Winnipeg Jets 2026 NHL Draft — Six Players Added on Day 2 Including a Historic First

Canada entertainment news — the Winnipeg Jets 2026 NHL Draft class grew by six players on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo as the organization stocked its prospect pipeline with goaltenders, defencemen, and forwards across rounds three through seven. The haul includes a historic selection — 18-year-old defenceman Noa Ta’Amu became the first player of Samoan descent ever drafted by an NHL team.

By Maplestime Sports Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | June 27, 2026
Sources: Global News | NHL.com | Last updated: June 27, 2026, 6:30 PM CDT

What We Know So Far

• The Jets added six players on Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo
• Day 1 saw Winnipeg select 18-year-old Swedish centre Viggo Bjorck eighth overall — a pick Jets scouts are calling one of the most exciting in franchise history
• Winnipeg had no second-round pick after trading it to Pittsburgh for defenceman Luke Schenn at the 2025 deadline
• Slovak goalie Samuel Hrenek was taken 71st overall in the third round out of the USHL’s Fargo Force
• Noa Ta’Amu, selected 199th overall, is the first player of Samoan descent ever drafted in NHL history
• Most of the Jets’ 2026 draft class is expected at development camp next week at Winnipeg’s Hockey For All Centre

The Day Before — Viggo Bjorck Sets the Tone

Before diving into Day 2, it is worth understanding what the Jets built toward on Friday.

With the eighth overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, Winnipeg selected Viggo Bjorck — an 18-year-old Swedish centre who Jets Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Hillier described in terms rarely used about a draft pick at any level.

“I have to be honest, he’s one of the most exciting draft picks I’ve ever had. I think he’s one of the smartest players in the draft this year, he’s one of the smartest players I’ve scouted,” Hillier told reporters in Buffalo.

The message was direct and unambiguous. “If he signs, he’s given an opportunity — he’s going to make it real hard not to play.”

That is the foundation the Jets built Saturday’s picks around. A potential franchise-altering centre at the top of the class. Six more players added below him to give the organization depth, competition, and options across every position.

Related: Winnipeg Things to Do 2026 — The Complete Local Guide

Round 3, Pick 71 — Samuel Hrenek, Goalie, Fargo Force

The Jets opened Day 2 without a second-round pick — surrendered to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the 2025 deadline deal that brought defenceman Luke Schenn to Winnipeg. Their first selection on Saturday came at 71st overall in the third round.

Winnipeg used that pick on Samuel Hrenek, an 18-year-old Slovak-born goaltender who spent the 2025-26 season playing for the Fargo Force of the USHL. Hrenek posted numbers that justified the selection — a 2.20 goals against average, a .918 save percentage, and a 7-1-1 record in nine starts.

The name may be unfamiliar to casual Jets fans but the family bloodline carries serious hockey credibility. Hrenek’s older brother David — also a goaltender — was a fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2018.

Samuel did not hide his enthusiasm when he spoke with reporters after hearing his name called.

“Just in general, we had a great talk about a lot of things and I just felt the most interest from Winnipeg,” Hrenek said. “I’m excited to show the organization what’s in me and why they made the right choice.”

Round 4, Pick 116 — Zach Wooten, Left Wing, Green Bay Gamblers

Winnipeg went back to the USHL in the fourth round, selecting 20-year-old left winger Zach Wooten from Apple Valley, Minnesota with the 116th pick.

Wooten’s production in 2025-26 was hard to ignore — 35 goals and 27 assists for 62 points in 61 games for the Green Bay Gamblers. His performance earned him an invitation to the Chipotle All-American Game, the annual event showcasing the top NHL draft-eligible players in the USHL.

“It was awesome for me. It was something I didn’t necessarily expect — it’s my third year of draft eligibility so it was pretty unexpected when I got that call from my coach,” Wooten said.

Wooten heads to the University of Wisconsin for the upcoming season where he will develop before entering the Jets’ professional system.

