The Penguins select selected the Winnipeg, MB native in the second round, 39th overall at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Kettles was selected by the Swift Current Broncos with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft after he recorded 9 goals and 26 assists in 30 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ games for the RHA Winnipeg U15 Prep team. The following U18 Prep season Kettles posted 2 goals and 14 assists in 22 games.

He would join the Broncos for the 2023/24 WHL season, recording 13 points in 61 games while playing for Team Canada Red at the U17 World Hockey Challenge. During the 2024/25 season he added 14 points in 53 WHL games, while helping Team Canada capture gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Kettles began the 2025/26 season with the Broncos before being traded to the 2026 Memorial Cup hosts, the Kelowna Rockets.

Cootes finished tied for fifth among all ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U15 Prep skaters with 67 points in 30 games during the 2021/22 season, his lone season in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ with Yale Hockey Academy. The Sherwood Park, AB forward was selected in the first round, 10^th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds at the 2022 WHL Draft.

He would join the Thunderbirds in 2023/24, posting 35 points in 64 games. He would add four points in seven games for Canada Red at the World U17 Hockey Challenge.

This past season Cootes would be named captain of the Thunderbirds while leading the team with 63 points in 60 games. Cootes would suit-up for Canada twice this season, capturing gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18 WJC where he captained the team and led them with 12 points.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Benjamin Kindel after selecting him 11^th overall, while Lynden Lakovic, has signed with the Washington Capitals after being selected 27^th overall.

Kindel has spent the last two seasons in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen recording 159 points in 134 games. This past season he recorded a career high 99 points while being named WHL (East) First Team All-Star. He would represent Canada twice this season, capturing gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18 WJC.

The Coquitlam, BC forward was originally selected by the Hitmen in the second round of the 2022 WHL Draft after playing three seasons in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.

He would begin his ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ journey in 2020/21 with the BWC Academy U15 team, recording 11 points in 6 games. The following U15 Prep campaign he tallied 47 points in 22 games, second among BWC Academy skaters.

In 2022/23 he would join the Yale Hockey Academy U18 Prep team, finishing second on his team with 46 points in 29 games.

A forward from Kelowna, BC, Lakovic spent the last three seasons in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, recording 104 points in 153 games including a career high 58 in 47 games this past season. He would add 8 points in 20 playoff games in 2023/24 as the Warriors were crowned WHL Champions.

Prior to his time in the WHL, Lakovic spent three seasons in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. He joined the league in 2019/20, tallying 11 points in 26 games with the RHA Kelowna U15 Prep team. He would add seven points in four U15 Prep games the following season.

The five ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni selected in the first round ties the previous ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ record set in 2021 and 2023. A record 25 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni were selected at both the 2023 and 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

A total of 224 players were selected at this year’s draft with 8.9% of players selected having played in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) led the way with 90 total players selected and 40.2% of the draft, more than three times that of any other development league in the world. 33 of those 90 players were from the WHL, with all 20 of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni making up 60.6% of WHLers and 22.2% of CHLers.

In total, 170 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni have now being selected at the NHL Draft since 2012. 114 of those 151 (75%) have been selected in the last six years. 48 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni have gone on to play NHL games. 

Former Edge School student-athlete Justin Kipkie was selected at this weekend’s 2025 NHL Entry Draft after being selected previously at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. In total, 170 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ student-athletes have made up 171 NHL Draft selections.

