The Western Hockey League at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft
The Western Hockey League (WHL) showcased its strength during the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, with a remarkable 33 players being selected by NHL teams. Among these, nine WHL talents made it into the first round, which represents a notable 28.1% of the total first-round picks. This year’s draft marked a significant milestone for the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), as a total of 93 players were drafted, making up 41.5% of all selections. This is the highest number of players drafted from the CHL in over ten years.
Draft Breakdown
Here’s a detailed breakdown of where the WHL players landed in the draft:
First Round Highlights (9 Selections)
- 9th Overall: Radim Mrtka (Buffalo Sabres; Seattle Thunderbirds)
- 10th Overall: Roger McQueen (Anaheim Ducks; Brandon Wheat Kings)
- 11th Overall: Benjamin Kindel (Pittsburgh Penguins; Calgary Hitmen)
- 13th Overall: Carter Bear (Detroit Red Wings; Everett Silvertips)
- 14th Overall: Jackson Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets; Tri-City Americans)
- 15th Overall: Braeden Cootes (Vancouver Canucks; Seattle Thunderbirds)
- 18th Overall: Cole Reschny (Calgary Flames; Victoria Royals)
- 27th Overall: Lynden Lakovic (Washington Capitals; Moose Jaw Warriors)
- 30th Overall: Joshua Ravensbergen (San Jose Sharks; Prince George Cougars)
Second Round Selections (4)
- 36th Overall: Blake Fiddler (Seattle Kraken; Edmonton Oil Kings)
- 39th Overall: Peyton Kettles (Pittsburgh Penguins; Swift Current Broncos)
- 46th Overall: Max Pšenička (Utah Mammoth; Portland Winterhawks)
- 57th Overall: Matthew Gard (Philadelphia Flyers; Red Deer Rebels)
Third Round Picks (6)
- 66th Overall: Nathan Behm (Chicago Blackhawks; Kamloops Blazers)
- 69th Overall: Hayden Paupanekis (Montreal Canadiens; Kelowna Rockets)
- 81st Overall: Bryce Pickford (Montreal Canadiens; Medicine Hat Tigers)
- 83rd Overall: Tommy Lafreniere (Edmonton Oilers; Kamloops Blazers)
- 92nd Overall: Owen Martin (Winnipeg Jets; Spokane Chiefs)
- 94th Overall: Cameron Schmidt (Dallas Stars; Vancouver Giants)
Fourth Round Highlights (5)
- 117th Overall: David Lewandowski (Edmonton Oilers; Saskatoon Blades)
- 123rd Overall: Carter Klippenstein (Minnesota Wild; Brandon Wheat Kings)
- 126th Overall: Brandon Gorzynski (Dallas Stars; Calgary Hitmen)
- 127th Overall: Aiden Foster (Tampa Bay Lightning; Prince George Cougars)
- 128th Overall: Shea Busch (Florida Panthers; Everett Silvertips)
Fifth Round Selections (3)
- 130th Overall: Ryan Miller (Pittsburgh Penguins; Portland Winterhawks)
- 141st Overall: Justin Kipkie (Minnesota Wild; Victoria Royals)
- 157th Overall: Luke Vlooswyk (Philadelphia Flyers; Red Deer Rebels)
Sixth Round Picks (3)
- 162nd Overall: Ashton Cumby (Chicago Blackhawks; Seattle Thunderbirds)
- 170th Overall: Burke Hood (New York Islanders; Vancouver Giants)
- 186th Overall: Alexander Weiermair (Vegas Golden Knights; Portland Winterhawks)
Seventh Round Selections (3)
- 197th Overall: Brendan Dunphy (Florida Panthers; Wenatchee Wild)
- 200th Overall: Brady Turko (Anaheim Ducks; Brandon Wheat Kings)
- 216th Overall: William Sharpe (Los Angeles Kings; Kelowna Rockets)
Conclusion
The draft results reflect the WHL’s recent successes and continued development of high-level talent. Fans are encouraged to follow more updates, exclusive interviews, and detailed analyses by visiting THN’s dedicated WHL website and adding it to their favorites on Google News.
