Five players added to rosters for 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the addition of five players to the rosters for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass.

Added to the roster for Team East is defenceman Giorgos Pantelas (Brandon Wheat Kings / Victoria, B.C.).

Added to the roster for Team West are forwards Chase Harrington (Spokane Chiefs / Prince George, B.C.) and JP Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers / Allen, Texas), defenceman Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars / Cypress River, Man.), and goaltender Harrison Boettiger (Kelowna Rockets / Wheat Ridge, Colo.)

Scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, at the Langley Events Centre, the 2026 WHL Prospects Game will pit the most highly touted, NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the WHL’s Eastern Conference against those from the WHL’s Western Conference in a one-game battle for WHL supremacy in front of hundreds of NHL scouts and thousands of WHL fans.

Tickets for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass are available now. Please visit vancouvergiants.com/tickets for details.

Giorgos Pantelas (D), Brandon Wheat Kings / Victoria, B.C.

Pantelas, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 211 pounds, was assigned a ‘B’ rating by NHL Central Scouting in its Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2026 NHL Draft. The right-shot blueliner has tallied 16 points (2G-14A) in 30 games for the surging Wheat Kings – winners of seven consecutive games and ranked fourth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a record of 18-11-1-0.

Originally selected by the Wheat Kings in the first round (19th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Pantelas represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November. Over 92 career WHL regular season games, he has registered 26 points (6G-20A).

Chase Harrington (LW), Spokane Chiefs / Prince George, B.C.

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Harrington was given a ‘B’ rating by NHL Central Scouting. The left winger has recorded 28 points (11G-17A) in 32 games for the Chiefs, who find themselves battling for ground in the WHL’s Western Conference, ranked fifth with a record of 17-16-0-0.

Originally selected by the Chiefs in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, Harrington represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November. Over 165 career WHL regular season games, he has collected 101 points (36G-65A).

JP Hurlbert (RW), Kamloops Blazers / Allen, Texas

Leading the WHL in scoring with 54 points, Hurlbert has been identified with an ‘A’ rating by NHL Central Scouting. The 6-foot, 182-pound right winger has enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign in the WHL, leading the league with 54 points (22G-32A) in 31 games. Hurlbert’s effort has helped the Blazers to a record of 14-12-2-3, as they rank seventh in the WHL’s Western Conference.

Hurlbert was originally selected by the Blazers in the first round (20th overall) of the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft. He signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement in August 2025.

Carson Carels (D), Prince George Cougars / Cypress River, Man.

Assigned an ‘A’ rating by NHL Central Scouting, Carels has secured 29 points (8G-21A) in 28 games, helping the Cougars vault to the top of the B.C. Division with a record of 22-8-0-0.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound rearguard represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and is currently at training camp with Canada’s National Junior Team, with sights set on representing his nation at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota.

Originally selected by the Cougars in the first round (16th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Carels has notched 67 points (14G-53A) in 95 career WHL regular season games.

Harrison Boettiger (G), Kelowna Rockets / Wheat Ridge, Colo.

Boettiger was identified by NHL Central Scouting with a ‘B’ rating. His steady play has helped the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets to sixth in the WHL’s Western Conference with a record of 15-11-3-1.

The 6-foot-3, 193-pound puckstopper represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Originally selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2022 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, Boettiger was acquired by the Rockets at the 2025 WHL Trade Deadline and signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement on June 23, 2025.

In 14 WHL appearances, Boettiger is 8-3-1-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

Already named to the roster for Team East are Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph, of Lacombe, Alta., along with Medicine Hat Tigers forward Liam Ruck, the pride of Osoyoos, B.C.

In addition to the four players named today, Team West will feature hometown product and Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin, along with Spokane Chiefs forward Mathis Preston, a native of Penticton, B.C.

Additional members of both Team West and Team East will be unveiled in the lead up to the 2026 WHL Prospects Game in Vancouver. The two rosters will feature the best and brightest WHL talent eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, as identified by NHL Central Scouting and NHL Clubs, along with other stars from across the WHL.

The 2026 WHL Prospects Game will serve as the first all-WHL event of its kind since January 19, 2000, when Kelowna hosted the 2000 WHL All-Star Game, in which the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference by a score of 10-8 in front of 5,420 fans at Prospera Place.

Since the WHL was established in 1966-67, there have been 26 previous WHL all-star or top prospects-style events.

Vancouver last hosted a WHL All-Star Game on January 19, 1972, when the East Division defeated the West Division by a 4-2 margin.

For more information on the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, please visit WHL.ca.

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.