Number of Players Selected Per Draft

1. 2024 – 25
2. 2023 – 25
3. 2021 – 23
4. 2022 – 21
5. 2020 – 20
6. 2025 – 20
7. 2019 – 7
8. 2016 – 7
9. 2018 – 6
10. 2017 – 6
11. 2015 – 3
12. 2014 – 3
13. 2012 – 3
14. 2013 – 2

Most Players Selected from a ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Program In League History

1. Yale Hockey Academy – 25
2. Pursuit of Excellence/RHA Kelowna– 21
   • 14 POE, 7 RHA Kelowna
3. Edge School – 20
4. BWC Academy – 18
5. Northern Alberta Xtreme – 18
6. Okanagan Hockey Academy – 16
7. Delta Hockey Academy – 15
8. RHA Winnipeg – 15
9. OHA Edmonton – 10
10. West Van Warriors – 8
    • 5 West Van, 3 NSW
11. St. George’s School – 7
12. Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 4
13. Notre Dame Hounds – 2
14. South Alberta Hockey Academy – 2
15. CIH Academy – 1
16. Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy – 1
17. Mount Academy – 1
18. Prairie Hockey Academy – 1

9 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Programs saw student-athletes selected at this years draft:

• Edge School – 5
• RHA Winnipeg – 5
• Yale Hockey Academy – 5
• Northern Alberta Xtreme – 2
• RHA Kelowna – 2
• BWC Academy – 1
• North Shore Warriors – 1
• Okanagan Hockey Academy – 1
• South Alberta Hockey Academy – 1

The 40 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni are currently playing in the QMJHL, NCAA and WHL. Of the 67 WHL players who find their names on the list, 57% (38/67) are ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni. 98% of the 40 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni are currently playing in the CHL (OHL, QMJHL, WHL).

Jackson Smith is the highest ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ skater coming in at 13th. Lynden Lakovic, Braeden Cootes, Benjamin Kindel, Cole Reschny, and Blake Fiddler all find themselves ranked inside the Top 32.

The 40 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni represent 15 different member programs, with Edge School and RHA Winnipeg leading the way with eight:

• Edge School – 8
• RHA Winnipeg – 8
• Yale Hockey Academy – 6
• Northern Alberta Xtreme – 6
• RHA Kelowna – 4
• North Shore Warriors – 3
• BWC Academy – 2
• Delta Hockey Academy – 2
• Notre Dame Hounds – 2
• Okanagan Hockey Academy – 2
• South Alberta Hockey Academy – 2
• Bourget College – 1
• Calgary International Hockey Academy – 1
• Mount Academy – 1
• Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 1

Among the 225 ranked North American skaters include 36 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni:

Among the 32 ranked North American skaters include 4 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni:

The 43 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni are currently playing in the QMJHL, USA High-School and WHL. Of the 66 WHL players who find their names on the list, 59% (39/66) are ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni. 95% of the 43 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni are currently playing in the CHL (OHL, QMJHL, WHL).

Jackson Smith is the highest ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ skater coming in at ninth. Lynden Lakovic, Benjamin Kindel, Braeden Cootes, Blake Fiddler, Peyton Kettles, Cameron Schmidt, and Nathan Behm all find themselves ranked inside the Top 32.

The 43 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni represent 16 different member programs, with Edge School and RHA Winnipeg leading the way with eight:

• Edge School – 8
• RHA Winnipeg – 8
• Yale Hockey Academy – 5
• Delta Hockey Academy – 4
• North Shore Warriors – 4
• Northern Alberta Xtreme – 4
• RHA Kelowna – 4
• BWC Academy – 3
• Notre Dame Hounds – 3
• South Alberta Hockey Academy – 3
• Okanagan Hockey Academy – 2
• Bourget College – 1
• Calgary International Hockey Academy – 1
• Mount Academy – 1
• Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 1
• St. George’s School – 1

Among the 224 ranked North American skaters include 41 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni:

Among the 32 ranked North American skaters include 2 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni:

Four players were given an ‘A’ Grade (First round Candidate), nine players were given a ‘B’ Grade (Indicates a 2nd/3rd round candidate), eight were given a ‘C’ Grade (Indicates a 4th/5th/6th round candidate), and 15 received a ‘W’ Grade (Indicates a 6th/7th round candidate.

The 36 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni are currently playing in the BCHL, MJHL, QMJHL, USA High-School and WHL. Of the 55 WHL players who find their names on the list, 55% (30/55) are ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni.