19 Minnesotans Selected in 2025 WHL U.S. Priority Draft

Minnesota talent shined brightly in the 2025 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, with 19 players selected, more than any other eligible state. The Western Hockey League, which allows teams to draft players from select U.S. states, held a two-round draft where each of its 23 teams had two selections, totaling 46 picks overall.

The first Minnesotan off the board was RJ Thompson of Minneapolis, who went second overall to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Thompson, who spent last season playing for Little Caesars U14, is a skilled forward with a plethora of offensive tools and instincts.

Among the state’s biggest success stories was Moorhead, which saw six players from its 2025 Bantam AA State Championship team selected.

Players eligible for the WHL U.S. Priority Draft must reside in one of the following states and have lived there for at least the past two years:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Round.Pick	Team	Player	From
1.2	Moose Jaw	RJ Thompson	Minneapolis
1.12	Regina	Henry Buttweiler	Moorhead
1.13	Swift Current	Eston Dozark	Moorhead
1.16	Medicaine Hat	Jake Burmis	Rogers
1.18	Portland	Maverick McKinnon	Forrest Lake
1.19	Everett	Henry Meier	Woodbury
1.20	Victoria	Joey Cullen	Moorhead
2.24	Lethbridge	Drew Kortan	Moorhead
2.25	Prince Albert	Mason Schmenauer	Minnetonka
2.27	Penticton	Parker Deraney	Detroit Lakes
2.28	Victoria	Dean Stevens	Minnetonka
2.30	Portland	Gavin Godbout	Woodbury
2.31	Spokane	Brody Johnson	Minnetrista
2.32	Medicine Hat	Bauer Sullivan	Rosemount
2.35	Swift Current	John Gramer	Moorhead
2.38	Wenatchee	Owen Kraft	Moorhead
2.42	Red Deer	Paxon Madill	Hermantown
2.44	Edmonton	Carter Nash	Hermantown
2.46	Brandon	Ayven Hontvet	Warroad

Drafted Minnesotans by year.

Year	Minnesotans Drafted
2020	12
2021	6
2022	9
2023	9
2024	9
2025	19