Giants Select 3 Forwards, 3 Defencemen & 1 Goaltender
WHL Vancouver Giants

Giants Select 3 Forwards, 3 Defencemen & 1 Goaltender

Published on May 7, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Ladner, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants added seven new faces to the organization during the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft on May 6 and 7.

The G-Men began with two high-end talents on Day 1, taking defenceman Eli Vickers and then forward Brayden Jugnauth back-to-back at third and fourth overall, respectively.

On Day 2, the Giants selected two more forwards, two more defencemen and one goaltender.

"Overall, our group is quite happy," Giants Director of Player Personnel Greg Batters said. "The staff worked pretty hard over the winter and identified all the players that were available and we were lucky to select these seven young men that are going to be wearing Giants jerseys here in the near future."

See below for all seven selections.

RD OVR PLAYER POS HT WT HOMETOWN 2025-26 TEAM

1 3 Eli Vickers D 5-9 159 Surrey, B.C. Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep

1 4 Brayden Jugnauth F 5-9 155 Kelowna, B.C. Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA

2 26 Brady Leinenweber D 6-1 150 Kerrobert, SK NAX U15 Prep

2 33 Donovan Knapp G 6-4 181 Clearwater, MN Detroit Little Caesars U14 AAA

3 65 Spencer Wilmot F 5-10 163 Littleton, CO Okanagan HA Colorado U14 AAA

4 74 Zachary Pomeroy D 6-1 173 Calgary, AB Edge School U15 Prep

7 149 Landon Reschny F 5-6 142 Macklin, SK NAX U15 Prep

Round 1, Pick 3: Eli Vickers, D, Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep

Vickers is a 5-foot-9 defenceman who was named the Top Defenceman in the U15 Prep division of the CSSHL this past season after leading all blueliners with 62 points in 30 games, thanks to 22 goals and 40 assists.

"I've admired his competitiveness and his will to win for the last two years," Batters said. "The people at Delta speak super highly of him. His coaches love him, to the point where he got called up to the U17s in the championships to play forward with them. He's that type of kid. He's a winner; a leader. He's going to be a fan favourite for sure."

The left-shot rearguard finished fifth among all U15 Prep CSSHL skaters in points. Having been part of Delta's 2025 CSSHL Western Championship team, Vickers had 98 points in 65 career U15 Prep games, second most all-time among defensemen.

Season Team League GP G A P PIM

2024-25 Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep CSSHL 35 8 28 36 6

2025-26 Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep CSSHL 30 22 40 62 16

The Surrey native was ranked as the top defenceman by Elite Prospects in their 2026 WHL Draft rankings.

"Arguably the best skater in the draft class, he's extremely fluid, elite off his edges, and explosive across the rink," EP's ranking said. "Vickers is also a high-end thinker, scanning, anticipating, and reading plays. He's a strong playmaker, finding high-value passing lanes, and a highly skilled handler...Vickers projects as a top-pair defenceman. His game is as plug-and-play as they come, too."

Vickers was also ranked as the top defenceman by PuckPreps.

Round 1, Pick 4: Brayden Jugnauth, F, Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA

Jugnauth is a cerebral centre who was named the U18 player of the year in the BC Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) this past season after producing 58 points (32G-26A) in 34 games.

He added nine goals and nine assists for 18 points in just six playoff games, helping the Rockets win back-to-back U18 Championships.

"He's a bit of an assassin when he has the puck because he can score from anywhere," Batters said. "He's an elite passer. His numbers in U18 speak for themselves. He's just a special player. He's got significant upside."

As a 14-year-old, Jugnauth's 32 goals led the league and his 58 points were second. Jugnauth and the Rockets captured their second straight Pacific Regional Championship, advancing to the TELUS Cup National Championship where they made the semifinal, in large part thanks to Jugnauth's 11 points in seven games (6G-5A).

Season Team League GP G A P PIM

2024-25 Okanagan Rockets U15 AAA BCEHL 30 42 24 66 16

2025-26 Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA BCEHL 34 32 26 58 14

The Kelowna native was ranked 3rd overall by Elite Prospects in their 2026 WHL Draft rankings.

"Jugnauth is able to control games with his brain," EP's ranking said. "It starts away from the puck, as he's always open, intercepting breakouts and spacing the ice. With possession, he's a deadly shooter, firing off the catch, off the rush, and from sharp angles. Plus, he's a skilled playmaker who creates time and space with dishes, particularly in transition. While Jugnauth's not an explosive skater, his relatively thin frame suggests he has a lot more room to develop. His stock has skyrocketed this season, jumping from 14th on our first ranking to a surefire top-five pick and looking like a future first-line centre."

Round 2, Pick 26: Brady Leinenweber, D, NAX U15 Prep

Leinenweber is a right-shot blueliner who led NAX defencemen in points with 35 this past season, thanks to two goals and 33 assists.

He was named a U15 Prep first-team all-star.

"Brady is a big, smooth-skating, smart defenceman that can play on both sides of the puck and have an impact," Batters said. "We were quite surprised to see him there at that point in the draft...He's an elite right-handed shot. In my opinion, he was one of the top defencemen in the draft."

