[{"id":88623,"date":"2026-06-26T20:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T03:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/?p=88623"},"modified":"2026-06-26T21:12:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:12:30","slug":"giants-defenceman-ryan-lin-selected-21st-overall-by-san-jose-sharks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/giants-defenceman-ryan-lin-selected-21st-overall-by-san-jose-sharks","title":{"rendered":"Giants Defenceman Ryan Lin Selected 21st Overall by San Jose Sharks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Buffalo, NY<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u2013 The Vancouver Giants are thrilled to announce that 18-year-old defenceman<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ryan Lin (Richmond, B.C.) has been selected by the San Jose Sharks with the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For me this day is about [my family],&#8221; Lin said to Ailish Forfar live on the Sportsnet broadcast after getting drafted. &#8220;They&#8217;ve done everything to help get me here. I couldn&#8217;t thank them enough. What a dream this is.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Sharks traded up from pick 27 to 21 in order to select Lin.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Just to know they traded up and really wanted me \u2013 that feels good for sure,&#8221; Lin added.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Only four other Giants have been selected with a higher pick in franchise history: Samuel Honzek was selected 16th overall (2023 \u2013 Calgary), Bowen Byram (2019 \u2013 Colorado) and Evander Kane (2009 \u2013 Atlanta) were both selected fourth overall, and Gilbert Brule (2005 \u2013 Columbus) was selected sixth overall.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Suited up in teal. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FMXURMZjZr\">pic.twitter.com\/FMXURMZjZr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SanJoseSharks\/status\/2070693213527249199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29532\/\"><b>CLICK FOR LIN&#8217;S WHL BIO<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cOn behalf of the Vancouver Giants, we\u2019d like to congratulate Ryan and his family on his selection by San Jose in the NHL Draft,\u201d Giants Assistant Coach Wacey Rabbit said. \u201cRyan played an important role on our team over the past two seasons, bringing reliability, competitiveness and leadership to our defence corps. We\u2019re proud of everything he has accomplished and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The moment Ryan Lin became a member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SanJoseSharks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SanJoseSharks<\/a>. \ud83e\udd88<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WHLGiants?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@WHLGiants<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/NHLDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NHLDraft<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rdSHsLRHyw\">pic.twitter.com\/rdSHsLRHyw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheWHL\/status\/2070689824668033182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lin was originally selected by the Giants with the 6th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Internationally, Lin has represented Canada five times already, most recently at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship, where he won a Bronze medal. Lin also won Bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Gold at the 2025 U-18 Men\u2019s Worlds, Gold at the 2024 U17 World Challenge (Canada White) and played for Canada at the 2023 Youth Olympic Games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Round two of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft begins tomorrow (Saturday) morning from Buffalo at 8 a.m. PT. You can follow along <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/events\/draft-coverage-central\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>WHAT THE SCOUTS SAY:<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cLin does almost everything at a high level, executes the small things extremely well and plays the game with a rare quality, maturity and detail for a D his age. He steers play with his quiet efficiency, feel for the game, puck-moving, A-level hockey IQ, good skating\u2026a great stick offensively and defensively, and head-on-a-swivel defensive play and reads&#8230;he\u2019s just an excellent all-around modern defenseman who gets it, and I think there\u2019s some Josh Morrissey\/Jared Spurgeon in him. I think he\u2019s a phenomenal player who plays the game the way it&#8217;s meant to be played.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2013 Scott Wheeler (<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7301063\/2026\/06\/03\/nhl-draft-2026-ranking-gavin-mckenna-ivar-stenberg\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Athletic<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cLin is a transitional defenceman and power play quarterback. He added more of a \u201cshooting\u201d approach to his game offensively this season, producing 14G-43A in the process.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2013 Jason Bukala (<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nhl\/article\/scouts-analysis-ranking-the-top-80-prospects-for-the-2025-nhl-draft\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sportsnet<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Defensively, Lin already looks like an NHL defender. Combining high-end mobility, stick work, and physicality, he makes the tricky stops look routine. He defends the middle with intent, using every defensive skill possible to push opponents to the perimeter, where he then darts into a physical breakup\u2026Skating back for loose pucks, Lin shoulderchecks, initiates contact, and then makes a quick escape, but not after drawing pressure first. With clever short-range plays, he gets pucks through the forecheck and then jumps into the rush\u2026Though he\u2019s a couple inches short of average NHL height for defencemen, Lin is about as easy a projection as there is. He\u2019s likely to become a top-four, two-way defenceman who plays both special teams.\u201d \u2013<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/nhl-draft-guide\/2026\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Elite Prospects Draft Guide<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><b>NOTES:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lin becomes just the seventh Giants player ever to be drafted in the first round. The others are: Samuel Honzek (2023 \u2013 Calgary, 16th overall); Bowen Byram (2019 \u2013 Colorado, 4th overall); Evander Kane (2009 &#8211; Atlanta, 4th overall); Jonathon Blum (2007 \u2013 Nashville, 23rd overall); Gilbert Brule (2005 &#8211; Columbus, 6th overall); Mark Fistric (2004 \u2013 Dallas, 28th overall).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lin is the 41st Giants player to ever be drafted to the NHL.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lin becomes the third Vancouver Giant ever to be selected by the San Jose Sharks, after Colton Roberts (2024) and Tyson Sexsmith (2007)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Vancouver Giants have had at least one player selected in the NHL Draft in 21 of their 25 years of existence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Giants <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/seasontickets\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">season tickets <\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">are NOW ON SALE! Call the Giants Office at 604.4.GIANTS (+1 (604) 444-2687) or contact the Giants at: sales@vancouvergiants.com.