Every Tuesday, the Kamloops Blazers have their older players practise in the morning before the high-school kids get their turn in the afternoon.
On one recent such day, Blazers GM/coach Shaun Clouston was a bit startled when he saw JP Hurlbert hit the ice after lunch.
"I'm sitting up there with our assistant GM and our head scout and it's kind of like, 'What is JP doing out there? Oh, yeah, he's 17 years old,'" Clouston said with a chuckle in a telephone interview this week. "He just presents himself and portrays a lot of maturity. He's just really immersed himself in the team environment."
It hasn't taken long for the native of Allen, Texas — just outside Dallas — to look quite comfortable playing for a promising team in the WHL.
After deciding to leave the U.S. national team development program and sign with the Blazers days before training camp last month, Hurlbert has quickly shown why many feel he will be selected in the first round of next year's NHL Draft.
The six-foot winger had six goals in three pre-season games before notching a hat trick in a season-opening win over the visiting Spokane Chiefs last weekend.
"It was amazing. Obviously, a lot of excitement from the players, the staff, you could feel the energy in the arena," Hurlbert said. "To go out there and play the (reigning) Western Conference champs on opening night and win, it was definitely a huge confidence booster for the locker room, myself and my family."
Hurlbert is one of dozens of pre-NHL-Draft newcomers to the CHL who probably would be playing elsewhere if not for the NCAA's decision to allow CHLers to play U.S. college hockey starting this season. Hurlbert has a verbal commitment to play at the University of Michigan.
Clouston said the Blazers knew it was a long shot for Hurlbert to report when they picked him in the 2023 WHL U.S. Draft. After the NCAA rule change last November, many players contemplated different futures.
"It's obviously a decision that takes a lot of time," said Hurlbert, who was third on the USNTDP under-17 team in scoring last season. "I talked to my family a lot about it. We took a long look at it. We just thought Kamloops was a great spot, it's a historic place. The team looked like it was trending in the right (direction). It was a perfect match."
Clouston concurs.
"Some players seem to be really driven and have the ability to get better faster," he said. "We've been fortunate to have some of those guys — Logan Stankoven and Connor Zary, recently. I think (Hurlbert) has those qualities. He's really driven, he wants to make a difference, wants to get better. It's a long season, (and it is) real early, but I think there (were) lots of scouts in to watch him there on night No. 1 and he put on a pretty good show."
Hurlbert first skated and picked up a stick at age two. Soon enough, he was watching Dallas Stars games regularly with his Michigan-born father, who switched allegiances from the Red Wings, and playing for the Stars minor-hockey organization.
Although Dallas and Kamloops are more than 3,500 km apart, there is a neat hockey connection — B.C. native Tom Gaglardi is the majority owner of the Blazers and Stars.
"Mr. Gaglardi does an amazing job with the Dallas Stars," Hurlbert said. "He's obviously a staple for Texas hockey and doing this for city of Kamloops is amazing. All his organizations are A-plus class."
Hurlbert, whose favourite player is fellow former USNTDP forward Jack Hughes, said one of his goals is to be picked in the first round of the NHL Draft next year. A big season for the Blazers, who return to action Friday and Saturday against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, would go a long way toward making that a reality.
"Kelowna hosting (the Memorial Cup) is extra motivation for us," Hurlbert said. "They're just two hours south of here. For us to go to the Memorial Cup is a goal we have set. We feel we have the team to do it. We've brought in a lot of guys with this rule change. It's an exciting time to be a part of Kamloops."
Looking up
It's the time of year when junior-hockey operators have mixed feelings.
On one hand, they'd love their drafted players to stick in the NHL. On the other, they know their own teams will be much better if they return to junior.
Although 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders, Erie Otters) and No. 2 Michael Misa (San Jose Sharks, Saginaw Spirit) seem likely to start the year in the NHL, there are several other names to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.
High picks still in camps who must return to the CHL if they don't stay in the NHL include:
D Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks, London Knights)
C Berkly Catton (Seattle Kraken, Spokane Chiefs)
C Brady Martin (Nashville Predators, Soo Greyhounds)
RW Justin Carbonneau (St. Louis Blues, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
C Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia Flyers, Guelph Storm)
C Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers, Windsor Spitfires)
RW Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks, Oshawa Generals)
C Tij Iginla (Utah Mammoth, Kelowna Rockets)
D Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames, Saginaw Spirit)
C Braeden Cootes (Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Thunderbirds)
C Benjamin Kindel (Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Hitmen)
Martin scored a pair of goals Tuesday in pre-season play against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"(Martin's) putting his best foot forward. He's making hard decisions for everybody," Predators coach Andrew Brunette said, per the Tennessean. "Hopefully he keeps trending that way."
A player's entry-level contract kicks in if he stays more than nine games.
Names ring a bell
Some familiar names are off to nice starts in the OHL.
Caleb Malhotra (son of Manny) had a goal and an assist in a Brantford Bulldogs win over the Peterborough Petes. Sam Roberts (son of Gary) scored in his first game with the Oshawa Generals. And Nicholas Sykora (son of Petr) scored the game-tying goal for the Owen Sound Attack in a season-opening overtime win against the reigning Memorial Cup-champion London Knights.
Attack's depth in net
The Attack now have one net for three very capable goalies.
Carter George (Los Angeles Kings), a favourite to play for Canada at the world junior championship for a second year in a row, and Matthew Koprowski (St. Louis Blues) were returned to the OHL club earlier this week. In Owen Sound's season opener, six-foot-eight New Jersey Devils prospect Trenten Bennett made 45 saves in an overtime victory over the reigning Memorial Cup-champion London Knights.
Attack general manager Dale DeGray certainly will have options heading toward the January trade deadline.
Regiment rolling
So far, so good for the return of major-junior hockey to The Rock.
The Newfoundland Regiment had near-full-houses of more than 6,000 for a pair of season-opening wins over the defending QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats last week. A local group purchased the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last season and moved the small-market New Brunswick club to St. John's for 2025-26.
“Just seeing the community come down, you could see that everyone wants hockey here. It’s definitely a hockey town. Tonight is going to stick with me forever," St. John's native and Regiment first-round pick Ben Veitch said of opening night, per the Telegram.
AHL, ECHL and QMJHL teams have come and gone in the provincial capital, with costs higher than in other locations. The Regiment, ranked eighth in the CHL in Week 2, are back home Saturday and Sunday for games against the Charlottetown Islanders.
Games of the week
Thursday, Sept. 25: Soo Greyhounds (1-1) at Peterborough Petes (1-1), 7:05 p.m. ET
Three potential 2026 NHL first-round picks will be on the same ice — Soo defenceman Chase Reid, Petes winger Adam Novotny and Peterborough centre Colin Fitzgerald.
Friday, Sept. 26: Shawinigan Cataractes (1-0-1) at Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2-0), 7 p.m. ET
The CHL's top-ranked Armada scored 13 goals in their first two games. Friday is the club's home opener.
Friday, Sept 26: Prince Albert Raiders (1-0-1) at Regina Pats (0-2), 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
The first home game for prized Pats rookies Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue. Both players were allowed to enter the league a year early and can play a maximum of 34 games under a new Western Canadian development program.
Friday, Sept. 26: Kelowna Rockets (0-1) at Penticton Vees (1-1), 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
The inaugural WHL home opener for the Vees, who jumped up to major junior as an expansion franchise this season after being a longtime BCHL club. The Rockets are coming off an 8-2 loss to Spokane in their opener.
