Everett Silvertips win WHL draft lottery, will pick first overall for first time in history

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 28, 2024.

sports@medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

For the first time in their 21 year history, the Everett Silvertips will be the first name called at the WHL draft.

The Silvertips had some St. Patrick’s Day luck carry over a week, winning the WHL draft lottery Wednesday afternoon.

The winning draft pick wasn’t originally Everett’s, as they acquired the pick at the 2023 WHL trade deadline when they sent Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer to the Kamloops Blazers for 10 draft picks and four players.

“This is an exciting day for everyone in our organization to have the opportunity to make the first overall pick,” said Silvertips assistant general manager Mike Fraser in a release.

“I’m happy for our scouting staff who work tirelessly all season long identifying and evaluating potential future Silvertips. We couldn’t be more pleased with the result of the lottery today.”

Everett’s previous highest pick was their expansion slot selection in 2003, when they drafted future NHL forward Zach Hamill third-overall. Since then, they’ve never picked higher than seventh.

The consensus first overall pick in the upcoming WHL draft is Edge Hockey Academy defencemen Landon DuPont.

The 14-year-old Calgary product had 19 goals and 62 points in 30 games this season at the CSSHL U18 level. He had five goals and 16 points in 5 playoff games in Edge’s run to a U18 title.

He’s the son of former Blazer and NHLer Micki DuPont.

The big winner of the draft lottery is the Prince Albert Raiders, who moved a fourth overall pick up to second. That pick originally belonged to the Regina Pats who sent it to the Seattle Thunderbirds last season. The Thunderbirds then sent it to Prince Albert for defenceman Nolan Allan.

The Raiders are picking second overall for the second straight year, also picking first overall last season.

The Tri-City Americans will select third overall, the Kelowna Rockets have the fourth overall pick (acquired from the Pats), the Edmonton Oil Kings have the fifth pick and the Calgary Hitmen hold the sixth overall pick.

The Medicine Hat Tigers have the 16th overall pick in the 2024 WHL draft, which will be held May 9.

There was a second lottery held Wednesday, with Regina winning the first overall pick in the WHL’s U.S. priority draft.

All six non-playoff teams participated in the lottery to determine the first six picks.