The Everett Silvertips added 11 players during the WHL Prospects Draft and U.S. Priority Draft on May 7-8. With five forwards, five defensemen and one goaltender joining the organization, Silvertips Director of Scouting Brooks Christensen believes the team checked every box.

“I think anytime you can add skill up front and size, mobility and skill on the back end is extremely important, and that was something I think we accomplished today,” Christensen told The Herald over the phone. “Adding a very highly touted goalie as well in our group there, so I think we kind of hit on all three points.”

Headlining the 2025 Draft Class is forward Reid Nicol, whom the Silvertips selected with the fifth overall pick. Despite finishing with the best regular season record in the WHL and reaching the Western Conference Semifinals, Everett owned Kamloops’ first-round pick, which they acquired in a seismic trade back in Jan. 2023.

Nicol spent the past season with the Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA. At just 14 years old, he totaled 35 goals and 58 points in just 48 games last season. His elite performance against older competition jumped out immediately to Christensen, who touted the 6-foot-2, 183-pound Brandon native’s strength on pucks and scoring ability.

After the team’s Manitoba scout Doug Sinclair dug further into Nicol’s background, and after becoming more familiar with him through conversations on scouting trips, he was firmly cemented near the top of Everett’s draft list.

When the Silvertips were awarded the fifth overall pick in the draft lottery, the organization did not know exactly how the board would fall. Compared to last year when the team won the top pick via Kamloops and were gift-wrapped exceptional status defenseman – and eventual rookie of the year – Landon DuPont, this year was less cut and dry sitting at five.

“We were kind of waiting to see what happened between, you know, call it (picks) two to four,” Christensen said. “But (we) kind of had our idea of a forward in mind to be in that top mix, and to get a player like (Nicol’s) caliber at number five, we were thrilled. There (were) a lot of variables that could happen in the draft, we feel, and for it to land in our favor getting (Nicol) at five was a great pick for us, and (we) felt very comfortable with making that decision.”

Everett originally did not hold a second-round pick, but Silvertips general manager Mike Fraser pulled off a last-minute deal just hours before the first round kicked off on Wednesday, sending goalie Jesse Sanche to the expansion Penticton Vees for a second-round pick, 31st overall.

The Silvertips used that pick the next day on forward Owen Murray, a 5-foot-8 forward from Winnipeg who scored a staggering 44 goals and 108 points in just 32 games for the Winnipeg Bruins U15 AAA Gold last season.

After ending the season with two 19-year-old goalies, Sanche and Raiden LeGall, the team effectively had to choose one to move forward with due to the WHL’s overage rules, which limits teams to just three 20-year-old players in a season.

Once LeGall took over the starting job a few months after he joined the team in November, Fraser was able to flip Sanche into a valuable pick to add to the incoming draft class.

“We had a lot of discussions around our 19-year-old goalie situation, with having two of those guys at the same birth year,” Christensen said. “And (Fraser), I think, did a great job of facilitating a trade that got us a piece that put us in a great position in this draft, and getting a great player like Owen Murray, you know, at the end of the day is a huge win for the Silvertips organization.”

The Silvertips addressed the goalie position later in the draft, selecting Carter Crawford in the sixth round (138th overall). The 5-foot-11 Okotoks, Alta. native posted a 10-10-1 record to go with a 3.81 goals-against average and .896 save percentage with the Okotoks Oilers U15 AAA.

Christensen praised Crawford’s compete level and mobility, but while LeGall is cemented as the No. 1 goalie for the upcoming season, the backup spot is still up for grabs between a handful of other prospects. Ultimately, a decision won’t be made there until training camp.

Other highlights include defenseman Nash Lenton, who was selected in the seventh round (161st overall). The 5-foot-10 Brandon native was named 2025 Hockey Brandon U15 AAA Player of the Year with the Wheat Kings after scoring 32 points in 32 games.

Christensen did not label any particular draft prospect as “the biggest steal,” but the organization was very excited to land Lenton in such a late spot. Christensen said he fits the mold of the blue liners Everett seeks to acquire and develop: Mobile, good frame and plays a 200-foot game.

“(Lenton is) not the biggest defenseman, but at the same time, I think he plays and covers ice extremely well for a defenseman,” Christensen said. “We were just really impressed with every time we saw him, just felt that he just continued to play the way that we liked and to pick him at, I guess it was 161… It was a big win for us, because he was high on our list.”

Below is the rest of Everett’s 2025 Draft Class, with nine players selected in the Prospect Draft and two in the U.S. Priority Draft. Stats, information and some comments are sourced from the Silvertips’ post-draft press release, while other comments from Christensen were made exclusively to The Herald.

Rd. 1, 5 ovr: F Reid Nicol, Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA

6’2″, 183 lbs – Brandon, MB

’24-25 Stats: 35/23/58, 4 PIM in 48 games

Notes: ’23-24 WAAA U15 Champ, Second-Team All-Star.

Christensen to The Herald: “I was really impressed with his maturity as a 14-year-old kid playing at the U18 level. I thought his strength on pucks as a big center man who was playing wing, I guess, as well, was impressive, as well as the skill and obviously scoring ability.

