The Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft came and went this week, and Vancouver Island left its mark all over the board.
From the nine-player haul by the Victoria Royals, to a trio of Victoria kids hearing their names called and another group of Island products scattered across the rounds, the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft was packed with Island connections.
The Royals, drafting outside the top-10 for the first time in three years, kicked off by nabbing defenceman Roan Greschuk with the 19th overall pick. The right-shot blueliner tallied an impressive 46 points in 34 games for the U15 AAA St. Albert Sabres and could step into a key role as soon as 2026鈥�27, with NHL-drafted defenders Justin Kipkie and Nate Misskey both expected to make the leap in the coming seasons.
鈥淩oan is a competitive defenceman who makes an impact in all three zones,鈥� Royals head scout Brayden Beckley said in a release. 鈥淗is skating and instincts allow him to manage pace, close space efficiently, and handle all situation minutes with control.鈥�
Victoria took nine players, a shift from their recent top-heavy drafts. In the past three drafts, the Royals picked early, selecting Cole Reschny third overall in 2022, Keaton Verhoeff fourth in 2023, and Jacob Schwartz eighth in 2024. Schwartz is expected to crack the roster next season after a strong campaign with the U18 Delta Hockey Academy, while Verhoeff is already being talked about as a 2026 NHL lottery pick.
Another twist came when Cole Reschny鈥檚 younger brother, Anderson, was selected 40th overall by the Prince George Cougars 鈥� setting up a potential sibling showdown in the B.C. Division.
Victoria-born talent had its moment, too. Goaltender Donagh Esler-Twiss (Shawnigan Lake School U15 Prep) went 86th overall to the Calgary Hitmen. Cam Young-Thompson (Pacific Coast Hockey Academy) landed with Portland at 242. Shea Mooney, a Victoria-born defenceman who plays for the Okanagan Hockey Academy, rounded out the group at 323, going to the expansion-bound Penticton Vees.
Elsewhere on the Island, Campbell River produced a pair of picks 鈥� forward Kane Nicholas (45th overall, Seattle) and goalie Kole Anderosov (63rd, Prince George). Duncan鈥檚 Jackson Beggs, a blueliner with Burnaby Winter Club, went 92nd overall, also to the Thunderbirds.
The draft also marked a major milestone for the WHL鈥檚 newest team. The Penticton Vees, long a powerhouse in the BCHL, are set to make their WHL debut in 2025鈥�26. They didn鈥檛 waste time building, making 16 picks in the draft, two more in the U.S. import draft, and adding 22 players through the expansion draft.
One of those expansion picks was Victoria鈥檚 Wyatt Danyleyko, who just finished his rookie season with the Royals. But the move didn鈥檛 last 鈥� Victoria traded Kash Alger-East to Penticton to reacquire Danyleyko just hours later.
The focus now shifts to the WHL Championship series, which opens tonight. Spokane, who bounced the Royals in Round two, meets Medicine Hat with a trip to the 2025 Memorial Cup on the line.