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Giants captain Ryan Lin joined Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff and the San Jose Sharks on Friday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88627,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1553,"name":"Ryan Lin","slug":"ryan-lin","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1553,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":61,"filter":"raw","term_order":"307"},{"term_id":122,"name":"nhl 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Head Coach &amp; GM Michael Dyck Welcome Back Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[{"term_id":1660,"name":"Interview","slug":"interview","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1660,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw","term_order":"202"},{"term_id":1251,"name":"michael dyck","slug":"michael-dyck","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1255,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":31,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1281"},{"term_id":333,"name":"vancouver 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NHL Draft Preview: Vancouver Giants"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Langley, B.C. \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is nearly here!<\/p>\n<p>Round 1 begins today, Friday, June 26, at 4 p.m. PT and rounds 2-7 will take place tomorrow, Saturday, June 27, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y..<\/p>\n<p>Five Giants skaters were <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/5-giants-listed-on-nhl-central-scouting-final-draft-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">listed by NHL Central Scouting in their final rankings<\/a> for the draft (released in April): defenceman\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29532\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Ryan Lin<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0along with forwards\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29463\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Mathis Preston<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29393\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Joe Iginla<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29533\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Brett Olson<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/30134\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Tobias Tom\u00edk.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Lin (Richmond, B.C.) <\/strong>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). Internationally, Lin has represented Canada five times already, most recently at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship, where he won a Bronze medal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Lin is the 16th ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Preston (Penticton, B.C.)<\/strong> recorded 12 points (4G-8A) in 10 games with Vancouver after being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs at the trade deadline. He began the season with 32 points in 36 games for Spokane. The 5-foot-11 winger 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Preston is the 32nd ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Olson (Spruce Grove, AB)<\/strong> doubled his point total from his 16-year-old rookie season, finishing 2025-26 with 30 points (11G-19A). He was the only Giant to suit up in all 68 games this season. The second-year forward rounded out his game for the Giants this season, averaging 2:20 of penalty killing time per contest. Twenty-four of his points came at even-strength, the second-most amongst Giants forwards.<\/p>\n<p>Olson is ranked 173rd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tom\u00edk (Ilava, SVK)<\/strong>\u00a0finished his first season in North America with 28 points (12G-16A) in 61 games. The forward represented Slovakia at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the second year in a row, this time producing two points (1G-1A) in five games. Tom\u00edk was drafted by the Giants with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 CHL Import Draft.<\/p>\n<p>Tomik is ranked 193rd on NHL Central Scouting&#8217;s final draft rankings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Iginla (Lake Country, B.C.)\u00a0<\/strong>finished his second full WHL campaign 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 season, with seven points (3G-4A) in his final 10 games.<\/p>\n<p>Iginla is ranked 200th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n<p>The Giants have had 40 players in <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/giants-nhl-draft-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">franchise history drafted to the NHL<\/a>, most recently goaltender <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29290\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Burke Hood<\/a>, <\/strong>who <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/giants-goaltender-hood-selected-by-islanders-in-2025-nhl-entry-draft\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was selected in the sixth round by the New York Islanders<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n<p>Round one of the 2026 NHL Draft begins at 4:00 p.m. PT on Friday. Rounds 2-7 start on Saturday at 8 a.m. PT.<\/p>\n<p>Round one will be available on Sportsnet in Canada and on ESPN in the United States, while Rounds 2-7 will be on Sportsnet in Canada and on the NHL Network in the U.S.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Giants have five players ranked by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88620,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1820,"name":"Mathis Preston","slug":"mathis-preston","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1820,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"42"},{"term_id":1819,"name":"Joe Iginla","slug":"joe-iginla","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1819,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw","term_order":"43"},{"term_id":1648,"name":"Tobias Tomik","slug":"tobias-tomik","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1648,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"214"},{"term_id":1553,"name":"Ryan Lin","slug":"ryan-lin","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1553,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":61,"filter":"raw","term_order":"307"},{"term_id":1554,"name":"Brett Olson","slug":"brett-olson","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1554,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":17,"filter":"raw","term_order":"308"},{"term_id":122,"name":"nhl draft","slug":"nhl-draft","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":123,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":67,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1312"}],"class_list":["post-88619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-mathis-preston","tag-joe-iginla","tag-tobias-tomik","tag-ryan-lin","tag-brett-olson","tag-nhl-draft","category-1488","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/26092310\/NHL-Draft-Preview-Web-Wide.jpg",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-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":88596,"date":"2026-06-25T09:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/?p=88596"},"modified":"2026-06-25T09:58:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:58:44","slug":"vancouver-giants-announce-the-return-of-michael-dyck-as-head-coach-general-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/vancouver-giants-announce-the-return-of-michael-dyck-as-head-coach-general-manager","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver Giants Announce the Return of Michael Dyck as Head Coach &amp; General Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Ladner, B.C. \u2013 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Vancouver Giants announced today the hiring of Michael Dyck as the club\u2019s next Head Coach and General Manager.