RED DEER - Eight Alberta players, registered in Hockey Alberta/Hockey Canada sanctioned programs, heard their names called during the first round of the 2023 WHL Draft on Thursday.
Albertans were selected first and second overall and five going in the top 10.
Prince Albert Raiders had the first two picks, selecting Lacombe’s Daxon Rudolph first overall, and Cochrane’s Riley Boychuk with the number two pick.
Five Albertans were selected in the top 10 including:
- 4th: Keaton Verhoeff, Fort Saskatchewan (Victoria Royals)
- 7th: Ty Meunier, St.Albert, (Prince Albert Raiders)
- 8th: Brett Olson, Spruce Grove (Vancouver Giants).
Rounding out the list of Albertans selected in the first round were 13th Cruz Pavao, Calgary (Tri-City Americans), 16th Aaron Sawatzky, Didsbury (Moose Jaw Warriors), and 22nd Carter Esler, Okotoks (Spokane Chiefs)
Five of the eight Albertans are from the Alberta Elite Hockey League.
A full list of Albertans registered in Hockey Alberta/ Hockey Canada sanctioned programs drafted can be found below:
Pick | Player | Team | Position | Hometown |
FIRST ROUND | ||||
1st | Daxon Rudolph | Prince Albert Raiders | Defence | Lacombe |
2nd | Riley Boychuk | Prince Albert Raiders | Forward | Cochrane |
4th | Keaton Verheoff | Victoria Royals | Defence | Fort Saskatchewan |
7th | Ty Meunier | Prince Albert Raiders | Forward | St. Albert |
8th | Brett Olson | Vancouver Giants | Forward | Spruce Grove |
13th | Cruz Pavao | Tri-City Americans | Forward | Calgary |
16th | Aaron Sawatzky | Moose Jaw Warriors | Defence | Didsbury |
22nd | Carter Esler | Spokane Chiefs | Goaltender | Okotoks |
SECOND ROUND | ||||
27th | Bennett Kelly | Prince Albert Raiders | Defence | Cochrane |
29th | Zachery Olsen | Saskatoon Blades | Forward | Calgary |
30th | Sawyer Dingman | Swift Current Broncos | Forward | Edmonton |
32nd | Rhys Jamieson | Everett Silvertips | Forward | Calgary |
33rd | Easton LaPlante | Calgary Hitmen | Defence | Calgary |
34th | Parker Snell | Edmonton Oil Kings | Goaltender | St. Albert |
37th | Kayden Lemire | Prince George Cougars | Forward | Edmonton |
39th | Jordan Duguay | Portland Winterhawks | Forward | Edmonton |
41st | Cooper Williams | Saskatoon Blades | Forward | Calgary |
42nd | Ryley Budd | Saskatoon Blades | Goaltender | Calgary |
43rd | Dermot Johnston | Prince George Cougars | Defence | Olds |
44th | Townes Kozicky | Prince George Cougars | Forward | Calgary |
THIRD ROUND | ||||
50th | Steele Bass | Prince Albert Raiders | Goaltender | High River |
54th | Finn Werner | Everett Silvertips | Goaltender | St. Albert |
55th | Jesse McKinnon | Tri-City Americans | Forward | St. Albert |
57th | Cage Smith | Edmonton Oil Kings | Forward | Brooks |
58th | Braydon Riggall | Vancouver Giants | Defence | Calgary |
62nd | Cole Prelusky | Victoria Royals | Goaltender | Calgary |
63rd | Patrick Sopiarz | Prince George Cougars | Forward | Edmonton |
66th | Caelen Joudrey | Winnipeg ICE | Forward | Airdrie |
FOURTH ROUND | ||||
69th | Rhett Sather | Victoria Royals | Defence | Rocky View |
70th | Nathan Guenther | Saskatoon Blades | Defence | Edmonton |
72nd | Isaac Davies | Brandon Wheat Kings | Forward | Carstairs |
76th | Owen Folstrom | Kelowna Rockets | Forward | Calgary |
79th | Matthew Williams | Edmonton Oil Kings | Forward | Leduc |
85th | Liam Eisnor | Saskatoon Blades | Defence | Edmonton |
88th | Grady Pichette | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Defence | Okotoks |
FIFTH ROUND | ||||
89th | Tracen Ashley | Seattle Thunderbirds | Defence | Calgary |
