By Derek Harper
It’s another week during the offseason for major junior hockey and there’s more news. It’s now official that the newest WHL exceptional status player has signed with his respective team. The Everett Silvertips officially signed 15-year-old Landon DuPont Tuesday, Aug. 6.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound DuPont was officially granted exceptional status on Apr. 8, joining Regina Pats alum Connor Bedard as the only other WHL player to be granted the unique distinction. As such, DuPont is eligible to play the full 2024-25 season as a 15-year-old. Other exceptional status players in CHL history include John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Sean Day, Connor McDavid, Joseph Veleno, Shane Wright and Michael Misa.
These are some big names, especially McDavid being a former number one overall pick in the NHL Draft. Ekblad has also made a name for himself throughout his NHL career so far.
New Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton was quoted in a press release praising DuPont’s game and character.
“Landon is a very exciting and dynamic young player who impacts the game all over the ice,” Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton said. “He’s an incredibly mature young man that’s ready for the transition to the Western Hockey League. Silvertip fans will love watching him develop in the years ahead.”
He’s the highest WHL Draft pick in Silvertips franchise history. He has officially surpassed eventual NHL first-round pick Zach Hamill who was taken third-overall in the 2003 WHL Draft.
Landon DuPont is the third member of Everett’s 2024 WHL Draft class to sign with the team. He joins 19th overall pick Mirco Dufour and 32nd overall pick Jaxon Pisani. He’s guaranteed a WHL Scholarship for every year he plays in the WHL by signing a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
DuPont spent the 2022-23 season at the U15 level with Edge School, picking up 15 goals and 32 assists in 27 games played with six points in four playoff appearances.
DuPont was born in 2009 and hails from Calgary, Alberta. He put up 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points in 30 games as a 14 year-old at Edge School U18 Prep in 2023-24. In five playoff games, he tallied five goals and 11 assists for 16 points. He also impressed at the Circle K Classic, where he collected five goals and four assists for nine points in five games.
While the Everett signing was the big one this week, they weren’t the only team to make an official signing. In the WHL’s British Columbia (BC) Division, the Kamloops Blazers made a signing of their own official Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Kamloops signed 2007 born Plzen, Czechia native Vit Zahejsky to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Zahejsky played the 2023-24 season with the HC Energie Karlovy Vary U20 program.
The 5’10” 170lb forward competed at the 2023 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and had a goal and three assists in eight games.
“We would like to welcome Vit and his family to the Kamloops Blazers organization,” General Manager/Head Coach, Shaun Clouston was quoted saying in a press release. “We are excited to be a part of his development over the next few seasons.”
Zahejsky is currently playing for Czechia at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup this week where he has a goal and assist for two points in two games.
Stephen Heisler 