J.P. Hurlbert, a 19‑year‑old forward from Kamloops, British Columbia, heard his name called 23rd overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, a moment that capped a whirlwind year for the Michigan freshman.
The Detroit Red Wings selected the promising scorer after he posted 42 goals and 55 assists in 68 games for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, earning Rookie of the Year and a first‑team all‑star nod.
Hurlbert joins a Michigan roster that boasts a talented freshman contingent, including projected 2027 top pick Landon DuPont and 2025 first‑rounder Jack Nesbitt, a group that could reshape the program’s fortunes.
A Freshman Class with Championship Eyes
The Hurlbert family has deep roots at the university; his father once shared a classroom with former Michigan net‑minder Marty Turco, and J.P. becomes the fourth generation of his lineage to attend the school, the first to pursue athletics at the collegiate level.
Motivated by a lifelong devotion to the Wolverines, Hurlbert says winning the school’s first national championship since 1998 is his driving force, a goal he’s carried since he was three and watched the team’s near‑miss in a double‑overtime Frozen Four loss to Denver.
As the new season approaches, the excitement is palpable; fans and analysts alike are watching closely to see whether the drafted forward can translate his WHL success into collegiate triumph.