WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets Gear Up For Pair Of Drafts This Week

May 7, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Kalder Vaga of the Kelowna Rockets
Kalder Vaga of the Kelowna Rockets
(Kelowna Rockets, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

The next group of Rockets prospects will join the fold later this week as the Western Hockey League will conduct the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft and 2024 WHL Prospects Draft online this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Real-time results will be available here for the US Draft and here for the WHL Prospects Draft.

Following this week one more draft will take place this off-season, with the CHL Import Draft slated for July 3.

2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft

Wednesday, May 8 at 9 a.m. PT

The Kelowna Rockets will select eleventh overall selection in the first round of the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.

The 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will consist of two rounds and 44 selections, with each WHL Club presented with the opportunity to make two draft choices. Players eligible for the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft are 2008-born players who reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft - Round Order of Selection

FIRST ROUND SECOND ROUND

1. Regina Pats 23. Kamloops Blazers

2. Seattle Thunderbirds 24. Tri-City Americans

3. Calgary Hitmen 25. Regina Pats

4. Tri-City Americans 26. Seattle Thunderbirds

5. Edmonton Oil Kings 27. Edmonton Oil Kings

6. Kamloops Blazers 28. Calgary Hitmen

7. Spokane Chiefs 29. Spokane Chiefs

8. Victoria Royals 30. Victoria Royals

9. Prince Albert Raiders 31. Prince Albert Raiders

10. Vancouver Giants 32. Vancouver Giants

11. Kelowna Rockets 33. Kelowna Rockets

12. Wenatchee Wild 34. Wenatchee Wild

13. Lethbridge Hurricanes 35. Lethbridge Hurricanes

14. Brandon Wheat Kings 36. Brandon Wheat Kings

15. Red Deer Rebels 37. Red Deer Rebels

16. Medicine Hat Tigers 38. Medicine Hat Tigers

17. Swift Current Broncos 39. Swift Current Broncos

18. Moose Jaw Warriors 40. Moose Jaw Warriors

19. Everett Silvertips 41. Everett Silvertips

20. Portland Winterhawks 42. Portland Winterhawks

21. Prince George Cougars 43. Prince George Cougars

22. Saskatoon Blades 44. Saskatoon Blades

Players not selected in the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will remain eligible to be selected in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft on Thursday, May 11, or listed by a WHL Club at any time thereafter.

In 2022 the Rockets selected defenceman Jackson Gillespie seventeenth overall in the first round. Last year, Kelowna drafted Kalder Varga seventh overall, he signed a WHL Scholarship and Development agreement with the Rockets and will be eligible to play full time for the Rockets this upcoming season.

2024 WHL Prospects Draft

Thursday, May 9

WATCH LIVE - Pre-show at 9:30 a.m. MT / WHL Prospects Draft at 10 a.m. MT

The first round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, including a 30-minute pre-show, will be livestreamed FREE via WHL Live on CHL TV and the WHL's YouTube channel. The 2024 WHL Prospects Draft pre-show begins at 9:30 a.m. MT with host Cami Kepke and analyst Taylor Green, with live draft coverage beginning at 10 a.m. MT.

The Rockets will select fourth overall in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, originally Regina's pick Kelowna acquired it from the Seattle Thunderbirds last January in the Colton Dach deal. While the Rockets own first-round pick, which is 11th overall, was dealt to Seattle in the Tij Iginla deal last spring.

The Rockets have only had two first round picks since 2018, selecting Trevor Wong 18th overall in 2018 and Andrew Cristall 8th overall in 2020.

Kelowna has only made a top five pick in franchise history five times:

1991 (1): Adam Smith (D)

2007 (2): Luke Moffatt (F)

2000 (4): Josh Lepp (G)

1992 (5): Kyle McLaren (D)

1999 (5): Jason Ryznar (F)

2024 Rockets WHL Prospects Draft Pick Inventory

First round (4) - originally Regina's pick, acquired from Seattle in the Colton Dach trade

Second Round (33) - Kelowna's own pick

Second Round (38) - originally Medicine Hat's pick, acquired from Saskatoon in the John Babcock trade

Third Round (60) - acquired from Red Deer in the Elias Carmichael trade

Third Round (61) - acquired from Medicine Hat in the Marcus Pacheco trade

Fourth Round (78) - Kelowna's own pick

Fifth Round (93) - originally Seattle's pick, acquired from Brandon in the Nolan Flamand trade

Eighth Round (163) - acquired from Victoria in the Jake Poole Trade

Ninth Round (188) - Kelowna's own pick

Ninth Round (189) - acquired from Wenatchee (formally Winnipeg) in the Jarod Newell trade

Eleventh Round (232) - Kelowna's own pick

Twelfth Round (254) - Kelowna's own pick

Thirteenth Round (276) - Kelowna's own pick

Fourteenth Round (298) - Kelowna's own pick

Fifteenth Round (320) - Kelowna's own pick

2024 WHL Prospects Draft - First Round Order of Selection

Everett Silvertips (from Kamloops)

Prince Albert Raiders (from Seattle)

Tri-City Americans

Kelowna Rockets (via trades from Regina)

Edmonton Oil Kings

Calgary Hitmen

Spokane Chiefs

Victoria Royals

Prince Albert Raiders

Vancouver Giants

Seattle Thunderbirds (via trades from Kelowna)

Wenatchee Wild

Lethbridge Hurricanes

Brandon Wheat Kings

Red Deer Rebels

Medicine Hat Tigers

Swift Current Broncos

Victoria Royals (from Moose Jaw)

Everett Silvertips

Portland Winterhawks

Prince George Cougars

Kamloops Blazers (from Saskatoon)

The order of selection for the second round and all other rounds will be the inverse order of final 2022-23 WHL Regular Season standings. The complete order of selection for the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft can be found at https://whl.ca/draft.

Players eligible for the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft are 2008-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 2024 WHL Prospects Draft will remain eligible to be listed by WHL Clubs at any time thereafter.

2024 CHL Import Draft

July 3 at 8:00 a.m. PT

The CHL has not yet announced the order of selection for the upcoming CHL Import Draft set for later this year on July 3rd.

Check out the Kelowna Rockets Statistics




Images from this story

Kalder Vaga of the Kelowna Rockets
Kalder Vaga of the Kelowna Rockets
(Steve Dunsmoor)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2024


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