Rockets select Colton Lien and Drew Larioza in 2024 US Priority Draft
The Kelowna Rockets made a pair of selections in the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft on Wednesday, drafting forwards Colton Lien and Drew Larioza.
With their first pick of the day, the Rockets selected Lien eleventh overall in the first round from Okanagan HA Colorado 14U AAA of the CoAH14.
Lien, 15, posted 24 points (10G, 14A) and 30 penalty minutes through 17 games this season with the U14AAA team.
Round 1, pick 11:
PLAYER: COLTON LIEN
POSITION: F
HEIGHT: 6’2
WEIGHT: 165
BIRTHDATE: 2009
Season | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
2023-24 | Okanagan HA Colorado 14U AAA | 17 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 30 |
2022-23 | Littleton Hawks 14U AA | 28 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 12 |
Round 2, pick 33:
PLAYER: DREW LARIOZA
POSITION: F
HEIGHT: 5’10
WEIGHT: 160
BIRTHDATE: 2009
Season | Team | GP | W | L | PTS | PIM |
2023-24 | San Jose Jr Sharks 14U AAA | 36 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 48 |
Pioneer High (USHS-CA) | 10 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 10 | |
2022-23 | San Jose Jr Sharks 13U AAA | 39 | 36 | 11 | 47 | 50 |
The order of selection was determined Wednesday, March 27 through the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft Lottery. All six WHL Clubs that did not qualify for the 2024 WHL Playoffs participated in the lottery. The lottery proceedings determined the order of selection for the first six picks in the first round of the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, which inverse order of standings from the 2023-24 WHL Regular Season determining the order of selection for the second round.
Players eligible for the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft are 2008-born players who reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Players not selected in the WHL U.S. Priority Draft will remain eligible to be selected in the WHL Prospects Draft on Thursday, May 9, or listed by a WHL Club at any time thereafter.