Twenty-four Albertans named to NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List

RED DEER – 24 players from across the province have been named to the NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch list for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph (Lacombe) and University of North Dakota defenceman Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan) both earned an ‘A’ rating, a rating indicating players who are projected to be taken in the first round of the NHL draft. Defenceman Ben Macbeath (Calgary) and forward Cooper Williams (Calgary) earned a ‘B’ rating, meaning that a player is projected to be selected in the second or third round.

Players with ‘C’ rating are projected to go in the fourth or fifth round, while the ‘W’ rating indicates players projected to be sixth- or seventh-round candidates.

The full list of Albertans named to the Players to Watch List can be found below:

RED DEER - Team Alberta North has announced their respective bench staff for the Junior Female and U15 Male teams.

Kevin Kuryluk leads the way behind the Male bench as the Head Coach, heading into his third Arctic Winter Games. Joining Kuryluk as assistant coaches are Ian Krauskopf and Jordan McTaggart. All three coaches currently spend their time behind the benches of Grande Prairie clubs at multiple levels.

About Kevin Kuryluk:

I grew up playing my Minor Hockey in Hines Creek and Fairview, AB. I was lucky enough to play with Team AB North at the 1994 Arctic Winter Games in Slave Lake, AB. I then moved to Bonnyville where I played 3 seasons with the Pontiacs. During the course of 3 seasons I wore a letter for 2 of those seasons and won the leagues best defensive forward twice and one presidents award. I then moved my talents to Sait in Calgary Alberta where I spent two seasons playing and going to school acquiring a Business Administration Diploma.

Once my career in Hockey came to a close as a player I turned my sights to Coaching and getting involved in my communities. I spent multiple years Coaching a variety of levels at Clairmont Minor Hockey, Grovedale Minor Hockey and Grande Prairie Minor Hockey. I have held board positions with multiple associations and currently and Coaching U13 AA in Grande Prairie.

This will be my 3^rd Arctic Winters Games as a staff member. We won Silver in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games in Fort McMurray and won Gold at the 2024 Arctic Winter Games in Mat-Su, Alaska.

I am looking forward to guiding another great group of players at this years Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, YK.

Kevin Kuryluk

About Ian Krauskopf:

I coach for many reasons but the number one reason I coach is because I enjoy watching the kids develop and grow their on and off ice skills as well as fostering their love of the game. I work hard to make sure that the players are getting the most out of themselves and are enjoying the game and process. I enjoy the day to day personal improvement that is required to be good at coaching youth. I appreciate the challenge of improving my skills and in turn the skills of the players I coach a little bit every day.

The Arctic Winter games are an amazing experience for both coaches and players involved in the program. I look forward to getting to know the players that are selected to represent Alberta this year. I know that this experience will be something that they remember fondly as they move through their hockey journey and beyond.

Ian Krauskopf

About Jordan McTaggart:

I grew up and played all my minor hockey in Grande Prairie. I went on to play three years with the Grande Prairie Storm in the AJHL and spent my last seasons as an assistant captain with the team. I studied a Bachelor of Physical Education while playing 5 years in the ACAC splitting time between Red Deer College and UofA Augustana. My coaching includes two years the the U18 AAA team in Grande Prairie and now in my second season as Assistant Coach with the Grande Prairie Storm Junior A team.

Jordan McTaggart

On the Female side, Brett Stephenson takes charge as the head coach for the 2026 Arctic Winter Games. Stephenson is currently the Technical Director for Grande Prairie Minor Hockey and the ACAC NWP Women’s Hockey Head Coach. Karsyn Utz and Ryan Perry join him on the bench as assistants. Utz played in two years of the Arctic Winter Games from 2023-24 and is now an assistant coach with PCAFC U15AA in the Alberta Female Hockey League. Perry is a newcomer to the Arctic Winter Games, but has spent many years working with Sexsmith and Grande Prairie Minor Hockey.

About Brett Stephenson:

Since I finished playing, I always wanted to stay in the game that I loved. Coaching now is ingrained in everything I do. Development is my primary focus for our players in the system.

Brett Stephenson

About Karsyn Utz:

I’ve grown up and played hockey for 14 years in and around Grande Prairie. I played 4 years for the PCFAC Storm and 1 year for the U18 AAA Jr. Oilers.

I also played 2 years for Team Alberta North in the Arctic Winter Games from 2023-2024. My first year attending we played in Fort McMurray and my second year in Alaska where I had the honour of leading the team as captain. Unfortunately I tore my Acl and Meniscus in the gold medal game in Alaska which ultimately made me decide to end my playing career after 14 years. I’ve always loved the game of hockey and giving back in any way I can, so after I recovered from surgery I decided I still wanted to be very involved in the hockey world and I took on coaching full time.

I started up my coaching journey back in my first year of U18 working with one of Grande Prairies power skating coaches, Tanya Chomyc and her business, Power Plus Hockey. My first full season of coaching started in 2024 as an assistant coach for the PCFAC U13AA Storm team here in Grande Prairie where we had a successful season and placed 4th in provincials. I now have moved up an age group and am an assistant coach for the PCFAC U15AA Storm.

I’m very excited to get started and help out in this upcoming Arctic Winter Games!

Karsyn Utz

About Ryan Perry:

I grew up playing my Minor Hockey in Sexsmith, AB and ended up joining the board and starting my coaching with Sexsmith Minor Hockey. I have spent that past 10 years Coaching teams and helping teams out with Goaltending development. Working with Community and Tiered teams all the way up to AAA teams in and around Grande Prairie. This will be my first time working with Team Alberta North as a staff member and I am excited to get things rolling with this years team as we prepared for Whitehorse 2026.

