Thirteen of 89 W-H-L players on the N-H-L Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch list have ties to either the Saskatoon Blades, Prince Albert Raiders or the province of Saskatchewan is their home.
P-A defenceman Daxon Rudolph is one of seven W-H-L skaters receiving an “A” ranking, meaning a projected first round selection in the 2026 N-H-L Draft next June. Bridge City Bunch centre Copper Williams was given a “B” ranking, meaning a projected second or third round N-H-L pick. A “C” ranking means a likely fourth or fifth round choice by an N-H-L team – designations given to Blue and Gold defenceman Brayden Klimpke and Blades’ right winger Zach Olsen, Raiders’ right winger Jonah Sivertson, who also calls Regina home, along with Saskatoon product and Red Deer centre Beckett Hamilton. Among the “W” ranked players, projected sixth and seventh round N-H-L picks are goaltender Logan Edmonstone from Saskatoon via Kamloops, Martensville product and Regina centre Cohen Klassen and a trio of Prince Albert players – defenceman Benett Kelly, centre Riley Boychuk and right winger Alisher Sarkenov. Following is the news release from the W-H-L…..
89 PLAYERS DEVELOPED IN WHL NAMED TO NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING PRELIMINARY PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2025
NHL Central Scouting unveiled its Preliminary Players to Watch List Monday morning.
Seven players developed in the WHL have earned ‘A’ ratings, including defencemen Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars, Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants, and Daxon Rudolph of the Prince Albert Raiders, forwards JP Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers and Mathis Preston of the Spokane Chiefs, along with former WHL players Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) and Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals).
Ten WHL players were assigned ‘B’ ratings, including twin forwards Liam and Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Giorgos Pantelas.
A total of 30 WHL players were given ‘C’ ratings, including Edmonton Oil Kings forward Joe Iginla and Swift Current Broncos forward Sawyer Dingman.
Of the WHL’s 23 Clubs, 22 are represented in NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List, led by the Medicine Hat Tigers with 10 players. The Edmonton Oil Kings boast seven players on the list, while the Portland Winterhawks, Prince Albert Raiders, and Swift Current Broncos each have six players listed. The Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants are represented by five players each, while the Prince George Cougars and Spokane Chiefs each have four. There are 10 WHL Clubs with three players apiece on the Preliminary Players to Watch List, while another three WHL Clubs each have two players listed.
A total of 48 forwards developed in the WHL find themselves on the list, joined by 27 defencemen developed in the WHL and 14 goaltenders.
The NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List includes 237 players developed in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), including 93 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and 55 from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
NHL Central Scouting identifies players with a rating system that includes five categories. The ‘A’ category indicates players projected to be first-round candidates. The ‘B’ rating indicates players projected to be second- or third-round candidates, and the ‘C’ rating indicates players projected to be fourth- or fifth-round candidates. The ‘W’ rating indicates players projected to be sixth- or seventh-round candidates and the ‘LV’ rating represents players who have not had sufficient viewings, due to injury.
2025-26 NHL Central Scouting – Preliminary Players to Watch List – WHL Players
| PTW | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | WHL Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| A | Carels | Carson | Cypress River, Man. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2” | 202 | D |
| A | Hurlbert | JP | Allen, Texas | Kamloops Blazers | 6’0” | 185 | LW |
| A | Lin | Ryan | Richmond, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 177 | D |
| A | McKenna | Gavin | Whitehorse, Yukon | Medicine Hat Tigers | 5’11” | 170 | LW |
| A | Preston | Mathis | Penticton, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs | 5’11” | 177 | RW |
| A | Rudolph | Daxon | Lacombe, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’2” | 206 | D |
| A | Verhoeff | Keaton | Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 6’4” | 208 | D |
| B | Amrhein | Landon | Celina, Texas | Calgary Hitmen | 6’5” | 190 | LW |
| B | Boettiger | Harrison | Wheat Ridge, Colo. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’2” | 189 | G |
| B | Harrington | Chase | Prince George, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’1” | 195 | LW |
| B | Heger | Kyle | Eagan, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 193 | D |
| B | MacBeath | Ben | Calgary, Alta. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’2” | 184 | D |
| B | Pantelas | Giorgos | Victoria, B.C. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’2” | 214 | D |
| B | Ruck | Markus | Osoyoos, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 167 | C |
| B | Ruck | Liam | Osoyoos, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 176 | RW |
| B | Vanecek | Jakub | Humpolec, Czechia | Tri-City Americans | 6’2” | 191 | D |
| B | Williams | Cooper | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’0” | 166 | C |
| C | Brown | Reed | Tempe, Ariz. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’11” | 161 | C |
| C | Bryzgalov | Yaroslav | Minsk, Belarus | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’4” | 216 | LW |
| C | Burick | Sean | San Clemente, Calif. | Penticton Vees | 6’8” | 209 | D |
| C | Casey | Carter | Grand Rapids, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 179 | G |
| C | Dingman | Sawyer | Edmonton, Alta. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’4” | 224 | LW |
| C | Duguay | Jordan | Edmonton, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’10” | 174 | LW |
| C | Gillespie | Brody | Vancouver, Wash. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’1” | 194 | C |
