(Western Hockey League/ supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

May 7

Red Deer Rebels could lose one player in WHL Expansion Draft

Apr 25, 2025 | 1:09 PM

The Red Deer Rebels will most likely lose one player during the upcoming WHL Expansion Draft.

The league’s newest franchise, the Penticton Vees, will be permitted to take one player from each club for a total of 22 players. However, trades will be permitted in lieu of the expansion pick.

The only question that remains is who will they take?

Well, one of the only exemptions the WHL has put on the Vees is that they’re not allowed to take any 16-year-old players, which are those born in 2009.

Good news for the Rebels, is that protects defenceman Graeme Pickering, who was Red Deer’s first round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. He’s expected to make the jump to Red Deer and the WHL next season. This exemption will also protect any other 2009 born players the Rebels have signed or listed.

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Everyone else will be up for grabs.

However, fans can rest easy as Red Deer and the rest of the league will have two scenarios to choose from to protect a certain amount of players from being drafted:

They can either protect 16 players aged 17 to 20-years-old from their roster, plus an additional six players appearing on their college list.

Or they can protect 14 players aged 17 to 19-years-old, and three 20-year-old players from their roster plus an additional six players on their college list.

The 2025 WHL Expansion Draft will take place on Wednesday, May 7 where the Vees will begin building their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The Vees will be allowed to dress four, 20-year-old players in all games during the 2025-26 season only including preseason, regular season, and playoffs.

If they were to win the WHL Championship, they will only be allowed to dress three, 20 year old players in the 2026 Memorial Cup.

Trades between Penticton and other WHL Clubs for a player and/or a draft pick will also be allowed in place of the expansion pick.

Penticton was also awarded the fourth overall pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft, which bumped Red Deer back a spot from sixth to seventh overall.