No. 50.<\/span><\/p>\n

KEY FACTS & MEDIA NOTES: CHL TOP 50 PLAYERS<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/a>MEDIA RESOURCES (PHOTOS, LOGOS, VIDEOS & MORE)<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

50. Larry Murphy, Defenceman | OHL | Peterborough Petes (1978-80) | Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs & Detroit Red Wings (1980-2001)<\/b>: Murphy helped Peterborough win the 1979 Memorial Cup before breaking out for 89 points in 1979-80, earning OHL Defenceman of the Year and OHL First All-Star Team honours. He added 17 points in 14 playoff games as the Petes repeated as OHL champions in 1980. Murphy went on to a Hall of Fame NHL career, winning four Stanley Cups and recording 1,216 points in 1,615 games.<\/p>\n

49. Scott Stevens, Defenceman | OHL | Kitchener Rangers (1980-82) | Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues & New Jersey Devils (1982-2004)<\/b>: Stevens starred on Kitchener\u2019s 1982 championship team, collecting 42 points in 68 games and 11 more in 15 playoff contests while helping the Rangers win both the OHL title and the franchise\u2019s first Memorial Cup. He later became a Hall of Fame NHL defenceman, captaining the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n

48. Taylor Hall, Forward | OHL | Windsor Spitfires (2007-10) | Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks & Carolina Hurricanes (2010-Present)<\/b>: Hall led Windsor through one of the most dominant runs in CHL history, winning OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year in 2007-08 before helping the Spitfires capture back-to-back Memorial Cups. He won the Stafford Smythe Trophy (Memorial Cup MVP)\u00a0twice, the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award (OHL Playoffs MVP) in 2009, and later captured the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2017-18.<\/span><\/p>\n

47. Brian Propp, Forward | WHL | Brandon Wheat Kings (1976-79) | Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars & Hartford Whalers (1979-94)<\/b>:One of the WHL\u2019s all-time great scorers, Propp recorded 511 points in 213 regular-season games, won back-to-back WHL scoring titles, and led Brandon to its first WHL championship in 1978-79. He went on to score 425 goals and 1,004 points in the NHL, appearing in five Stanley Cup Finals.<\/span><\/p>\n

46. Steven Stamkos, Forward | OHL | Sarnia Sting (2006-08) | Tampa Bay Lightning & Nashville Predators (2008-Present)<\/b>: Stamkos scored 100 goals and 197 points in just two OHL seasons, winning the Bobby Smith Trophy in 2006-07 and CHL Top Prospect honours in 2007-08 after a 58-goal campaign. The first overall pick in 2008, he later became a two-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time NHL goal-scoring leader, and 600-goal scorer.<\/span><\/p>\n

45. Mark Recchi, Forward | WHL | New Westminster Bruins & Kamloops Blazers (1984-88) | Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning & Boston Bruins (1988-2011): <\/b>Recchi\u2019s WHL career peaked with a 154-point season in 1987-88 with Kamloops, and he finished junior with 292 regular-season points and 50 playoff points. He later built a Hall of Fame career in the NHL, recording 1,533 points and winning three Stanley Cups with three different teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

44. Guy Carbonneau, Forward | QMJHL | Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens (1976-80) | Montr\u00e9al Canadiens, St. Louis Blues & Dallas Stars (1980-2000)<\/b>: Carbonneau was a cornerstone in Chicoutimi, recording 435 points in 274 games, posting back-to-back seasons with 140-plus points, and captaining the Saguen\u00e9ens. He later became one of the NHL\u2019s premier defensive forwards, winning three Selke Trophies, three Stanley Cups, and a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.<\/span><\/p>\n

43. Cam Neely, Forward | WHL | Portland Winterhawks (1982-84) | Vancouver Canucks & Boston Bruins (1983-96)<\/b>:<\/span> Neely burst onto the WHL scene with 56 goals and 120 points as a rookie in 1982-83, then helped Portland win the 1983 Memorial Cup with a hat trick in the final. He went on to a Hall of Fame NHL career, scoring 395 goals and becoming one of the era\u2019s most feared power forwards.<\/span><\/p>\n

42. Leon Draisaitl, Forward | WHL | Prince Albert Raiders & Kelowna Rockets (2012-15) | Edmonton Oilers (2015-Present)<\/b>: Draisaitl totaled 216 points in 160 WHL regular-season games, highlighted by a 105-point season in Prince Albert and a standout 2015 playoff run with Kelowna that ended with WHL Playoff MVP and Memorial Cup MVP honours. In the NHL, he became one of the league\u2019s top offensive stars, winning the Hart, Art Ross, Ted Lindsay, and Rocket Richard trophies.<\/span><\/p>\n

