Amid bustle of WHL championship, Spokane Chiefs organization drafts next class of players

The Spokane Chiefs are busy these days, vying for the Western Hockey League championship against Medicine Hat – the first time since 2008 they’ve reached the league title series.

But league business doesn’t stop just because hockey is still being played.

The Chiefs participated in the WHL U.S. Priority and WHL Prospects drafts on Thursday, claiming the rights to a future crop of potential Chiefs.

The process was complicated this season by a few factors – the team playing in the finals, of course, and the fact that they didn’t have a first- or third-round pick in the prospects draft due to trades.

“It made for a little bit of a different process. But either way, we’re always excited to get to this time of year,” director of player personnel George Ross said.

“There’s a lot of hours spent on the road away from families by our entire scouting staff. Braving the elements in the winter, to drive out or fly out to games to sit in cold rinks and watch youth hockey. But when that all comes together, when we sit down and get our list in order it can be an event like Christmas Day when we’re finding out who we’re going to select.”

Draft day is always a bit of a scramble at the Arena, even more so with the team still playing.

“There’s quite a bit going on, obviously,” Ross said. “With the finals preparations for the team and the travel, getting the team up to Medicine Hat for Games 1 and 2, and in the office as well with everyone planning and preparing for Games 3, 4 and 5 back in Spokane next week. So, a lot of exciting things going on and a lot of enthusiasm.”

Ross said there’s a sense of pride watching players he’s drafted over the years now enjoying success at the highest level of Juniors hockey.

“With the team reaching the finals, it’s been fun to reflect on previous drafts and some of those players we watched and selected as younger players to see those guys really start to take steps and contribute. … It’s fun to see the plan start to come to fruition, to an extent.”

The Chiefs drafted six forwards, three defensemen and a goalie.

Spokane had two picks within the top 100 selections in the prospects draft and took defenseman Ryker Doka at 28th overall and forward Brody Sunderland at 75th overall.

“What I tell our staff all year is at the end of the day our job is to put together a list of the players in the proper order as best as we can do,” Ross said. “We can’t control what happens ahead of us on the board, but all we can do is be prepared for every scenario. I thought we did a real good job with that. We’re really excited with the players we got. We think we got a first-round talent in Ryker Doka. We couldn’t be happier to bring Ryker and his family into the Chiefs organization.”

Doka was selected in the second round out of Regina, Saskatchewan. For Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep this season, he scored 14 goals with 20 assists in 21 regular-season games and added a goal and five assists in five playoff games.

“We’ve watched him for a few years now,” Ross said. “He’s a true offensive defenseman. He’s a dynamic, game-breaking offensive talent who is capable of driving the puck up the ice and making plays, setting up his teammates and scoring – every time he’s on the ice.

“We feel like he’s going to be a real strong complement to the young players on our roster now and the other players we’re excited to bring to Spokane in the next few years.”

Sunderland had 18 goals with 19 assists for 37 total points in 34 regular-season games and three assists in four playoff games for the St. Albert Sabres.

“(Sunderland) is a smooth-skating center who plays a heavy, 200-foot game. He’s a player we watched improve all season and he can create in the tough areas of the ice,” Ross said.

The day kicked off with the U.S. priority draft, in which the Chiefs selected forward Parker Colmer 17th overall out of Shattuck-St. Mary’s and goalie Brody Johnson 31st overall out of Shakopee.

Colmer, a left wing out of Olathe, Kansas, scored 57 goals and 65 assists for 122 total points in 59 regular-season games for Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres 14U team.

Colmer was born and raised in Kansas and played a little bit of youth hockey in the St. Louis Blues’ youth program for a few years before making the jump to Shadduck St. Mary’s in Minnesota.

“It’s a pretty unique development path,” Ross said. “He played on a team that was ranked in the top three teams by Hockey America for most of the season and led that team in scoring. That speaks volumes. The offensive numbers speak for themselves… but he also plays a very strong 200-foot game. He doesn’t cut corners.”

Johnson, from Waconia, Minnesota, had a 2.48 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 33 regular-season games with two shutouts for the Shakopee Sabres 14U AAA squad.

“We feel he’s the most athletic and dynamic goaltender in the draft class between the U.S. and Canada,” Ross said. “We thought he really elevated his game toward the end of the season. We feel the sky’s the limit for him.”

It’s difficult to project what a youth player is going to look like over the span of a few years – physically or emotionally.

“When you’re watching players that are so young, at age 14 and 15, and they’re at such varying degrees of physical maturation – that’s the main crux of what we do is trying to project out what his game is going to look like at 18, 19 in their more peak years as a junior. One of the key things we look for, and one of the toughest things to be able to evaluate, is hockey sense. We feel that’s truly translates to our level.”

Players selected in this year’s WHL draft are first eligible to join the Chiefs as full-time players during the 2026-27 season and can play up to 10 games as Affiliate Players in 2025-26.

WHL prospects picks

Fifth round (110th overall): D Sean Murphy, North Shore Warriors U15 Prep.

Sixth round (135th): RW Joshua Frazer, OHA Edmonton U15 Prep.

Seventh round (145th): C Braeden Eull, Minnesota Walleye 14U.

Seventh round (154th): Cyrus Gurski, Thompson Blazers U15 AAA.

Seventh round (158th): Body Ruprecht, Minnesota Lakers/Cretin-Derham Hall.

Eighth round (189th): Nikolai Zhukov, Minnesota Voyagers 14U.