Image credit: CFJC Today/Anthony Corea

By Marty Hastings

AMERICAN IMPORT

Hurlbert talks decision to join Blazers; Clouston offers insight on landing first-round NHL Draft prospect

Aug 26, 2025 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS  — The Kamloops Blazers took a calculated risk when they selected forward J.P. Hurlbert of Allen, Texas, with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.

That flyer paid off on Tuesday [Aug. 26], when after much speculation the club confirmed it has signed 17-year-old Hurlbert, who some pundits have pegged to be selected in Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft.

“Kamloops was just a great opportunity,” said Hurlbert, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound right shot. “My goal was to play in the NHL and I felt they [the Blazers] gave me the best opportunity. I’m an offensive threat. I love to score goals, love to bring energy and I’m just really looking to win here,”

Blazers’ general manager Shaun Clouston said former assistant general manager Robbie Sandland had a hand in picking Hurlbert in 2023, noting the club preferred to select a potentially great player who may never come to Kamloops than a player who would come but was not likely to make a significant impact.

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Hurlbert joined the U.S.A. Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) stream, committed to play for the Michigan Wolverines, helped lead his country to gold at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games and scored a Michigan goal last year that caught the hockey world’s attention.

Last year, a rule change made it possible to play in the Canadian Hockey League and maintain eligibility to play in the NCAA Division One ranks.

Meanwhile, Hurlbert was playing for the U17 USNTDP against older competition in the under-21 U.S. Hockey League.

“They play approximately half of their schedule in the USHL, so pretty tough sledding for a team of 16-year-olds to play in a junior league,” Clouston said. “There have been players in recent years that have made the decision after one year to come over to our league.”

Clouston said rumblings began to emerge during the second half of last season, whispers of Hurlbert’s intention to leave the USNTDP.

“In the hockey world, you hear things,” he said. “Fortunately for us, the rules changed, which totally changed the landscape of what players in his age group are looking to do right now. At the end of the season, the agency reached out and said now’s the time.”

Hurlbert led his team in USHL scoring last season, with 31 points, including 16 goals, in 34 games.

“I had a great time in the program and made a lot of friendships that will last me a lifetime,” Hurlbert said. “At the end of the season, I went home and really thought about my career and what was best for me. It was a long process, but I thought the Blazers were on the right track. The Western league is just a proven pull for the NHL.”

Clouston said the Hurlbert camp had to sort out its release from the USNTDP, with which it had signed a two-year contract, and navigate a U.S.A. Hockey transfer to Hockey Canada.

“When you look at the landscape, a lot is changing,” Clouston said. “I think the governing bodies are in a situation where they want to make sure they feel comfortable with the agreements that are in place.”

Hurlbert is expected to slot in alongside the Blazers’ top offensive players and see ample time on the first power-play unit, with Clouston noting his proficiency at left wing and centre.

“He’s very versatile,” Clouston said. “He likes to shoot the puck — he really likes to shoot the puck. We’ve got some pretty good options at centre. [Tommy] Lafreniere played more wing last year, but I think potentially his best position is at centre. [Jordan] Keller and Hurlbert or Lafreniere and Hurlbert – they both sound pretty good. We’ve got lots of options.”

Hurlbert has seen the first-round NHL Draft projections, but said his focus is on team success and individual prosperity will follow.

“I’m just really excited to be here,” said Hurlbert, who remains committed to play for the Wolverines in 2026-2027. “I think we’re ready to win right now. I’m going to bring a lot of offence, a lot of energy and we’re coming to win. There’s no doubt about it.”

CHANGING LANDSCAPE

Clouston said the NCAA-CHL eligibility rule change will have a drastic impact on rosters.

“It’s my belief we probably had four players that could be gone right now (Keller, Lafreniere, Natham Behm and Ryan Michael),” Clouston said. “If they wanted to explore, if the agents had encouraged that, they’d all have scholarships. All four of those players decided to come back for another year. We’re fortunate.”

Clouston said he expects a number of players who leave the WHL to join the NCAA ranks will return to major junior before the end of the campaign.

“It’s a much older league,” Clouston said of the NCAA. “There are teams that average 22 or 23 years old. That’s drastically different than our league.”

Clouston said he expects to see younger players both coming and going: “There’s going to be more departures earlier than you’d hope for … but I also think if you look at the USHL players, the Americans that are coming now, there’s going to continue to be a massive influx of younger players.”

Clouston said it is becoming more challenging to plan for the future.

“We always have a three-year plan,” Clouston said. “It’s upstairs in Tim’s [assistant GM Tim O’Donovan’s] office. We’ve got a magnetic board and you’ve got the players kind of mapped out and there’s always some projection and some guesswork there, but I think that changes a lot. You’re going to have to deal with some things on the fly.”