Western Hockey League Completes 2023 WHL US Priority Draft – WHL Network

Calgary, Alta The Western Hockey League concluded the 2023 WHL US Priority Draft today, with WHL member clubs selecting 44 players during the two-round draft.

With the first overall pick, the Spokane Chiefs selected forward Brody Gillespie of RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep.

The Vancouver, Wash. product had 54 points (26G-28A) in his 28 CSSHL contests in 2022-23.

Brody is a very complete player who adds skill, speed, size and energy to our lineup, Spokane Chiefs US Scouting Director George Ross said. We couldn’t be more excited to add him to our team.

A total of 28 forwards, 12 defensemen and four goaltenders were selected in the 2023 WHL US Priority Draft.

A total of players from 12 different states were selected in the 2023 WHL US Priority Draft, including California, which led the way with 10 players.

2023 WHL US Draft Priority Breakdown by State
California 10
Minnesota 9
Texas 8
Colorado 4
Arizona 3
Washington 3
Idaho 2
Alaska 1
Illinois 1
New Mexico 1
North Dakota 1
Utah 1

Complete results for the 2023 WHL US Priority Draft are available at WHL.ca/draft.

2023 WHL US Priority Draft Results

Round one

#1 Spokane Chiefs
Name: Brody Gillespie Position: Forward Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Team: RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep Statistics: 28GP 26G-28A54 points

#2 Victoria Royals
Name: Cruz Waltze Position: Forward Hometown: Richland, Wash.
Team: RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep Statistics: 28GP 24G-22A46 points

#3 Edmonton Oil Kings
Name: Alofa Tunoa Taamu Position: Defense Hometown: San Diego, California.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Stats: 49GP 15G-15A 30 points

#4 Swift Current Broncos
Name: Aiden Eskit Position: Goalkeeper Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep Stats: 17 GP 11-5-1 2.43 GAA, .914 SV%

#5 Prince Albert Raiders
Name: Liam Hamre Position: Forward Hometown: Victoria, Minn.
Team: Sioux Falls Power 14U AAA Statistics: 51 GP 28G-21A49 points

#6 Brandon Wheat Kings
Name: Reed Brown Position: Forward Hometown: Tempe, Ariz.
Team: OHA Colorado 14U AAA Stats: 7 GP 4G-3A7 pts

#7 Kelowna Rockets
Name: Kalder Varga Position: Forward Hometown: Geneva, Ill.
Team: Chicago Mission 14U AAA Statistics: 15 GP 11G-10A21 points

#8 Vancouver Giants
Name: Tyus Sparks Position: Forward Hometown: Boise, Id.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Statistics: 45 GP 49G-41A90 points

#9 Medicine Hat Tigers
Name: Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll Position: Forward Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Team: Chicago Mission 14U AAA Stats: 15 GP 8G-12A20 points

#10 Everett Silvertips
Name: Cameron Dillard Position: Defense Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA Stats: 4 GP 1G-1A2 pts

#11 Calgary Hitmen
Name: Masen McCosh Position: Defense Hometown: Glendale, Ariz.
Team: Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U AAA Statistics: 4 GP 1G-0A1 point

#12 Regina Pats
Name: Parker Trottier Position: Forward Hometown: Edina, Minn.
Team: Shattuck St. Marys 14U AAA Stats: 56 GP 43G-45A88 points

#13 Tri-City Americans
Name: Sean Burick Position: Defense Hometown: San Clemente, California.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Statistics: 52 GP 6G-17A23 points

#14 Lethbridge Hurricanes
Name: North McKee Position: Defense Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA Stats: 4 GP 0G-1A1 pt

#15 Prince George Cougars
Name: Phoenix Cahill Position: Defense Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minn.
Team: Sioux Falls Power 14U AAA Stats: 14 GP 3G-3A6 points

#16 Moose Jaw Warriors
Name: Zachary Schmidt Position: Defense Hometown: Highland Ranch, Colo.
Team: Colorado Thunderbirds 14U AAA Stats: 8 GP 2G-3A5 pts

#17 Portland Winterhawks
Name: Landon Amrhein Position: Forward Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA Stats: 4 GP 2G-6A8 pts

#18 Red Deer Rebels
Name: Cooper Soller Position: Forward Hometown: Los Angeles, California.
Team: Shattuck St. Marys 14U AAA Stats: 55 GP 31G-45A76 points

#19 Saskatoon Blades
Name: Daniel Peate Position: Forward Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, California.
Team: Anaheim Jr. Ducks 14U AAA Statistics: 40 GP 38G-20A58 points

#20 Kamloops Blazers
Name: JP Hurlbert Position: Forward Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA Stats: 75 GP 112G-83A195 points

