2026 NHL Draft Profile | Carson Carels, Prince George Cougars

Carson Carels is a man of two worlds.

On Tuesday, June 9, the Prince George Cougars alternate captain will be one of six top 2026 NHL Draft prospects in attendance for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, one person amidst a roiling crowd of more than 17,500 ravenous fans enjoying the chilly reprieve of the Golden Knights’ T-Mobile Arena in a swath of Nevada heat.

The solid left-shot defender will be right at home among that contingent of projected first-round picks, but part of his heart will always be on the sprawling family farm near Cypress River, Man., where the cows outnumber the people and he’s a short quad ride away from almost pure isolation.

Carels says his goal is to make a name for himself in hockey before, one day long down the road, returning to the place that built him- the place he takes the most pride in.

“We have 500 head of cattle that we calve out, so when it’s all said and done, we have about 1000 (animals) on the farm,” Carels said. “We just do cattle and a lot of hay, and besides that, we have a few goats as well. It keeps it interesting.

I don’t like sitting still, so I mean, when you can do what you want and have a sense of pride when you take care of the animals and get your job done, I think that’s what I’m passionate about.”

"He's going to make $10 million playing in the NHL."@PGCougars defenceman and highly-touted prospect Carson Carels has seen his draft stock rise as we step closer to the 2026 #NHLDraft in June. pic.twitter.com/gv4gHiiFpt

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 23, 2026

That determination to get the job done is a huge part of why the Prince George Cougars selected Carels with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.

Cougars Associate Coach Jim Playfair remembers the stark impression the youngster made on him during the veteran coach’s first camp with the WHL club.

“At the end of that, we had a meeting with the staff, the scouts and the ownership to kind of evaluate who was going to be on the team that year, what type of camp the players had, and I didn’t know anybody, so I didn’t say nothing until Mark (Lamb) came around to Carson Carels,” Playfair recalled. “Mark had asked me, ‘Jimmy, what do you think?” And I just said, “Well, he’s gonna make $10 million a year playing in the NHL”.

Adjusted for inflation and an increased salary cap, the Cougars coaching staff has jokingly adjusted that number to $12 million.

One thing they aren’t kidding about is Carels’ dedication to building his game from the defensive zone out and allowing the offensive side of his game to blossom from that.

“He could have come in and just rattled up a bunch of points and then not paid attention to the defending details, and so it was like an upfront contract, and he agreed to do it,” Playfair added. “And to his credit, he was excellent in his first year. He was a double-digit plus player, was a solid player. Now this year, he’s come back with confidence on how to defend.

What he’s going to provide to an NHL team is he’s going to be a real solid player, he’s going to be able to play last minute of periods, he’s going to be able to play last minute of games, he’s going to be able to penalty kill, and on top of that, his offense is going to come from good first passes. It’s going to come from good vision at the offensive blue line. So, I think his base of play is defending, and I think that gives him a chance to be a good pro.”

Carels, who will turn 18 on June 23, reaped the benefits of that training with 20 goals (including three game-winners and a trio of shorthanded strikes), 53 assists, 73 points, and a +23 rating in 58 games in 2025-26.

CARSON CARELS!!

A HIGHLIGHT REEL GOAL TO WIN IT IN OT!!! 🎞️@PGCougars | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/Rf91ZDA0fE

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 18, 2026

“He really sits me down, and we go over a lot of details with obviously video, and then on the ice, he’s always trying to try to help me with just the little things,” Carels said. “When Jim takes you under his wing, like he has to me, he shows me so much on and off the ice, and it’s just truly developed me into who I am as a person, and I can’t get that anywhere else.”

He finished third in points-per-game among all defencemen, was one of just six blueliners to hit the 20-goal mark in the regular season, cracked the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team and was named a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for WHL Defenceman of the Year.

Carels tore up an East Division road trip with 11 points (3G-8A) on a six-game East Division swing through Saskatchewan and Manitoba and even got to take his Cougars teammates for a tour of the farm.

Much will be made of the hardworking nature that farm life has instilled in Carels as the draft and- potentially- his NHL debut draw closer, but the competitive youngster is always quick to throw in a joke.

“It’s definitely work ethic,” Carels said. “But yeah, when you’re sorting cows, you’ve got to have a good angle on them, or else they might get by you or run you over.”

Sunday to Remember! 🚜🌾

So grateful to the Carels family for welcoming us to their beautiful farm and hosting an unforgettable afternoon. What a special day! pic.twitter.com/mSFjd3qGzL

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) February 23, 2026

In the postseason, Carels netted another 10 points (1G-9A) in 10 games to help the Cats reach Game 6 of the second round despite playing through injury.

The 6-foot-1, 198-pound rearguard was also the second-youngest player (he’s four days older than former Victoria Royals star Keaton Verhoeff) named to Team Canada for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he netted an assist and a bronze medal- plus invaluable time learning from fellow CHL graduates with professional experience.

“I think just confidence,” Carels said of lessons learned from the tournament. “That was a great experience, just learning from Zayne (Parekh, Calgary Flames) and Harrison (Brunicke, Pittsburgh Penguins/Kamloops Blazers) there.

I think just the way they move around the ice, on the blue line, and how they see plays. When you’re following up a player like that, you can always jump in and be an option. So I think just getting more open and going to the good ice.”

In a draft season that has seen much of the focus locked on a talented crop of defencemen, NHL Central Scouting has ranked Carels third among all North American skaters.

He’s gotten to flex his game at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and the 2026 WHL Prospects Game, where he nabbed four assists while captaining Team West.

“Obviously, you want to compare yourself, but you can’t, because everyone in this draft is a little different,” Carels mused. “I think just my game is a little different than everyone else’s, and I’m happy with how I play and happy with how I carry myself.”

With a game forged on the farm and molded in the WHL, Carels is ready to bring his two worlds to the big stage- and the draft is no exception.

Round One of the 2026 NHL Draft is set for Friday, June 26, at 5:00 p.m. MT at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., but Carels will take in the action surrounded by family, friends, and the nearly 1,000 animals at the farm.