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Five Okanagan players picked in NHL entry draft

Two young men wearing NHL jerseys pose for a photo.
Twins Liam and Markus Ruck are among the five Okanagan-raised players picked in the 2026 NHL entry draft. JEFF VINNICK/Getty Images via NHL

Dozens of Canadians were picked in this year’s NHL entry draft, and five of the young hockey players are from the Okanagan.

They’re among 39 WHL players who signed rights to professional teams on the weekend.

The Okanagan-raised picks include Lake Coutnry’s Joe Iginla, picked by the Calgary Flames in the third round, following his father’s footsteps.

The 17-year-old winger currently plays for the Vancouver Giants and, between two teams last season, scored 15 goals and 16 assists in 59 games.

He’s now the third of three Iginla sibling picked up by a professional hockey team after his sister Jade, signed to the Hamilton PWHL team, and Tij, signed to the Utah Mammoth.

Five Okanagan players picked in NHL entry draft | iNFOnews.ca
Former Calgary Flames captain and current Kelowna realtor Todd Simpson surprised Joe Iginla with his draft jersey at his home. X/Calgary Flames

The other sibling story of the 2026 NHL draft is the Osoyoos twins Markus and Liam Ruck, picked by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The defencemen played for the Medicine Hat Tigers last season, where they both picked up more than 100 points in 68 games. Liam was the 22nd overall pick, the first-round choice for Pittsburgh, and Markus was chosen in the second round.

Also picked were Peachlander Ethan MacKenzie and Mathis Preston of Penticton.

Preston, a right-winger, was traded to the Vancouver Giants late in the last WHL season. He picked up 44 points in his 46 games between Vancouver and Spokane through the 2025/26 season.

He was the Anaheim Ducks’ second-round choice, while MacKenzie was third choice for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

MacKenzie is a defenceman who scored 22 goals and 58 points with the Edmonton Oil Kings last season.

While none of the Okanagan-raised picks have played their WHL careers in the region, the Penticton Vees and the Kamloops Rockets both had a prospect picked from their rosters.

Blazers right-winger JP Hurlbert and Vees defenceman Sean Burick were the only players from the three Thompson-Okanagan WHL teams selected this year.

Hurlbert, who hails from Texas, was the first round choice for the Detroit Red Wings, while the Vegas Golden Knights picked Burick, of California, in the third round.

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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.

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