The 2026 WHL Playoffs are set to begin this Friday, March 27, and the bracket is overflowing with high-end NHL prospects. Here are the 10 players to watch as the quest for the Ed Chynoweth Cup begins.
1. The Ruck Twins (Medicine Hat Tigers)
NHL Status: 2026 Eligible
The Ruck brothers made history this year as the first twins to each record 100 points in a single CHL season. Markus is the league’s premier playmaker with 84 assists, while Liam is the lethal finisher, tallying 44 goals.
2. Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets)
NHL Status: Utah Mammoth (6th Overall, 2024)
Iginla dominated this season, racking up 41 goals and 90 points in 48 games. Iginla is the engine behind the Rockets Memorial Cup; he led the entire WHL with 1.88 points per game.
3. Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips)
NHL Status: 2027 Eligible
DuPont followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with a staggering 73 points as a 16-year-old defenseman, helping lead the Silvertips to the Scotty Munro Trophy.
4. J.P. Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers)
NHL Status: 2026 Eligible
The Allen, Texas native left the USNTDP and put up an astonishing 97 points, finishing 4th in league scoring. Hurlbert is the front-runner for the WHL Rookie of the Year Award.
5. Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George Cougars)
NHL Status: San Jose Sharks (30th Overall, 2025)
Widely considered the top goaltender in the league, Ravensbergen led the WHL with 32 wins and a .919 save percentage.
6. Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars)
NHL Status: 2026 Eligible
Carels is the highest-ranked WHL skater for the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 3 North American). After winning a Bronze Medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors, he returned to Prince George and logged a team-best +23 rating. He tallied 73 points in 58 games this season.
7. Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders)
NHL Status: 2026 Eligible
The captain of the top-seeded Raiders is a two-way force. Rudolph led all WHL defensemen in goals (28) and is currently ranked No. 8 among North American skaters for the 2026 Draft.
8. Cameron Schmidt (Seattle Thunderbirds)
NHL Status: Dallas Stars ( 94th Overall, 2025)
Schmidt was the only WHL player to hit the 50-goal plateau. As a 19-year-old veteran, his experience and pure goal-scoring ability make Seattle a nightmare.
9. Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat Tigers)
NHL Status: Montreal Canadiens (81st Overall, 2025)
While the Rucks handle the playmaking, Pickford provides the heavy artillery. He tallied 45 goals and led all WHL defencemen with 19 power-play goals and 11 game-winning goals, making him the most clutch blueliner in the league.
10. Jacob Kvasnicka (Penticton Vees)
NHL Status: New York Islanders (202nd Overall, 2025)
Kvasnicka was the engine behind the expansion Vees getting to 44 wins this season. The American forward led the Vees with 35 goals and 85 points in 65 games.