Wilderness Tap Into Familiar Place for First Pick of Entry Draft

In 2025, the Minnesota Wilderness found its first pick in the NAHL Entry Draft on the roster of the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. Forward Talan Blanck was that player, and he wound up being a centerpiece of a squad that finished with the franchise’s best regular season ever and then set records while leading the team in scoring in a playoff run that ended with an overtime loss to the Maryland Black Bears in the Robertson Cup Final.

Considering the success of that selection, the Wilderness went to the Vipers again for their first selection in the 2026 draft.

Minnesota called Oliver Kanat’s name in the first round, 31 st overall, in Wednesday’s NAHL Entry Draft.

The goaltender from Newport Beach, CA, played 27 games for Vernon in 2025-26. In his first season of junior hockey, Kanat finished with a 3.51 goals against average, .891 save percentage and 6-13-5 record.

“He’s highly athletic and consistent,” said Brian Murphy of the scouting service Neutral Zone on NAHLTV.

Murphy said BCHL scouts really like his game.

“He’s calm, he’s technically sound, he’s poised and the NAHL is a great place for him to play. If they (the Wilderness) can get him and get him into the net, I think he can be ready to go right away.”

Minnesota drafted at least one player for every position, selecting seven in the entry draft. For their second pick, they went to the opposite coast and found defenseman Benjamin Zwillinger of Manhattan, NY.

Zwillinger was followed by three consecutive selections from Europe. For picks 3 through 5, Minnesota selected defenseman Noah Faber Jakobsen from Denmark, center Alfred Carlsson from Sweden and right winger Henrijs Upenkieks from Latvia.

The Wilderness then completed the entry draft with two players from the Northland. Micklain Martalock, a left winger from Hermantown, was the squad’s sixth pick in the 10th round, while Hoyt Lakes’ Ethan Jacobson, a right winger, was the Wilderness’ final selection in the draft.

Jacobson spent 2025-26 with the NA3HL’s Minnesota Wilderness, where he finished as the team’s top scorer with 39 points (11 goals/28 assists) in 47 games.

The entry draft was the first of two drafts in which the Wilderness participated this week. In Tuesday’s futures draft, Minnesota selected two 16-year-old forwards.

Duluthian Zane Medlin was the first pick. In 2025-26, Medlin skated as a center with Duluth East High School and the Wilderness’ 16U AAA team in the North American Prospects Hockey League.

As its second futures draft selection, Minnesota brought in Brady Parris, a left winger from Bethel Park, PA, who played with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15U team last season.

The futures draft is designed to get younger players into the NAHL’s development path. Medlin and Parris will be able to play up to 20 games with the Wilderness next season without being added to the team’s protected player list. Minnesota will have until November 15, 2027, to add Medlin and Parris to its protected list or sign them to a tender agreement. If they are not protected by that date or not signed to a tender agreement, Medlin and Parris will be free agents and will be eligible to sign with any NAHL team.

All selected in this week’s drafts will be invited to the Wilderness’ main tryout camp, which is expected to be held in July. They’ll join those who will return from the 2025-26 team along with some newly tendered players.

Futures Draft Selections (Tuesday)

Entry Draft Selections (Wednesday)