Western Hockey League completes 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft

Calgary, Alta. –  The Western Hockey League completed the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft today with WHL member Clubs selecting 44 players throughout the two-round draft.

With the first-overall pick, the Spokane Chiefs selected forward Brody Gillespie from RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep.

The product of Vancouver, Wash. collected 54 points (26G-28A) from his 28 CSSHL contests during the 2022-23 season.

“Brody is a very complete player who adds an element of skill, speed, size and energy to our lineup,” Spokane Chiefs Director of U.S. Scouting George Ross said. “We couldn’t be more excited to add him to our group.”

A total of 28 forwards, 12 defencemen and four goaltenders were selected in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.

In total, players from 12 different states were selected in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, including California, which led the way with 10 players chosen.

2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft – State-by-State Breakdown
California – 10
Minnesota – 9
Texas – 8
Colorado – 4
Arizona – 3
Washington – 3
Idaho – 2
Alaska – 1
Illinois – 1
New Mexico – 1
North Dakota – 1
Utah – 1

Complete results for the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft are available at WHL.ca/draft.

 

2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft Results

Round One

#1 – Spokane Chiefs
Name: Brody Gillespie                   Position: Forward             Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Team: RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep                               Stats: 28GP – 26G-28A–54 points

#2 – Victoria Royals
Name: Cruz Waltze                         Position: Forward             Hometown: Richland, Wash.
Team: RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep                               Stats: 28GP – 24G-22A–46 points

#3 – Edmonton Oil Kings
Name: Alofa Tunoa Ta’amu          Position: Defence             Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                     Stats: 49GP – 15G-15A– 30 points

#4 – Swift Current Broncos
Name: Aiden Eskit                          Position: Goaltender       Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep                                  Stats: 17 GP – 11-5-1 – 2.43 GAA, .914 SV%

#5 – Prince Albert Raiders
Name: Liam Hamre                         Position: Forward             Hometown: Victoria, Minn.
Team: Sioux Falls Power 14U AAA                                           Stats: 51 GP – 28G-21A–49 points

#6 – Brandon Wheat Kings
Name: Reed Brown                        Position: Forward             Hometown: Tempe, Ariz.
Team: OHA Colorado 14U AAA                                                Stats: 7 GP – 4G-3A–7 points

#7 – Kelowna Rockets
Name: Kalder Varga                       Position: Forward             Hometown: Geneva, Ill.
Team: Chicago Mission 14U AAA                                             Stats: 15 GP – 11G-10A–21 points

#8 – Vancouver Giants
Name: Tyus Sparks                         Position: Forward             Hometown: Boise, Id.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                     Stats: 45 GP – 49G-41A–90 points

#9 – Medicine Hat Tigers
Name: Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll   Position: Forward             Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Team: Chicago Mission 14U AAA                                             Stats: 15 GP – 8G-12A–20 points

#10 – Everett Silvertips
Name: Cameron Dillard                 Position: Defence             Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA                                             Stats: 4 GP – 1G-1A–2 points

#11 – Calgary Hitmen
Name: Masen McCosh                  Position: Defence             Hometown: Glendale, Ariz.
Team: Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U AAA                                       Stats: 4 GP – 1G-0A–1 point

#12 – Regina Pats
Name: Parker Trottier                    Position: Forward             Hometown: Edina, Minn.
Team: Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA                                       Stats: 56 GP – 43G-45A–88 points

#13 – Tri-City Americans
Name: Sean Burick                         Position: Defence             Hometown: San Clemente, Calif.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                     Stats: 52 GP – 6G-17A–23 points

#14 – Lethbridge Hurricanes
Name: North McKee                      Position: Defence             Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA                                             Stats: 4 GP – 0G-1A–1 point

#15 – Prince George Cougars
Name: Phoenix Cahill                     Position: Defence             Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minn.
Team: Sioux Falls Power 14U AAA                                           Stats: 14 GP – 3G-3A–6 points

#16 – Moose Jaw Warriors
Name: Zachary Schmidt                 Position: Defence             Hometown: Highland Ranch, Colo.
Team: Colorado Thunderbirds 14U AAA                                Stats: 8 GP – 2G-3A–5 points

#17 – Portland Winterhawks
Name: Landon Amrhein                 Position: Forward             Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA                                             Stats: 4 GP – 2G-6A–8 points

#18 – Red Deer Rebels
Name: Cooper Soller                      Position: Forward             Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Team: Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA                                       Stats: 55 GP – 31G-45A–76 points

#19 – Saskatoon Blades
Name: Daniel Peate                       Position: Forward             Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Team: Anaheim Jr. Ducks 14U AAA                                         Stats: 40 GP – 38G-20A–58 points

#20 – Kamloops Blazers
Name: JP Hurlbert                           Position: Forward             Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA                                             Stats: 75 GP – 112G-83A–195 points

