DuPont, projected No. 1 pick in 2027 NHL Draft, gearing up for NCAA hockey
Defenseman playing for Canada at Hlinka Gretzky Cup before joining University of Michigan
ByDerek Van Diest
August 04, 2026
EDMONTON — Landon DuPont is looking forward to his next challenge.
The 17-year-old defenseman, who is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, will attend the University of Michigan this season after two years with Everett of the Western Hockey League, which culminated in a championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup in May.
“I’m super excited. They obviously have a pretty historic program there and they have a good team,” DuPont said of Michigan. “They had a good team last year and we’ll have another good team this year, and I’m super excited to go there.”
Prior to beginning his NCAA career, however, DuPont is anchoring Canada’s blue line at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup under-18 tournament at Rogers Place this week. Canada defeated Switzerland 7-3 on Monday in its first game of the eight-team event and will face Slovakia on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN, TSN4)
DuPont did not have a point in the win but showed off the skill and composure that have him at the top of the prospect rankings.
“He does a lot of really good things,” Canada coach Ryan Oulahen said. “First and foremost, I’m just amazed with the individual he is off the ice. Obviously with the high-profile stature that he has around him, he’s an impressive human being off the ice, so I’ve been super impressed with that.
“Then the on-the-ice details too, with somebody so willing to defend when he has the elite offensive instincts and talent. He’s been impressive and I think he’s going to get better as the tournament goes on, just like our team is going to.”
Last season, DuPont had 73 points (18 goals, 55 assists) in 63 regular-season games for Everett and 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 18 playoff games.
Everett cruised to the WHL championship, losing just two playoff games, and made it to the Memorial Cup final, where it lost 6-2 to Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League.
“Going into last year, I think main goal for us was to win the WHL championship and to do that was pretty special with all those guys,” DuPont said. “It’s something I’ll remember forever. We obviously came up just short in the Memorial Cup to Kitchener there, but it was a cool experience and I’m happy that I could end as a champion in Everett.”
DuPont had six points (two goals, four assists) in four games in the Memorial Cup, which featured the champions of the three leagues compromising the Canadian Hockey League (WHL, OHL, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) and host Kelowna of the WHL.
The Calgary native was granted exceptional status to play in the WHL as an underage player and had 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games as a 15-year-old in 2024-25. He was the first defenseman to earn exceptional status in the WHL and the second player overall, after Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard in 2020
At Michigan, DuPont will be going up against older, more experienced players but will also part of a stacked roster. Michigan is expected to have up to 17 players who were selected in the NHL Draft, including five who were picked in the first round.
“I think it’s about the development,” DuPont said. “I loved my two years in Everett. I couldn’t have asked to play for a better organization, but I think the NCAA is a bigger, faster game and I think it’s just one step closer to the pro level.
“It never had anything to do with what Everett did, it’s about the competition I’ll be playing against.”
It will be a big season for DuPont, who is also hoping to play for Canada at the 2027 World Junior Championship, to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta from Dec. 26, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027.
Making the Canadian team would further help his draft stock.
“Obviously it’s a big year, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and don’t want to look into that too much,” DuPont said. “I just want to try and have fun with the year and try to win a championship for Michigan.”
DuPont is used to high expectations, so he doesn’t believe the weight of the draft will affect him at the NCAA level.
“Ever since hockey players are 10 years old, they play with pressure and I think the past few years I’ve been getting more and more used to that,” he said. “I’m just going to try and play this season and have fun and just try to keep that as outside noise.”
It helps that his father, Micki DuPont, was a professional hockey player. Micki, also a defenseman, played 23 games in the NHL with the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues from 2002-07 before embarking on a successful career in Switzerland and Germany.
DuPont spent a lot of time in Europe with his father growing up and appreciates what it takes to play at the pro level.
“I was in Switzerland for seven years and then Germany for five,” DuPont said. “It was so cool and that’s what really grew my love for the game. Just being around him and being in the locker room and just being around him and watching him play, it was awesome. Being in that atmosphere you grow to love the game, and I’m super grateful and obviously living in Switzerland was super cool, it’s such a beautiful place.”
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