CSSHL at the WHL Draft: 2015

The 2014-15 season marked the first season the Canadian Sport School Hockey League offered a U15 Prep Division, making the 2015 WHL Draft the first time full-time CSSHL students were eligible.

Ty Smith of the Delta Hockey Academy made history, becoming the first CSSHL student athlete to be selected at the WHL Draft, as well as the first CSSHL student athlete to be selected first overall.

In total, 36 CSSHL student athletes were drafted, with 56% of all eligible student athletes in the U15 Prep Division being selected.

Smith was named the 2015 CSSHL U15 Prep Division MVP after the defenceman posted 28 points (9-19-28) in 16 games.

The Lloydminster, Alta. would go on to star with the Spokane Chiefs having just wrapped up his fourth WHL Season, the last two of which he was team captain. He was selected in the first round, 17th overall, by the New Jersey Devils at the 2018 NHL Draft and twice represented Canada at the World Juniors, winning gold in 2020.

Smith was named the 2018 WHL Scholastic Player of the Year and the 2019 WHL and CHL Defenceman of the Year.

Two other CSSHL student athletes were selected in the first round as Tyler Popowich of the Okanagan Hockey Academy was selected third overall by the Vancouver Giants, while Tristen Nielsen of the Edge School went 20th overall to the Calgary Hitmen.

Adam Evanoff of the Okanagan Hockey Academy became the first student athlete from the U15 Division to be selected, going in the 10th round to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Evanoff has spent the past four seasons in the WHL.