Gavin McKenna (2026 – Toronto Maple Leafs) joins Connor Bedard (2023 – Chicago Blackhawks) as the second ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni selected first overall at an NHL Entry Draft. Daxon Rudolph (2026 – Buffalo Sabres) joins Bowen Byram (2019 – Colorado Avalanche) as the highest selected ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ defenseman at an NHL Entry Draft, with each going fourth overall. 

The six ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni selected in the first round beat the previous ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ record of five set in 2021, 2023 and 2025. A record 25 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni were selected at both the 2023 and 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Two alumni were selected inside the Top 5, and four inside the Top 10, both ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ records. 

A total of 223 players were selected at this year’s draft with 10.3% of players selected having played in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.

106 players developed in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) were selected at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, making up 47.5% of the players selected. The CHL’s 106 selections were its highest total in 16 years, dating back to 2010, and marked the first time since 2013 that the CHL reached the 100-pick mark at the NHL Draft.

39 of those 106 players were developed in the WHL, with 22 of the 23 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni making up 56.4% of WHLers. All 23 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni selected were developed in the CHL, making up 21.7% of all CHLers.

In total, 193 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni have now being selected at the NHL Draft since 2012. 157 of those 193 (81%) have been selected in the last seven years. 58 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni have gone on to play NHL regular season or playoff games. 

Number of Players Selected Per Draft

1. 2024 – 25
2. 2023 – 25
3. 2026 – 23
4. 2021 – 23
5. 2022 – 21
6. 2020 – 20
7. 2025 – 20
8. 2019 – 7
9. 2016 – 7
10. 2018 – 6
11. 2017 – 6
12. 2015 – 3
13. 2014 – 3
14. 2012 – 3
15. 2013 – 2

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

1. Yale Hockey Academy – 26
2. Pursuit of Excellence/RHA Kelowna– 26
   • 14 POE, 12 RHA Kelowna
3. Edge School – 23
4. Northern Alberta Xtreme – 22
5. Okanagan Hockey Academy – 21
6. BWC Academy – 18
7. Delta Hockey Academy – 17
8. RHA Winnipeg – 16
9. OHA Edmonton – 12
10. West Van Warriors – 8
    • 5 West Van, 3 NSW
11. St. George’s School – 7
12. Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 5
13. South Alberta Hockey Academy – 3
14. Notre Dame Hounds – 2
15. Calgary International Hockey Academy – 1
16. Champions Hockey Academy – 1
17. CIH Academy – 1
18. Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy – 1
19. Mount Academy – 1
20. Ontario Hockey Academy – 1
21. Pilot Mound Hockey Academy – 1
22. Prairie Hockey Academy – 1

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

• Okanagan Hockey Academy – 5
• RHA Kelowna – 5
• Northern Alberta Xtreme – 4
• Edge School – 3
• Delta Hockey Academy – 2
• OHA Edmonton – 2
• Calgary International Hockey Academy – 1
• Champions Hockey Academy – 1
• Ontario Hockey Academy – 1
• Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 1
• Pilot Mound Hockey Academy -1
• RHA Winnipeg- 1
• South Alberta Hockey Academy – 1
• Yale Hockey Academy – 1

Ratzalff spent the 2020/21 COVID-19 shortened U16 Prep season with the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX), recording a shutout in his lone game.

Selected in the second round, 43rd overall at the 2020 WHL Draft by the Seattle Thunderbirds the Irma, AB netminder joined Seattle full time 2021/22 season. Ratzlaff is now in his fourth season with Seattle, posting a 67-37-2 record, .909SV%, 2.79GAA and 7 shutouts in WHL 116 games. He was also apart of the Thunderbirds WHL Championship during the 2022/23 campaign.

Internationally, Ratzlaff helped Team Canada win gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was a member of the 2024 Team Canada World Juniors team.

Ratzlaff was selected by the Sabres in the fifth round, 141st overall at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

The North Vancouver, BC defenseman joined the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ for the 2018/19 U15 Prep season. In 27 games he would tally 26 points leading to the Kamloops Blazers selecting him ninth overall at the 2019 WHL Draft.

He would return to BWC Academy the following season, tallying 23 points in 31 U18 Prep games.

Lindgren would spend the next two seasons with the Kamloop Blazers, posting 54 points in 90 WHL games. At the end of the 2021/22 season the Buffalo Sabres would select Lindgren in the fourth round 106th overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

After a move to the Red Deer Rebels, Lindgren has recorded 75 points in 126 games the last two WHL seasons.

The Chilliwack, BC forward spent two seasons in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ with the Yale U15 Prep team.  During the 2018/19 season Benson would finish with 6 goals and 13 assists in 28 games. He would add four points in five playoff games as Yale captured the 2019 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U15 Prep Western Championship.

The following season Benson would lead the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U15 Prep division with 56 assists and 86 points while being named league MVP.  The Winnipeg Ice would select Benson in the first round, 14th overall at the 2020 Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft.

Benson has played the last three seasons in the WHL with the Ice, tallying 181 points in 142 games. This season he would be named to the CHL Third All-Star Team and WHL (East) First All-Star Team. His 98 points in 60 games were a team high and third among all WHL Skaters. He would also represent Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, tallying seven points in five games as Canada captured gold.

The Sabres selected Benson in the first round, 13th overall at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Rudolph spent the 2022/23 season in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ with the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) U15 Prep team. In 30 games Rudolph led all defensemen with 17 goals and 50 points. Rudolph would save his best for last as he led all skaters with 5 goals and 12 points in 5 playoff games. The Lacombe, AB product would score two goals in the semi-finals, including the game winner with 18 seconds left, and two more in the finals, scoring the overtime winner on a breakaway 1:19 into the extra frame as NAX captured the 2023 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U15 Prep Western Championship.

Rudolph is the third NAX skater to be drafted first overall in the WHL Draft joining Dylan Guenther (2018/Edmonton Oil Kings) and Matthew Savoie (2019/Winnipeg Ice). Both Guenther and Savoie were drafted ninth overall at their respective NHL Drafts: Guenther in 2021 to the Arizona Coyotes and Savoie in 2022 to the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres selected the St. Albert, AB forward with the ninth pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Savoie became the eighth ever ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ alumni selected inside the Top 10.

Savoie spent three seasons in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, joining the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) U15 Prep team in 2017/18. In 30 games Savoie would finish second in league scoring with 97 points, including a league best 69 assists as he was named the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U15 Prep Most Valuable Player.

Granted ‘Exceptional Status’ to play U18 as an underage, Savoie would record 31 goals and 40 assists in 30 U18 Prep games, once again being named the divisions Most Valuable Player. He would add an additional 12 points in 5 playoff games as NAX captured a ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U18 Prep League Championship.

Following the 2018/19 season the Winnipeg Ice would select Savoie first overall in the 2019 Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft. Savoie would split the 2019/20 season with the Ice and RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg U18 Prep, recording 7 assists in 22 WHL games and 52 points in 22 ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ U18 Prep games.

That season Savoie would suit up for Team Canada at the Youth Olympics, captaining the team to a bronze medal, while also later competing for Canada White at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he would tally six points in six games.

Savoie would join the Sherwood Park Crusaders for the beginning of the 2020/21 Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) season, tallying six points in four games before heading south of the border due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021/22 would see Savoie return to the Winnipeg Ice, where he would lead his team and all WHL rookies with 90 points in 65 games while earning WHL (East) First All-Star Team honours.