By rdnewsNOW Staff

March 29, 2023

2023 WHL Draft Lotteries to be conducted Wednesday

Mar 29, 2023 | 10:01 AM

The Western Hockey League has announced that the lotteries to determine the order of the first six selections in the first rounds of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft and 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will be held Wednesday, March 29.

League officials say the WHL Prospects Draft Lottery will involve the six non-playoff Clubs – Edmonton, Spokane, Victoria, Prince Albert, Brandon and Swift Current – from the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season. Officials say a Club may only move up a maximum of two positions in the WHL Prospects Draft.

The WHL Prospects Draft Lottery will use a total of 21 balls, the allotment of which is as follows:

• Edmonton – Six balls (pick traded to Prince Albert)
• Spokane – Five balls
• Victoria – Four balls
• Prince Albert – Three balls
• Brandon – Two balls
• Swift Current – One ball (pick traded to Vancouver

Officials say the lottery applies to the first round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. For each round following, WHL Clubs shall draft based on the inverse order of final standings from the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season.

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The results of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery will be available at WHL.ca and across WHL social media channels.

For the first time ever, officials note that the order of selection for the first six selections in the first round of the WHL U.S. Priority Draft will be determined by a lottery involving the six non-playoff Clubs – Edmonton, Spokane, Victoria, Prince Albert, Brandon and Swift Current. Each non-playoff Club will receive one (1) ball in the lottery. The remaining positions in the first round will be determined by inverse order of final standings from the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season. All selections in the second round will be made in inverse order of the final standings from the 2022-23 WHL Regular Season.

The 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will be held Wednesday, May 10 and the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft will be held Thursday, May 11.

Players eligible for the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft are 2008-born players who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Players not selected in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft will remain eligible to be listed by WHL Clubs at any time thereafter.

Players eligible for the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft are 2008-born players who reside in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Players not selected in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft will remain eligible to be selected the following day in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.