41.<\/strong> Patrice Bergeron, Forward | QMJHL | Acadie-Bathurst Titan (2001-03) | Boston Bruins (2003-2023)<\/b>: Bergeron played just one full season in Acadie-Bathurst, but made it count, setting Titan rookie records with 73 points and 50 assists in 2002-03 and tying the QMJHL rookie record for points in a playoff game with six. He later spent 19 seasons with the Boston Bruins, winning a record six Selke Trophies, a Stanley Cup, and surpassing 1,000 points with the franchise.<\/p>\n

Further rankings from the Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list will be revealed in the coming weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHL Top 50 Evaluation Criteria and Eligibility<\/i><\/b>
\nThe CHL\u2019s Top 50 Players were selected by a panel of more than 40 media members who submitted ranked 1\u201350 ballots guided by a weighted evaluation framework designed to ensure consistency across eras. Panelists considered a player\u2019s impact beyond the CHL \u2014 including NHL and international success, major awards and championships, and Hall of Fame recognition \u2014 alongside on-ice achievement in the Member Leagues, reflecting what players accomplished during their time in the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL through production, individual honours, team success, and sustained dominance. Selections also accounted for historical significance, recognizing milestones, era-defining influence, generational impact, and lasting contributions to CHL history.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

To be eligible, players must have competed in at least one full season in the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL during the CHL\u2019s 50-year history beginning in 1975\u201376; for players who competed in 1975\u201376 and also played prior to that season, their entire CHL career was considered when evaluating on-ice accomplishments.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four WHL alumni have been named to ranks No. 50 through No. 41 on the CHL Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/10102153\/50-41.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36310,"date":"2026-04-08T16:56:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T20:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36310"},"modified":"2026-04-08T16:57:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T20:57:33","slug":"jp-hurlbert-reflects-on-breakout-whl-season-in-kamloops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/jp-hurlbert-reflects-on-breakout-whl-season-in-kamloops","title":{"rendered":"JP Hurlbert Reflects on Breakout WHL Season in Kamloops"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Colton Davies – Follow Colton on X<\/a><\/p>\n

For JP Hurlbert, one season in the WHL was all it took to leave a lasting impression.<\/p>\n

In a season that saw the Allen, Texas native tally 97 points and elevate his draft stock, it wasn\u2019t just about the production that defined his season in Kamloops. It was the growth, grind, and relationships built along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned so much,\u201d Hurlbert said. \u201cJust the game in general. This coaching staff has done such a great job teaching us the right way to play, finding those little details that create more success and more offence, especially for my style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurlbert joined the Blazers last fall after defecting from the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP). Adjusting to the WHL presents a unique challenge, particularly for players stepping into a league filled with older, more physically mature players. For Hurlbert, that adjustment became a key part of his development.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning how to use your body has been big,\u201d he explained. \u201cYou look at guys like Tij Iginla, I think he\u2019s an NHL-ready calibre player. So it\u2019s about learning how to deal with that and elevate your game each night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the physicality, the WHL\u2019s demanding schedule offered another layer of growth. The grind of back-to-backs and long road trips forced Hurlbert to adapt quickly to a pro-style routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pro schedule,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to learn how to maintain your body and your mindset. You might go two games without scoring, but you still have to show up and perform on a Tuesday night. That consistency is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

While his point totals tell the story of a breakout campaign, Hurlbert\u2019s favourite memories extend far beyond the scoresheet. \u201cThe home opener was really cool. Fan appreciation night, too,\u201d he said. \u201cThose were special nights\u2014not just because of the goals, but because of how they felt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurlbert\u2019s WHL debut couldn\u2019t have been scripted better, \u201cFirst regular season game in a new town\u2026 that\u2019s something you never forget,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd getting a hat trick in my first game made it even more special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s the quieter, off-ice moments that left the deepest mark. \u201cThe things I\u2019ll cherish most aren\u2019t just on the ice,\u201d Hurlbert said. \u201cIt\u2019s getting off the bus at 4 in the morning with my best friends. I still talk to Ryan Michael to this day\u2014my first day here, after 36 hours in the car, we went and played pickleball. It\u2019s the friendships, the camaraderie, that\u2019s what stays with you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he looks ahead to what\u2019s next, Hurlbert is keeping his focus on the present, like getting ready for the 2026 NHL Draft in June, while carrying forward everything he\u2019s gained from this past year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year has been life-changing,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve made my best friends here, met people who care about me so much, and this staff has given me everything to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Colton Davies – Follow Colton on X For JP Hurlbert, one season in the WHL was all it took to leave a lasting impression. In a season that saw the Allen, Texas native tally 97 points and elevate his draft stock, it wasn\u2019t just about the production that defined his season in Kamloops. It…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/04\/02015151\/J.P.-Hurlbert-April-01-2026-Brian-Johnson-scaled.jpg",2560,1829,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36300,"date":"2026-04-02T13:14:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36300"},"modified":"2026-04-02T13:14:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:14:54","slug":"whl-announces-finalists-for-jim-piggott-memorial-trophy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/whl-announces-finalists-for-jim-piggott-memorial-trophy","title":{"rendered":"WHL announces finalists for Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013<\/strong> The Western Hockey League announced today the 2025-26 finalists for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL\u2019s Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n

