The 2026 NHL Draft was held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., and in what has been the case in recent years, several players with ties to California were selected.

Of the nine drafted, seven played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings during youth hockey.

TIMOFEI RUNTSO
2nd round, 57th overall, Montreal Canadiens

Montreal used their first pick on Saturday to select Runtso, a defenseman from the WHL’s Victoria Royals. A native of Marina del Rey, Runtso led the Royals in goals, assists and points by blueliners in 2025-26 with 11-33–44 totals in 68 games. The 18-year-old Jr. Kings and California Golden Bears alum is committed to NCAA Division I Miami (Ohio) University for the 2026-27 campaign.

NHL Central Scouting on Runtso: Good sized, right-shot defenseman that has stepped in and been the go-to guy in Victoria as a first year player. Smart and skilled with the puck. Very good on the power play where he plays the top. Distributes the puck well to all areas. Jumps down from the point effectively to get into scoring position. Has the speed to get up on the rush. More of a distributor off the rush than leading the charge. Good, active stick defensively. Takes away passing lanes and space. Very good vision and transitions the puck up ice quickly and effectively. A player that has continued to improve and is an impact player in Victoria.

SEAN BURICK
3rd round, 95th overall, Vegas Golden Knights

Played 50 games during the 2025-26 season with the WHL’s Penticton Vees and recorded four points (four assists) with a plus-25 rating from the blue line and helped Penticton to the 2026 WHL semifinals in the expansion team’s first season, collecting two points (two assists) in 12 postseason games. Prior to Penticton, the San Clemente native and Jr. Kings grad attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s and won a USA Hockey 18U Tier I national championship during the 2024-25 season.

“Not just for my family, but for my friends back home, it’s definitely a cool experience to go through together,” Burick told the Vees website. “No one else is really in this situation in my whole town, because it’s not a hockey town. As much as it’s my day, it’s everyone else’s day too because a lot of people made sacrifices, a lot of people helped me through it, and I wouldn’t be in this position without them.”

After junior hockey, Burick is committed to NCAA D-I Denver.

JONAS KEMPS
4th round, 98th overall, Florida Panthers

Kemps skated in 57 USHL games with the Chicago Steel in 2025-26, producing nine points (two goals, seven assists).

The Sebastopol native previously played 30 USHL games with USA Hockey’s NTDP in 2024-25, logging four assists.

He is signed to play for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in 2026-27 and is committed to NCAA D-I Michigan State for 2027-28.

Back home, Kemps played for the Golden State Elite Eagles, Anaheim Jr. Ducks and Sonoma County Flyers.

TYUS SPARKS
4th round, 101st overall, Washington Capitals

The Capitals swung a trade to move up to pick No. 101 in the fourth round, dealing pick No. 112 and San Jose’s fifth-round choice (previously acquired) in the 2028 NHL Draft to Columbus to slide up those 11 slots.

With that fourth-round selection, the Caps chose Sparks, a forward from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs.

“A little bit surprised, but definitely an honor and super excited,” said Sparks, a native of Meridian, Idaho, who played youth hockey for the Jr. Kings, to the Capitals website. “Great opportunity. Just hearing my name and seeing the looks on my family’s faces, it’s definitely an honor for sure.”

Sparks split last season – his second in the WHL — between the Vancouver Giants and Spokane, recording 28 goals and 37 assists for 65 points in 69 games.

Sparks is hoping to become just the third native of Idaho ever to play in the NHL and the first to do so since Potlach’s Guyle Fielder played nine regular-season games and six playoff contests with Chicago, Detroit and Boston across four seasons in the 1950s.

COOPER SOLLER
5th round, 154th overall, Tampa Bay Lightning

Playing all 62 games in his first full USHL season, Soller was a key piece of the Sioux Falls Stampede offense. With 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points and a plus-18 rating, the Western Michigan commit from Los Angeles led all rookies in points, goals, and shots (199). He averaged .79 points per game and led his team and all rookies with seven game-winning goals.

Soller is another Jr. Kings graduate.

LANDON HAFELE
6th round, 167th overall, Winnipeg Jets

A Fairbanks, Alaska, native, Hafele played for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2025-26, compiling 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 52 games.

“Landon, he’s a really good skater as well, energy-type player,” said Jets director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier. “Physical. He chips in, he had 15 goals and 27 assists and he’s going to Arizona State. So we thought that was a good depth pick for us there as well.”

During youth hockey, Hafele spent time with the Jr. Kings.

JAKE GUSTAFSON
6th round, 174th overall, San Jose Sharks

A San Jose native and longtime member of the San Jose Jr. Sharks, Gustafson played for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, putting up 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 68 games.

Down the road, Gustafson will skate at the NCAA D-I level for Colorado College.

He also saw time with Bellarmine College Prep during his youth hockey days.

ALOFA TUNOA TA’AMU
7th round, 199th overall, Winnipeg Jets

Originally from Kansas City, Ta’amu now calls San Diego home. He is a Jr. Kings alum and also played for JSerra Catholic High School.

In his second season with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings in 2025-26, Ta’amu registered three goals and 12 points in 62 games.

“I didn’t know a lot about him before the start of the year, but he’s certainly a big kid,” Hillier said. “He’s 228 pounds, but he’s got good feet. He moves well for a big guy. Chipped in a little offensively there but kind of plays an old school, hard-nosed game. Not afraid to drop the gloves in a scrap. We liked his old school approach, stay-at-home ‘D,’ and he plays hard.”

LOGAN STUART
7th round, 208th overall, Washington Capitals

The Caps finished their draft taking Stuart, a forward from the NTDP and son of longtime NHL defenseman Brad Stuart, who was the third overall choice in the 1998 NHL Draft by the Sharks.

Stuart is a native of Manhattan Beach and is committed to NCAA D-I Denver.

With the NTDP’s Under-18 Team last season, he totaled three goals and 15 points in 23 games. Stuart completed a preseason questionnaire for NHL’s Central Scouting, in which he described himself as a two-way forward and named Dylan Larkin as an NHL comparable.

A Jr. Kings alum, Stuart has signed with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes for the 2026-27 season.

— Matt Mackinder

(June 27, 2026)