10 Albertans selected at the 2026 NHL Draft

BUFFALO, N.Y – 10 players from across the province heard their names called at the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on June 26-27.

Daxon Rudolph (Lacombe) became the first Albertan and first defenceman taken at the draft, selected at fourth overall by the Buffalo Sabres during the first round, becoming the first Hockey Alberta trained player to be selected in the top five of the draft since Jake Sanderson in 2020. Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan) did not have to wait much longer to hear his name afterward, as the University of North Dakota defenceman was selected ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks, one of three picks that the Sharks made in the first round of the draft.

The full list of Albertans selected can be found below:

Registration is starting to open up around the province for the 2026-2027 hockey season.

Hockey Alberta provides a resource page for minor hockey registration to help you get started with registration, should you be a newcomer to the sport of hockey, a new resident of Alberta, or recently moved within Alberta to a new community.

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Looking for information on registration dates? Visit your local MHA website directly, or visit the MHA Registration Dates page, updated by Hockey Alberta multiple times per week throughout the registration season, to views dates and more.

Interested in registering your child for the Play Hockey Model? You can read up on the model here for more information.