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.
|
ROUND |
OVERALL |
TEAM |
STUDENT ATHLETE |
CSSHL PROGRAM |
|
1 |
1 |
Spokane Chiefs | Ty Smith | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
1 |
3 |
Vancouver Giants | Ty Popowich | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
1 |
20 |
Calgary Hitmen | Tristen Nielsen | Edge School |
|
2 |
30 |
Moose Jaw Warriors | Austin Chorney | Edge School |
|
2 |
35 |
Victoria Royals | Mitchell Prowse | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
2 |
36 |
Red Deer Rebels | Eli Zummack | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
3 |
45 |
Saskatoon Blades | Matthew Mosher | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
3 |
49 |
Tri-City Americans | Seth Bafaro | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
3 |
54 |
Swift Current Broncos | Ethan Martini | Edge School |
|
4 |
69 |
Red Deer Rebels | Brendan Budy | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
4 |
70 |
Portland Winterhawks | Ty Kolle | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
4 |
82 |
Kamloops Blazers | Luke Zazula | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
4 |
84 |
Kamloops Blazers | Brodi Stuart | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
4 |
88 |
Brandon Wheat Kings | Breandon Peacock | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
5 |
93 |
Tri-City Americans | Keltie Jeri-Leon | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
6 |
113 |
Kelowna Rockets | Kelvin Hair | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
6 |
121 |
Everett Silvertips | Ethan Scardina | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
6 |
123 |
Kootenay Ice | Bobby Russell | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
6 |
131 |
Kelowna Rockets | Kyle Pow | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
7 |
134 |
Lethbridge Hurricanes | Shawn Harke | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
7 |
147 |
Seattle Thunderbirds | Tyson Terretta | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
7 |
153 |
Kelowna Rockets | James Porter | Edge School |
|
8 |
162 |
Moose Jaw Warriors | Coleton Bilodeau | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
8 |
163 |
Spokane Chiefs | Luke Gallagher | Edge School |
|
8 |
168 |
Regina Pats | Riley Krane | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
8 |
170 |
Red Deer Rebels | Spencer McHardy | Edge School |
|
8 |
176 |
Saskatoon Blades | Powell Connor | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
9 |
180 |
Kamloops Blazers | Tanner Bahm | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
9 |
183 |
Prince George Cougars | Zach Minaker | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
9 |
189 |
Victoria Royals | Lach Hadley | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
9 |
193 |
Portland Winterhawks | Jonathan Rees | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
9 |
197 |
Kelowna Rockets | Trevor Gulenchyn | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
10 |
201 |
Vancouver Giants | Jack Judson | Delta Hockey Academy |
|
10 |
210 |
Kootenay Ice | Lucas Gaudet | Pursuit of Excellence |
|
10 |
219 |
Moose Jaw Warriors | Adam Evanoff | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
|
11 |
225 |
Saskatoon Blades | Jordan Wilde | Pursuit of Excellence |