Jim Piggott was the sole owner of the Saskatoon Blades and an original founding member of the WHL. Piggott served as Chairman of the Board, and along with Del Wilson, was one of the driving forces to bring the three Major Junior Leagues in Canada together under one roof.<\/p>\n

Finalists for WHL Awards are voted upon by WHL General Managers.<\/p>\n

Winners of 2026 WHL Awards will be announced from Tuesday, April 21, through Wednesday, May 6.<\/p>\n

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Eastern Conference Finalists<\/p>\n

Kale Dach, Calgary Hitmen (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.)
\nBen MacBeath, Calgary Hitmen (Calgary, Alta.)
\nBrock Cripps, Prince Albert Raiders (Victoria, B.C.)<\/p>\n

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy<\/u><\/strong> \u2013 Western Conference Finalists<\/p>\n

JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers (Allen, Texas)
\nMatias Vanhanen, Everett Silvertips (Nokia, Finland)
\nJacob Kvasnicka, Penticton Vees (Burnsville, Minn.)<\/p>\n

Kale Dach, Calgary Hitmen<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Fort Saskatchewan, Sask., recorded 75 points (34G-41A) in 63 games, finishing second in Hitmen scoring and fourth among all WHL rookies. Selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Dach recorded six multi-goal performances, including one hat trick during the regular season. Among WHL rookies, he finished third in goals (34) and sixth in assists (41). He led all WHL rookies with 32 power-play points. Dach\u2019s eight game-winning goals were tops among all WHL rookies. Dach was originally selected by the Hitmen in the fifth round (95th overall) of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

Ben MacBeath, Calgary Hitmen<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 17-year-old product of Calgary, Alta., tallied 51 points (7G-44A) in 67 games, finishing fifth in scoring on the Hitmen and second among all WHL rookie defencemen. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-2, 181-pound MacBeath is ranked 20th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. The first-year WHL blueliner represented Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. MacBeath was originally selected by the Kelowna Rockets in the seventh round (136th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

Brock Cripps, Prince Albert Raiders<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 16-year-old product of Victoria, B.C., registered 37 points (6G-31A) in 62 games, finishing third in scoring among Raiders defencemen and third among all Raiders rookies. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound right-shot rearguard enjoyed a career performance Tuesday, January 20, when he tallied four assists in a 12-2 triumph over his hometown Victoria Royals. From December 3-19, Cripps put together a career best point string of nine games, collecting 10 points (1G-9A) along the way. Originally selected by the Raiders in the first round (second overall) of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, Cripps made his WHL debut in 2024-25, skating in four games.<\/p>\n

JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 17-year-old product of Allen, Texas, posted 97 points (42G-55A) in 68 games, finishing fourth in WHL scoring and first among all WHL rookies. The 6-foot, 182-pound right winger\u2019s 42 goals were tied for fourth in the WHL and first among all WHL rookies. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Hurlbert is ranked 10th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. The first-year WHL forward represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, as well as Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Hurlbert was originally selected by the Blazers in the first round (20th overall) of the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.<\/p>\n

Matias Vanhanen, Everett Silvertips<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Nokia, Finland, notched 87 points (21G-66A) in 62 games to lead the Silvertips in scoring as a rookie. His 66 helpers were second best among all WHL players. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound left winger is ranked 76th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. Vanhanen represented Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. He was originally selected by the Silvertips in the first round (31st overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

