Red Wings select J.P. Hurlbert No. 23 overall in 2026 NHL Draft
The Detroit Red Wings have selected forward J.P. Hurlbert with the No. 23 overall selection of the 2026 NHL Draft.
The pick originally belonged to the Utah Mammoth, but the Red Wings acquired the pick in exchange for goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
Hurlbert was projected to be selected around 21st or 22nd overall on average across all of the main draft rankings, going as high as 10th and as low as 41st. He was also ranked 12th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis projected him to be selected around the consensus at 21st overall.
Ellis had this to say about Hurlbert in his most recent draft rankings:
“No CHL rookie was as lethal as Hurlbert, who recorded 42 goals and 97 points with Kamloops. He’s an exceptionally skilled forward who, at one point, was so far ahead in the WHL scoring race that nobody was in the same area code. The University of Michigan commit has a great one-touch shot that he routinely unleashes on the power play. He’s also an exceptionally smart puck-mover who has very little difficulty getting it where it needs to be against players his own age. My two pre-season concerns – his play away from the puck and his lack of high-end speed – remain issues. But overall, he’s a safe bet for the first round.”
Hurlbert spend the entirety of his 2025-26 season with the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League. He played all 68 games in the regular season, accumulating 42 goals and 55 assists for 97 points while the Blazers finished fifth in the Western Conference with a 31-24-7-6 record. The Allen, Texas product finished the season fourth in the league in points, while his 42 goals were tied for fourth. He led the Blazers in goals, assists and points. His performance earned him rookie of the year honors.
Hurlbert also had one goal and two assists for three points in four playoff games, as the Blazers were swept by the Memorial Cup hosts in the Kelowna Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. However, Hurlbert was still tied for the team lead in points with Edmonton Oilers 2025 third-round pick Tommy Lafreniere and 2027 draft-eligible Jacob Dumansky.