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WHL Draft: Whose on FIrst, What's on Second?

By Tony Scott, 05/06/15, 11:30PM CDT

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The Who, What, Where and Why of the WHL Draft

What is the WHL?

The WHL has representation in all four Western Canadian provinces and the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. With the addition of the Edmonton Oil Kings for the 2007-08 season, the WHL now consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 based in Canadian markets and 5 in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The WHL is a member of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) whose membership is comprised of three major junior hockey leagues: Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL). At the conclusion of each League's playoffs, the CHL hosts the Mastercard Memorial Cup. A National Championship tournament involving each of the League's Champion and the tournament host.

Who is being Drafted?

Any player from the Western United States and Canada born in the year 2000 (or older).

What's Next?

Players drafted are invited to their club's training camp in the late Summer. Camps are a good way for both the Team and the Player to become familiar with one another both on the ice and off. It is very similar to a college visit. There are rules players must adhere to during this visit to maintain their NCAA eligibility. WHL teams are aware of these rules and will work diligently with drafted players to help them keep their amateur status in tact.

Players drafted in the Bantam draft are not eligible to play in the league next season.

Are they professional?

Players who sign a contract or play a WHL exhibition game, forgo any NCAA opportunities. The  players do not pay to play in the WHL, they are given free equipment, room and board, plus a small living stipend. In addition to the hockey, Western League teams pay for all education expenses for each player.

How Many Minnesota players played in the WHL?

Last year, 10 Minnesota born players played in the W. Three of them are currently NHL Draft picks (Keegan Iversen, Tommy Vanelli, and Blake Heinrich). Six of the Minnesota players are eligible this year, Paul Bittner (Crookston/Portland) is the only one listed by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.


YHH Bantam POTY Gavin Hain is YHH's highest ranked 2000 for the WHL Draft

The following is a list of Minnesota players we think will be drafted Thursday. The list is based on a combination of a few very important factors.

A player's interest in playing in the league and talent. Like any organization who is looking to add talent, the process from one team to the next can be completely different. Some teams draft on need and others draft the best players available, no matter their intent to ever play for their team on the day of the draft. 

An overwhelming majority of Minnesota players do not opt for the Western League. Intent makes up a small portion of this list's formula. 

Rank Player City/Team
1. Gavin Hain Grand Rapids
2. Jaxon Nelson Luverne
3. Blake McLaughlin Grand Rapids
4. Isaiah DiLaura Lakeville
5. K'Andre Miller Minnetonka
6. Ben Brinkman Edina
7. Todd Scott St. Michael
8. Landon Langenbrunner Cloquet
9. Devlin McCabe SPA
10. Ben Helgeson Roseau
11. Dawson Klein Lakeville
12. Ryan Lesko Eden Prairie

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