Jacob Kvasnicka, Penticton Vees<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Burnsville, Minn., finished the campaign with 85 points (35G-50A) to lead the Vees in scoring. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound right winger logged 25 multi-point outings, including a career high four points on two occasions (October 4; January 10). Kvasnicka finished tied atop the WHL charts with four shorthanded goals. Selected by the New York Islanders in the seventh round (202nd overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, Kvasnicka was acquired by the Vees this summer. He was originally selected by the Winnipeg ICE in the second round (34th overall) of the 2022 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.<\/p>\n

About the Western Hockey League<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarded as the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada\u2019s National Junior Hockey Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013 The Western Hockey League announced today the 2025-26 finalists for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL\u2019s Rookie of the Year. Jim Piggott was the sole owner of the Saskatoon Blades and an original founding member of the WHL. Piggott served as Chairman of the Board, and along with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36301,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/02102325\/260402_Jim-Piggott-Memorial-Trophy-Nominees-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36294,"date":"2026-04-02T02:06:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T06:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36294"},"modified":"2026-04-02T03:27:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:27:35","slug":"blazers-fall-6-2-in-game-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/video\/blazers-fall-6-2-in-game-4","title":{"rendered":"BLAZERS FALL 6-2 IN GAME 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kamloops Blazers hosted the Kelowna Rockets Wednesday night in a pivotal Game 4 matchup, looking to shift momentum back in the series.<\/p>\n

Kamloops once again turned to Logan Edmonstone in goal, while Kelowna countered with Harrison Boettiger.<\/p>\n

The Blazers came out with a jump and were rewarded early, as JP Hurlbert fed Tommy Lafreniere a one-timer to beat Boettiger to make it 1-0 just over 2:00 into the frame. Kamloops kept the pressure on throughout the period, generating quality chances from Jordan Keller and Jacob Dumansky, but Boettiger held firm to keep the deficit at one. Kelowna responded late in the frame when Vojtech Cihar capitalized on a rebound, tying the game at 1-1.<\/p>\n

Kelowna grabbed control in the middle frame, striking early on the power play as Hayden Paupanekis capitalized with the man advantage, giving Kelowna a 2-1 lead. The Blazers applied pressure and Tommy Lafreniere nearly tied the game but Boettiger came up with the stop. Kelowna extended their lead later in the period, as Dawson Gerwing buried a net-front opportunity to make it 3-1.<\/p>\n

pushed early in the third period, looking for a quick goal to get back into the game, but Boettiger continued his strong performance between the pipes. The Rockets added another goal just four minutes into the frame when Tomas Poletin beat Edmonstone to make it 4-1, Cihar would make it 5-1 just two minutes later.<\/p>\n

Kamloops showed some pushback midway through the period, as Lafreniere found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 5\u20132. But that\u2019s as close as the Blazers would get before Carson Wetsch added another for Kelowna to seal a 6\u20132 victory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Kamloops Blazers hosted the Kelowna Rockets Wednesday night in a pivotal Game 4 matchup, looking to shift momentum back in the series. Kamloops once again turned to Logan Edmonstone in goal, while Kelowna countered with Harrison Boettiger. The Blazers came out with a jump and were rewarded early, as JP Hurlbert fed Tommy Lafreniere…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-video","category-441","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/04\/02015122\/Vit-Zahejsky-face-off-April-01-2026-Brian-Johnson-scaled.jpg",2560,1829,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":{"video_id":"2549972","partner_id":"31019","player_id":"47907","width":"16","height":"9","360p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31019\/sd\/2549972.mp4","240p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31019\/ld\/2549972.mp4","480p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31019\/hsd\/2549972.mp4","1080p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31019\/fhd\/2549972.mp4","hls":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31019\/streaming\/2549972\/2549972.m3u8","webp":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31019\/webp\/2549972.webp"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36287,"date":"2026-04-01T12:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36287"},"modified":"2026-04-01T14:57:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T18:57:04","slug":"blazers-host-game-4-agaisnt-rockets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/blazers-host-game-4-agaisnt-rockets","title":{"rendered":"BLAZERS HOST GAME 4 AGAINST ROCKETS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kamloops Blazers are home for Game 4 tonight against the Kelowna Rockets at 7:00pm at the Sandman Centre.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TICKETS<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

GAME PREVIEW<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Kamloops Blazers are home for Game 4 tonight against the Kelowna Rockets at 7:00pm at the Sandman Centre.   TICKETS   GAME PREVIEW  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/04\/01124932\/KamKelApril1.jpg",2048,2048,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":36292,"date":"2026-04-01T11:32:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T15:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/?p=36292"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:33:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T23:33:22","slug":"whl-names-first-all-star-teams-for-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/article\/whl-names-first-all-star-teams-for-2025-26","title":{"rendered":"WHL names First All-Star Teams for 2025-26"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013<\/strong> The Western Hockey League announced today the First All-Star Teams for the 2025-26 WHL season.<\/p>\n