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dyck returns to the Giants after spending the past three seasons as an Assistant Coach with the American Hockey League\u2019s Toronto Marlies, where he recently helped the club capture the 2026 Calder Cup. He becomes the first person in franchise history to hold the dual role of Head Coach and GM.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Michael has been an important part of the Giants family for many years, and we couldn\u2019t be more pleased to bring him back in this expanded role,\u201d Giants Majority Owner and President Ron Toigo said. \u201cHe knows what it takes to build a winning culture. His experience, character and commitment to player development make him the ideal person to guide our team both behind the bench and in the front office as we enter the next chapter of Giants hockey.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The appointment marks a return to familiar territory for Dyck, who previously served as the Giants\u2019 Head Coach from 2018-23. His history with the organization also includes stints as an assistant coach (2002-05), scout (2009-10) and director of player development (2010-12).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cIt\u2019s an honour to return to this organization as GM and Head Coach,\u201d Dyck said. \u201cWe have a clear vision for how we want to play and the type of identity we want to create. We\u2019re focused on establishing a culture built on development, professionalism and consistent performance. I\u2019m looking forward to getting to work with our players, staff and community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A native of Lethbridge, Alta., Dyck brings 19 seasons of WHL coaching experience to the role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During his previous tenure with the Giants from 2018-23, Dyck guided Vancouver to the 2019 WHL Championship Series and helped engineer one of the most memorable playoff upsets in league history when the eighth-seeded Giants defeated the top-seeded Everett Silvertips in the opening round of the 2022 WHL Playoffs. He compiled a regular-season record of 144-120-17-7 and a playoff mark of 21-17 during his five seasons behind the bench.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In addition to his WHL experience with Vancouver, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Kootenay, Dyck has represented Canada on multiple occasions, winning gold medals at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2021 IIHF Men&#8217;s World Championship, as well as silver medals at the 2021 WJC, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2016 Youth Olympic Games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a player, Dyck spent five seasons in the WHL from 1985-89 with the Calgary Wranglers, Brandon Wheat Kings and Regina Pats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Vancouver Giants organization extends a warm welcome back to Michael, his wife Charlene and their three children: Bailey, Carson and Brennan.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Season Tickets for the 2026-27 season are available now!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/vancouvergiants.com\/seasontickets\"><b>CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE !<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dyck recently helped the Toronto Marlies capture the 2026 Calder Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1753,"name":"Hire","slug":"hire","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1753,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"111"},{"term_id":1528,"name":"Head Coach","slug":"head-coach","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1528,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","term_order":"335"},{"term_id":1251,"name":"michael dyck","slug":"michael-dyck","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1255,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":31,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1281"},{"term_id":1499,"name":"Toronto Marlies","slug":"toronto-marlies","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1499,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1741"},{"term_id":333,"name":"vancouver giants","slug":"vancouver-giants","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":334,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1459,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1794"},{"term_id":1155,"name":"WHL","slug":"whl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1158,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":170,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1817"}],"class_list":["post-88596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-hire","tag-head-coach","tag-michael-dyck","tag-toronto-marlies","tag-vancouver-giants","tag-whl","category-1488","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/24161851\/LANDSCAPE-HIRED-COACHMARLIES.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-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":88437,"date":"2026-06-22T15:33:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T22:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/?p=88437"},"modified":"2026-06-23T20:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T03:22:13","slug":"lin-preston-ranked-in-1st-round-on-multiple-final-nhl-draft-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/lin-preston-ranked-in-1st-round-on-multiple-final-nhl-draft-rankings","title":{"rendered":"Lin, Preston Ranked in 1st Round on Multiple Final NHL Draft Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Langley, B.C. <\/strong>\u2013 Vancouver Giants skaters <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29532\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Ryan Lin<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/players\/29463\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Mathis Preston<\/strong><\/a> are first-round candidates for the 2026 NHL Draft, according to multiple final rankings recently over the last few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Lin is ranked in the top-15 on eight different NHL draft rankings, including being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7245756\/2026\/05\/04\/2026-nhl-draft-ranking-mckenna-stenberg-malhotra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ranked 10th overall<\/strong><\/a> by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic and 12th overall by both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyfaceoff.