Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the Kelowna Rockets will select first overall in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft, following the completion of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery.
The results of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery were unveiled Thursday evening on Victory+.
A Wenatchee Wild ball was drawn during the lottery process, resulting in Wenatchee’s first-round pick moving from fourth overall to second overall. The draft pick originally belonging to the Wenatchee Wild was previously traded to the Vancouver Giants, meaning the Giants now possess the second-overall pick.
As a result of the lottery process, the Kelowna Rockets will select first overall, having previously acquired the first-round selection belonging to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
This represents the second time in franchise history the Kelowna Rockets will select first overall. In 1991, the Rockets used the first-overall pick to select defenceman Adam Smith.
The first round of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2026, with live coverage streaming FREE on Victory+.
2026 WHL PROSPECTS DRAFT – FIRST ROUND ORDER OF SELECTION
| 1. Kelowna Rockets (from Lethbridge) | 13. Everett Silvertips (from Kamloops) |
| 2. Vancouver Giants (from Wenatchee) | 14. Lethbridge Hurricanes (from Saskatoon) |
| 3. Wenatchee Wild (from Swift Current) | 15. Brandon Wheat Kings |
| 4. Vancouver Giants | 16. Spokane Chiefs (from Calgary) |
| 5. Victoria Royals (from Moose Jaw) | 17. Red Deer Rebels (from Kelowna) |
| 6. Tri-City Americans | 18. Saskatoon Blades (from Prince George) |
| 7. Victoria Royals | 19. Tri-City Americans (from Edmonton) |
| 8. Kamloops Blazers (from Red Deer) | 20. Penticton Vees |
| 9. Regina Pats | 21. Medicine Hat Tigers |
| 10. Portland Winterhawks | 22. Swift Current Broncos (from Prince Albert) |
| 11. Seattle Thunderbirds | 23. Swift Current Broncos (from Everett) |
| 12. Spokane Chiefs |
The Kelowna Rockets (via Lethbridge), Wenatchee Wild (via Swift Current), and Vancouver Giants (via Wenatchee) had the opportunity to obtain the first-overall selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft. The process for the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery was administered by Raymond Tran of KPMG.
The 2026 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery involved the seven non-playoff Clubs from the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season – Lethbridge, Swift Current, Vancouver, Wenatchee, Moose Jaw, Tri-City, and Victoria. A Club could only move up a maximum of two positions in the WHL Prospects Draft, with inverse order of standing from the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season determining the order of selection for the remainder of the first round.
2026 WHL PROSPECTS DRAFT – SECOND ROUND (AND SUBSEQUENT) ORDER OF SELECTION
| 1. Lethbridge Hurricanes | 13. Kamloops Blazers |
| 2. Swift Current Broncos | 14. Saskatoon Blades |
| 3. Vancouver Giants | 15. Brandon Wheat Kings |
| 4. Wenatchee Wild | 16. Calgary Hitmen |
| 5. Moose Jaw Warriors | 17. Kelowna Rockets |
| 6. Red Deer Rebels | 18. Prince George Cougars |
| 7. Tri-City Americans | 19. Edmonton Oil Kings |
| 8. Regina Pats | 20. Penticton Vees |
| 9. Victoria Royals | 21. Medicine Hat Tigers |
| 10. Portland Winterhawks | 22. Prince Albert Raiders |
| 11. Seattle Thunderbirds | 23. Everett Silvertips |
| 12. Spokane Chiefs |
The first round of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft will be held Wednesday, May 6. The remainder of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft will be held Thursday, May 7.
Players born in the United States will be eligible for the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft. Previously, U.S. born players have been selected by WHL Clubs primarily through the WHL U.S. Priority Draft. The WHL will only host the WHL Prospects Draft in 2026.
Since 2000, numerous impactful players have heard their names called with the first-overall pick in the WHL Prospects Draft, including Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips, 2024), Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders, 2023), Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers, 2022), Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs, 2021), and Connor Bedard (Regina Pats, 2020).
Players eligible for the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft are 2011-born players who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Players not selected in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft will remain eligible to be listed by WHL Clubs at any time thereafter.
For complete coverage of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft and the 2026 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien, please visit WHL.ca.
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 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six 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.
