Ten members of the Delta Hockey Academy’s U15 Prep team, plus two other Delta-born players, were selected in the 2026 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, held Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7.

Three of those 12 players were chosen in the first round, led by left-handed DHA defenceman Eli Vickers, who was taken with the third overall pick by the Vancouver Giants.

The five-foot-nine, 159 pound Surrey native was named the Top Defenceman in the U15 Prep division of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) this past season after leading all blueliners with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 30 games.

Vickers finished fifth among all U15 Prep CSSHL skaters in regular-season points, plus had five points (one goal, four assists) in three U15 Prep playoff games. He also played four regular-season games with DHA’s U17 prep squad, tallying five goals and one assist in four games, plus three playoff games, scoring one goal and four assists.

A part of Delta’s 2025 CSSHL Western Championship team, Vickers had 98 points in 65 career U15 Prep games, second most all-time among defencemen.

“I’ve admired his competitiveness and his will to win for the last two years,” Greg Batters, the Giants’ director of player personnel, said in a press release.

“The people at Delta speak super highly of him. His coaches love him, to the point where he got called up to the U17s in the championships to play forward with them. He’s that type of kid. He’s a winner — a leader. He’s going to be a fan favourite for sure.”

Elite Prospects ranked Vickers as the top defenceman in their 2026 WHL Draft rankings.

“Arguably the best skater in the draft class, he’s extremely fluid, elite off his edges, and explosive across the rink,” EP’s ranking said.

“Vickers is also a high-end thinker, scanning, anticipating and reading plays. He’s a strong playmaker, finding high-value passing lanes, and a highly skilled handler. (…) Vickers projects as a top-pair defenceman. His game is as plug-and-play as they come, too.”

With the 15th overall pick, the Saskatoon Blades took Delta-born Teagan Dernisky, a five-foot-seven, 151 pound centre with Abbotsford’s Yale Hockey Academy.

Dernisky led both Yale’s U15 Prep team and the CSSHL in scoring during the 2025-26 regular season with 98 points (43 goals, 55 assists) in 30 games. He also recorded six points (three goals, three assists) in three playoff games.

“I think when you watch a player like a Brandon Hagel type for the Tampa Bay Lightning right now, a Team Canada player at the last couple major tournaments for them, that’s the right sort of comparable,” Blades director of scouting Dan Tencer said in a press release.

Closing out the first round, with the 23rd overall pick, the Swift Current Broncos selected DHA defenceman Nathan Roberts.

The six-foot-three, 191 pound right-hander from White Rock totaled 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 30 regular season games before adding five more points (two goals, three assists) during the playoffs.

Roberts also impressed at the U16 BC Cup, recording four goals and three assists in four games, “showcasing both his offensive upside and physical presence,” according to a Broncos press release.

“Nathan is a really big-bodied guy that’s got some freedom and moves really, really well. Trajectory for him has been up and up all year long,” Broncos head scout Chad Leslie said in a video posted to the team’s social media accounts.

Leslie described Roberts as a “high-character kid” from a good family who is “going to make it hard ” for opponents.

“He closes quickly, he’s got a good stick, he’s going to defend and he’s going to make plays. He’s got some offensive upside available there as well on a huge frame, so we’re really excited about our back end down the road.”

In the second round, the Kamloops Blazers chose DHA winger Mazen Green with the 45th overall pick. The five-foot-eight, 142 pound left-hander from Surrey/Victoria had 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) through 30 regular season games, plus another goal and two assists in the playoffs.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes used the 50th overall pick to take six-foot-one, 175-pound DHA captain Ronan Gow in the third round. The Nanaimo-born left-handed centre appeared in 30 regular season games, leading the team in goals (26) and finishing second in total points (52). He added five more points (two goals, three assists) in three post-season games.

Kamloops took left-handed DHA defenceman Carsten Patrick in the fourth round with the 80th overall pick. The five-foot-ten-and-a-half, 178 pound Langley native totaled 13 point (four goals, nine assists) through 30 games this season, adding another assist in the playoffs.

Then, with the 83rd pick, the Blazers took goalie Cohen Wood. The six-foot-tall, 150 pound Delta native, who plays for St. George’s School in Vancouver, played 18 games for the Saints, posting a regular-season record of 10 wins — including three shut0outs — and four losses, allowing an average of 2.78 goals against for a .908 save percentage.

A pair of DHA players went in the seventh round: defenceman Brady Cook to the Moose Jaw Warriors with the 143rd overall pick, and goaltender Brayden Allan to the Wenatchee Wild with the 145th.

Cook, a five-foot-seven, 128 pound left-hander form Surrey, scored five goals and tallied 25 assists through 30 regular season games, adding to more assists through three games in the post season.

Six-foot-two, 181 pound Allan from Delta played 15 games regular season, with 12 wins and one loss, for a goals-against average of 2.65 and a .896 save percentage.

In the eighth round, with the 168th overall pick, the Edmonton Oil Kings chose left-handed DHA forward Jake Dunlop. Through 18 games, the five-foot-nine, 126 pound Surrey native totaled 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists), adding another three (one goal, two assists) in the playoffs.

DHA winger Carson Brown was selected in the ninth round with the 198th overall pick by Saskatoon. Hailing from Langley, the five-foot-five-and-a-half, 131 pound lefty averaged an assist in each of the 30 games he played, plus 18 goals for a total 48 points in the regular season. He added another goal and an assist in the post season.

Finally, Jace Zemanek was chosen by the Penticton Vees in the eleventh round with 250th overall pick. The five-ten-and-a-half, 165 pound DHA goalie from Port Alberni played 15 games and won all but one as he posted a goals-against average of 1.52 and .933 save percentage.

— with files from Ben Lypka