#21 Seattle Thunderbirds
Name: Drake Owens Position: Goalie Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska
Team: Rocky Mountain Roughriders 14U AAA Stats: 35 GP 2.09 GAA, .897 SV%

#22 Winnipeg ICE
Colemen Bumgarner Position: Forward Hometown: Shakopee, Minn.
Team: Benilde/St. Margarets High School Stats: 27 GP 6G-9A15 pts

Round two

#23 Edmonton Oil Kings
Name: Dylan Dean Position: Forward Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
Team: Mount St. Charles Academy 14U AAA Statistics: 32 GP 23G-32A55 points

#24 Spokane Chiefs
Name: Nathan Chorlton Position: Forward Hometown: Hastings, Minn.
Team: Cretin/Derham Hall High School Statistics: 31 GP 6G-10A16 points

#25 Victoria Royals
Name: Odin Vauhkonen Position: Defense Hometown: Costa Mesa, Calif.
Team: Shattuck St. Marys 14U AAA Stats: 56 GP 11G-36A47 points

#26 Kelowna Rockets
Name: Oliver Kanat Position: Goalkeeper Hometown: Newport Beach, California.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Stats: 14 GP 1.53 GAA, .922 SV%

#27 Prince Albert Raiders
Name: Caden Dionne Position: Forward Hometown: Denver, Colo.
Team: Sioux Falls Power 14U AAA Stats: 40 GP 24G-17A41 points

#28 Brandon Wheat Kings
Name: Jimmy Egan Position: Defense Hometown: Mahtomedi, Minn.
Team: Mahtomedi High School Statistics: 31 GP 4G-17A21 points

#29 Vancouver Giants
Name: Gavin Karl Position: Forward Hometown: Excelsior, Minn.
Team: Minnesota Machine 14U Statistics: 31 GP 11G-11A22 points

#30 Swift Current Broncos
Name: Dominic Deibert Position: Defense Hometown: Fargo, ND
Team: North Dakota BEL Stats: 5 GP 1G-0A1 pt

#31 Medicine Hat Tigers
Name: Noah Davidson Position: Forward Hometown: Irvine, California.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Statistics: 51 GP 60G-47A107 points

#32 Everett Silvertips
Name: Booker Toninato Position: Forward Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA Stats: 4 GP 0G-3A3 pts

#33 Calgary Hitmen
Name: Joel Anderson Position: Goalie Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Team: Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U AAA Stats: 3 GP 2.67 GAA, 0.849 SV%

#34 Regina Pats
Name: Blake Riley-Kam Position: Forward Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Team: Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U AAA Statistics: 4 GP 1G-2A3 points

#35 Tri-City Americans
Name: Rowan McCord Position: Forward Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
Team: Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 14U Statistics: 61 GP 39G-25A64 points

#36 Lethbridge Hurricanes
Name: Logan Stuart Position: Forward Hometown: Los Angeles, California.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Statistics: 27 GP 36G-32A68 points

#37 Prince George Cougars
Name: Broden Scissors Position: Forward Hometown: Los Angeles, California.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Statistics: 52 GP 16G-10A26 points

#38 Moose Jaw Warriors
Name: Trevor Hill Position: Forward Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Team: San Antonio Jr. Rampage 14U Stats: 21 GP 30G-21A51 pts

#39 Portland Winterhawks
Name: Luke Wilfley Position: Forward Hometown: Englewood, Colo.
Team: OHA Colorado 14U AAA Stats: 7 GP 3G-5A8 pts

#40 Red Deer Rebels
Name: Ethan Park Position: Forward Hometown: Meridian, Id.
Team: Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA Statistics: 43 GP 19G-26A45 points

#41 Saskatoon Blades
Name: Luke Host Position: Defense Hometown: Columbine, Colo.
Team: OHA Colorado 14U AAA Stats: 7 GP 0G-2A2 pts

#42 Kamloops Blazers
Name: Dennis Emesibe Position: Forward Hometown: Allen, Texas
Team: Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA Stats: 5 GP 4G-2A6 pts

#43 Seattle Thunderbirds
Name: Zane Torre Position: Forward Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California.
Team: Shattuck St. Marys 14U AAA Stats: 3 GP 0G-0A0 points

#44 Winnipeg ICE
Name: Logan Lutner Position: Defense Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
Team: Osseo/Maple Grove AA 14U statistics are not available

About the Western Hockey League
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, the Western Hockey League (WHL) is considered the premier junior hockey development league in the world. The WHL consists of 22 member clubs, 17 of which are located in Western Canada and five in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been the leading supplier of talent to the National Hockey League for more than 50 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships, with more than 375 graduates each year receiving WHL scholarships for post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the core of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.