The Saskatchewan product also tied for second in scoring among defencemen at the John Reid Memorial tournament with six points in six games (1G-5A).

Season Team League GP G A P PIM

2024-25 Lloydminster Athletics 14U JPHL 30 14 36 50 12

2025-26 NAX U15 Prep CSSHL 29 2 33 35 14

Elite Prospects ranked Leinenweber 7th overall and called him "the most projectable defender in this class."

"Never panicked, Leinenweber uses his mobility and reach to protect the puck under pressure and finds outlets with the timing and weight that allow recipients to receive in motion," EP's ranking said. "His blueline work is a legitimate offensive weapon: he opens his hips to distribute in both directions, pulls defenders out of lanes with shot fakes, and delivers backdoor passes with the kind of professional precision that is rare at this level. The shot from the right circle carries real threat, and his activation habits give his team a consistent offensive presence from the back end...He projects as a top-pair, two-way WHL defenceman with legitimate special teams upside on both sides of the ice."

Round 2, Pick 33: Donovan Knapp, G, Detroit Little Caesars U14 AAA

Knapp brings size (6-foot-4, 180 lbs.) and a winning pedigree, backstopping the U14 Little Caesars to a Tier I National Championship this past season.

"He's a big kid - 6-foot-4 - and he's a confident young man who has a ton of skill," Batters said. "The Knapp family is a special family. They're blue collar people. They're really hard working. Donovan is just a unique talent...he is going to be a big part of this team. You can't win in this league without great goaltending, so drafting a goalie is paramount in building a winning club."

Not all of Knapp's stats from the regular season are publicly available, but according to USA Hockey's website, he went 24-2-1 this past season with a 1.46 goals-against average (GAA). At Nationals, he went 5-0-0 with a 1.51 G.A.A. and .920 save percentage.

Season Team League GS W-L-T G.A.A

2025-26 Detroit Little Caesars U14 AAA Youth Tier 1 14U 27 24-2-1 1.46

Round 3, Pick 65: Spencer Wilmot, F, Okanagan HA Colorado U14 AAA

Another American, Wilmot is a skilled forward who led Okanagan Colorado's U14 team with 62 points in 43 games this past season (31G-31A).

"Spencer is a talented player," Batters said. "He digs in, he works hard, he's smart, he's two-way, but he's got offensive skills. He makes plays. There's potential for him to be quite a big kid too. There's a lot of upside. I'm excited about him. He's a bit of a sleeper for us in this draft."

Wilmot was also his team's leading scorer at the John Reid Memorial tournament with eight points in five games (5G-3A).

Season Team League GP G A P PIM

2025-26 Okanagan HA Colorado U14 AAA 14U AAA 43 31 31 62 55

Round 4, Pick 74: Zachary Pomeroy, D, Edge School U15 Prep

Pomeroy is a 6-foot-1 left-shot defenceman, who tallied 13 points (2G-11A) in 21 games for Edge U15 Prep this past season, where he was the captain.

"He's a big body. He has some bite. He moves very well," Batters said. "At this point in the draft to get him there, it's a win for us and for our coaching staff. They're going to be excited about him."

Elite Prospects ranked Pomeroy 28th overall.

"Pomeroy creates from the blueline with genuine intelligence," EP's ranking said. "He beats defenders off the point with a first touch that accelerates into space, uses shot fakes to open passing lanes, and moves around the zone to find high-value positions before distributing...the production and tools both point toward a WHL defender with real special teams upside on both ends of the ice."

Season Team League GP G A P PIM

2024-25 Calgary Edge School U15 AAA CSSHL 35 12 33 45 10

2025-26 Calgary Edge School U15 Prep CSSHL 21 2 11 13 16

Round 7, Pick 149: Landon Reschny, F, NAX U15 Prep

Reschny is a responsible centre who tallied 19 points (10G-9A) in 29 games for NAX U15 Prep this past season.

He is the younger brother of Medicine Hat Tigers forward Dayton Reschny and was teammates with Leinenweber at NAX, the Giants 26th overall selection.

"Landon is a two-way guy who can play against the other team's top lines," Batters said. "He's super trustworthy. He's got vision. He's got hands. He's got skills: he can makes plays. He's a bit undersized right now, but he will grow."

Elite Prospects ranked Reschny 54th overall.

"He makes smart decisions constantly and in all three zones," EP's ranking said. "His playmaking stands out, making passes and finding lanes before anyone else on the ice sees what's happening. His edgework is a strength, with a balanced stride that gives him four-way mobility. He's a skilled pivot who coaches want on the ice in critical moments. Reschny's deception is a clear strength, constantly using his feet, hands, shoulders, and eyes to trick defenders. He needs to gain strength and further develop his shot to become an everyday WHL player, but there's a potential top-nine centre in here."

Season Team League GP G A P PIM

2024-25 Lloydminster Athletics 14U JPHL 14U 30 37 23 60 8

2025-26 NAX U15 Prep CSSHL 29 10 9 19 8

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central