The Kelowna Rockets drafted a pair of forwards in the 2024 WHL US Priority Draft this morning.
The club’s top pick, 11th overall, had a distinct hometown feel despite the selection being 15-year-old Colton Lien from Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Standing 6’2” and 165 lbs, Lien played this past season with the Okanagan Hockey Academy Colorado U14 AAA team, posting 10 goals and 14 assists in 17 games.
In the second round, 33rd overall, Kelowna selected Drew Larioza from the San Jose Jr. Sharks U14 AAA team.
The Bay Area product potted 28 goals and added 27 helpers in just 36 games with the Sharks last season, and added 14 goals and seven assists in 10 high school games as well.
The WHL US Priority Draft is an appetizer ahead of tomorrow’s main WHL Prospects Draft, with eligible players residing in the western half of the US.
On Thursday, the main course will arrive with up to 15 rounds of selections featuring players from across Western Canada, along with the American players who went undrafted today.
The Rockets hold the fourth overall pick in the WHL Prospects Draft, courtesy of the Colton Dach trade last season, and will get a chance to choose an elite prospect as a result.
Kelowna also holds four more picks in the top three rounds, as the club will select at 33rd, 38th, 60th and 61st overall barring any movement on the trade front.
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