2026 NHL Draft Profile | JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers

In a season filled with highlight reel goals, sensational comebacks, draft hype and showcase events, JP Hurlbert’s first WHL game is still the moment he holds closest to his heart.

A season-opening hat trick set the tone for the Allen, Texas product’s monster campaign- and even saw him earn a new nickname.

“On the third goal, he (the announcer) just goes over the broadcast and calls it the Texas Tornado in front of the whole building, and it just kind of stuck,” Hurlbert smiled.

As he prepares to take the next step at the NHL Draft, the Texas Tornado looks back on his WHL whirlwind fondly.

The 6-foot, 190-pound forward piled up 42 goals (including four game-winners, three hat tricks and nine multi-goal games) and 55 assists for 97 points in 68 games, ranking fourth among all WHL skaters in points and goals.

The Blazers alternate captain was crowned the winner of the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL Rookie of the Year and was also named a finalist for Player of the Year, while helping Kamloops lock up a playoff berth.

“His instincts are exceptional,” Blazers General Manager and Head Coach Shaun Clouston said. “His offensive instincts, his anticipation, timing on breakouts, on transition, on attacks.

I think he took some pretty big steps with the structure of the game. I think a lot of high-end players need a little bit more structure. We’ve been really fortunate here because we can talk about (Emmitt) Finnie, we can talk about (Fraser) Minten, and we can talk about (Connor) Zary and (Logan) Stankoven, but I think all those guys, they embraced that element, and I think to get to the highest level, you need to have some of that. There’s very few players left, if any, that can just kind of go out there and do whatever they want and free-wheel, because it is a team game. I think JP got better in the D-zone, took a step there, and then there’s the attack part of the game that he was really, really good at.”

Beyond regular-season play, Hurlbert was named an alternate captain for the CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, where he lit the lamp once.

He also wore an ‘A’ for Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game, where he tallied on the powerplay to force overtime, where the East ultimately prevailed on a Daxon Rudolph strike.

There was growth off the ice, too, as Hurlbert forged new friendships through road trips, mini stick battles, and even weekly horror movie showings with his billet brother, Ty Bonkowski.

His ebullient personality was a big part of why he was named an alternate captain for the Blazers before even suiting up for his first game.

Keep in mind, this is all happening while he helped pave a new path for top American players looking to the WHL with recent college eligibility changes.

“Playing a lot more games and playing a pro schedule has been a huge impact,” Hurlbert said of the switch to the Dub. “Getting to learn how to deal with that, the travel aspect, and just the game itself. The WHL is so fast, so high-paced, so much talent, so learning how to use your strengths to your advantage, and you know, use it to outsmart some people… You just look at recent drafts and it’s the best place in the world to go to the NHL each night you’re facing a new challenge, a new task, you know, every team’s different, and I think it just develops you.”

Hurlbert is ranked 12th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in the agency’s final rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.

He also attended the 2026 NHL Combine to participate in fitness testing (he gained roughly 10 pounds from training camp in September to the June combine) and meet with NHL teams.

While more Texans have started to make a name for themselves at the NHL level in recent years, it’s still fairly untrodden territory.

Dating back to 1986, when full NHL Draft state breakdowns are last available, 30 Texas-born players have heard their names called at the draft.

Twelve of them (including Portland Winterhawks graduates Seth and Caleb Jones and Kelowna Rockets defender Tyler Myers) have gone on to play in the NHL.

Hurlbert hopes he’ll be the next to join their ranks.

“You really want to be walking across that stage representing an NHL club,” Hurlbert said. “It’d mean the world. It’s been a lifelong dream, and you know, for it to be so close, it’s kind of scary, but so exciting at the same time. I just think about all the people who have helped me along the way- my family, my advisors, my teammates. So I think it’ll be a pretty special moment, personally, especially since it’s not as common for Texans to get selected in the NHL draft.”

Hurlbert has also planned to pay tribute to the Blazers and other impactful parts of his hockey journey with his draft day suit.

“I really do love Kamloops,” Hurlbert added. “I think it’s such a beautiful spot, such a great team and staff, and it’s just like one big family.”

Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft begins on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. MT, with Rounds 2-7 to follow on June 27.