The 6-foot-3, 170-pound right wing was one of only three Americans taken in the first round. Arnold\u2019s Dallas Stars Elite teammate, center Ethan Zhang<\/a> from Plano, went No. 19 overall to the Tri-City Americans.<\/p>\n Because of the differing pathways to professional hockey for Americans, it\u2019s not as common to see one taken in the first round of the WHL prospects draft. The WHL is one of three major Canadian junior hockey leagues.<\/p>\n Arnold\u2019s mother, Jennifer, reflected on what it meant to hear her son\u2019s name called.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sitting and watching the draft, and we\u2019re going through all the first-round picks,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re now on the 15th pick, and it was Canadian, Canadian, Canadian, all the way up into the 15th. And my husband gets a text from my son\u2019s agent that said, \u2018Pay attention to pick 16, get excited.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSo we were just, I mean, you can imagine our emotions. My parents were here, my husband\u2019s parents were here. … And then they announced Jack. It was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack Arnold reflected on his journey to this point.<\/p>\n \u201cI was young, like 5 years old, when I finally started playing hockey,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t even like really remember it that well, but I also remember making a lot of like new friends, my teammates and just loving how competitive it is.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I finally found out I was going to get drafted, I was just super excited, I really couldn\u2019t believe that, how far I’ve come in the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n The WHL is one of many possible pathways to pro hockey, and the Arnolds took this one based on the advice of agent Connor Lang, who they say has been instrumental in helping the family find the best path for Jack.<\/p>\n Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks made the leap from the WHL to the NHL when he was selected first overall in the 2023 NHL draft while playing for the Regina Pats.<\/p>\n Arnold and a teammate will live with a host family in Washington, where he\u2019ll attend school online. He likely won\u2019t leave for Spokane until August 2027, when he\u2019s about to turn 16.<\/p>\n To help prepare for the move, Jack will take online classes and travel solo with his club team, the Irving-based Stars Elite, which he has been playing for since he was 8. The team competes across the country during its 55- to 60-game season.<\/p>\n As he prepares over the next year, Jack knows he will have to balance being a teenager with the demands of top-tier athletics. He said he\u2019s prepared for those sacrifices.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to be a super hard worker, be coachable, and be a super good teammate. That\u2019s my mentality going into it,\u201d Arnold said. \u201cIn my free time, I like to hang out with my other friends. I like to fish a lot with them, and I like to play golf with some of my friends, and I think it\u2019s super important to like be able to do stuff with your friends outside of hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jack](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/JackArnold2.jpeg\" "\\"JackArnold2.jpeg\\"")
Jack Arnold, a 14-year-old from North Richland Hills, was recently selected in the first round of the 2026 WHL Prospects draft. Arnold family <\/p>\n![\"Jack](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/JackArnold3.jpeg\" "\\"JackArnold3.jpeg\\"")
Jack Arnold, a 14-year-old from North Richland Hills, was recently selected in the first round of the 2026 WHL Prospects draft. Arnold family <\/p>\n