Rudolph's success on ice, in classroom could lead to big future in NHL

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at defenseman Daxon Rudolph from Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Daxon Rudolph is used to making his parents proud with how he plays on the ice. But they're just as gratified by what the 18-year-old has accomplished in the classroom.

The Prince Albert defenseman was a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the best defenseman in the WHL this season, but it's what he accomplished last season, as a finalist for the league's scholastic player of the year award, that really impressed them.

"My mom (Renee) is a teacher, so school is very important in our house," Rudolph said. "To be recognized for the scholastic player of the year, it's an honor for sure, and just a little bit of recognition for the work we put in in school and towards our education. To be recognized, it means a lot, and it was pretty cool to be nominated for that."

Rudolph said his favorite school subject is math, which makes sense considering the numbers he put up this season; he was third among WHL defensemen with 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists) in 68 games.

He was even better during the playoffs, tying for the lead among all players with 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 19 games to help Prince Albert reach the WHL final.

The 6-foot-2, 206-pound right-handed shot is No. 5 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"It's his vision, just how calm he is on the ice and making plays," Prince Albert coach Ryan McDonald said. "Offensively, having the ability to make reads on when to jump up and make the right play, and defensively he closes quick, he anticipates, he defends hard, has a good stick, surfs well. He does a lot of the things you really want in a defensive defenseman.

"He's very calm, he makes the right plays as far as his defensive details, closes well, defends hard in the middle of the ice, gets the puck going north in a hurry. And it's his risk meter, knowing when to jump into the rush and knowing when to hold."

Rudolph likes to compare his game to Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, defensemen who can supply offense while bringing an element of physicality and a strong defensive game.

But Central Scouting senior western scout John Williams sees Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets as a more apt comparison.

"He's so smart and he's so good in his positional plays, the stick and in his own zone, that the game looks easy," Williams said. "He just makes it look effortless a lot of times. And for me, that's kind of like what Werenski can do as well."

It has been a process for Rudolph to reach that level. Selected by Prince Albert with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 WHL Draft, he had 41 points (seven goals, 34 assists) in 64 games last season.

After the season he got a double-shot of confidence.

He helped Canada win a gold medal at 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, and he began this season with four points (two goals, two assists) in five games to help Canada win the bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

"Being named to that U-18 Worlds team as the younger age group meant a lot," Rudolph said. "Wasn't necessarily a contributing piece on the ice (he played one game), but just to be a part of that gold medal-winning team meant a lot, and it was so fun to be a part of.

"Going into the Hlinka tournament, kind of being a contributing guy, playing over there in Europe, it was a lot of fun and it definitely helped a lot heading into the season in Prince Albert. A lot of confidence, and feeling very comfortable and confident heading into the season."

McDonald said he could see a different kind of swagger in Rudolph from the start of the season.

"He's a confident kid, but he's very humble," McDonald said. "When you sit and chat with him, he's very humble about his abilities, and he has tremendous abilities."

Rudolph showcased those abilities throughout the season and into the playoffs, where he scored three game-winning goals, including the series-clincher to cap a four-game sweep of Saskatoon in the second round.

"I think having the long playoff run that I did was good for me to show everyone that I can play at the best time of year and I can perform in the playoffs," Rudolph said. "I think that's a big part of hockey, and teams want guys who can perform in the playoffs. I was happy to do that this year, and play good hockey."

That understanding of when and how to raise your level of play is one example of Rudolph's high hockey IQ, which McDonald said is fed by his classroom IQ.

"He's very mature for his age," McDonald said. "He's a player that teammates gravitate to, just with the way he conducts himself on and off the ice. With his studies, he's top-notch. He's very dedicated and does a great job at school. You can just see it spill over to the rink. His hockey IQ is elite. He watches a ton of video. He's a student of the game. You can watch him apply what he has learned to the ice very quickly. 

"I think it comes back to, he's a very mature young man. He wears a letter for us (alternate captain) for a reason at a very young age and it's just been a lot of fun to watch."

The next step for Rudolph's development is to do all the things he does well, but at an increased pace.

"For me, the biggest thing I think comes with off-ice training, trying to get more explosive," he said. "My first three strides on the ice is something I'm really focused on getting better. As you move up levels, it's going to get faster. So that's my main focus."

He'll train at DASH Academy in Calgary during the offseason, in a group that includes Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.

But where he'll put those gains to work next season remains a question. He's considering playing NCAA hockey and has visited Michigan State, Denver and Boston College. He said he will make a decision sometime before the draft.

Seeing the success players like Gavin McKenna (Penn State), Porter Martone (Michigan State) and Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota) had in the first season of CHL players receiving NCAA eligibility provided proof the college route is a viable next step.

"It can be a little nerve-wracking going in as the first-year guys, so I guess I'm a little bit fortunate that way, that it won't be me," Rudolph said. "I can kind of see guys before me who have done it and see how they experienced it as well."

Wherever he plays, the hard work that goes into molding his success on and off the ice will continue to be paramount.

"I think work ethic, and just the efforts you put in in other aspects of life, I think speaks a lot to your character," Rudolph said. "If you work hard to get good grades, you'll work hard on the ice as well. So it's just something that kind of goes hand in hand. No matter what it is in life, you want to do it to the best of your ability. And I think that's kind of what I do in school and hockey and everything."