WHL Conference All-Star Teams are voted upon by WHL General Managers.<\/p>\n

WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Goaltender \u2013 Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders
\nDefence \u2013 Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers
\nDefence \u2013 Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert Raiders
\nForward \u2013 Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers
\nForward \u2013 Markus Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers
\nForward \u2013 Luke Mistelbacher, Brandon Wheat Kings<\/p>\n

WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Goaltender \u2013 Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
\nDefence \u2013 Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips
\nDefence \u2013 Carson Carels, Prince George Cougars
\nForward \u2013 Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
\nForward \u2013 JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
\nForward \u2013 Cameron Schmidt, Seattle Thunderbirds<\/p>\n

WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team Biographies<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Goaltender \u2013 Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Tremosna, Czechia, enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign in the WHL, going 28-4-3-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, and four shutouts. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound puckstopper is ranked second among North American goaltenders in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. Among qualified WHL goaltenders, Orsulak ranked first in goals-against average, tied for second in shutouts, fifth in save percentage, and fifth in wins. In February, Orsulak represented Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. The first-year WHL goaltender was selected by the Raiders in the first round (46th overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n

Defence \u2013 Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Chauvin, Alta., had a breakout campaign, registering 45 goals, 83 points, and a plus-55 rating in 55 games as captain of the Tigers. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound right-shot blueliner\u2019s 45 goals were tied for second in the WHL, while his 83 points finished second among all WHL defencemen. With 11 game-winning goals, the smooth-skating defender finished tied for first in among all WHL skaters. \u00a0Pickford\u2019s 45 goals set a Medicine Hat Tigers franchise record for goals by a defenceman, surpassing the previous mark of 32 set by Kris Russell in 2006-07. A two-time WHL Champion (Seattle \u2013 2023; Medicine Hat \u2013 2025), Pickford was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round (81st overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft. Originally selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the second round (38th overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Pickford has played 224 career WHL regular season games, tallying 165 points (73G-92A). He is a veteran of 45 career WHL Playoff games, having scored 28 points (16G-12A).<\/p>\n

Defence \u2013 Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert Raiders<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Lacombe, Alta., posted incredible numbers in his NHL Draft season, including 28 goals and 78 points, along with a plus-32 rating for the East Division champion Raiders. Rudolph\u2019s 28 goals and 78 points both finished third among all WHL defencemen. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound right-shot blueliner tied a Raiders franchise record for goals by a defenceman, matching the mark established by Josh Morrissey in 2013-14. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Rudolph is ranked sixth among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. In November, Rudolph was selected to represent Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. He followed that up in February by captaining Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected first overall by the Raiders in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Rudolph has played 132 career WHL regular season games, tallying 119 points (35G-84A).<\/p>\n

Forward \u2013 Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers <\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Osoyoos, B.C., finished second in WHL scoring with 104 points (45G-59A) in 68 games. The 6-foot, 175-pound right winger\u2019s 45 goals were tied for second in the WHL, while his 59 assists ranked fifth across the League. Ruck\u2019s 16 power-play goals were tied for third best in the WHL, and his 10 game-winning goals were also tied for third in the League. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Ruck is ranked 26th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. In November, he was selected to represent Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. He followed that in February by being named to Team East for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected by the Tigers in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Ruck has skated in 132 career WHL regular season games, recording 147 points (71G-76A). A member of the Tigers 2025 WHL Championship, he has played 21 career WHL Playoff games, tallying 12 points (6G-6A).<\/p>\n

Forward \u2013 Markus Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old product of Osoyoos, B.C., and twin brother of Liam, finished first in WHL scoring with 108 points (21G-87A) in 68 games. The 6-foot, 167-pound centre\u2019s 87 assists were tops in the WHL this season, leading the next best skater by 21. Ruck\u2019s 38 power-play assists were best in the WHL. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Ruck is ranked 31st among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. In February, he was selected to represent Team East for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected by the Tigers in the first round (21st overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Ruck has played in 132 career WHL regular season games, tallying 137 points (29G-108A). A member of the Tigers 2025 WHL Championship, he has played 16 career WHL Playoff games, registering seven points (2G-5A).<\/p>\n

WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team Biographies<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Goaltender \u2013 Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of North Vancouver, B.C., posted his third straight season with 25 or more wins, going 32-13-0-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, and four shutouts. Among qualified WHL netminders, the 6-foot-6, 195-pound puckstopper ranked first in wins, first in save percentage, tied for second in shutouts, and fourth in goals-against average. Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (30th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, Ravensbergen has played 135 career WHL regular season games, going 91-30-4-2 with a 2.68 GAA, .909 SV%, and 10 shutouts. He was undrafted into the WHL. In 22 career WHL Playoff games, Ravensbergen is 14-7 with a 2.55 GAA, .918 SV%, and three shutouts.<\/p>\n

Defence \u2013 Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 16-year-old product of Calgary, Alta., registered career highs in all major offensive categories, including 18 goals, 55 assists, 73 points, and a plus-59 rating in 63 games this season. DuPont\u2019s 73 points were tied for fourth among all WHL rearguards, while his 55 assists were tied for second. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound right-shot blueliner took home the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year in 2024-25 having entered the WHL at 15 years old after being granted Exceptional Player Status by Hockey Canada. DuPont tallied 28 power-play assists in 2025-26, good enough for second in the entire WHL. Eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, DuPont has played 127 career WHL regular season games, collecting 133 points (35G-98A) and a plus-90 rating. He was selected by the Silvertips with the first overall pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

Defence \u2013 Carson Carels, Prince George Cougars<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 17-year-old product of Cypress River, Man., emerged as a dominant force in 2025-26, recording 73 points (20G-53A) in 58 games. Carels\u2019 73 points tied for fourth among WHL blueliners, while he was one of only six rearguards to reach the 20-goal plateau. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound left-shot Carels is ranked third among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. In November, he was selected to represent Team CHL in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Come February, Carels was named captain of Team West for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected by the Cougars in the first round (16th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Carels has played 125 career WHL regular season games, securing 111 points (26G-85A). In eight career WHL Playoff games, he has notched four points (1G-3A).<\/p>\n

Forward \u2013 Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Lake Country, B.C., returned following an injury-shortened 2024-25 season to lead the WHL in points per game (1.88), registering 90 points (41G-49A) in 48 games with the Rockets. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound centre established new career highs in both assists and points, best his previous marks from 2023-24 when he tallied 37 assists and 84 points in 64 games. Iginla finished sixth in both goals and points among all WHL skaters. Selected by the Utah Mammoth in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Iginla has played 184 career WHL regular season games, posting 225 points (108G-117A). Prior to arriving in Kelowna, he was a member of Seattle\u2019s 2023 WHL Championship squad. Originally selected by the Thunderbirds in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, Iginla has appeared in 16 career WHL Playoff games, scoring 21 points (12G-9A).<\/p>\n

Forward \u2013 JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 17-year-old product of Allen, Texas, exploded onto the WHL as a rookie, posting 97 points (42G-55A) in 68 games with the Blazers. Hurlbert\u2019s 97 points were fourth in the WHL, while his 42 goals were tied for fourth. He led all WHL rookies in scoring. The 6-foot, 182-pound right winger served as an alternate captain for the Blazers in his first WHL season. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Hurlbert is ranked 10th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. The first-year WHL forward was named to Team CHL for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November, before representing Team West in the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. He was originally selected by the Blazers in the first round (20th overall) of the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.<\/p>\n

Forward \u2013 Cameron Schmidt, Seattle Thunderbirds<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 19-year-old product of Prince George, B.C., finished third in WHL scoring with 100 points. He was one of only three WHL players to reach the 100-point plateau and was the lone WHL player to register 50 goals in 2025-26. Having split the season between the Vancouver Giants and Thunderbirds, the 5-foot-8, 158-pound right winger finished tied for first in the WHL with 11 game-winning goals. Selected by the Dallas Stars in the third round (94th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, Schmidt has collected 237 points (123G-114A) in 195 career WHL regular season games. He has also dressed in 12 career WHL Playoff games, posting 12 points (6G-6A). Schmidt was originally selected by the Giants in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

About the Western Hockey League<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarded as the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada\u2019s National Junior Hockey Team.<\/p>\n

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Calgary, Alta. \u2013 The Western Hockey League announced today the First All-Star Teams for the 2025-26 WHL season. WHL Conference All-Star Teams are voted upon by WHL General Managers. WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team Goaltender \u2013 Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders Defence \u2013 Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers Defence \u2013 Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":36293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-36292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-440","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/03\/31140111\/NEW_First-Team-All-Stars-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-blazers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]