2026 NHL Draft Profile | Tyus Sparks, Spokane Chiefs

Tyus Sparks could have succeeded in any sport.

He certainly has the family pedigree.

His dad, Nate, won a Grey Cup with the CFL’s B.C. Lions, while his mom, Debbie, competed on Boise State’s gymnastics team. Sparks’ sister, Kiari, is also a decorated gymnast and his older brother, Makhai, plays hockey.

Tyus himself dabbled in football as a running back and kicker while also playing soccer.

But his hockey dreams were locked in from the moment he strapped on a pair of skates for the first time.

“I was in Minnesota with my family,” Sparks recalled. “The first time I skated was on a frozen-over basketball court and ever since then, I just loved it.”

That love has come with big sacrifices.

Sparks hails from Meridian, Idaho- a state that has only produced two NHLers and a handful of minor professional players.

He got his first shot with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings program, but rather than leave home, Sparks spent three years flying to games and practicing in Idaho during the week.

It went like clockwork for the teen.

Fly Thursday, play on the weekend, fly home Sunday.

It was unconventional, but it got Sparks the opportunity he needed.

The Vancouver Giants selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.

Now, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound winger has established himself as a crafty force that’s climbing up the NHL Draft rankings.

After a promising rookie season that saw him pot 17 points (11G-6A) in 53 games, Sparks was hot out of the gates with 37 points (16G-21A) in 40 games with the G-Men this season, highlighted by a five-point night (2G-3A) against the Spokane Chiefs on December 14, 2025.

All you need is a Spark!⚡️@spokanechiefs | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/ARXILpVIem

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 22, 2026

The Chiefs ended up trading for Sparks at the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline, and he’d close out the season as Spokane’s leading scorer with 65 points (28G-37A) in 69 regular-season matches.

He also muscled out two goals and an assist in Round One of the 2026 WHL Playoffs.

“He’s a very raw individual,” Chiefs Head Coach Brad Lauer explained. “When I say raw, that’s not a bad thing. It’s just his path of hockey has been different than everybody else’s. Being in Boise, he had been in minor hockey, but then he traveled to California when he was 14 years old… Hadn’t had a lot of practice reps with teams; his practice reps have been on his own with skills coaches, so his team reps, just everyday practice, are very minimal compared to what other kids have done in our league.”

Despite the non-traditional path, NHL scouts are big fans of Sparks’ game.

He earned an invitation to the 2026 WHL Prospects Game, where he scored twice for Team West at the Langley Events Centre.

THE SPARKS ARE FLYING!!! 💥@PGCougars D Carson Carels (Rank 3 among NA Skaters) ➡️ @spokanechiefs F Tyus Sparks (Rank 63 among NA Skaters) = Team West’s first of the #WHLProspectsGame!

CATCH THE ACTION LIVE ON @victoryplustv pic.twitter.com/RfOZn0EISk

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 19, 2026

“I’ve been fortunate to work with some pretty good players that could shoot the puck,” Lauer added. “I remember (Utah Mammoth forward) Dylan Guenther, the way he could shoot the puck. I’m not saying he’s Dylan Guenther, but you know what, his shot is comparable to Dylan Guenther’s when I had him in Edmonton. His (Tyus’s) release is exceptional. It’s got some velocity on it, doesn’t need a lot of time to get it away, and he can skate.

Sparks is ranked 37th among all North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final list heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.

He also finished in the top 20 in seven of 15 tests at the annual NHL Combine, highlighted by a tie for seventh in the 10-metre sprint.

As Sparks boards another hockey flight- this time, surrounded by his family, he hopes to take another step towards making history.

“It’d be a dream come true for sure,” Sparks said. “Being the third (Idahoan) player to make it to the NHL and have a career would be sweet, be unreal. I hope it happens, and I can’t wait.”

The 2026 NHL Draft runs from June 26-27 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.