Cami Kepke to Host Free 2026 Whl Draft First Round on Victory+
The 2026 whl draft will put its first round on free livestream for fans on Victory+ on Wednesday, May 6, with pre-draft coverage starting at 5:30 p.m. MT and the first selection due at 6 p.m. MT. Kelowna holds the first-overall pick, and real-time results will be posted at WHL.ca.
Cami Kepke and Brad Ginnell
Cami Kepke and Brad Ginnell will co-host the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft Show. Kepke serves as WHL Manager, Community Engagement and Content, while Ginnell is the WHL Manager, Hockey Operations and Recruitment, and the show will include special guests from WHL Clubs plus in-depth coverage and analysis of each selection.
Kelowna Rockets and 1991
The Kelowna Rockets are back in position to choose first overall for the first time since 1991, when the franchise was in Tacoma, Wash., and selected Adam Smith. That gives Wednesday’s opening round a rare setup for a club that has not stood at the top of the board in 34 years.
The draft itself runs across two days. The Western Hockey League will conduct the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft on Wednesday, May 6, then finish the remainder of the draft on Thursday, May 7, beginning at 10 a.m. MT. Eligible players are 2011-born players from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
WHL.ca and Thursday morning
For fans following the board in real time, WHL.ca carries the live results while the first round streams free on Victory+. The league’s 23 member clubs are split between 17 in Western Canada and 6 in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, so the opening round draws from a wide footprint before the rest of the class is completed Thursday morning. Players not selected this week stay eligible to be listed by WHL clubs at any time afterward.
