The Winnipeg ICE owns the third overall selection in the 2021 WHL US Priority Draft. This pick will complement their upcoming 18th overall selection the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. They will also have two selections available in the upcoming CHL Import Draft, though only the OHL’s seeding in that draft has been released.
The US Priority Draft works like a fantasy draft. The teams that pick at the top of the first round will select at the bottom of the second round (this draft only has two rounds). Their second pick will be 42nd overall.
These draft picks give the ICE a premium chance to select top-tier talent as they have in the past. In past drafts, Winnipeg has found game-changing talents like Peyton Krebs, Conor Geekie, and Zach Benson with top-three picks. Now, they’ll have a chance at another blue-chip prospect playing in the mid-west US and Alaska.
The Seattle Thunderbirds and Lethbridge Hurricanes own the top two picks respectively. In the Prospects Draft, Spokane owns the first overall selection for the first time since 2015, when they took Ty Smith. The Chiefs had a four percent chance at number one. The ICE’s 18th overall pick is their only one in the first round this year.
The US Priority Draft will be held December 8, 2021, while the Prospects draft is set to start December 9.
