89 players developed in WHL named to NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List
Calgary, Alta. – Eighty-nine players developed in the Western Hockey League have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
NHL Central Scouting unveiled its Preliminary Players to Watch List Monday morning.
Seven players developed in the WHL have earned ‘A’ ratings, including defencemen Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars, Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants, and Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders, forwards JP Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers and Mathis Preston of the Spokane Chiefs, along with former WHL players Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) and Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals).
Ten WHL players were assigned ‘B’ ratings, including twin forwards Liam and Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Giorgos Pantelas.
A total of 30 WHL players were given ‘C’ ratings, including Edmonton Oil Kings forward Joe Iginla and Swift Current Broncos forward Sawyer Dingman.
Of the WHL’s 23 Clubs, 22 are represented in NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List, led by the Medicine Hat Tigers with 10 players. The Edmonton Oil Kings boast seven players on the list, while the Portland Winterhawks, Prince Albert Raiders, and Swift Current Broncos each have six players listed. The Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants are represented by five players each, while the Prince George Cougars and Spokane Chiefs each have four. There are 10 WHL Clubs with three players apiece on the Preliminary Players to Watch List, while another three WHL Clubs each have two players listed.
A total of 48 forwards developed in the WHL find themselves on the list, joined by 27 defencemen developed in the WHL and 14 goaltenders.
The NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List includes 237 players developed in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), including 93 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and 55 from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
NHL Central Scouting identifies players with a rating system that includes five categories. The ‘A’ category indicates players projected to be first-round candidates. The ‘B’ rating indicates players projected to be second- or third-round candidates, and the ‘C’ rating indicates players projected to be fourth- or fifth-round candidates. The ‘W’ rating indicates players projected to be sixth- or seventh-round candidates and the ‘LV’ rating represents players who have not had sufficient viewings, due to injury.
2025-26 NHL Central Scouting – Preliminary Players to Watch List – WHL Players
| PTW | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | WHL Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| A | Carels | Carson | Cypress River, Man. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2” | 202 | D |
| A | Hurlbert | JP | Allen, Texas | Kamloops Blazers | 6’0” | 185 | LW |
| A | Lin | Ryan | Richmond, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 177 | D |
| A | McKenna | Gavin | Whitehorse, Yukon | Medicine Hat Tigers | 5’11” | 170 | LW |
| A | Preston | Mathis | Penticton, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs | 5’11” | 177 | RW |
| A | Rudolph | Daxon | Lacombe, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’2” | 206 | D |
| A | Verhoeff | Keaton | Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 6’4” | 208 | D |
| B | Amrhein | Landon | Celina, Texas | Calgary Hitmen | 6’5” | 190 | LW |
| B | Boettiger | Harrison | Wheat Ridge, Colo. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’2” | 189 | G |
| B | Harrington | Chase | Prince George, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’1” | 195 | LW |
| B | Heger | Kyle | Eagan, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 193 | D |
| B | MacBeath | Ben | Calgary, Alta. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’2” | 184 | D |
| B | Pantelas | Giorgos | Victoria, B.C. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’2” | 214 | D |
| B | Ruck | Markus | Osoyoos, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 167 | C |
| B | Ruck | Liam | Osoyoos, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 176 | RW |
| B | Vanecek | Jakub | Humpolec, Czechia | Tri-City Americans | 6’2” | 191 | D |
| B | Williams | Cooper | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’0” | 166 | C |
| C | Brown | Reed | Tempe, Ariz. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’11” | 161 | C |
| C | Bryzgalov | Yaroslav | Minsk, Belarus | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’4” | 216 | LW |
| C | Burick | Sean | San Clemente, Calif. | Penticton Vees | 6’8” | 209 | D |
| C | Casey | Carter | Grand Rapids, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 179 | G |
| C | Dingman | Sawyer | Edmonton, Alta. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’4” | 224 | LW |
| C | Duguay | Jordan | Edmonton, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’10” | 174 | LW |
| C | Gillespie | Brody | Vancouver, Wash. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’1” | 194 | C |
| C | Hamilton | Beckett | Saskatoon, Sask. | Red Deer Rebels | 5’11” | 173 | C |
| C | Iginla | Joe | Lake Country, B.C. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’10” | 175 | RW |
| C | Johnston | Dermot | Olds, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’5” | 220 | D |
| C | Joudrey | Caelan | Airdrie, Alta. | Wenatchee Wild | 6’4” | 179 | C |
| C | Kamas | Jiri | Plzen, Czechia | Penticton Vees | 6’1” | 187 | D |
| C | Klimpke | Brayden | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 5’11” | 165 | D |
| C | Kosick | Noah | Victoria, B.C. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’11” | 165 | C |