Round 5, Pick 135 — Alexandre Taillefer, Defenceman, Quebec Remparts

The fifth round brought a Quebec Remparts blueliner to the Jets organization. Alexandre Taillefer, a left-shot defenceman from Richelieu, Quebec, was selected 135th overall.

Taillefer made the six-hour drive from Quebec to Buffalo with his family to experience the draft in person — a journey that paid off when the Jets called his name.

“Yeah, I was definitely nervous a bit. I think the decision was I had a good chance to be drafted and it’s not so far from home,” Taillefer said. “I’m a two-way defenceman, a dynamic player — I like to make the first pass and plays and stuff and I love to be physical, too.”

The 2025-26 season was limited by an Achilles injury that restricted Taillefer to 28 games with the Remparts. But Hillier sees significant upside in a player he described as a dynamic skater.

“He’s a dynamic skater that we feel is one of the best skating defencemen in the draft,” Hillier said.

The plan is straightforward — Taillefer returns to Quebec for a full healthy season before progressing through the Jets system.

Round 6, Pick 161 — Landon Hafele, Centre, Green Bay Gamblers

The Jets went back to Green Bay a second time in round six, selecting 18-year-old centre Landon Hafele at 161st overall. Hafele was a teammate of fourth-round pick Zach Wooten with the Gamblers and produced 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 52 games this past season.

The Alaska-born pivot has committed to the Arizona State Wildcats for the coming season. He is another piece of the Jets’ ongoing investment in the American collegiate and junior pipeline.

Round 7 — Two Picks, One Historic Moment

Winnipeg held two selections in the seventh and final round. Both told interesting stories.

Pick 199 — Noa Ta’Amu, Defenceman, Edmonton Oil Kings

The more significant of the two seventh-round picks — in terms of history — was Noa Ta’Amu, an 18-year-old defenceman from San Diego selected from the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.

Ta’Amu’s selection made history. He is the first player of Samoan descent ever to be drafted by an NHL team.

His athletic pedigree runs deep. His father Ed Ta’Amu was a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2002 NFL draft and played as an offensive lineman for the Vikings and Houston Texans. Noa followed a different sport but carries the same competitive genetics.

On the ice, Ta’Amu scored three goals and added nine assists for 12 points in 63 games with the Oil Kings in 2025-26. He also helped the United States win the U18 Gretzky-Hlinka Cup in 2025.

Hillier described a player the Jets did not know a great deal about entering the season but whose approach to the game won them over quickly.

“He’s not afraid to drop the gloves and scrap. Stay at home D and play hard,” Hillier said.

Pick 220 — John Parsons, Goalie, Providence College

The Jets closed out their 2026 draft class with 20-year-old goaltender John Parsons from Providence College, selected 220th overall. Parsons posted a 13-5 record with a 2.05 goals against average and a .922 save percentage in 19 starts for the Friars in 2025-26. Adding a proven college goaltender late in the draft gives the Jets another option at a position they now have genuine organizational depth.

The Full 2026 Winnipeg Jets Draft Class

What Happens Next — Development Camp in Winnipeg

Most of the Jets’ 2026 draft class is expected to attend the team’s development camp next week at Winnipeg’s Hockey For All Centre — the state-of-the-art facility on McPhillips Street that opened in 2022 and serves as the central hub for Jets development programming.

Development camp gives the organization its first structured look at how the new players fit into the Jets system, how they respond to professional coaching instruction, and how they compete against each other and returning prospects. It is the first real test of whether draft weekend enthusiasm translates into genuine organizational assets.

For Jets fans in Winnipeg, development camp is also a rare chance to see the newest prospects up close before they scatter to college programs, junior leagues, and European clubs for the 2026-27 season.

This is a developing story. Maplestime will update this article with development camp dates and results as they are announced by the Winnipeg Jets.

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Which of the Jets’ seven 2026 draft picks are you most excited about — Viggo Bjorck at the top, or one of the Day 2 selections? Share your take in the comments. And send this to every Jets fan you know who missed the draft coverage today.