Regina Pats win right to draft highly touted Maddox Schultz 1st overall

Maddox Schultz, 14, is leading the U18 AAA hockey league in points. (Brit Dort / CTV News)

The Regina Pats won the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Draft Lottery Thursday evening, giving them the right to draft local phenom Maddox Schultz first overall on May 7.

With a 23.8 per cent chance of seeing one of their balls pulled, the Pats had the second-best chances of winning the lottery, thanks to having the second worst record in the 2024-25 WHL season at 16-44-5-3.

Only the Moose Jaw Warriors had a better chance of seeing their ball be drawn. However, a massive three team trade in December of 2023 means their first round pick in the 2025 Prospects Draft belongs to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Schultz is entering the WHL draft as one of the most talked about prospects since Connor Bedard, who the Pats took first overall in 2020.

The 15-year-old Regina product lit up the SMAAAHL last season as a 14-year-old, scoring 43 goals and 50 assists in 44 games to lead the league in scoring. He then added 22 points in 10 playoff games to lead the Regina Pat Canadians to a league championship.

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Since then, the Pat Canadians swept the western regional tournament and have now qualified for the Telus Cup, the U18 male AAA national championship tournament that begins on April 21.

Schultz elected not to pursue exceptional status that would allow him to play in the WHL full time next season as a 15-year-old. However, thanks to recent rule changes he will be eligible to play up to 34 games in the 2025-26 season.

The 2025 WHL Prospects Draft begins May 7.

After the Pats pick first overall, the expansion Penticton Vees will be first in the order from round two on.