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-final-top-120-steven-ellis-mckenna-reid-stenberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nhl\/article\/scouts-analysis-final-ranking-of-the-top-100-nhl-draft-prospects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jason Bukala of Sportsnet<\/a>\/Pro Hockey Group.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s just an excellent all-around modern defenceman who gets it, and I think there&#8217;s some Josh Morrissey\/Jared Spurgeon in him,&#8221; Wheeler said in his ranking. &#8220;I think he&#8217;s a phenomenal player who plays the game the way it&#8217;s meant to be played, and he might be my favourite prospect in the draft.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Bukala, a former NHL Director of Amateur Scouting with the Florida Panthers, is the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/theprohockeygroup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Pro Hockey Group<\/a>, which populates scouting reports on pro and amateur players around the world.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lin&#8217;s a projectable, puck-moving, high-IQ defenseman who plays a well-rounded game,&#8221; Samuel Tirpak, a scout with The Pro Hockey Group, <a href=\"https:\/\/puckpedia.com\/scouting-reports\/ryan-lin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said in his evaluation<\/a>. &#8220;He is capable of playing on both special teams and logging big minutes at the same time. A smart decision-maker in all three zones who improved his physical game from a consistency standpoint. Great first pass, great DZ coverage and gap control defensively. In my opinion, he projects as a top-pair, number-two defender in the NHL.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_88602\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/puckpedia.com\/scouting-reports\/ryan-lin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-88602\" class=\"wp-image-88602 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/18145002\/Screenshot-2026-06-18-at-2.49.43-PM-1024x420.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/18145002\/Screenshot-2026-06-18-at-2.49.43-PM-1024x420.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/18145002\/Screenshot-2026-06-18-at-2.49.43-PM-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/18145002\/Screenshot-2026-06-18-at-2.49.43-PM-768x315.png 768w, https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/18145002\/Screenshot-2026-06-18-at-2.49.43-PM-1536x629.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/18145002\/Screenshot-2026-06-18-at-2.49.43-PM.png 1928w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-88602\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A visual look at the Pro Hockey Group&#8217;s evaluation of Lin&#8217;s attributes.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Lin is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/draft\/prospects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">16th ranked North American skater<\/a> by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n<p>See below for a consolidation of Lin&#8217;s ranking on 13 different lists:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 101.184%;height: 396px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Rank<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Publication<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Author<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Released<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Takeaways<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">9th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hockeyprospecting.com\/2026\/05\/21\/the-hockey-prospecting-top-32-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hockey Prospecting<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Byron Bader<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">May 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;Lin probably isn\u2019t talked about enough. He has a really elite profile in the model&#8230;If he hits, there\u2019s a good chance he hits really big.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">10th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7245756\/2026\/05\/04\/2026-nhl-draft-ranking-mckenna-stenberg-malhotra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Athletic<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Scott Wheeler<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 3<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">&#8220;The smartest defenseman in this draft and arguably its most well-rounded&#8230;does almost everything at a high level.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center\">11th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft\/cams-consensus-the-final-2026-scout-poll\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cam&#8217;s Consensus<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center\">Poll of NHL Scouts<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center\">June 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">\u00a012th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyfaceoff.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-may-top-100-mckenna-reid-stenberg-carels-verhoeff-scouting-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Faceoff<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Steven Ellis<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">&#8220;One of the most naturally skilled defensemen in this class. High-end decision-making combined with explosive skating makes him a one-man transition machine.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">12th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nhl\/article\/scouts-analysis-final-ranking-of-the-top-100-nhl-draft-prospects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sportsnet<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Jason Bukala<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">June 9<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;A transitional defenceman and power play quarterback. He added more of a \u201cshooting\u201d approach to his game offensively this season.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center\">13th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockeyprospectradio.com\/post\/2026-nhl-draft-list-top-85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hockey Prospect Radio<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center\">Shane Malloy<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center\">June 1<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">\u00a015th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nhl\/article\/sportsnets-2026-nhl-draft-rankings-april-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sportsnet<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Sam Cosentino<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 17<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">&#8220;When he returned at the end of February he looked revitalized. Lin already has elite skill and, with more refinement, he can impact the game in all areas of the ice.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 66px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">15th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 66px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/nhl-draft-guide\/2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elite Prospects<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">Multiple Authors<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">June 2<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">&#8220;The draft&#8217;s most detailed defender plays a remarkably consistent defensive and puck-moving game; a high-probability top-four defender.