NHL Draft: Vancouver Canucks take Caleb Malhotra

Players from the Kitchener Rangers, Guelph Storm and Brantford Bulldogs will be eagerly watching the NHL draft. CTV’s Karis Mapp reports.

Players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) are preparing for their lives to potentially change forever as the 2026 NHL Draft gets underway.

The draft is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Friday in Buffalo.

Some Brantford Bulldogs players and staff members made the trip across the border for the big night.

Caleb Malhotra, a centre for the team, was a top-ranked prospect.

“A very special day for our organization, being the second year in a row that we are hopefully going to have a top ten NHL pick and third year in a row a first round NHL draft pick,” Spencer Hyman, vice president and general manager of the Brantford Bulldogs, said. “We’re just so incredibly proud of Caleb.”

Malhotra finished the OHL season with 84 points.

“Whatever club ends up drafting him is going to be getting an unbelievable person first, and an unbelievable player as well,” Hyman said.

The Guelph Storm is also hoping to hear one of their players get the nod, despite only recently acquiring Ryan Roobroeck from the Niagara Ice Dogs.

“He has the entire package. He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” George Burnett, general manager of the Guelph Storm, said. “We’re so excited that we have a chance to see him for a full season here with the special opportunity that we have ahead.”

Brantford’s Vladimir Dravecky and the Kitchener Rangers’ Alexander Bilecki also appear in the top 50 2026 Draft Prospect Rankings.

The OHL is typically well represented during the draft.

“There’s 76 OHL players on the NHL Centre Scouting final ranking, which is actually the most in the last 17 years,” Josh Sweetland, director of marketing and events for the OHL, said. “Ten of those names are inside the top 32, indicating a potential first round pick.”

Although there’s no guarantee that players will get to hit the ice in the NHL if they are chosen, but it is still a moment many players dream of.

McKenna joins Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs had the first pick of the night. Stratford, Ont.’s own Justin Bieber appeared to announce their pick.

“The child in me is ecstatic right now. I’ve been a Leafs fans since I was just a little boy and these nights are so special. I’m so grateful to be here,” Bieber said.

The popstar climbed the stairs onto the stage, turned to the crowd and said, “Mr. McKenna, we’d like to draft you to the Maple Leafs.”

Left winger Gavin McKenna from Whitehorse, Yukon, was ranked number one according to the NHL’s Draft Prospects Rankings. He played for Penn State and is now the highest drafted player ever to come out of the Yukon Territory.

He pulled on the iconic blue and white jersey while Bieber’s song “Yukon” played.

Canucks take Malhotra

Malhotra was selected third overall by the Vancouver Canucks.

He was all smiles as he hugged his supporters before heading to the stage.

The choice comes as no surprise given the Canucks’ head coach, Manny Malhotra, is Caleb’s father.

After he put on the jersey, Caleb said it just felt right.

“I’m going to development camp and I guess I’m going to have to do the Grouse Grind, so that’ll be fun,” he smiled, referring to an ultra-steep trail in North Vancouver on Grouse Mountain. “I was retraining all summer and now there’s a reason to train harder - I gotta make the NHL, so there’s my next goal.”

This is an ongoing story