#21 – Seattle Thunderbirds
Name: Drake Owens                      Position: Goaltender       Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
Team: Rocky Mountain Roughriders 14U AAA                     Stats: 35 GP – 2.09 GAA, .897 SV%

#22 – Winnipeg ICE
Name: Colemen Bumgarner         Position: Forward             Hometown: Shakopee, Minn.
Team: Benilde/St. Margaret’s High School                            Stats: 27 GP – 6G-9A–15 points

 

Round Two

#23 – Edmonton Oil Kings
Name: Dylan Dean                          Position: Forward             Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
Team: Mount St. Charles Academy 14U AAA                        Stats: 32 GP – 23G-32A–55 points

#24 – Spokane Chiefs
Name: Nathan Chorlton                Position: Forward             Hometown: Hastings, Minn.
Team: Cretin/Derham Hall High School                                 Stats: 31 GP – 6G-10A–16 points

#25 – Victoria Royals
Name: Odin Vauhkonen                Position: Defence             Hometown: Costa Mesa, Calif.
Team: Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA                                       Stats: 56 GP – 11G-36A–47 points

#26 – Kelowna Rockets
Name: Oliver Kanat                        Position: Goaltender       Hometown: Newport Beach, Calif.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                     Stats: 14 GP – 1.53 GAA, .922 SV%

#27 – Prince Albert Raiders
Name: Caden Dionne                     Position: Forward             Hometown: Denver, Colo.
Team: Sioux Falls Power 14U AAA                                           Stats: 40 GP – 24G-17A–41 points

#28 – Brandon Wheat Kings
Name: Jimmy Egan                         Position: Defence             Hometown: Mahtomedi, Minn.
Team: Mahtomedi High School                                                Stats: 31 GP – 4G-17A–21 points

#29 – Vancouver Giants
Name: Gavin Karl                            Position: Forward             Hometown: Excelsior, Minn.
Team: Minnesota Machine 14U                                               Stats: 31 GP – 11G-11A–22 points

#30 – Swift Current Broncos
Name: Dominic Deibert                 Position: Defence             Hometown: Fargo, N.D.
Team: North Dakota BEL                                                           Stats: 5 GP – 1G-0A–1 point

#31 – Medicine Hat Tigers
Name: Noah Davidson                   Position: Forward             Hometown: Irvine, Calif.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                      Stats: 51 GP – 60G-47A–107 points

#32 – Everett Silvertips
Name: Booker Toninato                Position: Forward             Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA                                             Stats: 4 GP – 0G-3A–3 points

#33 – Calgary Hitmen
Name: Joel Anderson                     Position: Goaltender       Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M.
Team: Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U AAA                                       Stats: 3 GP – 2.67 GAA, .849 SV%

#34 – Regina Pats
Name: Blake Riley-Kam                 Position: Forward             Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Team: Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U AAA                                       Stats: 4 GP – 1G-2A–3 points

#35 – Tri-City Americans
Name: Rowan McCord                  Position: Forward             Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
Team: Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 14U                             Stats: 61 GP – 39G-25A–64 points

#36 – Lethbridge Hurricanes
Name: Logan Stuart                        Position: Forward             Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                      Stats: 27 GP – 36G-32A–68 points

#37 – Prince George Cougars
Name: Broden Scissors                  Position: Forward             Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                      Stats: 52 GP – 16G-10A–26 points

#38 – Moose Jaw Warriors
Name: Trevor Hill                            Position: Forward             Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: San Antonio Jr. Rampage 14U                                      Stats: 21 GP – 30G-21A–51 points

#39 – Portland Winterhawks
Name: Luke Wilfley                        Position: Forward             Hometown: Englewood, Colo.
Team: OHA Colorado 14U AAA                                                 Stats: 7 GP – 3G-5A–8 points

#40 – Red Deer Rebels
Name: Ethan Park                           Position: Forward             Hometown: Meridian, Id.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA                                     Stats: 43 GP – 19G-26A–45 points

#41 – Saskatoon Blades
Name: Luke Host                            Position: Defence             Hometown: Columbine, Colo.
Team: OHA Colorado 14U AAA                                                Stats: 7 GP – 0G-2A–2 points

#42 – Kamloops Blazers
Name: Dennis Emesibe                  Position: Forward             Hometown: Allen, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA                                             Stats: 5 GP – 4G-2A–6 points

#43 – Seattle Thunderbirds
Name: Zane Torre                           Position: Forward             Hometown: Ladera Ranch, Calif.
Team: Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA                                       Stats: 3 GP – 0G-0A–0 points

#44 – Winnipeg ICE
Name: Logan Lutner                       Position: Defence             Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
Team: Osseo/Maple Grove AA 14U                                        statistics unavailable

 

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 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five 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.