Ryan Perry

Both teams are also led by Blake Cosgrove; Director of Operations & Manager, Elite Hockey Development at Hockey Alberta. Selection camps for the Arctic Winter Games will take place on November 28 in Fairview for the male team, and December 5 in Manning for the female team.

October 8 - Hockey Alberta is excited to relaunch the Player Pledge and Online Player Education Program for the 2025-26 season, inspiring teams across the province to continue building a culture of inclusion, respect, and leadership in the game we all love.

Originally piloted during the 2023-24 season the Player Pledge encouraged teams competing in Provincials to take action in promoting positive change. Last season, we made the intentional change in the Pledge to go from “It starts with me” to “It starts with us”.

Carlia Schwab, Manager, EDI and SafeSport declares “It starts with us’ is more than a slogan, it’s a shared responsibility. When teams commit to respect, safety, and inclusion, they’re not just shaping how the game is played, they’re shaping how young athletes grow. Hockey has the power to teach resilience, build connection, and create space for every player to feel seen and supported, on and off the ice”.

In addition, as part of Hockey Alberta’s commitment towards achieving positive environments through addressing and wanting to remove all forms of discrimination and maltreatment from Hockey, we have created a Player Education Program.

In partnership with the WHL and their Respect in Hockey virtual program and platform, Hockey Alberta has developed our own version of an Online Player Education Program that seeks to help build awareness and education to help enhance players skills.

“All season we preached the importance of being a good teammate, a good person, and most of all respecting the game and everyone involved. The Pledge and the online player education program backed that up, and they [the team] slowly began to realize the importance of this” said the Bow Valley Timberwolves U18AA (Cochrane), a team that participated in the program last season.

Players Pledge

This season, we’re calling on all teams, players, and member organizations to take part in the Hockey Alberta Player Pledge and help build a safer, more respectful, and inclusive hockey community.

The pledge is more than words, it’s a commitment to:

• Play and act with respect, on and off the ice.

• Create welcoming spaces for everyone in the game.

• Lead by example in promoting safety, inclusion, and positivity.

Online Players Education Program

This program seeks to help build awareness of key concepts and topics that would enhance our players skills and abilities, encourage respectful interactions and relationships, and contribute to spaces where welcoming, inclusion, safety, fun and respect are at the forefront.

Our hope is that we can give our players the tools and understanding to stand up for others, get help for themselves or someone else, contribute to positive environments and ultimately move away from harmful behaviors and actions like bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

Early Bird Prizing:

• Teams that submit their Pledge commitment before November 4, 2025 (11.4 Day, Maltreatment Awareness Da) will be entered into a draw to win some awesome prizing from Hockey Alberta including tickets for your team to attend a Flames or Oilers game, a Hockey Alberta prize pack, or a WHL signed jersey.

• Teams that sign up for the Online Player Education Program prior to November 4, 2025 (11.4 Day, Maltreatment Awareness Day), and who agree to complete the program as a team before December 15th 2025, will be entered into a draw to win some awesome prizing from Hockey Alberta including tickets for your team to attend a Flames or Oilers game, a Hockey Alberta prize pack, or a WHL signed jersey.

• Bonus Opportunity: 20 teams to sign up are eligible to receive a FREE team-building session with Brock McGillis as part of his Shiftmakers Tour, coming to Alberta this November.

Email [email protected] with any questions, or register your team at the link below.

TEAM REGISTRATION LINK >

Hockey Alberta is hosting female-only coach clinics in Calgary for the 2025-26 season.

There are three clinics available for the season, all taking place from 6-9 PM at Max Bell Arena. The clinics include Coach 1, Coach 2 and Intro to Principles of Checking.

COACH 1 - OCTOBER 20 >

COACH 2 – NOVEMBER 5 >

PRINCIPLES OF CHECKING - NOVEMBER 10 >

Female-only coach clinics provide an inclusive environment to all female to learn the game and become certified in the necessary clinics.

For questions and information on the upcoming clinics, please contact Danielle Wheeler, Manager, Female Development at [email protected].

RED DEER – Team Alberta has selected the twenty athletes representing Team Alberta Female at the 2025 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, November 2-8, taking place in Mount Pearl and Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador.

This year’s roster consists of two goalies, six defence and twelve forwards. Five players on this year’s squad also represented Alberta at the 2024 Championship in Quispamsis, NB, and are returning for another run at the championship.

Seven communities across Alberta are represented in this year’s squad, including Edmonton, Calgary, Airdrie, Sherwood Park, Lloydminster, Rocky Mountain House and Strathmore.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S U18 ROSTER >

Team Alberta’s selection process included the U18 Summer Camp in July in Red Deer with 46 players involved in on and off-ice sessions and three scrimmages. A shortlist of 28 took part in the Team Alberta Fall Camp in Red Deer which included games against USports women’s teams (University of Alberta and University of Calgary).

Staff members of this year’s team are Josh Gosling (Chestermere), Head Coach; Mandy Layden (Drayton Valley), Assistant Coach; Craig Perrett (Calgary), Assistant Coach; Tatum Amy (Calgary), Video Coach; Jamond Cardinal (Edmonton), Goalie Coach; Megan Sehn (Medicine Hat), Therapist; Brady Park (Red Deer), Equipment Manager; Rob Dawson (St. Albert), Coach Mentor and Michael Kraichy (Red Deer); Director of Operations.

Team Alberta begins its tournament on November 2 against British Columbia. The team’s full schedule can be found below, with times listed in Mountain Time.