For the third straight year, and eighth time out of the last ten, a Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) student-athlete was selected first overall at the Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospects Draft.
Having become just the second player, and first defenseman in WHL history to receive Exceptional Player Status to play in the WHL at 15 years old, Landon DuPont joins the CSSHL ranks of Daxon Rudolph (Northern Alberta Xtreme/2023) Gavin McKenna (RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna & South Alberta Hockey Academy/2022), Connor Bedard (West Van Academy/2020), Matthew Savoie (Northern Alberta Xtreme & RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg/2019), Dylan Guenther (Northern Alberta Xtreme/2018), Kaiden Guhle (OHA Edmonton/2017), and Ty Smith (Delta Hockey Academy/2015) to be selected first overall.
Bedard was granted Exceptional Player Status ahead of the 2020/21 season and was recently selected first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Overall, 10 CSSHL student-athletes were selected in the first round while 88 players were selected in total at the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. Of those 88, 44 were taken in the first 4 rounds/89 picks. Overall, 37% of the WHL Prospects Draft came from the CSSHL, the third highest percentage total in league history, behind 2021 (45%) and 2022 (40%). The 88 players selected are also third most in CSSHL history, behind 2022 (96) and 2021 (95).
The Kamloops Blazers selected Eli Tverdovsky sixth overall at the 2024 U.S. Priority Draft. Tverdovsky became the eighth CSSHL player to be drafted in the U.S. Priority Draft in it’s five year history.
With 16 players selected, Edge School has set the new CSSHL program record previously held by Yale Hockey Academy, who had 15 in 2021.
By the Numbers
Program Breakdown:
- Edge School – 16
- Northern Alberta Xtreme – 14
- Delta Hockey Academy – 9
- RHA Winnipeg – 8
- Okanagan Hockey Academy – 7
- RHA Kelowna – 7
- St. George’s School – 6
- Yale Hockey Academy – 6
- OHA Edmonton – 5
- BWC Academy – 5
- Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 3
- Pilot Mound Hockey Academy – 1
- Shawnigan Lake School – 1
WHL Prospects Draft Round Breakdown:
- First Round: 10/22
- Second Round: 10/23
- Third Round: 12/22
- Fourth Round: 12/22
- Fifth Round: 8/22
- Sixth Round: 6/22
- Seventh Round: 6/22
- Eighth Round: 8/22
- Ninth Round: 6/20
- Tenth Round: 2/15
- Eleventh Round: 3/10
- Twelfth Round: 4/9
- Thirteenth Round: 1/5
- Fourteenth Round: 0/1
- Total: 88/237
WHL U.S. Priority Draft
| Round | Overall | WHL Team | Player | Position | CSSHL Team |
| 1 | 6 | Kamloops Blazers | Eli Tverdovsky | F | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
WHL Prospects Draft
| Round | Overall | WHL Team | Player | Position | CSSHL Team |
| 1 | 1 | Everett Silvertips | Landon DuPont | D | Edge School |
| 1 | 2 | Prince Albert Raiders | Brock Cripps | D | St. George’s School |
| 1 | 3 | Tri-City Americans | Aden Bouchard | D | Edge School |
| 1 | 4 | Prince Albert Raiders | Ben Harvey | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 1 | 8 | Victoria Royals | Jacob Schwartz | F | St. George’s School |
| 1 | 10 | Vancouver Giants | Blake Chorney | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 1 | 11 | Seattle Thunderbirds | Brock England | F | Edge School |
| 1 | 15 | Red Deer Rebels | Graeme Pickering | D | RHA Winnipeg |
| 1 | 19 | Everett Silvertips | Mirco Dufour | F | Edge School |
| 1 | 20 | Portland Winterhawks | Jordin St. Louis | F | Edge School |
| 2 | 23 | Seattle Thunderbirds | Matthew Hilderman | F | Edge School |
| 2 | 25 | Regina Pats | Aiden Wagner | D | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 2 | 26 | Kamloops Blazers | Joaquin Geras | D | Edge School |
| 2 | 32 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Reid Soper | D | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 2 | 33 | Kelowna Rockets | Nathan Cole | F | Edge School |
| 2 | 34 | Spokane Chiefs | Harry Mattern | D | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 2 | 35 | Victoria Royals | Eli McKamey | F | Shawnigan Lake School |
| 2 | 40 | Moose Jaw Warriors | Cohen Williams | D | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 2 | 43 | Calgary Hitmen | Shaun Hildebrandt | F | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 2 | 44 | Kamloops Blazers | Jacob Dumansky | F | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 3 | 46 | Kamloops Blazers | Madden Tymchak | D | RHA Winnipeg |
| 3 | 47 | Tri-City Americans | Lukas McIssac | D | St. George’s School |
| 3 | 48 | Regina Pats | Mathis Paull | F | RHA Kelowna |
| 3 | 51 | Everett Silvertips | Eddy Spytz | F | St. George’s School |
| 3 | 52 | Regina Pats | Cohen Handby | F | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 3 | 53 | Victoria Royals | Drayden Uhrina | F | RHA Winnipeg |
| 3 | 54 | Prince Albert Raiders | Kyle Obobaifo | F | BWC Academy |
| 3 | 58 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Leif Oaten | G | Edge School |