| C | Lemire | Kayden | Edmonton, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’4” | 194 | RW |
| C | Liske | Brek | Beausejour, Man. | Everett Silvertips | 6’1” | 190 | D |
| C | McLaughlin | Will | Canmore, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’2” | 169 | D |
| C | O’Neill | Andrew | Fargo, N.D. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 195 | C |
| C | Olsen | Zach | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’1” | 198 | RW |
| C | Orsulak | Michal | Tremnosna, Czechia | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’4” | 220 | G |
| C | Rolsing | Darian | Speyer, Germany | Wenatchee Wild | 6’6” | 192 | D |
| C | Sivertson | Jonah | Regina, Sask. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’3” | 194 | RW |
| C | Sklenicka | Marek | Litvinov, Czechia | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’4” | 170 | G |
| C | Snell | Parker | St. Albert, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 176 | G |
| C | Sparks | Tyus | Meridian, Idaho | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 182 | C |
| C | Stebetak | Ondrej | Jihlava, Czechia | Portland Winterhawks | 6’2” | 176 | G |
| C | Ta’amu | Alofa Tunoa | San Diego, Calif. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 233 | D |
| C | Tomik | Tobias | Ilava, Slovakia | Vancouver Giants | 6’0” | 194 | LW |
| C | Tvrznik | Tobias | Litomerice, Czechia | Wenatchee Wild | 6’3” | 180 | G |
| C | Varga | Kalder | Geneva, Ill. | Kelowna Rockets | 5’11” | 178 | RW |
| W | Allan | Kaden | Hamiota, Man. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’3” | 185 | D |
| W | Allard | Cameron | Yorkton, Sask. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’3” | 185 | D |
| W | Andersen | Poul | St. Louis Park, Minn. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’1” | 190 | RW |
| W | Aura | Hunter | Kamloops, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 168 | D |
| W | Boychuk | Riley | Cochrane, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 5’10” | 170 | C |
| W | Buttazzoni | Diego | Langley, B.C. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’9” | 183 | LW |
| W | Cahill | Phoenix | Cottage Grove, Minn. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2” | 211 | D |
| W | Cleaver | Koen | Port Alberni, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’2” | 190 | G |
| W | Dean | Dylan | Maple Grove, Minn. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’0” | 180 | C |
| W | Deobald | Dryden | Regina, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’4” | 168 | D |
| W | Dillard | Cameron | Flower Mound, Texas | Everett Silvertips | 6’4” | 211 | D |
| W | Edmonstone | Logan | Saskatoon, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers | 5’11” | 168 | G |
| W | Egan | Jimmy | Still Water, Minn. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’2” | 183 | C |
| W | Gojsic | Kanjyu | Langley, B.C. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’0” | 187 | RW |
| W | Gustafson | Jake | San Jose, Calif. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’4” | 179 | C |
| W | Hesse | Aidan | St. Paul, Minn. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’1” | 177 | G |
| W | Kelly | Benett | Cochrane, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’1” | 187 | D |
| W | Klassen | Cohen | Martensville, Sask. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 177 | C |
| W | Kondro | Matthew | St. Albert, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’1” | 165 | G |
| W | Kuryachenkov | Stepan | Ufa, Russia | Swift Current Broncos | 5’10” | 143 | C |
| W | Kuzma | Cameron | St. Albert, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’2” | 190 | C |
| W | Lansard | Zachary | Ste. Anne, Man. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 175 | RW |
| W | Lesiuk | Gavin | Duncan, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’5” | 221 | LW |
| W | Maze | Julien | Edmonton, Alta. | Regina Pats | 5’9” | 165 | LW |
| W | McCann | Kadon | Cochrane, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’3” | 200 | C |
| W | McGregor | Josh | Brandon, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’2” | 191 | D |
| W | Molgachev | Andrei | Magnitogorsk, Russia | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 185 | C |
| W | Obobaifo | Aaron | Calgary, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 5’10” | 175 | LW |
| W | Olson | Brett | Spruce Grove, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 6’2” | 190 | C |
| W | Pantelakis | Zachary | North Vancouver, B.C. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’11” | 165 | C |
| W | Pavao | Cruz | Calgary, Alta. | Tri-City Americans | 5’11” | 196 | RW |
| W | Runtso | Timofei | Marina del Rey, Calif. | Victoria Royals | 6’2” | 185 | D |
| W | Sarkenov | Alisher | Astana, Kazakhstan | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’0” | 174 | RW |
| W | Sawchyn | Lukas | Grande Prairie, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’10” | 173 | C |
| W | Shore | Peyton | Winnipeg, Man. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’1” | 178 | G |
| W | Steen | Riley | Ladysmith, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 190 | D |
| W | Stengrim | Kade | Brainerd, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’4” | 206 | LW |
| W | Stewart | Nolan | Edmonton, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 5’10” | 168 | RW |
| W | Switzer | Jordan | Edmonton, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 186 | G |
| W | Vanhanen | Matias | Nokia, Finland | Everett Silvertips | 5’11” | 174 | LW |
| W | Wendt | Xavier | Plymouth, Minn. | Tri-City Americans | 6’0” | 179 | G |
| W | Yerex | Daxon | Oak Bluff, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’1” | 190 | D |
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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