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Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; JP Hurlbert reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected with the twenty third pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn ImagesEditor’s Note: This is the tenth installment of a Detroit Hockey Now series assessing the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects’ path to the NHL. The emphasis will be on what their chances are of playing regularly in the NHL and when we can expect to see them wearing the Winged Wheel.
JP HurlbertPosition: Left Wing
NHL Draft status: 23rd, 2026
Detroit Hockey Now Ranking: No. 10 Red Wings Prospect
Hgt./Wgt: 6-0, 190 ounds
Age/Experience: 18-years-old, Incoming College Freshman, 68 WHL Games, 4 WHL Playoff Games
JP Hurlbert will be remembered by Red Wings fans whether or not he ever skates for the main roster as Steve Yzerman’s last first round pick in his tenure in Detroit. The University of Michigan bound winger was drafted this past year after the Red Wings traded one of their top prospect netminders, Sebastian Cossa, in order to address a need that largely went unaddressed in the now-former GM’s tenure.
Hurlbert is a scoring winger with top nine potential, something that the Red Wings prospect system has been severely lacking. Pre-draft, scouts viewed Hurlbert as a finesse based scorer with some defensive gaps in his play. That’s something he’ll be aiming to work on with the coaching team in Ann Arbor to match his draft expectations with the Red Wings.
The young Allen, Texas native has now spent the majority of his summer in Michigan between his time with the US National Development Program for the World Juniors Summer Showcase Series and Red Wings prospect Development camp.
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Making a name for himself with the Kamloops Blazers this last year in his first and only season in the WHL, Hurlbert had 97 points in 68 regular season games, tying for fourth most in the league, simultaneously leading all rookies. Hurlbert’s lightning fast ‘catch and release shot’ allowed the young winger to score from just about everywhere on the ice, but scouts also saw some of the gaps in his play against a broader talent pool.
Still, his explosive offensive upside was enough for the Red Wings to trade up into the first round for him, fulfilling the young winger’s dream by taking him 23rd overall in this last draft.
Three Reasons Why Hurlbert Will Play in the NHL- Hurlbert’s a scorer, plain and simple. If he gets the puck on his stick and he thinks he has a shot, he’ll take it. With 42 goals on 294 shots on goal, he’s good for a point on about 14.5% of his
- Hurlbert is a high character, high motivation player. While he faces some physical limitations in the checking and defensive game, there’s no question about him trying.
- He’s got plenty of runway to develop more dimensions to his game. Hurlbert wasn’t commonly viewed as a first round pick going into the year, and found himself going in the Top 25 on actual draft day.
The biggest problem Hurlbert faces as a hockey player is his ability to find a second gear. Hurlbert’s speed isn’t one of his greatest strengths, and with a lack of size at the moment to make up for that missing speed, he can sometimes find it hard to get separation from opposing skaters. Shooting from anywhere is one thing, but he has to actually get to those spots somewhat cleanly if he wants to make an impact on the scoresheet.
Connor McDavid is simply not human.
(via: IG/garyrobertshpt) pic.twitter.com/K5Z6fqwb8R
Hurlbert also isn’t the strongest player without the puck, which may frustrate coaches at times, however, he’s also an 18-year-old with plenty of room to grow. Scouts have dinged Hurlbert for his compete and some of his finesse skating, but both are improvable, especially under the tutelage of a top coach like Brandon Naurato at the University of Michigan.
ETAHurlbert is quite a ways away from wearing a Red Wings uniform outside of training camp, entering his freshman year with the Wolverines this fall. The young forward is likely to spend at least the next year in Ann Arbor, if not longer, making it likely he makes his pro debut sometime in 2029.
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