DuPont hopes path to top of 2027 Draft includes stop at Memorial Cup

When the NHL Draft Lottery is held next year, the big prize may be Landon DuPont. The Everett Silvertips right-shot defenceman is well on his way to being a top pick in 2027.

“It’s a dream of mine for sure,” the 16-year-old Calgary native said during a conversation with TSN.

“Looking at draft lists and stuff like that, it’s cool, but you just have to take it with a grain of salt and you know there’s still so much work to be done and it’s still very far away.”

The chance to go first overall is a source of motivation as he continues his junior hockey journey.

“Yeah, 100 per cent,” DuPont said. “You have to stay hungry and motivated. You can’t just be complacent. You got to get better and better each and every day. From now to the next year or two, I think that’s really important for me.”

DuPont, who was the first defenceman to receive exceptional status to play in the Western Hockey League at age 15, certainly looks like a hungry and motivated player right now. He’s racked up four goals and 17 points in 13 playoff games as the Silvertips cruised to the Western Conference title with a 12-1 record.

“Obviously the transition between the regular season and the playoffs is big,” said DuPont, who produced 73 points in 63 regular-season games. “I mean, it’s tight checking and everything just means so much more.”

DuPont’s plus-14 mark is second best among defencemen in the WHL playoffs.

“Just dialling things in on the defensive side of the puck and playing harder and being harder to play against,” he said. “I feel like I’ve really stepped up my defensive game without the puck.”

The 5-foot-11, 183-pound blueliner is initiating and not sitting back.

“I’m not the biggest, but I think I play bigger than I am,” he said. “I play physical and I like to be aggressive on the offensive side of the puck and in my D zone, killing plays early and stuff like that.”

The top-seeded Silvertips are leaning on their young star and DuPont is consistently answering the call. He has hit the scoresheet in all but one playoff game so far. And DuPont delivered an overtime goal in Game 5 of the second-round showdown against the Kelowna Rockets, which clinched the series.

“The pressure moments, they’re fun,” he said. “I love being put in pressure moments and that’s where I feel like I thrive.”

DuPont is a Vancouver Canucks fan and lists Zeev Buium as his current NHL role model.

“Just the way he skates and thinks the game has been cool to watch for me,” DuPont said.

Although it’s advice from North Vancouver native Connor Bedard, who is the only other WHL player to be given exceptional status, that has helped DuPont navigate the start of his career in Everett.

“Just keep having fun,” DuPont said of Bedard’s message, which came before his rookie season. “Don’t forget why you started playing hockey. Whether you’re going through a slump or anything, it’s easy to drop your head and feel sorry for yourself, but you just got to remember that you’re playing hockey and you’re having fun with your teammates and I think that’s been the biggest help for me.”

Does DuPont ever get nervous?

“Ah, good nerves,” he said with a smile. “Never bad nerves. I like to get pumped up before games. The past few nights before going to bed, like, I’ve been tossing and turning. I’m thinking about the finals. But they’re all good nerves.”

Everett will host Game 1 of the WHL championship series against the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night. DuPont and his teammates are just four wins away from a trip to Kelowna for the Memorial Cup.

“It would be unreal,” DuPont said. “Our team is so special and to do it with this group would be unreal. To do it for the 20-year-olds and the 19-year-olds, it’d be so cool just to win that with them. You play for this. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been looking forward to the Memorial Cup. Just being this close you can just imagine how our room is feeling right now. We’re super excited.”