Silvertips’ Landon DuPont ponders future entering crucial offseason

Published 8:49 am Thursday, June 4, 2026

EVERETT — In March 2025, college hockey was not on Everett Silvertips defenseman Landon DuPont’s mind.

The then-15-year-old just completed his first WHL regular season as just ninth ‘exceptional status’ player in Canadian Hockey League history, and the first such defenseman in the WHL. He and his teammates were gearing up to make a potential run through the WHL Playoffs as the top overall seed.

During a long sit-down interview on March 19, 2025, The Herald asked DuPont if playing in the WHL had always been the Calgary native’s top choice for his path in junior hockey, and if the NCAA door, which recently opened to CHL players, would be on his radar in the future.

“I think college is a great route and a great opportunity, but I think once I got exceptional status, obviously coming here to Everett, it’s hard to turn down,” DuPont said. “Once I got drafted here, I was really excited about coming here, and I knew this was the right place for me.”

But had he given any thought to college?

“No, I just try to focus on this year, and just try to zone all that stuff out. But it’s pretty cool. … I think it’s a great opportunity for those guys.”

A year later, DuPont will give the opportunity a little more thought.

Ever since the Silvertips’ season ended with a 6-2 loss to the Kitchener Rangers in the Memorial Cup Championship in Kelowna, British Columbia on May 31 — and even before — DuPont’s status for next season has been widely discussed in hockey circles.

Following Prince Albert Raiders defenseman Daxon Rudolph’s commitment to Denver on Wednesday, DuPont is speculated to be deciding between the University of Michigan and Michigan State among the other college hockey powers vying for his services.

A projected top pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, the 17-year-old’s season leading up to his draft will be his most scrutinized yet, which makes his landing spot even more important.

Speaking with The Herald 1-on-1 again after his exit meetings at Angel of the Winds Arena on Tuesday, DuPont said he has not yet made a decision about where he will play next year, but he will have one within the month.

“There’s a couple options. Obviously school being a big option, seeing other guys go to school and whatnot,” DuPont said. “But Everett’s truly a special place to play, and it would be hard to leave.”

As for his thoughts on the NCAA since last year:

“Not much has changed,” he said. “Just seeing NCAA grow and obviously we have some guys on the team going NCAA, which is great for them and it’s super cool for them. But personally I haven’t put too much thought into it fresh off the season. Definitely going to take some time.”

DuPont saw his defensive pair partner from last year, Eric Jamieson, leave to attend Denver and win a national championship. Other prominent CHL players displayed that it can be a viable development path, particularly Porter Martone, who starred at Michigan State this season and made an instant impact after joining the Philadelphia Flyers at the end of the year.

Silvertips captain Tarin Smith recently committed to play at the University of Minnesota next season, and he cited some of the major reasons why CHL players are drawn to the NCAA.

“I think a huge thing for me is I’m going to get a lot bigger and stronger at school,” Smith told The Herald. “Only playing the 36 games and getting all week to lift and stuff like that, I think that’s going to be a big thing. And then just playing against bigger, faster, older guys, it’ll make the jump to pro a little bit easier, I think.”

Not to mention, the increasing opportunities to profit on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities in college sports — especially for a player of DuPont’s caliber — far exceeds what players receive in “very modest monthly” stipends playing in the WHL, which is how the league site describes its payment. When former Medicine Hat Tigers star Gavin McKenna committed to Penn State last summer, ESPN reported he signed for “in the ballpark” of $700,000.

As the landscape between the CHL and NCAA evolves, Silvertips general Mike Fraser said Everett is doing what it can to keep up.

Fraser said he and Silvertips COO Zoran Rajcic have had discussions with ownership about opening up space for larger locker rooms at Angel of the Winds Arena, and the organization has already moved the weight facilities on-site, which allows more frequent access to strength training.

“I think the players have more power, if you want to call it that, than they’ve ever had, more options,” Fraser told The Herald during the Memorial Cup in Kelowna. “We want to make sure as an organization that we’re taking care of our guys.

“We have, in my opinion, a top-notch facility and good amenities, but you always want to make sure you’re evolving with the times. … I think we’re one of the best programs in the CHL, and it’s always a good feeling when guys say they want to play in Everett, so that’s kind of the vibe I get right now, and I think that’s going to be important to keep that vibe as we move forward.”

Whether that will be enough to keep DuPont for another season remains to be seen. DuPont will weigh all the factors, and while it seems more likely than not that he will be moving on to the NCAA, he is not ready to publicly confirm that yet.

That said, when asked about how his expectations coming into the WHL compared to reality over the past two seasons, he sounded like someone who knows his time in Everett is coming to an end.

“Coming in (to the WHL) at 15, you never know what to expect,” DuPont said. “I didn’t really have any expectations. You hear about junior hockey and how people say that, ‘Time flies,’ and I hope this wasn’t my last year, but those first two years have flown by so quick.

“All the memories, friendships, coaches, they’ve grown me into the person I am now. Having those experiences have been cool, and definitely winning this championship is going to build some friendships for the rest of my life.”