Lansard and Klassen Named to NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings
REGINA, Sask. – Two Regina Pats forwards have earned recognition on the NHL stage, as Cohen Klassen and Zach Lansard were both named to NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
In total, 78 players developed in the Western Hockey League appeared on the Midterm Rankings, which were unveiled Monday evening alongside the announcement that Buffalo, N.Y. will host the 2026 NHL Draft.
Lansard, a 2008-born forward, is ranked 72nd among North American skaters, projecting him as a potential third-round selection. The 17-year-old from Ste. Anne, Man. is enjoying a breakout season, recording a career-high 33 points (15G-18A) in 38 games. Lansard enters the rankings riding a four-game point streak (2G-2A) and has totaled 11 points (5G-6A) over his last 10 contests. He was selected by the Pats in the fourth round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
Klassen, also 17, is slotted 142nd among North American skaters, placing him as a potential fifth-round pick. The Martensville, Sask. product has posted 17 points (6G-11A) in 32 games this season. Klassen was chosen by Regina in the third round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft and continues to develop into a reliable two-way presence for the Blue Brigade.
RANKINGS: North American skaters | North American goalies | International skaters | International goalies
A total of 10 current WHL players are ranked among the top 32 skaters in North America, including defencemen Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars, Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders, Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants, Ben MacBeath of the Calgary Hitmen, and Jakub Vanecek of the Tri-City Americans, and forwards JP Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers, Mathis Preston of the Vancouver Giants, Liam Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers, Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and Chase Harrington of the Spokane Chiefs.
Also among the top 32 skaters in North America are former WHL Player of the Year Gavin McKenna, who spent three seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers and won a WHL Championship in 2025, as well as former Victoria Royals defenceman Keaton Verhoeff.
Four WHL netminders rank among the top 10 goaltenders in North America, including Michal Orsulak of the Prince Albert Raiders, Tobias Tvrznik of the Wenatchee Wild, Harrison Boettiger of the Kelowna Rockets, and Marek Sklenicka of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Of the 78 players developed in the WHL to be identified by NHL Central Scouting, 44 are forwards, 25 are defencemen, and nine are goaltenders.
In total, NHL Central Scouting has identified 224 skaters and 37 goaltenders from North America, with 76.6 per cent of the list having spent time developing in the member Leagues of the CHL. The WHL accounts for 30 per cent of the North American list, while the OHL leads the way at 31 per cent and the QMJHL contributes 17 per cent.
In 2025, the WHL accounted for 66 players on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings. The rise from 66 players in 2025 to 78 players in 2026 represents an increase of 18.2 per cent.
NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings features 200 players developed in the member Leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), including 80 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and 44 from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Currently in its 51st year of operation, NHL Central Scouting provides evaluation and scouting of draft-eligible players to NHL member clubs. Headed by Group Vice President Dan Marr, NHL Central Scouting employs eight full-time scouts throughout North America.
2025-26 NHL Central Scouting – Midterm Rankings – WHL Skaters
| RK | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | WHL Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| 1 | McKenna | Gavin | Whitehorse, Yukon | Medicine Hat Tigers | 5’11” | 170 | LW |
| 2 | Verhoeff | Keaton | Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 6’4” | 208 | D |
| 3 | Carels | Carson | Cypress River, Man. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2” | 202 | D |
| 6 | Rudolph | Daxon | Lacombe, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’2” | 206 | D |
| 10 | Hurlbert | JP | Allen, Texas | Kamloops Blazers | 6’0” | 185 | LW |
| 13 | Lin | Ryan | Richmond, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 177 | D |
| 20 | MacBeath | Ben | Calgary, Alta. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’2” | 184 | D |
| 21 | Vanecek | Jakub | Humpolec, Czechia | Tri-City Americans | 6’2” | 191 | D |
| 24 | Preston | Mathis | Penticton, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 177 | RW |
| 26 | Ruck | Liam | Osoyoos, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 176 | RW |
| 31 | Ruck | Markus | Osoyoos, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 167 | C |
| 32 | Harrington | Chase | Prince George, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’1” | 195 | LW |
| 34 | Liske | Brek | Beausejour, Man. | Everett Silvertips | 6’1” | 190 | D |
| 42 | Williams | Cooper | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’0” | 166 | C |
| 43 | Olsen | Zach | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’1” | 198 | RW |
| 52 | Gustafson | Jake | San Jose, Calif. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’4” | 179 | C |
| 53 | Runtso | Timofei | Marina del Rey, Calif. | Victoria Royals | 6’2” | 185 | D |
| 55 | Kosick | Noah | Victoria, B.C. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 5’11” | 165 | C |
| 58 | Pantelas | Giorgos | Victoria, B.C. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’2” | 214 | D |
| 63 | Sparks | Tyus | Meridian, Idaho | Spokane Chiefs | 5’11” | 182 | C |
