2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospect Rudolph named Tempo WHL Player of the Week, Fuelled by Co-op

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today 2026 NHL Draft-eligible defenceman Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week, Fuelled by Co-op, for the week ending Sunday, May 3.

Rudolph, an 18-year-old product of Lacombe, Alta., recorded nine points (4G-5A) and a plus-4 rating in four games, helping the Raiders eliminate the defending WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers to advance to the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pound right-shot blueliner started his week by scoring Prince Albert’s lone goal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Championship – a 2-1 overtime loss Tuesday, April 28, at Medicine Hat.

In an all-important Game 4 with his team trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, Rudolph showed up in a big way with a four-point (2G-2A) effort Wednesday, April 29, as the Raiders doubled up the Tigers by a 6-3 score. Rudolph opened the scoring on a power play 10:16 into the first period before adding a second power-play goal only 25 seconds into the second period, giving Prince Albert a 3-1 lead. The second-year rearguard contributed assists on the next two goals for the Raiders and was named first star of the game as Prince Albert evened the series 2-2.

In Game 5 on Friday, May 1, Rudolph provided a helper on what went into the books as the eventual game-winning goal by Owen Corkish. Prince Albert skated to a second consecutive 6-3 triumph, this time on home ice, to take a 3-2 series lead.

With a berth in the 2026 WHL Championship Series on the line, Rudolph was once again up for the moment, registering three points (1G-2A) in Game 6 as the Raiders secured a 7-6 victory Sunday, May 3, eliminating the Tigers from the 2026 WHL Playoffs. Trailing 2-1, Rudolph combined with Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes to register a power-play goal 3:47 into the second period, tying the game. A mere 1:52 later, Rudolph scored his ninth goal of the post-season to give Prince Albert a 3-2 advantage. Before the second period was up, Rudolph and Cootes once again connected, this time setting up veteran forward Aiden Oiring for a power-play goal with 6:48 to go in the middle period. Oiring’s seventh goal of the playoffs gave Prince Albert a 4-3 lead. The Raiders added two more goals to take a 6-3 lead into the third period. A late push from Medicine Hat made for a tense finish, but ultimately, Prince Albert held on to advance to the WHL Championship for the first time since 2019.

With 23 points (9G-14A) in 15 games, Rudolph leads the entire WHL Playoffs in scoring. Ranked fifth among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, Rudolph enters the WHL Championship riding a four-game point streak, and has secured points in six of his last seven outings. In total, the veteran defender has registered at least one point in 12 of 15 post-season appearances in 2026.

Rudolph enjoyed an outstanding second season in Prince Albert, scoring 78 points (28G-50A) in 68 games to finish third in scoring among all WHL defencemen. Named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team, Rudolph is a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL Defenceman of the Year.

Originally selected by the Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Rudolph has collected 119 points (35G-84A) in 132 career WHL regular season games. He has also appeared in 26 career WHL postseason games, tallying 35 points (10G-25A).

Rudolph and the Raiders will continue their pursuit of the Ed Chynoweth Cup this Friday, May 8, when they visit the Everett Silvertips for Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien.

Tempo WHL Player of the Week

September 22, 2025: Ethan Semeniuk, Moose Jaw Warriors
September 29, 2025: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
October 6, 2025: Matias Vanhanen, Everett Silvertips
October 14, 2025: Noah Kosick, Swift Current Broncos
October 20, 2025: Kooper Gizowski, Prince George Cougars
October 27, 2025: Caden Brown, Regina Pats
November 3, 2025: Max Curran, Edmonton Oil Kings
November 10, 2025: Luke Mistelbacher, Brandon Wheat Kings
November 17, 2025: Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers
November 24, 2025: JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers
December 1, 2025: Tarin Smith, Everett Silvertips
December 8, 2025: Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers
December 15, 2025: Joby Baumuller, Brandon Wheat Kings
December 22, 2025: Mathis Preston, Spokane Chiefs
December 29, 2025: Jonas Woo, Medicine Hat Tigers
January 5, 2026: Lukas Sawchyn, Edmonton Oil Kings
January 12, 2026: Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat Tigers
January 19, 2026: Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert Raiders
January 26, 2026: Brandon Gorzynski, Prince Albert Raiders
February 2, 2026: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
February 9, 2026: Carter Sotheran, Edmonton Oil Kings
February 16, 2026: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips
February 23, 2026: Owen Martin, Spokane Chiefs
March 2, 2026: Julius Miettinen, Everett Silvertips
March 9, 2026: Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
March 16, 2026: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips
March 23, 2026: Cameron Schmidt, Seattle Thunderbirds
March 30, 2026: Julien Maze, Calgary Hitmen
April 6, 2026: Miroslav Holinka, Edmonton Oil Kings
April 13, 2026: Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars
April 20, 2026: Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers
April 27, 2026: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips

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.