Rockets get drafted by NHL teams

Kelowna Rockets players Andrew Cristall and Caden Price were both drafted on the final day of the 2023 NHL Draft on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Cristall was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the second round (No. 40), while Price was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the third round (No. 84).

The duo become the 72nd and 73rd Rockets to be selected in the NHL Draft.

Price is the first Rocket to be picked by the Kraken, while Cristall is the sixth Rocket to be selected by Washington (Johansen, Bowey, Yonkman, Olafson, Varga).

The pair are expected to attend their respective clubs development camps in the coming days.

Cristall was awarded the Rockets 2023 MVP award after posting a team-leading 95 points (39G, 56A) over 54 games, appearing on the scoresheet in 44 games this season and producing 28 multi-point performances. Despite missing 14 games due to injury, Cristall led the Rockets in a variety of offensive categories, including goals (39), assists (56), power play assists (24), plus/minus (+18) and game-winning goals (6).

Price was named the Rockets top defenceman for the 2022-23 season.  The Saskatoon, Sask. product led the Rockets defence core in assists and points. He nearly doubled his point production from last season, posting 40 points (5G, 35A) through 65 games this year.

On the NHL’s Central Scouting final rankings released in April, Cristall was ranked 15th among North American skaters, while Price was ranked 47th. Rockets captain Gabriel Szturc, who went undrafted, was ranked 220th.

A total of 33 WHL players were selected in the 2023 NHL Draft. Since the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft, a total of 2,162 players have been selected out of the WHL, including 339 first-round selections. Of the 80 players selected out of the Canadian Hockey League at the 2023 NHL Draft, 41 percent hail from the WHL.