2026 NHL Draft Recap: Vancouver Giants
Buffalo, N.Y. – The Vancouver Giants hockey club is proud to congratulate Ryan Lin, Mathis Preston and Joe Iginla on getting drafted to the NHL this weekend.
The trio of picks is the most in one draft since 2018, when the G-Men saw Milos Roman, David Tendeck and Alex Kannok Leipert all get selected. The Giants haven’t had three picks in the first three rounds since 2007, which was also the only time in franchise they have had more than three players get selected. That season, Jonathon Blum went in Round 1, Michal Řepík went in Round 2, while Spencer Machacek and Tyson Sexsmith both went in Round 3.
Lin, Preston and Iginla are the 41st, 42nd and 43rd Giants to be selected in the NHL Draft in the team’s 25-year history.
Lin (Richmond, B.C.) was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the 21st overall pick.
Only four other Giants have been selected with a higher pick in franchise history: Samuel Honzek was selected 16th overall (2023 – Calgary), Bowen Byram (2019 – Colorado) and Evander Kane (2009 – Atlanta) were both selected fourth overall, and Gilbert Brule (2005 – Columbus) was selected sixth overall.
Pick 21 is a good one. pic.twitter.com/aotx6gJShN
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 27, 2026
During the 2025-26 Western Hockey League season, Lin led the Giants in scoring with 57 points in 53 games, on 14 goals and 43 assists. The 5-foot-11 defenceman ranked 4th amongst all WHL skaters in average ice-time per game (25:58). His 1.08 points-per-game were the third-highest by a Giants defenceman in franchise history, trailing only Jonathon Blum (1.29 in 2008-09) and Mazden Leslie (1.09 in 2024-25).
Lin was originally selected by the Giants with the 6th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Preston (Penticton, B.C.) was selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 50th overall pick.
He becomes the 12th Giant ever to be selected in the top-50 picks of an NHL Draft.
The moment Mathis Preston became a member of the @AnaheimDucks! @WHLGiants | #FlyTogether | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/vRMrEAYC7E
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 27, 2026
During the 2025-26 Western Hockey League season, Preston recorded 12 points (4G-8A) in 10 games with Vancouver and 32 points in 36 games with the Spokane Chiefs. The 5-foot-11 right-shot forward missed significant time due to a lower-body injury that he suffered on January 10, but returned in time to deliver a standout performance for Canada at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship, where he recorded two goals and four assists in five games.
Preston was acquired by the Giants from the Chiefs in January, and was originally the 3rd overall pick by Spokane in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Iginla (Lake Country, B.C.) was selected by the Calgary Flames with the 65th overall pick, picked by the same team his father, Jarome, spent the majority of his career with.
The 5-foot-10 forward finished his second full WHL campaign in 2025-26 with 31 points (15G-16A) in 59 games split between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Giants. He was recovering from an injury at the time of the midseason trade to Vancouver, but heated up at the end of the year, with seven points (3G-4A) in his final 10 games.
Special delivery!
Former #Flames captain Todd Simpson surprised Joe Iginla with his 2026 #NHLDraft jersey 🥹 pic.twitter.com/zOVhc2RIrp
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 27, 2026
Iginla was originally the 12th overall pick by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Giants congratulate Ryan, Mathis and Joe on this incredible accomplishment.
