37 Western Hockey League players and two alumni selected in 2026 NHL Draft

WHL LEADS ALL LEAGUES WITH FOUR DEVELOPED PLAYERS SELECTED IN TOP 10 AND 22 PLAYERS IN FIRST THREE ROUNDS; TIGERS ALUMNUS MCKENNA GOES FIRST OVERALL TO TORONTO

Buffalo, N.Y. – The Western Hockey League announced today 37 players and two alumni have been selected in the 2026 NHL Draft, held Friday and Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

The 106 Canadian Hockey League players selected in the 2026 NHL Draft is the highest total since 2010. Of the 224 players selected in the 2026 NHL Draft, 106 came from the CHL, representing 47.3 per cent of all players chosen. Of the 106 players selected from the CHL, 36.8 per cent hail from the WHL.

Since the 1967 NHL Amateur draft 2,268 players have been selected out of the WHL, including 360 first-round selections.

PLAYER ASSETS – ACTION PHOTOS & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS – 2026 NHL Draft (Credit to Natalie Shaver / CHL)
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For the second time in three drafts, the WHL boasts four players selected in the top 10 of the NHL Draft. This also serves as the second consecutive NHL Draft in which the WHL has led or tied for the most first-round players selected among any development league. The 2025 NHL Draft featured nine WHL players chosen in the first round.

With 22 players selected through the first three rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft, the WHL led all development leagues.

Former WHL Player of the Year Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, followed by Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph going to the Buffalo Sabres with the fourth pick. Prince George Cougars blueliner Carson Carels was called by the Calgary Flames with the sixth-overall selection and former Victoria Royals rearguard Keaton Verhoeff rounded out the group after being chosen ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks.

The first round concluded with a run of WHL players, including Ryan Lin going 21st overall to the San Jose Sharks, Liam Ruck selected 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and JP Hurlbert hearing his name called 23rd overall by the Detroit Red Wings.

The second round of the 2026 NHL Draft featured eight WHL players, including Chase Harrington (Spokane Chiefs), Matias Vanhanen (Everett Silvertips), Markus Ruck (Pittsburgh Penguins), Mathis Preston (Anaheim Ducks), Brek Liske (Philadelphia Flyers), Timofei Runtso (Montreal Canadiens), Jakub Vanecek (Dallas Stars), and Benjamin MacBeath (New York Rangers).

The Medicine Hat Tigers led all WHL Clubs with five players selected in the 2026 NHL Draft, including McKenna, the Ruck twins, Yaroslav Bryzgalov (Vancouver Canucks), and Jonas Woo (Columbus Blue Jackets).

The Edmonton Oil Kings, Portland Winterhawks, Prince Albert Raiders, Saskatoon Blades, and Vancouver Giants each finished with three players selected. The Brandon Wheat Kings, Everett Silvertips, Prince George Cougars, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs, and Victoria Royals each had two players selected.

In total, 19 of 23 WHL teams had at least one player chosen in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The 2026 NHL Draft serves as the 18th time in the past 20 years the WHL has seen five or more players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft.

2026 NHL Draft – WHL Developed Players

Overall – Player (Pos.) – NHL Team; WHL Team; Hometown

Round One (7)

#1 – Gavin McKenna (F) – Toronto Maple Leafs; Medicine Hat Tigers*; Whitehorse, Yukon
#4 – Daxon Rudolph (D) – Buffalo Sabres; Prince Albert Raiders; Lacombe, Alta.
#6 – Carson Carels (D) – Calgary Flames; Prince George Cougars; Cypress River, Man.
#9 – Keaton Verhoeff (D) – San Jose Sharks; Victoria Royals*; Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
#21 – Ryan Lin (D) – San Jose Sharks; Vancouver Giants; Richmond, B.C.
#22 – Liam Ruck (F) – Pittsburgh Penguins; Medicine Hat Tigers; Osoyoos, B.C.
#23 – JP Hurlbert (F) – Detroit Red Wings; Kamloops Blazers; Allen, Texas

Round Two (8)

#36 – Chase Harrington (F) – Calgary Flames; Spokane Chiefs; Prince George, B.C.
#37 – Matias Vanhanen (F) – New Jersey Devils; Everett Silvertips; Nokia, Finland
#39 – Markus Ruck (F) – Pittsburgh Penguins; Medicine Hat Tigers; Osoyoos, B.C.
#50 – Mathis Preston (F) – Anaheim Ducks; Vancouver Giants; Penticton, B.C.
#53 – Brek Liske (D) – Philadelphia Flyers; Everett Silvertips; Beausejour, Man.
#57 – Timofei Runtso (D) – Montreal Canadiens; Victoria Royals; Marina del Rey, Calif.
#59 – Jakub Vanecek (D) – Dallas Stars; Tri-City Americans; Humpolec, Czechia
#64 – Benjamin MacBeath (D) – New York Rangers; Calgary Hitmen; Calgary, Alta.