| 64 | Lemire | Kayden | Edmonton, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’4” | 194 | RW |
| 67 | Heger | Kyle | Eagan, Minn. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’1” | 193 | D |
| 72 | Lansard | Zachary | Ste. Anne, Man. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 175 | RW |
| 73 | Duguay | Jordan | Edmonton, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’10” | 174 | LW |
| 74 | Mackenzie | Ethan | Peachland, B.C. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’1” | 189 | D |
| 75 | Hamilton | Beckett | Saskatoon, Sask. | Red Deer Rebels | 5’11” | 173 | C |
| 76 | Vanhanen | Matias | Nokia, Finland | Everett Silvertips | 5’11” | 174 | LW |
| 79 | Klimpke | Brayden | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 5’11” | 165 | D |
| 85 | Amrhein | Landon | Celina, Texas | Calgary Hitmen | 6’5” | 190 | LW |
| 88 | Sivertson | Jonah | Regina, Sask. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’3” | 194 | RW |
| 91 | McLaughlin | Will | Canmore, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’2” | 169 | D |
| 94 | Ta’amu | Alofa Tunoa | San Diego, Calif. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 233 | D |
| 96 | Dean | Dylan | Maple Grove, Minn. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’0” | 180 | C |
| 99 | Bryzgalov | Yaroslav | Minsk, Belarus | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’4” | 216 | LW |
| 100 | Dingman | Sawyer | Edmonton, Alta. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’4” | 224 | LW |
| 101 | Joudrey | Caelan | Airdrie, Alta. | Wenatchee Wild | 6’4” | 179 | C |
| 119 | Burick | Sean | San Clemente, Calif. | Penticton Vees | 6’8” | 209 | D |
| 124 | Iginla | Joe | Lake Country, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’10” | 175 | RW |
| 126 | O’Neill | Andrew | Fargo, N.D. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 195 | C |
| 128 | Kamas | Jiri | Plzen, Czechia | Red Deer Rebels | 6’1” | 187 | D |
| 137 | Olson | Brett | Spruce Grove, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 6’2” | 190 | C |
| 138 | Gillespie | Brody | Vancouver, Wash. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’1” | 194 | C |
| 142 | Klassen | Cohen | Martensville, Sask. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 177 | C |
| 143 | Kelly | Benett | Cochrane, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’1” | 187 | D |
| 148 | Yakutsenak | Dmitri | Yaroslavl, Russia | Prince George Cougars | 6’1” | 201 | C |
| 154 | Tomik | Tobias | Ilava, Slovakia | Vancouver Giants | 6’0” | 194 | LW |
| 158 | Rolsing | Darian | Speyer, Germany | Wenatchee Wild | 6’6” | 192 | D |
| 159 | Boychuk | Riley | Cochrane, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 5’10” | 170 | C |
| 164 | Varga | Kalder | Geneva, Ill. | Red Deer Rebels | 5’11” | 178 | RW |
| 166 | Souch | Brock | Edmonton, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 5’11” | 168 | C |
| 167 | Brown | Reed | Tempe, Ariz. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’11” | 161 | C |
| 168 | Sawchyn | Lukas | Grande Prairie, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’10” | 173 | C |
| 169 | Baumuller | Joby | Wilcox, Sask. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 5’11” | 191 | RW |
| 175 | Sarkenov | Alisher | Astana, Kazakhstan | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’0” | 174 | RW |
| 177 | Lesiuk | Gavin | Duncan, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’5” | 221 | LW |
| 180 | Man | Matyas | Ostrava, Czechia | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’6” | 202 | D |
| 188 | Steen | Riley | Ladysmith, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 190 | D |
| 190 | Allard | Cameron | Yorkton, Sask. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’3” | 185 | D |
| 192 | Cahill | Phoenix | Cottage Grove, Minn. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2” | 211 | D |
| 195 | Dillard | Cameron | Flower Mound, Texas | Red Deer Rebels | 6’4” | 211 | D |
| 198 | Anisimov | Arsenii | Kazan, Russia | Prince George Cougars | 5’11” | 176 | D |
| 199 | Molgachev | Andrei | Magnitogorsk, Russia | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 185 | C |
| 200 | Stewart | Nolan | Edmonton, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 5’10” | 168 | RW |
| 209 | Pavao | Cruz | Calgary, Alta. | Tri-City Americans | 5’11” | 196 | RW |
| 210 | Kuryachenkov | Stepan | Ufa, Russia | Swift Current Broncos | 5’10” | 143 | C |
| 211 | Kuzma | Cameron | St. Albert, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’2” | 190 | C |
| 215 | McCann | Kadon | Cochrane, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’3” | 200 | C |
| 216 | Rudolph | Brendan | Calgary, Alta. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’0” | 192 | LW |
| 220 | Maloney | Nathan | Strathmore, Alta. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’2” | 182 | D |
2025-26 NHL Central Scouting – Midterm Rankings – WHL Goaltenders
| RK | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | WHL Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| 2 | Orsulak | Michal | Tremosna, Czechia | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’4” | 220 | G |
| 5 | Tvrznik | Tobias | Litomerice, Czechia | Wenatchee Wild | 6’3” | 180 | G |
| 7 | Boettiger | Harrison | Wheat Ridge, Colo. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’2” | 189 | G |
| 8 | Sklenicka | Marek | Litvinov, Czechia | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’4” | 170 | G |
| 12 | Casey | Carter | Grand Rapids, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 179 | G |
| 13 | Ruzicka | Filip | Trinec, Czechia | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’7” | 230 | G |
| 15 | Wendt | Xavier | Plymouth, Minn. | Tri-City Americans | 6’0” | 179 | G |
| 21 | Snell | Parker | St. Albert, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 176 | G |
| 22 | Stebetak | Ondrej | Jihlava, Czechia | Portland Winterhawks | 6’2” | 176 | G |