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">17th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thehockeynews.com\/news\/latest-news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-ferraris-final-cut-has-a-new-no-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hockey News<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Tony Ferrari<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;One of the best breakout passers in the draft class, and his playmaking in the offensive zone is quite impressive. His skating is strong, allowing him to evade pressure.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">17th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsn.ca\/nhl\/article\/buttons-six-players-to-watch-in-final-craigs-list-of-the-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TSN<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Craig Button<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 17<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center\">17th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/smahtscouting.com\/2026\/06\/18\/final-2026-nhl-draft-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Smaht Scouting<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center\">Multiple Authors<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center\">June 18<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center\">18th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsn.ca\/nhl\/article\/mckenna-edges-stenberg-to-finish-atop-tsns-final-draft-ranking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TSN Consensus<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center\">Poll of NHL Scouts<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center\">18th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dobberprospects.com\/2025\/12\/18\/dobber-prospects-2026-draft-december-ranking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dobber Prospects<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center\">Multiple Authors<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center\">&#8220;A very intelligent two-way WHL defenseman&#8230;will activate in the offensive zone and is a real threat to score.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.2524%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">20th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.3764%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flohockey.tv\/articles\/15973758-2026-nhl-draft-rankings-top-75-players-ranked-by-chris-peters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FloHockey<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Chris Peters<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.1249%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 15<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.6362%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Preston is ranked in the top-20 on five rankings and is a first-round pick on eight different NHL draft rankings, including being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7245756\/2026\/05\/04\/2026-nhl-draft-ranking-mckenna-stenberg-malhotra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ranked 9th overall<\/strong><\/a> by Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyfaceoff.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-final-top-120-steven-ellis-mckenna-reid-stenberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>22nd overall<\/strong><\/a> by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ce-block\">\n<div class=\"ce-block__content\">\n<div class=\"paragraph-tool undefined\">\n<div class=\"ce-paragraph cdx-block\">\n<p>&#8220;Possibly the most divisive player in the draft class, Mathis Preston is the king of upside in this class,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/thehockeynews.com\/news\/latest-news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-ferraris-final-cut-has-a-new-no-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ferrari said in his ranking<\/a>. &#8220;When you watch him on the ice, though, he&#8217;s a high-paced, high-skill winger who is like a knife through butter in transition at times&#8230;Preston is always looking to make an impact offensively, using his snappy shot and slick passing to generate scoring chances. He has all of the potential in the world to be one of the most effective offensive players in this draft class.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ellis noted a strong showing for Canada at the IIHF U-18 Worlds may have helped his draft stock.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Preston left scouts wanting more during the season [but] they fell in love again at the U-18s, where he was one of Canada\u2019s top players every single game,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyfaceoff.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-final-top-120-steven-ellis-mckenna-reid-stenberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ellis said in his ranking<\/a>. &#8220;He\u2019s an undeniably talented player who could become a top-six threat down the line. Preston has a remarkable shot and often wastes no time firing in the back of the net from the slot. It\u2019s NHL-ready right now \u2013 something very few 17\/18-year-olds can claim. Preston consistently finds open space, but he can also create those opportunities with his skating. He\u2019s fast, can start and stop on a dime and can often skate himself out of dangerous situations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Preston is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/draft\/prospects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">32nd ranked North American skater<\/a> by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n<p>See below for a consolidation of Preston&#8217;s ranking on 12 different lists:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 101.184%;height: 418px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Rank<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Publication<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Author<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Released<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><strong>Takeaways<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">9th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thehockeynews.com\/news\/latest-news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-ferraris-final-cut-has-a-new-no-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hockey News<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Tony Ferrari<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;The king of upside in this class&#8230;his ability to be a true game-breaker is too enticing.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">11th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/smahtscouting.com\/2026\/06\/18\/final-2026-nhl-draft-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Smaht Scouting<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Multiple Authors<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 18<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">19th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dobberprospects.com\/2026\/06\/22\/dobber-prospects-2026-draft-final-ranking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dobber Prospects<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Multiple Authors<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;A highly dynamic winger who can burn defenders on the outside and then make a move on the goalie to seal the deal.