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(Image Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)
expected to go high at june nhl draft

Report: Lacombe’s Rudolph leaving WHL for University of Denver

Jun 3, 2026 | 3:51 PM

It’s being reported Wednesday that Lacombe’s Daxon Rudolph will leave the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders to play at the University of Denver next season.

Multiple sources, namely the Grand Forks Herald’s Brad Schlossman, and The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, are confirming the move.

A defenseman, Rudolph was selected by P.A. first overall at the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.

Rudolph has since put up 126 points in 132 regular season games — again, as a blueliner.

This spring, he put up 27 points, including nine goals, in 19 games en route to the WHL Final, which his Raiders lost to the Everett Silvertips. In four games of the five-game final, Rudolph tallied four assists, 19 penalty minutes, and a one-game suspension for cross-checking.

He is expected by most experts to go in the top 10 of this June’s NHL Draft, and is ranked fifth among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Rudolph would be joining a University of Denver Pioneers (NCAA Div. 1) team that is coming off a record 11th national championship this past April.