Landon DuPont commits to University of Michigan, departs Silvertips
Published 10:58 am Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Landon DuPont committed to the University of Michigan on Wednesday, as first reported by Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek, marking the end of his tenure with the Everett Silvertips.
“When I first moved to Everett as a 15-year-old, I had no idea how unbelievable my time there would be,” DuPont said in a statement released by the team on X. “… Everett is a special place. No matter where hockey takes me, it will always be part of who I am.”
After his exit meeting with the Silvertips in early June, DuPont told The Herald that he would have his decision for the 2026-27 season by the end of the month, and it arrives after the 17-year-old defenseman reportedly visited Michigan and Michigan State.
Neither DuPont nor Silvertips general manager Mike Fraser responded to The Herald’s initial request for comment on Wednesday.
DuPont scored 18 goals and 71 points in 63 regular-season games before totaling 23 points in 18 WHL Playoff games, helping the Silvertips win the franchise’s first WHL Championship.
“Winning a championship together and sharing this journey with such a special group is something I’ll always cherish,” DuPont said, addressing his teammates in part of his posted statement.
Everett drafted DuPont with the first overall pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, which he entered as just the ninth ‘exceptional status’ player in Canadian Hockey League history. DuPont was deemed eligible to play full-time in the WHL as a 15-year-old, and he went on to win CHL Rookie of the Year after posting 60 points in 64 games in 2024-25.
DuPont remains a top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft entering the upcoming season, and he becomes the latest high-profile player to depart the CHL for the NCAA in his draft year.
Gavin McKenna led the Medicine Hat Tigers to the 2025 WHL Championship before enrolling at Penn State this past season as the top NHL Draft prospect for 2026. He scored 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games with the Nittany Lions, which fell to Michigan in the Big 10 semifinals before losing to Minnesota-Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
CHL players previously were not eligible to play in the NCAA until this past season, as the ever-evolving landscape of player empowerment and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation opened the door for such players, who receive stipends in major junior hockey.
Prior to the CHL-NCAA eligibility changes, DuPont would be all but assured to return to Everett for a third season leading up to his draft year, but instead the Silvertips see their franchise defenseman depart early for new opportunities.