| 3 | 60 | Kelowna Rockets | Linden Sobocan | G | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 3 | 61 | Saskatoon Blades | Jaggar John | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 3 | 64 | Seattle Thunderbirds | Grayson Tash | D | BWC Academy |
| 3 | 66 | Saskatoon Blades | Julian Revel | D | BWC Academy |
| 4 | 68 | Tri-City Americans | Carter Bylycia | D | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 4 | 69 | Tri-City Americans | Alexander Laing | F | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 4 | 70 | Vancouver Giants | Dylan Hurren | D | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 4 | 72 | Calgary Hitmen | Adam Halat | F | Edge School |
| 4 | 73 | Calgary Hitmen | Jack Poole | F | St. George’s School |
| 4 | 74 | Spokane Chiefs | Bryson Roberts | D | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 4 | 77 | Saskatoon Blades | Cohen Lewko | F | RHA Winnipeg |
| 4 | 83 | Medicine Hat Tigers | Cash Christie | G | St. George’s School |
| 4 | 86 | Portland Winterhawks | Caden Leibel | F | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 4 | 87 | Portland Winterhawks | Liam Reed | D | OHA Edmonton |
| 4 | 88 | Prince George Cougars | Ollie Reid | F | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 4 | 89 | Kamloops Blazers | Hudson Podollan | F | RHA Kelowna |
| 5 | 92 | Regina Pats | Thayne Wasyluk | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 5 | 93 | Kelowna Rockets | Linkin Stadnek | D | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 5 | 95 | Calgary Hitmen | Dominik Silberbagel | F | RHA Kelowna |
| 5 | 96 | Spokane Chiefs | Anthony Bedard | F | RHA Winnipeg |
| 5 | 97 | Medicine Hat Tigers | Zack Nieckar | F | OHA Edmonton |
| 5 | 98 | Red Deer Rebels | Forrest Karlson | F | Pilot Mound Hockey Academy |
| 5 | 109 | Portland Winterhawks | Cash Brebant | F | OHA Edmonton |
| 5 | 111 | Prince Albert Raiders | Knox Burton | F | RHA Winnipeg |
| 6 | 116 | Kamloops Blazers | Braxton Gibson | G | RHA Kelowna |
| 6 | 122 | Wenatchee Wild | Kolton Denich | D | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 6 | 123 | Moose Jaw Warriors | Carson Smith | F | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 6 | 124 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Matteo Di Stefano | F | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 6 | 126 | Red Deer Rebels | Luke Jamieson | F | Edge School |
| 6 | 133 | Saskatoon Blades | Spencer Kuntz | D | RHA Winnipeg |
| 7 | 136 | Regina Pats | Ryder Dunn | D | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 7 | 140 | Wenatchee Wild | Carsten Leyerzapf | G | Edge School |
| 7 | 141 | Victoria Royals | Nolan Harding | F | RHA Winnipeg |
| 7 | 143 | Vancouver Giants | Richard Wonyeneh | F | BWC Academy |
| 7 | 150 | Swift Current Broncos | Gavin Harrison | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 7 | 155 | Saskatoon Blades | Treyce Pavlic | F | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 8 | 157 | Tri-City Americans | Owen Wiemer | F | Edge School |
| 8 | 158 | Regina Pats | Jack Bissoon | D | Edge School |
| 8 | 165 | Edmonton Oil Kings | Ryan Sadovia | F | RHA Kelowna |
| 8 | 168 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Tate Serfas | D | RHA Kelowna |
| 8 | 170 | Red Deer Rebels | Zach Schwartz | F | OHA Edmonton |
| 8 | 171 | Medicine Hat Tigers | Kayne Wright | D | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 8 | 175 | Portland Winterhawks | Hudson Sayers | D | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 8 | 177 | Saskatoon Blades | Tristan Hoko | F | Okanagan Hockey Academy |
| 9 | 179 | Prince George Cougars | Keenan Fox | F | OHA Edmonton |
| 9 | 182 | Edmonton Oil Kings | Easton Doran | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 9 | 185 | Victoria Royals | Kieran Wilson | D | Pacific Coast Hockey Academy |
| 9 | 187 | Vancouver Giants | Braeden Malenchak | D | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 9 | 188 | Kelowna Rockets | Jack Morgan | F | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 9 | 191 | Brandon Wheat Kings | Tristan Follick | D | Pacific Coast Hockey Academy |
| 10 | 207 | Victoria Royals | Declan Iacoviello | F | BWC Academy |
| 10 | 220 | Prince George Cougars | Reeve Waugh | D | Edge School |
| 11 | 233 | Wenatchee Wild | Kishan Saggu | F | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 11 | 236 | Red Deer Rebels | Madden Woo | D | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 11 | 241 | Portland Winterhawks | Blake Clark | G | Delta Hockey Academy Green |
| 12 | 248 | Edmonton Oil Kings | Treytin Frizzell | F | Pacific Coast Hockey Academy |
| 12 | 253 | Vancouver Giants | Oliver Bryks | G | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 12 | 258 | Red Deer Rebels | Logan Alexis | D | RHA Kelowna |
| 12 | 260 | Swift Current Broncos | Jackson Tetreault | F | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 13 | 280 | Red Deer Rebels | Declan Cardiff | F | Edge School |
