Chiefs prepare for 2025 U.S. Priority Draft and WHL Prospects Draft
Spokane, Wash. — The Spokane Chiefs hockey staff will select the next class of future Chiefs this week as the WHL hosts three drafts. The first round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, as well as the WHL Expansion Draft, will take place on Wednesday, May 7 before the U.S. Priority Draft and the remaining rounds of the Prospects Draft take place on Thursday, May 8. Real-time results will be available here.
WHL Expansion Draft – Wednesday, May 7
The WHL is expanding to 23 teams with the addition of the Penticton Vees for the 2025-26 season. Penticton will play in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference, with no other changes to WHL alignment. With that, the league will hold an expansion draft where the Vees will be allowed to select one player of each of the 22 WHL teams’ rosters ahead of their inaugural season. Since the Chiefs are playing in the WHL Championship Series, they are not required to submit a protected list until two days after their season ends.
U.S. Priority Draft – Thursday, May 8 at 8 a.m.
Draft week continues with the U.S. Priority Draft Thursday morning, where the Chiefs hold the 17th-overall (first round) and 31st-overall (second round) picks. The U.S. Priority Draft will consist of two rounds, with each WHL Club presented with the opportunity to make two draft choices.
Players eligible for the 2025 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will be 2010-born players who reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Noth Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Players not selected in the 2025 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will remain eligible to be selected in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft on Thursday, May 8, or listed by a WHL Club at any time thereafter.
WHL Prospects Draft – Thursday, May 8 at 8 a.m. (first round Wednesday at 4 p.m.)
The 2025 WHL Prospects Draft will continue on Thursday starting with Round Two at 8 a.m. PT.
In the 2024 WHL Draft, the Chiefs selected a total of nine players — including five forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender. Of those selections, F Ossie McIntyre (7th-overall), D Harry Mattern (34th-overall) and D Bryson Roberts (74th-overall) have signed their WHL Scholarship and Development Agreements with the Chiefs, with McIntyre playing 10 games up with the team this season (1G-3A).
Spokane does not have a pick in the first round this year, but holds two picks in the top 100 selections, starting with 28th-overall. The draft will continue indefinitely until all teams pass on their next pick.
Spokane’s Selections
2nd round: 28th overall
4th round: 75th overall
5th round: 110th overall
6th round: 135th overall
7th round: 145th, 154th, and 158th overall
8th round: 180th overall
9th round: 204th overall
10th round: 227th overall
The 2025 WHL Prospects Draft includes players born in 2010. The WHL Draft includes players eligible from Western Canada and the United States who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
You can follow the two drafts online at www.chl.ca/whl/draft.
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About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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’s National Junior Hockey Team.
