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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets Set for WHL Draft Week

May 9, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


The next group of Rockets prospects will join the fold later this week as the Western Hockey League will conduct the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft and 2023 WHL Prospects Draft online this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Real-time results will be available at https://whl.ca/draft.

Following this week one more draft will take place this off-season, with the CHL Import Draft slated for July 5th.

2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft

Wednesday, May 10 at 9 a.m. PT

The Kelowna Rockets will select seventh overall selection in the first round of the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.

The 2023 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 2023 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.

2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft - First Round Order of Selection

1) Spokane Chiefs

2) Victoria Royals

3) Edmonton Oil Kings

4) Swift Current Broncos

5) Prince Albert Raiders

6) Brandon Wheat Kings

7) Kelowna Rockets

8) Vancouver Giants

9) Medicine Hat Tigers

10) Everett Silvertips

11) Calgary Hitmen

12) Regina Pats

13) Tri-City Americans

14) Lethbridge Hurricanes

15) Prince George Cougars

16) Moose Jaw Warriors

17) Portland Winterhawks

18) Red Deer Rebels

19) Saskatoon Blades

20) Kamloops Blazers

21) Seattle Thunderbirds

22) Winnipeg ICE

The order of selection was determined on March 29, 2023 through the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft Lottery. All six WHL Clubs that did not qualify for the 2023 WHL Playoffs participated in the lottery. The lottery proceedings determined the order of selection for the first six picks in the first round of the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, with inverse order of standing from the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season determining the order of selection for the second round.

Players not selected in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will remain eligible to be selected in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft on Thursday, May 11, or listed by a WHL Club at any time thereafter.

Last year, the Rockets selected defenceman Jackson Gillespie of the Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA program seventeenth overall in the first round. He signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with Kelowna during training camp last September.

2023 WHL Prospects Draft

Thursday, May 11

WATCH LIVE - Pre-Show at 8:30 a.m. PT / WHL Prospects Draft at 9 a.m. PT

The Rockets do not hold a first-round pick in this year's draft, they traded what eventually became the seventh-overall selection away in the Matthew Wedman deal back in 2019 while building up for the 2020 Memorial Cup. Seattle then in turn, moved the pick to Prince Albert for Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nolan Allan earlier this season.

Looking ahead to next year's draft, the Rockets will have two first-round picks in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. The own their own pick and hold Regina's first-round pick, which was dealt to the Rockets from Seattle in the Dach trade.

The Rockets will make their first selection of the day when they pick 26th in the second round.

2023 Rockets WHL Prospects Draft Pick Inventory

Second Round - Kelowna's own pick

Third Round - acquired in the Golder/Kovacevic trade

Third Round - acquired in the Johnson/Flamand trade

Fourth Round - originally Everett's pick, acquired from Seattle in the Dach trade

Fourth Round - acquired from Tri-City in the Romeril trade

Fifth Round - acquired from Victoria in the Cristiano trade

Fifth Round - Kelowna's own pick

Seventh Round - Kelowna's own pick

Ninth Round - Kelowna's own pick

Tenth Round - Kelowna's own pick

The first round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, including a 30-minute pre-show, will be livestreamed FREE via WHL Live on CHL TV. All that is required is to register and login using a free account with CHL TV, no subscription or purchase is necessary. The 2023 WHL Prospects Draft Pre-Show begins with co-hosts Chris Wahl and Taylor Green at 8:30 a.m. PT, with live draft coverage beginning at 9 a.m. MT.

The Prince Albert Raiders hold the first-overall selection in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, as determined by the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery on March 29, 2023.

2023 WHL Prospects Draft - First Round Order of Selection

1) Prince Albert Raiders (from Edmonton)

2) Prince Albert Raiders

3) Spokane Chiefs

4) Victoria Royals

5) Brandon Wheat Kings

6) Vancouver Giants (from Swift Current)

7) Prince Albert Raiders (from Kelowna)

8) Vancouver Giants

9) Medicine Hat Tigers

10) Everett Silvertips

11) Calgary Hitmen

12) Edmonton Oil Kings (from Regina)

13) Tri-City Americans

14) Lethbridge Hurricanes

15) Prince George Cougars

16) Moose Jaw Warriors

17) Portland Winterhawks

18) Red Deer Rebels

19) Brandon Wheat Kings (from Saskatoon)

20) Everett Silvertips (from Kamloops)

21) Saskatoon Blades (from Seattle)

22) Spokane Chiefs (from Winnipeg)

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 2023 WHL Prospects Draft can be found at https://whl.ca/draft.

Players eligible for the 2023 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 2023 WHL Prospects Draft will remain eligible to be listed by WHL Clubs at any time thereafter.

2023 CHL Import Draft

July 5 at 8:00 a.m. PT

The CHL announced the order of selection last week for the upcoming CHL Import Draft set for later this year on July 5th.

Kelowna holds the 11th overall pick in the first round and the 72nd pick in the second round. Each WHL Club will be permitted a maximum of two selections during the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

As was the case a year ago, Russian and Belarusian players will be ineligible for selection in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. For the 2023 CHL Import Draft, players who have been a resident in Russia or Belarus at any time over the past 24 months are ineligible to be drafted. The only exception is a Russian or Belarussian player who was previously drafted by a CHL club and subsequently deleted on or before the cut-down date in 2023.

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Western Hockey League Stories from May 9, 2023


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.

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