Draft Day is here once again! Are we going to see 10?!?! WHL players taken in the first round.
As always, be sure to grab our guide at @FCHockey for some last minute research.
The following is my personal #2025NHLDraft rankings for the Western Region.
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Johan Nilsson, the founder of Elite Prospects and the person whose curiosity and passion for hockey planted the seed for everything we have built together.
Born on the 9th of April 1981, Johan founded Elite Prospects in December 1999 at just 18 years old. What started as a vision driven by a deep love of hockey grew into the world’s leading hockey platform, a testament to the kind of person he was. Johan had a rare combination of qualities: sharp intellect, deep knowledge, and a kindness that made everyone around him feel valued.
He could dive into the most complex problems with calm and clarity, and he brought that same thoughtfulness to the people he worked with every day. For the past nine years, Johan faced a battle with colon cancer with the same calm and strength that defined everything he did.
His love of hockey was never just about the game. It was about understanding it fully, honestly, and in all its detail. That drive is woven into the DNA of Elite Prospects, and it will continue to shape the future of what we do.
To know Johan was to be quietly inspired by him. We are all immensely grateful that we got to work alongside someone like him. Our deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. He will be greatly missed, by all of us and by the global hockey community. Johan leaves behind his beloved wife and two children, aged two and eight.
Time will tell but according to Western Canadian Regional scout @DMaz16, the Penticton Vees may have got one of the steals of the draft when they selected NAX forward Liam Bordt 20th overall at the 2026 WHL Draft.
With the WHL Draft completed and with plenty of American selections from the 2011-born class, I'll be diving into each skater that was picked from the draft over @PuckPreps in the coming month with a 2-part series of articles. Stay tuned!
Stealing the idea from @dathockeydoe I've drafted Team Donesh. This year using the Tigers picks.
21 - Brady Leinenweber D
44 - Luke Bodtker
55 - Kelson Hawreliuk
57 - Emmett Abel
108 - Logan Chang D
136 - Liam Nycholat
159 - Hudson Waddell G
164 - Mark Ma D
171 - Lucas Lavers D
As always the draft is not an endpoint, there have been many many high quality players passed over in their draft year.
Congrats to those selected, but for those passed over the journey is still alive and well.
Catching up on the draft and there were some really strong players who went unpicked. Shows the strength of the group with the Americans added.
Liam Nycholat, Mark Ma and Lucas Lavers are three names in particular that I'd want invited to my team's camp.
#WHL
The combination of excellent depth in this draft with the commitment of more high end Americans to the WHL means teams are getting some high impact players here in the second round.
Leinenweber, Lima, Pellack, Wolanski, Harvey, & Evans were all first round grade players for me.
Just wrapped up our 2026 WHL Draft Show. If you didn’t get a chance to watch it live, you can watch it now on YouTube.
@dathockeydoe and @DMaz16 went for just over two hours offering insight on every player picked from round 1👇
🔗 https://t.co/ZJ7PD1AjSp
2026 WHL Draft day is here!
Join Puck Preps Director of Scouting Joel Henderson and Western Canadian Regional scout Donesh Mazloum at 5PM as they break down every pick from the first round of the draft.
📺https://t.co/TGtUZ02nMn
What an awesome opportunity, thanks to the @USHL for inviting us. Always fun to talk hockey with great people.
Dusted off the suit and it still fit, so that is an additional win in my books.
That’s a wrap on the Phase II USHL Draft. Amazing work by @ChaseAllen03@Scouching & @DMaz16 offering analysis on an incredibly diverse group of players.
Thank you to the @USHL for this opportunity & good luck to all the players selected today!
📺 👇
https://t.co/25O2Niq34w
It's USHL Draft Day! Don't miss all of the coverage assisted by @PuckPreps over the next two days!
Day 1 Stream: https://t.co/L8kdYxS1HS
Day 2 Stream: https://t.co/mNeMpkVoBf
There’s plenty of intrigue around the Kelowna Rockets & what they will do with the 1OA pick at the 2026 WHL Draft.
Keep it? Trade it? All options seem to be on the table. Here’s what Joel Henderson did with the pick on our WHL Mock Draft Draft Show👇
🔗 https://t.co/rnFhRqGQzr
OHA Colorado took home the 16U National Championship with a dramatic 3-2 OT victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Our scouting team took in all the action from the tournament & share their top 10 skaters from the event along with insight on each player.
🔗 https://t.co/C4yu8Ob6ra
We’re exactly one week out from the 2026 WHL Draft, which can only mean one thing, mock draft time!
Find out what our trio of Western Canadian scouts would do if they were in the GM chair for the first round of the draft.
📺 Watch it all here👇
🔗 https://t.co/rnFhRqGQzr
We’re extremely excited for the opportunity to be a part of the USHL’s 2026 draft shows. US Regional scouts @kamronrobson4@ChaseAllen033@Scouching and @DMaz16 will be offering analysis on player selections as they come in for both Phase I and Phase II of the draft.