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">20th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hockeyprospecting.com\/2026\/05\/21\/the-hockey-prospecting-top-32-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hockey Prospecting<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Byron Bader<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">May 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">&#8220;As a late 1st rounder, early 2nd he\u2019s going to be great value.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">\u00a022nd<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyfaceoff.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft-rankings-final-top-120-steven-ellis-mckenna-reid-stenberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Faceoff<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Steven Ellis<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">&#8220;An undeniably talented player who could become a top-six threat down the line. Preston has a remarkable shot and often wastes no time firing.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">23rd<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7245756\/2026\/05\/04\/2026-nhl-draft-ranking-mckenna-stenberg-malhotra\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Athletic<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Scott Wheeler<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 3<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">&#8220;A shifty and fast skater who can attack inside ice laterally but can also play out wide and burn for odd-man rushes, and excelled after moving to his off-wing (left wing) in Vancouver.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">28th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/news\/2026-nhl-draft\/cams-consensus-the-final-2026-scout-poll\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cam&#8217;s Consensus<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Poll of NHL Scouts<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">31st<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsn.ca\/nhl\/article\/mckenna-edges-stenberg-to-finish-atop-tsns-final-draft-ranking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TSN Consensus<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Poll of NHL Scouts<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 22<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 66px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">33rd<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 66px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/nhl-draft-guide\/2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elite Prospects<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">Multiple Authors<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">June 2<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 66px\">&#8220;Blazing speed and explosive shooting make him a rush threat, but must develop more translatable patterns to reach his second-line potential.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">35th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/nhl\/article\/scouts-analysis-final-ranking-of-the-top-100-nhl-draft-prospects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sportsnet<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Jason Bukala<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">June 9<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;Competitive two-way forward with secondary scoring upside. He has the motor and skill set to be deployed in a variety of roles and played some of his best hockey at the U18 worlds representing Canada.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 44px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">37th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 44px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flohockey.tv\/articles\/15973758-2026-nhl-draft-rankings-top-75-players-ranked-by-chris-peters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FloHockey<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">Chris Peters<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">June 15<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 44px\">&#8220;Has so much natural skill and feel for the game that, at his best, he looks like a first-round talent.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 22px\">\n<td style=\"width: 7.0233%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">39th<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.8347%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsn.ca\/nhl\/article\/buttons-six-players-to-watch-in-final-craigs-list-of-the-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TSN<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 16.2585%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">Craig Button<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 10.2395%;text-align: center;height: 22px\">June 17<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2926%;text-align: center;height: 22px\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lin is ranked in the top-15 on eight different NHL Draft rankings, while Preston is top-20 on five different rankings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88564,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1862,"name":"2026 NHL Draft","slug":"2026-nhl-draft","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1862,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1"},{"term_id":1820,"name":"Mathis Preston","slug":"mathis-preston","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1820,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"42"},{"term_id":1553,"name":"Ryan Lin","slug":"ryan-lin","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1553,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":61,"filter":"raw","term_order":"307"},{"term_id":122,"name":"nhl 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Announce Preseason Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Langley, B.C. \u2013<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Vancouver Giants <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">announced today their preseason schedule for the 2026-27 Western Hockey League season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The G-Men will play two home preseason games, including one at the Arenas at Langley Events Centre, the brand new facility that will open in the fall.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Giants begin their preseason campaign on the road with a pair of games in Everett on Sept. 4 and 6 for the Silvertips preseason tournament with U.S. Division teams. Then Vancouver will host Victoria for back-to-back games on Sept. 12 and 13.