NHL Draft primer: Hitmen, Calgary draft-eligibles set for annual pick-em
'He's a sleeper,' said Davidson of Miller, a product of Anchorage, Alaska. 'Teams are already talking about him going to their camps, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's picked later in the draft. I look at him as a 6-foot-2 strong kid. He obviously needs more experience, but he's just trending in such a positive way.'
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With Kindel a possible top-20 pick, it's a chance for the longtime WHL GM and scout to reap the rewards from the development of another successful player.
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Remember last year that Yakemchuk was the first top-20 draft pick into the NHL since fellow blue-liner Jake Bean was selected 13th overall in 2016.
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'I think every team in the league has been genuinely interested in Ben,' Davidson said. 'I know there was tons of scouts in that contacted myself and obviously contacted Paul McFarland, our coach.'
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The scouts were also interested in Hitmen defenceman Reese Hamilton before he was traded to the Regina Pats, giving the Calgary club three players ranked in the top 81 of North American skaters on the NHL's mid-term list.
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That's another sign of a franchise trending in the right direction.
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'Yeah … well … that's what you're trying to do,' Davidson said. 'You're trying to put together a good team and allow players to move on. That's what we sell to players and their families.
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'So that's a real positive from my perspective.'
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Three Calgary-area talents are expected to come off the board during the pick-em, while a handful of others could be weekend selections, as well.
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Jackson Smith, a product of Edge School, tops that list as the 13th North American skater among ranked prospects.
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The 6-foot-4, 199-lb. defenceman has been a fixture — using his elite skating and logging big minutes — for a 54-point season with the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
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Deft winger Nathan Behm, of the Calgary Under-18 AAA Royals, is rated 44th after a 31-goal, 66-point season with the Kamloops Blazers.
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And Luke Vlooswyk, another Edge graduate, is ranked 72nd after asserting himself as a towering presence with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels.
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Others draft-eligible Calgarians in the mix include:
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The Province
4 hours ago
- The Province
NHLPA pushes back after NHL says five acquitted players ineligible
The NHLPA responded that its players should 'have the opportunity to return to work.' Published Jul 25, 2025 • 4 minute read Clockwise from top left: Hockey players Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote enter the London courthouse for their trial on charges of sexual assault. Photo taken on April 22, 2025. Photo by Derek Ruttan / Postmedia The five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team were acquitted in the high-profile London, Ont., sexual assault trial Thursday, but the jury is still out on whether or not they'll be able to resume their NHL careers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors A few hours after the judge's decision, the NHL said Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote would be ineligible to play while the league reviews the findings. The NHLPA responded that its players should 'have the opportunity to return to work.' The players were found not guilty of all charges in an encounter with a woman in a hotel room seven years ago, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled. The NHL stated the allegations in the case were 'very disturbing,' even if not deemed criminal. The league also called the behaviour of the players 'unacceptable.' 'We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings,' the statement read. 'While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The NHLPA said ruling the players ineligible while the NHL further evaluates the case does not align with the terms of their collective bargaining agreement. 'Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod were acquitted of all charges by Justice Carroccia of the Ontario Superior Court,' the NHLPA's statement read. 'After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work. The NHL's declaration that the Players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the Court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA. 'We are addressing this dispute with the League and will have no further comment at this time.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. McLeod, Hart, Dube and Foote were active NHL players at the time of their 2024 arrests, which came days after all four players were granted leave from their clubs. Formenton, an Ottawa Senators draft pick, has not played in the NHL since 2022. At the time of the incident in 2018, Formenton had played one NHL game, while Foote, McLeod and Dube had brief stints with their clubs' American Hockey League affiliates. While the NHL's review is taking place, experts believe it's possible players will eventually return to the NHL ice. Ann Pegoraro, a sport management professor at the University of Guelph, said the NHL has not often come down hard on cases of sexual assault or domestic violence. She added that teams would evaluate whether the benefits of a player's talent outweigh the risks of fan backlash and potential loss of sponsors. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Hockey has a very different culture and has a lot more, I would say, latitude in the way that they look at individuals' personal behaviours,' Pegoraro said. 'Do I think they'll end up back on teams? I think if their skills are good enough, some teams _ not all teams — but some teams will look the other way and put them back on rosters if they can contribute to the team.' 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Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville — the general manager and head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks scandal in 2010 — are both back in the NHL after failing to act on Kyle Beach's claims that video coach Brad Aldrich had sexually assaulted him. Bowman became the Oilers GM last year, and Quenneville was hired as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks in May. Both needed to be reinstated by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The NHL did suspend Los Angeles Kings defenceman Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 season and playoffs after determining he committed acts of domestic violence. While Hart and Formenton did not play professionally during the 2024-25 season, McLeod and Dube spent last season in the Kontinental Hockey League, playing for teams based in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Foote, meanwhile, played a season in Slovakia. McLaren said those countries are more removed from scandals surrounding the accusations, while NHL teams are more likely to consider the optics. 'They operate a lot like businesses or corporations these days,' he said. 'They're going to look at how a player's history is going to affect the sponsorship organizations at the club level as well as at the NHL level. Also, the community relations that clubs have with their community are important. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'And what the impact of all this would be on their ticket sales. Those would be the kind of things that they'd be looking at.' Mac Ross, a fellow at Saint Mary's University who researches sport and communication, said American teams are more likely to consider signing a player than in Canada, where the story has been under a sharper spotlight. 'They'd face a lot more scrutiny from the Canadian public,' he said. 'I think they probably could play again. And especially if you consider that the vast majority of the NHL is in the United States, there's a pretty significant cultural shift going on down there where the rights of women are under attack.'
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