91st | Dallin Antos | Kelowna Rockets | Defence | Red Deer |
92nd | Finn Bagley | Seattle Thunderbirds | Forward | Airdrie |
94th | Ryan Boyce | Brandon Wheat Kings | Forward | Calgary |
95th | Knox Bendera | Brandon Wheat Kings | Forward | Sherwood Park |
102nd | Brody Rotar | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Goaltender | Lethbridge |
104th | Nolan Stewart | Victoria Royals | Forward | Edmonton |
105th | Will McLaughlin | Portland Winterhawks | Defence | Canmore |
110th | Radoslav Dmitrov | Winnipeg ICE | Defence | Spruce Grove |
SIXTH ROUND | ||||
114th | Owen Cooper | Everett Silvertips | Forward | Calgary |
116th | Gabriel O’Brien | Kelowna Rockets | Forward | Edmonton |
119th | Brayden Ryan-Mackay | Medicine Hat Tigers | Forward | Calgary |
SEVENTH ROUND | ||||
136th | Ben McBeath | Kelowna Rockets | Defence | Calgary |
137th | Noah Chadi | Kamloops Blazers | Defence | Edmonton |
140th | Emile Plourde | Prince George Cougars | Forward | Sherwood Park |
143rd | Rylan Ng | Calgary Hitmen | Forward | Lethbridge |
144th | David Byrne | Calgary Hitmen | Defence | Calgary |
145th | Sullivan Fogolin | Kelowna Rockets | Defence | St. Albert |
146th | Easton Daneault | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Forward | Red Deer |
149th | Nash Nicolay | Portland Winterhawks | Forward | Rocky Mountain House |
150th | Noah Milford | Red Deer Rebels | Forward | Okotoks |
153rd | Brendan Rudolph | Seatttle Thunderbirds | Forward | Calgary |
EIGHTH ROUND | ||||
156th | Joshua McKague | Winnipeg ICE | Defence | Edmonton |
158th | Griffin Horne | Calgary Hitmen | Forward | Lac Des Arcs |
159th | Avery Watson | Medicine Hat Tigers | Forward | Edmonton |
161st | Rockston Ror-Chow | Vancouver Giants | Forward | Edmonton |
166th | Darius Hordal | Prince Albert Raiders | Defence | Edmonton |
168th | Hayden Iron Shirt | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Forward | Lethbridge |
169th | Ryan Pedersen | Prince George Cougars | Defence | Rocky View |
172nd | Kade Pierson | Red Deer Rebels | Forward | Chestermere |
176th | Grady Wedman | Winnipeg ICE | Forward | Leduc Country |
NINTH ROUND | ||||
179th | Mathieu Lajoie | Victoria Royals | Forward | St. Albert |
184th | Aiden Sexsmith | Swift Current Broncos | Forward | Calgary |
188th | Kai Zurowski | Regina Pats | Goaltender | St. Albert |
190th | William Hogan | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Defence | Edmonton |
193rd | Tate Hanson | Portland Winterhawks | Forward | Strathmore |
194th | Nate Yellowaga | Red Deer Rebels | Defence | Calgary |
195th | Kohen Lodge | Saskatoon Blades | Forward | Red Deer |
197th | Keegan Bailey | Seattle Thunderbirds | Forward | Airdrie |
TENTH ROUND | ||||
203rd | Ty Krooshoop | Prince Albert Raiders | Defence | Rocky View |
205th | Kaden Hayes | Vancouver Giants | Forward | Chestermere |
207th | Tafri Chingwaru | Medicine Hat Tigers | Defence | Edmonton |
216th | Nolan Schmidt | Red Deer Rebels | Forward | Edmonton |
217th | Rhett Romanchuk | Saskatoon Blades | Defence | Dewberry |
ELEVENTH ROUND | ||||
236th | Riley Thorpe | Moose Jaw Warriors | Forward |
St. Albert |
238th | Saul Astill | Red Deer Rebels | Defence |
Edmonton |
240th | Rory Frew | Kamloops Blazers | Forward |
Calgary |
TWELFTH ROUND |
||||
256th | Theron Bensler | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Defence | Medicine Hat |
258th | Dylan Deets | Moose Jaw Warriors | Defence | Calgary |
262nd | Damien Wiebe | Kamloops Blazers | Defence | Sherwood Park |