Rd. 2, 31 ovr: F Owen Murray, Winnipeg Bruins U15 AAA Gold

5’8″, 158 lbs – Winnipeg, MB

’24-25 Stats: 44/64/108, 14 PIM in 32 games

Notes: ’24-25 WAAA U15 Champ, 29 points in 12 playoff games

Christensen: “Owen is a talented forward who can find the back of the net. He makes plays and competes hard at both ends of the ice.”

Rd. 3, 51 ovr: D Elias Papadatos, Burnaby Winter Club U15 Prep

6’0″, 180 lbs – Langley, B.C.

’24-25 Stats: 10/19/29, 58 PIM in 35 games

Christensen: “Elias is a big, mobile 200-foot defenseman. He has elite skating ability with good vision and skill with the puck.”

Rd. 3, 69 ovr: D Cole Krebs, Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep

5’9″, 140 lbs – Grande Prairie, AB

’24-25 Stats: 4/33/37, 22 PIM in 31 games

Notes: 2024-25 John Reid Memorial Tournament Champion. One assist in 5 games at 2025 Alberta Cup

Christensen: “Cole has high offensive ability. He likes to join the rush and attack in the offensive zone. His combination of size and skill was something we couldn’t pass on.”

Rd. 6, 138 ovr: G Carter Crawford, Okotoks Oilers U15 AAA

5’11”, 135 lbs – Okotoks, AB

’24-25 Stats: 10-10-1, 3.81 GAA, .896 sv%

Notes: .959 sv% in three playoff starts. Three starts at ’25 Alberta Cup.

Christensen to The Herald: “I think every time I had an opportunity to see him, I thought he did extremely well. He competed hard, has great mobility, projecting to be a bigger goalie. (He has) the foundations that we feel are going to translate to our level.”

Rd. 7, 151 ovr: F Ryan Van Iperen, St. Albert Sabres U15 AAA

5’10”, 150 lbs – Sherwood Park, AB

’24-25 Stats: 15/32/47, 30 PIM in 34 games

Notes: 18 points in 9 playoff games. 2023-24 JPHL U14 champion with HC Edmonton.

Christensen to The Herald: “Van Iperen is a guy that’s been on a great program, on a great winning team. … He’s a scoring forward that I think can help us in the future, being one of those guys to play crucial opportunities and fit our mold.”

Rd. 7, 161 ovr: D Nash Lenton, Brandon Wheat Kings U15 AAA

5’10”, 150 lbs – Brandon, MB

’24-25 Stats: 7/25/32, 14 PIM in 32 games

Notes: 5 points in 5 playoff games. 2025 Hockey Brandon U15 AAA Player of the Year

Christensen to The Herald: “Nash is a very, very well-rounded defenseman. … I really like his game and liked what we saw. And I think it was kind of one of those ones that we all agreed when he was available at our pick that it was kind of (a) no-brainer.”

Rd. 8, 175 ovr: F Nicolas Peach, Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep

5’8″, 135 lbs – Surrey, B.C.

’24-25 Stats: 10/27/37, 34 PIM in 31 games

Notes: 2024-25 CSSHL U15 Champion. 4 points in 5 playoff games.

Christensen to The Herald: “Peach came from a winning program. To win a championship with Delta there, he was a major factor into that. We really liked his BC Cup performance and felt he fits our style of play as a right-shot forward.”

Rd. 8, 184 ovr: D Austin Russo, Bishop Kearney 14U AAA

5’11”, 146 lbs – Gilbert, AZ

’24-25 Stats: 6/26/32 in 52 games

Christensen to The Herald: “We saw him a couple times this year. Really impressive with his mobility and his 200-foot game. And I think that’s probably the most common trend with our defenseman, is not only are they mobile and a good size frame, but also their 200-foot game was something that just really stood out to us.”

U.S. Priority Draft

Rd. 1, 19 ovr: F Henry Meier, Shattuck St. Mary’s U14 AAA

5’10”, 161 lbs – Woodbury, MN

’24-25 Stats: 33/27/60, 80 PIM in 58 games

Christensen: “Henry is a gifted forward with the puck. He plays with good speed and is not afraid to play hard.”

To The Herald: “Henry Meier is a through and through Silvertip, in my opinion, I think he plays the game the right way. He’s hard on pucks. He’s skilled.”

Rd. 2, 29 ovr: D Drayden Demas, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U

5’11”, 141 lbs – Scottsdale, AZ

’24-25 Stats: 0/3/3, 4 PIM in 4 games

Christensen: “Drayden is another big defenseman who sees the ice very well. He makes smart decisions with the puck and contributes offensively.”

Christensen on the changes in the CHL and NCAA: “I think the landscape change that’s obviously happening right now between the CHL and the NCAA is obviously something that we’re learning and, you know, we’re obviously adjusting as we go through this process, trusting our relationships, trusting our conversations with the families is a big thing. And I think the two guys that we got, we felt really comfortable.”