Raiders Win Priority Draft Lottery – Will Have Picks #1, #2, #7 in the First Round
On Wednesday March 29th, the Prince Albert Raiders won the 2023 WHL Prospect Draft Lottery, giving them the first and second overall selections in the WHL Prospect Draft on Thursday, May 11. The Raiders had 3 of the 21 balls in the lottery, and although only a 14% possibility, had one of their balls drawn to win the lottery. As the Raiders could only move up two spots, their own pick moved from fourth to second overall. The Edmonton Oil Kings, who finished with 24 points this season, had the first-overall selection. However, the Raiders own the Edmonton Oil Kings’ first-round pick, which was acquired in the Kaiden Guhle trade last year.
Furthermore, the Raiders acquired the Kelowna Rockets’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft via a trade with Seattle earlier this season, meaning the Raiders will also have the seventh-overall selection. The Raiders also have picks in the second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds, and a trio of picks in the 6th round of the Prospect Draft.
This will be the third time in franchise history that the Raiders will pick first overall in the Prospect Draft. In 2001, the Raiders selected Kyle Chipchura who went on to play 214 games for the Raiders. He was also selected in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. In 2017, the Raiders selected Kaiden Guhle, who was a member of the 2019 WHL Championship-winning Raider team. He went on to also be selected by Montreal in the first round of the NHL Draft in 2020.
This will be the first time ever that the Raiders will pick second overall in the WHL Prospect Draft, and just the second time ever that a team has the top two selections. In 2019, the Winnipeg ICE, the now back-to-back Scotty Munro Trophy winners, selected Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie. The Raiders have only had one other seventh-overall pick in the draft, which was used on Scott Hartnell in 1997.
Also held on Wednesday morning was the U.S. Priority Draft Lottery, which was won by the Spokane Chiefs. The Raiders will pick fifth in the U.S. Priority Draft, which will be held on Wednesday, May 10.
