Eight Albertans selected in first round of the 2023 WHL Draft
RED DEER – Eight Alberta players, registered in Hockey Alberta/Hockey Canada sanctioned programs, heard their names called during the first round of the 2023 WHL Draft on Thursday.
Albertans were selected first and second overall and five going in the top 10.
Prince Albert Raiders had the first two picks, selecting Lacombe’s Daxon Rudolph first overall, and Cochrane’s Riley Boychuk with the number two pick.
Five Albertans were selected in the top 10 including:
- 4th: Keaton Verhoeff, Fort Saskatchewan (Victoria Royals)
- 7th: Ty Meunier, St.Albert, (Prince Albert Raiders)
- 8th: Brett Olson, Spruce Grove (Vancouver Giants).
Rounding out the list of Albertans selected in the first round were 13th Cruz Pavao, Calgary (Tri-City Americans), 16th Aaron Sawatzky, Didsbury (Moose Jaw Warriors), and 22nd Carter Esler, Okotoks (Spokane Chiefs).
Five of the eight Albertans are from the Alberta Elite Hockey League.
The names of the 54 AEHL athletes who were selected can be found below, while the full list can be found here>
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | Hometown |
| FIRST ROUND | ||||
| 2nd | Riley Boychuk | Prince Albert Raiders | Forward | Cochrane |
| 7th | Ty Meunier | Prince Albert Raiders | Forward | St. Albert |
| 8th | Brett Olson | Vancouver Giants | Forward | Spruce Grove |
| 16th | Aaron Sawatzky | Moose Jaw Warriors | Defence | Didsbury |
| 22nd | Carter Esler | Spokane Chiefs | Goaltender | Okotoks |
| SECOND ROUND | ||||
| 27th | Bennett Kelly | Prince Albert Raiders | Defence | Cochrane |
| 32nd | Rhys Jamieson | Everett Silvertips | Forward | Calgary |
| 33rd | Easton LaPlante | Calgary Hitmen | Defence | Calgary |
| 41st | Cooper Williams | Saskatoon Blades | Forward | Calgary |
| 42nd | Ryley Budd | Saskatoon Blades | Goaltender | Calgary |
| 43rd | Dermot Johnston | Prince George Cougars | Defence | Olds |
| 44th | Townes Kozicky | Prince George Cougars | Forward | Calgary |
| THIRD ROUND | ||||
| 54th | Finn Werner | Everett Silvertips | Goaltender | St. Albert |
| 55th | Jesse McKinnon | Tri-City Americans | Forward | St. Albert |
| 58th | Braydon Riggall | Vancouver Giants | Defence | Calgary |
| 66th | Caelen Joudrey | Winnipeg ICE | Forward | Airdrie |
| FOURTH ROUND | ||||
| 69th | Rhett Sather | Victoria Royals | Defence | Rocky View |
| 72nd | Isaac Davies | Brandon Wheat Kings | Forward | Carstairs |
| 76th | Owen Folstrom | Kelowna Rockets | Forward | Calgary |
| 79th | Matthew Williams | Edmonton Oil Kings | Forward | Leduc |
| 85th | Liam Eisnor | Saskatoon Blades | Defence | Edmonton |
| 88th | Grady Pichette | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Defence | Okotoks |
| FIFTH ROUND | ||||
| 91st | Dallin Antos | Kelowna Rockets | Defence | Red Deer |
| 92nd | Finn Bagley | Seattle Thunderbirds | Forward | Airdrie |
| 102nd | Brody Rotar | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Goaltender | Lethbridge |
| 105th | Will McLaughlin | Portland Winterhawks | Defence | Canmore |
| SIXTH ROUND | ||||
| 116th | Gabriel O’Brien | Kelowna Rockets | Forward | Edmonton |
| SEVENTH ROUND | ||||
| 140th | Emile Plourde | Prince George Cougars | Forward | Sherwood Park |
| 143rd | Rylan Ng | Calgary Hitmen | Forward | Lethbridge |
| 144th | David Byrne | Calgary Hitmen | Defence | Calgary |
| 145th | Sullivan Fogolin | Kelowna Rockets | Defence | St. Albert |
| 146th | Easton Daneault | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Forward | Red Deer |
| 149th | Nash Nicolay | Portland Winterhawks | Forward | Rocky Mountain House |
| 150th | Noah Milford | Red Deer Rebels | Forward | Okotoks |
| EIGHTH ROUND | ||||
| 156th | Joshua McKague | Winnipeg ICE | Defence | Edmonton |
| 158th | Griffin Horne | Calgary Hitmen | Forward | Lac Des Arcs |
| 159th | Avery Watson | Medicine Hat Tigers | Forward | Edmonton |
| 161st | Rockston Ror-Chow | Vancouver Giants | Forward | Edmonton |
| 168th | Hayden Iron Shirt | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Forward | Lethbridge |
| 172nd | Kade Pierson | Red Deer Rebels | Forward | Chestermere |
| 176th | Grady Wedman | Winnipeg ICE | Forward | Leduc Country |
| NINTH ROUND | ||||
| 179th | Mathieu Lajoie | Victoria Royals | Forward | St. Albert |
| 184th | Aiden Sexsmith | Swift Current Broncos | Forward | Calgary |
| 188th | Kai Zurowski | Regina Pats | Goaltender | St. Albert |
| 190th | William Hogan | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Defence | Edmonton |
| 193rd | Tate Hanson | Portland Winterhawks | Forward | Strathmore |
| 195th | Kohen Lodge | Saskatoon Blades | Forward | Red Deer |
| TENTH ROUND | ||||
| 205th | Kaden Hayes | Vancouver Giants | Forward | Chestermere |
| 207th | Tafri Chingwaru | Medicine Hat Tigers | Defence | Edmonton |
| 217th | Rhett Romanchuk | Saskatoon Blades | Defence | Dewberry |
| ELEVENTH ROUND | ||||
| 236th | Riley Thorpe | Moose Jaw Warriors | Forward | St. Albert |
| 240th | Rory Frew | Kamloops Blazers | Forward | Calgary |
| TWELFTH ROUND | ||||
| 256th | Theron Bensler | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Defence | Medicine Hat |
| 262nd | Damien Wiebe | Kamloops Blazers | Defence | Sherwood Park |