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Giants&#8217; preseason schedule can be found below or <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/schedule\/223\/294\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">by clicking here<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n<table dir=\"ltr\" style=\"width: 98.9544%\" border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-baot=\"1\">\n<colgroup>\n<col width=\"145\" \/>\n<col width=\"200\" \/>\n<col width=\"126\" \/>\n<col width=\"261\" \/><\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.619%\">DATE<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3838%\">OPPONENT<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1662%\">TIME<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 51.6533%\">VENUE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.619%\">Friday, Sept. 4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3838%\">Seattle Thunderbirds<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1662%\">12:00 PM PT<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 51.6533%\">Angel of the Winds Arena<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.619%\">Sunday, Sept. 6<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3838%\">Wenatchee<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1662%\">12:00 PM PT<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 51.6533%\">Angel of the Winds Arena<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.619%\"><strong>Saturday, Sept. 12<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3838%\">Victoria Royals<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1662%\">7:00 PM PT<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 51.6533%\"><strong>Port Coquitlam Community Centre<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 23.619%\"><strong>Sunday, Sept. 13<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.3838%\">Victoria Royals<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.1662%\">2:00 PM PT<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 51.6533%\"><strong>the Arenas at Langley Events Centre<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>*<\/strong>Home games in<strong> Bold<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The complete WHL Regular Season schedule for 2026-27 will be announced next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Langley, B.C. \u2013 The Vancouver Giants announced today their preseason schedule for the 2026-27 Western Hockey League season. The G-Men will play two home preseason games, including one at the Arenas at Langley Events Centre, the brand new facility that will open in the fall. The Giants begin their preseason campaign on the road with&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1385,"name":"Preseason Schedule","slug":"preseason-schedule","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1389,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1529"},{"term_id":333,"name":"vancouver giants","slug":"vancouver-giants","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":334,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1459,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1794"},{"term_id":1155,"name":"WHL","slug":"whl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1158,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":170,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1817"}],"class_list":["post-88597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-preseason-schedule","tag-vancouver-giants","tag-whl","category-1488","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2026\/06\/22100502\/PRESEASON-2026-WEBSITE.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-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":88611,"date":"2026-06-22T01:59:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T08:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/?p=88611"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T20:59:38","slug":"giants-sign-2nd-round-pick-brady-leinenweber-to-whl-scholarship-development-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/giants-sign-2nd-round-pick-brady-leinenweber-to-whl-scholarship-development-agreement","title":{"rendered":"Giants Sign 2nd Round Pick Brady Leinenweber to WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Langley, B.C. \u2013 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Vancouver Giants are excited to announce the signing of 2011-born defenceman <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/player\/951940\/brady-leinenweber\"><b>Brady Leinenweber<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(Kerrobert, Sask.) to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leinenweber was<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/article\/giants-select-vickers-jugnauth-in-first-round-of-whl-prospects-draft\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">selected by the Giants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The right-shot blueliner was named a CSSHL U15 Prep <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csshl.ca\/2025-26-csshl-first-team-all-stars\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">first-team all-star<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this past season, after recording 35 points for Northern Alberta Xtreme, thanks to two goals and 33 assists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWe\u2019re pleased to announce the signing of Brady to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement,&#8221; Giants Assistant General Manager Pete Toigo said. &#8220;He\u2019s a reliable, smart two-way defenceman who moves the puck well and competes hard in all areas of the ice. His character and commitment to the game make him the type of player who will have a positive impact on our team both on and off the ice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leinenweber tied for second in scoring among all defencemen at the John Reid Memorial tournament with six points in six games (1G-5A).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;I\u2019m so excited to be signing with such a great organization,&#8221; Leinenweber said. \u201cI want to thank the scouting staff and the whole Vancouver Giants team for believing in me and taking me in the draft. I would like to thank my family, friends, coaches and teammates \u2013 without them I wouldn\u2019t be here. Looking forward to the journey ahead!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Vancouver Giants extend a warm welcome to Brady and the Leinenweber family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leinenweber is guaranteed a WHL Scholarship for every year he plays in the WHL by signing a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/player\/951940\/brady-leinenweber\">Brady Leinenweber<\/a> is the most projectable defender in this class.\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Leinenweber was ranked 7th overall on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eliteprospects.com\/news\/2026-whl-draft\/elite-prospects-2026-whl-prospects-draft-final-top-120-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elite Prospects Top-120 Ranking<\/a>\u00a0for the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Never panicked, Leinenweber uses his mobility and reach to protect the puck under pressure and finds outlets with the timing and weight that allow recipients to receive in motion,&#8221; EP&#8217;s ranking said. &#8220;His blueline work is a legitimate offensive weapon: he opens his hips to distribute in both directions, pulls defenders out of lanes with shot fakes, and delivers backdoor passes with the kind of professional precision that is rare at this level. The shot from the right circle carries real threat, and his activation habits give his team a consistent offensive presence from the back end.<\/p>\n<p>He projects as a top-pair, two-way WHL defenceman with legitimate special teams upside on both sides of the ice.