“I Think Confidence Goes a Long Way”: How a Move to the WHL Changed JP Hurlbert’s 2026 NHL Draft Outlook
A year ago, JP Hurlbert made a decision that would have been almost unthinkable for an American prospect not long ago.
The Allen, Texas native was entering his NHL Draft season as a member of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, one of the most respected development pipelines in hockey. He was already committed to the University of Michigan, NHL scouts were familiar with his game, and the traditional path forward was clear. Stay at the NTDP, continue developing against elite competition and arrive at Michigan after the draft.
Instead, Hurlbert headed to the Western Hockey League.
The NCAA’s decision to allow CHL players to maintain college eligibility had created new possibilities for players in his position. For the first time, prospects could pursue major junior hockey without sacrificing future NCAA opportunities. Hurlbert looked at the changing landscape, weighed his options and ultimately decided Kamloops offered something he believed he needed.
“It was obviously a hard decision,” he said to R.org. “It’s the U.S. national program, such a great spot. I kind of took my time, obviously committed to Michigan, and the rule change happened. I just felt Kamloops was the best fit for me.”
At the time, the move came with obvious risk. Leaving the NTDP before a draft year meant stepping away from one of the sport’s most established development environments and entering a completely different world. There would be a new team, a new league and a completely different style of hockey. More importantly, there was no guarantee the larger role he was seeking would translate into better results.
Twelve months later, the gamble looks like one of the defining decisions of the 2026 NHL Draft cycle.
After recording 16 goals and 31 points in 34 USHL games during the 2024-25 season, Hurlbert exploded offensively with the Kamloops Blazers, scoring 42 goals and finishing with 97 points in 68 games. The production immediately elevated his draft stock and turned him into one of the more intriguing forwards available this summer.
The statistics tell an important story, but they only explain part of why NHL teams have become increasingly interested in Hurlbert. The decision itself, and the confidence required to make it, may be just as revealing.
Choosing the WHL Route
What attracted Hurlbert to Kamloops was not simply the chance to play in the WHL. It was the opportunity to take on a larger role and challenge himself in a different environment.
The NTDP remains one of the premier development programs in hockey, but Hurlbert believed there was another level to his game. The WHL offered a chance to test that belief while exposing him to a schedule and lifestyle that more closely resembled professional hockey.
“The program is a lot of time in the gym,” Hurlbert said of the NTDP.
“You’re focusing on getting bigger a lot. Then you go to the Canadian Hockey League and you’re on the bus and you’re playing kind of a pro-like schedule on a Wednesday night. It’s just really exciting to see all these Canadian markets and you’re trying to play for the Memorial Cup every night.”
The adjustment extended beyond the schedule. Every night brought a different challenge, whether it was facing highly regarded NHL prospects or adapting to a style of play that differed from what he had experienced previously.
“I think the Western League, one night you’re playing Tij Iginla and the next night you’re playing a top defenseman like Carson Carels,” Hurlbert said. “They’re both great leagues. Obviously, I think they’re both kind of unique and different in their own way, but I just really enjoyed my time in both of them.”
For many draft-eligible players, moving to a new league while trying to impress NHL teams could become a distraction. For Hurlbert, it became an opportunity to prove something to himself.
Looking back on the season, one of the first lessons he mentions has little to do with offense.
“I think confidence goes a long way,” he said. “Being an American kid, a rookie in a new market, not knowing anybody and kind of taking off the way I did. I think it tested my confidence and poise and being able to stay calm under a lot of pressure.”
That answer helps explain why the season resonated with scouts. The 97 points were impressive, but so was the context surrounding them. Hurlbert wasn’t thriving in a familiar environment. He was doing it while adapting to an entirely new one.
The Texas Roots
Long before Kamloops, Michigan, or the NHL Draft entered the picture, Hurlbert was developing his game in Allen, Texas.
The growth of hockey in Texas has been one of the sport’s quiet success stories over the last three decades. What was once viewed as a non-traditional market has now begun producing high-end prospects, NCAA players and NHL draft picks. Hurlbert has witnessed that evolution firsthand.
“I think it’s starting to turn into a traditional hockey market,” he said. “You look at all the success from when I was eight to now and all the players that are coming through the program and moving on. It’s really cool to see.”
His childhood looked different from many Canadian or northern American prospects, but hockey was always central to it. While football dominates much of the sports conversation in Texas, Hurlbert gravitated toward the Stars.
“Most people go to Cowboys games,” he said. “I would go to Stars games.”
Players such as Tyler Seguin became favorites, and the Stars’ success helped fuel his own ambitions. Behind the scenes, countless hours were spent working on the skills that would eventually become strengths.
“I’ve had targets up since I was four years old,” Hurlbert said.
His description of those summer training sessions paints a picture that could only happen in Texas.
“I have a pool in my backyard and so I would set my net up, have a pad, big pile of pucks and would shoot pucks for hours,” he said. “Would jump in the pool and then shoot a bucket, jump in the pool, shoot a bucket.”
Eventually, the family dog became part of the routine.
“Got my dog to go get in the pool and get my pucks out if I hit the crossbar and it goes swimming.”
Asked who deserved the most credit, Hurlbert laughed.
“Goose is the MVP for sure.”
The story is memorable because it reveals something about the way Hurlbert approaches improvement. There is no dramatic secret behind the breakout season. Much of it comes back to repetition, preparation and confidence built over years of work.
That confidence wasn’t limited to hockey skills. It also helped him become comfortable entering new environments and quickly establishing himself, a trait that would become increasingly important as his career progressed.
Betting on Himself
The move from Texas to the NTDP required an adjustment. The move from the NTDP to Kamloops required another. Next season, Hurlbert will arrive at Michigan and start the process all over again.
Rather than viewing those transitions as obstacles, he sees them as opportunities to grow.
“I think it’ll go a long way,” he said. “Learning how to adapt, being able to be vulnerable, be yourself and kind of be welcomed into a whole new surrounding.”
That mindset may ultimately be one of the most attractive qualities in his draft profile. Every player entering professional hockey will eventually face uncertainty. New cities, new teammates and new expectations are unavoidable. The ability to adapt quickly often determines who continues progressing and who struggles.
Hurlbert has already experienced that process several times.
Michigan represents the next challenge, and it’s one he’s eagerly anticipating.
“I committed to Michigan for a reason,” he said. “The people and kind of the environment and the team and all the staff. So I’m just really looking forward to playing with all those great players.”
The chance to play alongside players such as Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage has only increased that excitement.
“Just kind of seeing myself on a team with him next year is pretty amazing as someone who I’ve watched quite a bit the last two years.”
For now, though, the focus remains on the draft.
“It’s obviously the biggest year of your life,” Hurlbert said. “Every little kid dreams of being drafted into the NHL.”
The 97 points in Kamloops will be the headline of Hurlbert’s draft season, and rightly so. They transformed him from a prospect with potential into one of the more compelling forwards available in the 2026 class.
What those numbers don’t fully capture is the path he took to get there. Hurlbert left a comfortable situation, embraced a new challenge, and trusted that his game would hold up in a completely different environment. By the end of the season, he had not only answered that question but positioned himself for another leap forward when he arrives at Michigan this fall.
The move to Kamloops was a bet on himself. A year later, it looks like a pretty good one.