The Prince Albert Raiders have signed Daxon Rudolph, the first overall pick at the 2023 Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospects Draft, to a WHL Scholarship & Development Agreement.
Rudolph spent the 2022/23 season in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) with the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) U15 Prep team. In 30 games Rudolph led all defensemen with 17 goals and 50 points. Rudolph would save his best for last as he led all skaters with 5 goals and 12 points in 5 playoff games. The Lacombe, AB product would score two goals in the semi-finals, including the game winner with 18 seconds left, and two more in the finals, scoring the overtime winner on a breakaway 1:19 into the extra frame as NAX captured the 2023 CSSHL U15 Prep Western Championship.
Rudolph is the third NAX skater to be drafted first overall in the WHL Draft joining Dylan Guenther (2018/Edmonton Oil Kings) and Matthew Savoie (2019/Winnipeg Ice). Both Guenther and Savoie were drafted ninth overall at their respective NHL Drafts: Guenther in 2021 to the Arizona Coyotes and Savoie in 2022 to the Buffalo Sabres.