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The right-shot blueliner was named a CSSHL U15 Prep first-team all-star this past season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":442,"featured_media":88612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1853,"name":"Brady Leinenweber","slug":"brady-leinenweber","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1853,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"9"},{"term_id":1630,"name":"WHL 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NHL Draft Profile | Mathis Preston, Vancouver Giants"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<em>BY CAMI KEPKE<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/players\/29463\/\">Mathis Preston<\/a> has been known to dazzle (or irritate) his opponents with his flash and speed.<\/p>\n<p>Not just on the ice, but also on the track.<\/p>\n<p>The Vancouver Giants forward was also a talented BMX racer as a kid, where he got to unleash his daredevil nature on dirt tracks dotted with jumps, rollers and steep turns.<\/p>\n<p>Racing is actually where he picked\u00a0up his signature number, 96.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I started BMX when I was really young, just racing against my brother for fun,&#8221; Preston recalled. &#8220;Then we started to get into competitions as we got a little bit older.<\/p>\n<p>I kind of wasn&#8217;t scared of getting hurt or getting injured or anything. Kind of like a good and bad thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While Preston eventually shifted most of his energy towards hockey, you can still see the elements of the player and person that would allow him to succeed at almost any sport.<\/p>\n<p>Despite an injury-shortened campaign and midseason trade, Preston logged 18 goals (including four game-winners) and 26 assists for 44 points in 46 games with the Giants and Spokane Chiefs in 2025-26.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mathis Preston scores the OT winner in his first game as a Giant!<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WHLGiants?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@WHLGiants<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/NHLDraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NHLDraft<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uOu43MYGIl\">pic.twitter.com\/uOu43MYGIl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TheWHL\/status\/2009867520908636483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>After being dealt to Vancouver at the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline, the 5-foot-10.75, 172-pound winger looked primed to explode with 12 points (4G-8A) in 10 games with the G-Men before being sidelined with a lower-body injury from January 10 to March 6.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When he has the puck, his head is always up, he&#8217;s always one or two plays ahead of everybody,&#8221; Giants assistant coach Wacey Rabbit said. &#8220;His shot is underrated. I remember we hadn&#8217;t scored a while on the power play, and we&#8217;re in Kamloops, it&#8217;s one of our last games, and he just grabbed the puck and in a flash it&#8217;s in the back of the net. As he grows as a player, he&#8217;ll have more confidence in that shot because it&#8217;s really underrated. It&#8217;s quick, it&#8217;s fast, and, you know, his tenacity to get the puck back is elite. Once the puck&#8217;s on his stick, you&#8217;re not taking it off of him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Despite the Giants missing the postseason, Preston got an extra shot to prove himself at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he finished second in scoring among Canadians with six points (2G-4A) in five games.<\/p>\n<p>He also added a goal and two assists in two games at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I&#8217;m at my best, I&#8217;m pushing the pace of the game,&#8221; Preston said ahead of the Prospects Challenge.\u00a0 &#8220;I think I like to speed up the game more than I slow it down. (I) can push defenders back and get them on their heels, as well as make plays in the O-zone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Penticton, B.C. product has flexed that ability from the jump.<\/p>\n<p>Preston was selected by Spokane with the third overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft and potted 45 points (23G-22A) in 54 games in his first full WHL season.<\/p>\n<p>In the 2025 WHL Playoffs, when most rookies would start to see their ice time trimmed, Preston iced 16 points (9G-7A) in 20 games to help the Chiefs reach the Championship Series, highlighted by a one-goal, one-assist effort in Game 2 of the Final.<\/p>\n<p>While the Chiefs would fall to fellow top 2026 draft-eligibles Gavin McKenna, Markus and Liam Ruck, and the Medicine Hat Tigers in Game 5, it showed Preston wouldn&#8217;t shy away in big-time moments.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, the 18-year-old put forward a strong showing at the NHL Combine, where he finished in the top 10 in seven events- including a second-place finish in isokinetic squat and anaerobic fitness \u2013 peak power output (T-2nd), plus a tie for third in the 10-metre spring.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s a gym rat,&#8221; Preston&#8217;s former coach, Spokane Chiefs bench boss Brad Lauer, added. &#8220;One thing with Mathis is he puts in the time, and he works. He wants to be a player, he wants to be a pro. He&#8217;s got a great skill. He&#8217;s going to get drafted, he&#8217;s going to have an opportunity, which is great to see.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Preston enters the 2026 NHL Draft ranked 32nd among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n<p>He has high hopes for the future, and looks forward to returning to the Dub to chase a championship in 2026-27.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It just kind of flashes before your eyes,&#8221; Preston explained. &#8220;You grow up, want to get drafted, watching the draft and, you know, seeing all that stuff, and now it&#8217;s you, and you&#8217;re up next.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft begins on Friday, June 26, at 5:00 p.m. MT, with Rounds 2-7 to follow on Saturday, June 27, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]BY CAMI KEPKE Mathis Preston has been known to dazzle (or irritate) his opponents with his flash and speed. Not just on the ice, but also on the track. The Vancouver Giants forward was also a talented BMX racer as a kid, where he got to unleash his daredevil nature on dirt tracks dotted&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1488],"tags":[{"term_id":1820,"name":"Mathis Preston","slug":"mathis-preston","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1820,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"42"},{"term_id":122,"name":"nhl draft","slug":"nhl-draft","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":123,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":67,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1312"},{"term_id":333,"name":"vancouver giants","slug":"vancouver-giants","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":334,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1459,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1794"}],"class_list":["post-88600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-mathis-preston","tag-nhl-draft","tag-vancouver-giants","category-1488","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/06\/17160238\/Profiles-1920-5.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-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-giants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]