| C | Hamilton | Beckett | Saskatoon, Sask. | Red Deer Rebels | 5’11” | 173 | C |
| C | Iginla | Joe | Lake Country, B.C. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’10” | 175 | RW |
| C | Johnston | Dermot | Olds, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’5” | 220 | D |
| C | Joudrey | Caelan | Airdrie, Alta. | Wenatchee Wild | 6’4” | 179 | C |
| C | Kamas | Jiri | Plzen, Czechia | Penticton Vees | 6’1” | 187 | D |
| C | Klimpke | Brayden | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 5’11” | 165 | D |
| C | Kosick | Noah | Victoria, B.C. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’11” | 165 | C |
| C | Lemire | Kayden | Edmonton, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’4” | 194 | RW |
| C | Liske | Brek | Beausejour, Man. | Everett Silvertips | 6’1” | 190 | D |
| C | McLaughlin | Will | Canmore, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’2” | 169 | D |
| C | O’Neill | Andrew | Fargo, N.D. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 195 | C |
| C | Olsen | Zach | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’1” | 198 | RW |
| C | Orsulak | Michal | Tremnosna, Czechia | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’4” | 220 | G |
| C | Rolsing | Darian | Speyer, Germany | Wenatchee Wild | 6’6” | 192 | D |
| C | Sivertson | Jonah | Regina, Sask. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’3” | 194 | RW |
| C | Sklenicka | Marek | Litvinov, Czechia | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’4” | 170 | G |
| C | Snell | Parker | St. Albert, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 176 | G |
| C | Sparks | Tyus | Meridian, Idaho | Vancouver Giants | 5’11” | 182 | C |
| C | Stebetak | Ondrej | Jihlava, Czechia | Portland Winterhawks | 6’2” | 176 | G |
| C | Ta’amu | Alofa Tunoa | San Diego, Calif. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2” | 233 | D |
| C | Tomik | Tobias | Ilava, Slovakia | Vancouver Giants | 6’0” | 194 | LW |
| C | Tvrznik | Tobias | Litomerice, Czechia | Wenatchee Wild | 6’3” | 180 | G |
| C | Varga | Kalder | Geneva, Ill. | Kelowna Rockets | 5’11” | 178 | RW |
| W | Allan | Kaden | Hamiota, Man. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’3” | 185 | D |
| W | Allard | Cameron | Yorkton, Sask. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’3” | 185 | D |
| W | Andersen | Poul | St. Louis Park, Minn. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’1” | 190 | RW |
| W | Aura | Hunter | Kamloops, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 168 | D |
| W | Boychuk | Riley | Cochrane, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 5’10” | 170 | C |
| W | Buttazzoni | Diego | Langley, B.C. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’9” | 183 | LW |
| W | Cahill | Phoenix | Cottage Grove, Minn. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2” | 211 | D |
| W | Cleaver | Koen | Port Alberni, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’2” | 190 | G |
| W | Dean | Dylan | Maple Grove, Minn. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’0” | 180 | C |
| W | Deobald | Dryden | Regina, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’4” | 168 | D |
| W | Dillard | Cameron | Flower Mound, Texas | Everett Silvertips | 6’4” | 211 | D |
| W | Edmonstone | Logan | Saskatoon, Sask. | Kamloops Blazers | 5’11” | 168 | G |
| W | Egan | Jimmy | Still Water, Minn. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’2” | 183 | C |
| W | Gojsic | Kanjyu | Langley, B.C. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’0” | 187 | RW |
| W | Gustafson | Jake | San Jose, Calif. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’4” | 179 | C |
| W | Hesse | Aidan | St. Paul, Minn. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’1” | 177 | G |
| W | Kelly | Benett | Cochrane, Alta. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’1” | 187 | D |
| W | Klassen | Cohen | Martensville, Sask. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 177 | C |
| W | Kondro | Matthew | St. Albert, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’1” | 165 | G |
| W | Kuryachenkov | Stepan | Ufa, Russia | Swift Current Broncos | 5’10” | 143 | C |
| W | Kuzma | Cameron | St. Albert, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’2” | 190 | C |
| W | Lansard | Zachary | Ste. Anne, Man. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 175 | RW |
| W | Lesiuk | Gavin | Duncan, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’5” | 221 | LW |
| W | Maze | Julien | Edmonton, Alta. | Regina Pats | 5’9” | 165 | LW |
| W | McCann | Kadon | Cochrane, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’3” | 200 | C |
| W | McGregor | Josh | Brandon, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’2” | 191 | D |
| W | Molgachev | Andrei | Magnitogorsk, Russia | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 185 | C |
| W | Obobaifo | Aaron | Calgary, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 5’10” | 175 | LW |
| W | Olson | Brett | Spruce Grove, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 6’2” | 190 | C |
| W | Pantelakis | Zachary | North Vancouver, B.C. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’11” | 165 | C |
| W | Pavao | Cruz | Calgary, Alta. | Tri-City Americans | 5’11” | 196 | RW |
| W | Runtso | Timofei | Marina del Rey, Calif. | Victoria Royals | 6’2” | 185 | D |
| W | Sarkenov | Alisher | Astana, Kazakhstan | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’0” | 174 | RW |
| W | Sawchyn | Lukas | Grande Prairie, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’10” | 173 | C |
| W | Shore | Peyton | Winnipeg, Man. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’1” | 178 | G |
| W | Steen | Riley | Ladysmith, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’1” | 190 | D |
| W | Stengrim | Kade | Brainerd, Minn. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’4” | 206 | LW |
| W | Stewart | Nolan | Edmonton, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 5’10” | 168 | RW |
| W | Switzer | Jordan | Edmonton, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 186 | G |
| W | Vanhanen | Matias | Nokia, Finland | Everett Silvertips | 5’11” | 174 | LW |
| W | Wendt | Xavier | Plymouth, Minn. | Tri-City Americans | 6’0” | 179 | G |
| W | Yerex | Daxon | Oak Bluff, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’1” | 190 | D |
