Canucks select Malhotra third overall at NHL draft; Carels goes to Flames at No. 6

The moment finally arrived Friday — more than a decade late.

The Canucks selected Malhotra with the No. 3 pick at the NHL draft to complete a circle the centre had hoped to close for a long time.

“The biggest joy and relief,” said the 18-year-old. “This is something that I literally dream about. For this to come true is unbelievable. I’m so grateful and I’m so thankful.”

The Canucks, who have never picked first at the draft, owned the best odds heading into last month’s lottery following a last-place finish in their 55th season — 14 points adrift of the league’s next-worst team — only to get bumped down to No. 3 when the ping-pong balls bounced in favour of the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks.

After watching Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg come off the board, the Canucks made their move inside KeyBank Center.

Malhotra hugged his dad, who was recently named Vancouver’s new head coach, before stepping on stage.

“We were just happy,” he said. “It’s the best feeling in the world. I’ve never felt anything like this, and that embrace was so comforting. I’m so glad he’s here with me as dad. I’m so grateful for him on this journey, he’s given me so much help as a hockey player, and he’s helped me grow. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even be in this conversation. I wouldn’t be in this position.

“I’m so thankful for him, and ready to play for him.”

Caleb Malhotra added that the family, including Manny, had no clue where he would be picked.

“Knew as much as anybody on Instagram would, just seeing all the rankings,” he said. “Hearing my name getting called by the Canucks, it felt so good.”

Malhotra had 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) in 67 games this season for the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs. The six-foot-two, 182-pound forward from Toronto added 13 goals and 13 assists in 15 playoff contests.

The Calgary Flames were the next Canadian team to pick, going with defenceman Carson Carels at No. 6.

The six-foot-one, 175-pound product of Cypress River, Man., had 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games this season with the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars.

Carels, who is committed to the University of North Dakota in 2026-27 and didn’t attend the draft, added a goal and nine assists in 10 playoff contests after also suiting up for Canada’s bronze-medal team at the world junior hockey championship.

The Winnipeg Jets then took Viggo Bjorck at No. 8. The five-foot-nine, 177-pound Swedish centre had six goals and nine assists in 42 games this season with Djurgardens in his country’s top professional division.

The 18-year-old also helped Sweden win the world juniors alongside Stenberg, putting up three goals and nine assists in seven contests.

“Just to be here, it’s a privilege,” said Bjorck, whose brother (Wilson) was a fifth-round pick by Vancouver in 2025. “And then go top-10 to Winnipeg, a very hockey-culture city, it’s really special.”

The Canucks added Adam Novotny at No. 24 before the Ottawa Senators grabbed fellow winger Jonas Lagerberg Hoen at No. 25.

The Montreal Canadiens traded up two spots to snag forward Gleb Pugachyov at No. 26, Calgary got centre Jack Hextall at No. 30, and the Senators rounded things out by picking winger Jaxon Cover at No. 32

The 18-year-old Cover is from Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, and started out as an in-line player before eventually getting on the ice when he moved north.

He said there’s a lesson in his late-bloomer story.

“If you really, truly do love something, you don’t need to play it your whole life or you don’t need to grow up playing,” Cover said. “I want to teach kids from unconventional places that even though you’re from an unconventional place, you could still play a sport that you love.

“Just got to keep working and keep grinding.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2026.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Canucks select Malhotra third overall at NHL draft; Carels goes to Flames at No. 6

What's Trending