As the 2026 offseason progresses, many players within junior hockey remain without NCAA commitments. In this six part series, I will discuss the five top uncommitted players from each of the six best North American junior leagues following the 2025-26 season. Players will be listed alphabetically by last name. Landon Dupont: Defenseman, Everett Silvertips The first Exceptional Status WHL Defenseman [https://chl.ca/whl/video/landon-dupont-introduced-as-first-exceptional-status-defenceman-in-whl-history/], Dupont had a remarkable past year and looked significantly stronger. Compared to 2024-25, he doubled his penalty minutes, improved his point total by 13 and plus/minus by 28. He surged during the playoffs, tying the WHL lead with 18 assists and helping lead the Silvertips to their first Ed Chynoweth Cup. NCAA teams are all over Dupont, with Michigan State reportedly being a strong contender [https://x.com/scottcwheeler/status/2063300759538565136?s=20]. Nothing is set in stone yet for the potential 2027 1st Overall Selection [https://www.nhl.com/news/landon-dupont-at-the-very-top-of-2027-draft-class-scouts-say], who won't be without a collegiate home for long. Chase Harrington: Forward, Spokane Chiefs Harrington can do it all. This skilled power forward throws his body around and pucks to the net. In 61 regular season games, Harrington averaged just under a point per game with 57 (28 goals + 29 assists). He almost tripled his penalty minutes from 2024-25 going from 41 to 105, marking him 8th in the WHL. Despite being only 17, Harrington  is 6 foot and 201 pounds, leaving open the potential for future growth. Some school will scoop up him, giving NHL Central Scouting's 26th Ranked North American Skater a place to develop further. Michal Orsulak: Goaltender, Prince Albert Raiders It's not often that a rookie netminder leads the WHL in goals allowed average. However, that's exactly what Michal Orsulak did for the Prince Albert Raiders. Orsulak racked up a 2.22 goals allowed average and tied for fifth league wide with a .907 save percentage. He helped Prince Albert reach the Ed Chynoweth Cup Final and led his Czechian countrymen to a 2026 World Junior Championship Silver Medal. These performances coupled with his 6 foot 4, 225 pound frame caused NHL Central Scouting to rank him 2nd among North American Goaltenders. I could see him returning to the Raiders for another run before heading to college. Markus Ruck: Forward, Medicine Hat Tigers Central 20th NA skaters, mention brother Ruck passed his way on to the leaderboard, dishing out a CHL best 87 assists in 68 games this season This beating out every other player in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL. When you tack on Ruck's 21 goals, he led the WHL with 108 points. A cerebral style of play allows for Ruck to make difficult passes to seem easy. While it is unclear if Ruck and his twin brother Liam will return to Medicine Hat in the fall, college teams already have their eyes on the siblings. The possibility of a package deal is certainly on the table. It has been nearly 30 years since the Sedin twins were taken in the 1999 NHL Draft [https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-scouting-combine-notebook-june-4-2026]. As this year's selection approaches, the Ruck brothers could theoretically play together in the NCAA and professionally. Only time will tell. Matias Vanhanen continues shining as Silvertips’ diamond in the rough - HeraldNet.com [https://www.heraldnet.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/04/42119888_web1_L1-EDH-Silvertips-Vanhanen-feature-260424.jpg?w=1024] Matias Vanhanen continues shining as Silvertips’ diamond in the rough - HeraldNet.com The 18-year-old Finn’s record-breaking season takes Everett, his NHL draft stock to new level. [https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/04/23/matias-vanhanen-continues-shining-as-silvertips-diamond-in-the-rough/] Matias Vanhanen: Forward, Everett Silvertips A second WHL Rookie on our list, Vanhanen made a statement during his first North American season. The Nokia, Finland native led all rookies with 66 assists and a +58 rating while finishing runner up in the group via his 87 points. Vanhanen also accumulated six assists through seven games representing Finland at the 2026 World Junior Championship. After Everett's incredible 2025-26, the 54th Ranked North American Skater by NHL Central Scouting is sure to attract attention from NCAA teams. I could see him fitting in well at Bowling Green State or RPI given their recent recruiting trends dipping heavily into the CHL. Either institution would provide fertile ground for Vanhanen continued growth.
