2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospect Rudolph named Tempo WHL Player of the Month for April, fuelled by Co-op
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospect Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Month for April, Fuelled by Co-op.
Rudolph, an 18-year-old product of Lacombe, Alta., recorded 13 points (6G-7A) and a plus-2 rating in 10 games, as the Raiders find themselves tied 2-2 with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series presented by Nutrien.
Ranked fifth among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, Rudolph has been a two-way force on the blueline for the Raiders.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound right-shot rearguard logged three multipoint performances during the month of April, including a four-point (2G-2A) outburst Wednesday, April 29, to help the Raiders claim a 6-3 victory, tying the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series at 2-2.
Rudolph started Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championship Series with a power-play goal to open the scoring 10:16 into the first period. He added another power-play tally 25 seconds into the second period, giving Prince Albert a 3-1 lead. From there, the second-year defenceman added assists on second period goals by veterans Aiden Oiring and Maddix McCagherty as the Raiders padded their advantage. At the end of the night, Rudolph was named first star of the game for his four-point effort.
With 19 points (8G-11A) in 13 post-season contests, Rudolph is tied for the lead in WHL Playoff scoring with Matias Vanhanen of the Everett Silvertips. The highly-touted blueliner has secured three game-winning goals to this point in the playoffs, tied for second among all WHL skaters.
Registering 78 points (28G-50A) in 68 regular season games, Rudolph finished third among all WHL defencemen in scoring during the 2025-26 campaign. He was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team for his performance, and is also a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL Defenceman of the Year.
Originally selected by the Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Rudolph has notched 119 points (35G-84A) in 132 career WHL regular season games. During the 2025-26 season, he represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and also captained Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass.
Rudolph and the Raiders return to the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Championship on Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. MT. Stream all the action FREE on Victory+.
Tempo WHL Player of the Month
September / October: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
November: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
December: Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers
January: Jacob Kvasnicka, Penticton Vees
February: Carter Bear, Everett Silvertips
March: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
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