Round Three (7)

#65 – Joe Iginla (F) – Calgary Flames; Vancouver Giants; Lake Country, B.C.
#68 – Zachary Lansard (F) – Carolina Hurricanes; Regina Pats; Ste. Anne, Man.
#69 – Ethan MacKenzie (D) – Toronto Maple Leafs; Edmonton Oil Kings; Peachland, B.C.
#73 – Zach Olsen (F) – Toronto Maple Leafs; Saskatoon Blades; Calgary, Alta.
#74 – Beckett Hamilton (F) – Colorado Avalanche; Red Deer Rebels; Saskatoon, Sask.
#79 – Michal Orsulak (G) – Detroit Red Wings; Prince Albert Raiders; Tremosna, Czechia
#95 – Sean Burick (D) – Vegas Golden Knights; Penticton Vees; San Clemente, Calif.

Round Four (7)

#97 – Yaroslav Bryzgalov (F) – Vancouver Canucks; Medicine Hat Tigers; Minsk, Belarus
#101 – Tyus Sparks (F) – Washington Capitals; Spokane Chiefs; Meridian, Idaho
#112 – Kayden Lemire (F) – Minnesota Wild; Prince George Cougars; Edmonton, Alta.
#113 – Jonah Sivertson (F) – Vegas Golden Knights; Prince Albert Raiders; Regina, Sask.
#117 – Brayden Klimpke (D) – Montreal Canadiens; Saskatoon Blades; Calgary, Alta.
#120 – Marek Sklenicka (G) – Philadelphia Flyers; Seattle Thunderbirds; Litvinov, Czechia
#126 – Tobias Tvrznik (G) – Colorado Avalanche; Wenatchee Wild; Litomerice, Czechia

Round Five (5)

#137 – Filip Ruzicka (G) – Minnesota Wild; Brandon Wheat Kings; Trinec, Czechia
#142 – Parker Snell (G) – Columbus Blue Jackets; Edmonton Oil Kings; St. Albert, Alta.
#153 – Giorgos Pantelas (D) – Los Angeles Kings; Brandon Wheat Kings; Victoria, B.C.
#158 – Cooper Williams (F) – Toronto Maple Leafs; Saskatoon Blades; Calgary, Alta.
#159 – Will McLaughlin (D) – Vegas Golden Knights; Portland Winterhawks; Canmore, Alta.

Round Six (4)

#172 – Luke Wilfley (F) – New Jersey Devils; Portland Winterhawks; Englewood, Colo.
#174 – Jake Gustafson (F) – San Jose Sharks; Portland Winterhawks; San Jose, Calif.
#185 – Jonas Woo (D) – Columbus Blue Jackets; Medicine Hat Tigers; Winnipeg, Man.
#192 – Noah Kosick (F) – Anaheim Ducks; Seattle Thunderbirds; Victoria, B.C.

Round Seven (1)

#199 – Alofa Tunoa Ta’amu (D) – Winnipeg Jets; Edmonton Oil Kings; San Diego, Calif.

* = last played in WHL during 2024-25 season

2026 NHL Draft – Players Committed to the WHL for 2026-27

Round Four

#98 – Jonas Kemps (D) – Florida Panthers; Seattle Thunderbirds; Sebastopol, Calif.

Round Five

#136 – Kent Sauer (F) – Philadelphia Flyers; Edmonton Oil Kings; Andover, Minn.

Round Six

#164 – Bode Laylin (D) – Calgary Flames; Everett Silvertips; St. Michael, Minn.

Round Seven

#208 – Logan Stuart (F) – Washington Capitals; Lethbridge Hurricanes; Manhattan Beach, Calif.
#224 – Tyler Deakos (F) – Montreal Canadiens; Penticton Vees; Canmore, Alta.

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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.