Press release from the Everett Silvertips.
EVERETT, AUG 6.: The Everett Silvertips have officially signed first-overall pick Landon DuPont to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
“We’re excited to have Landon and his family committed to the Silvertips,” said Everett general manager Mike Fraser. “We’re looking forward to having Landon suiting up with us this season having been granted his exceptional status. He’s a speedy, smart, dynamic player who will fit in nicely with our core group of defensemen.”
DuPont, an ’09-born Calgary, AB native, logged 19 goals and 43 assists over 30 games as a 14-year-old at Edge School U18 Prep in 2023-24, plus five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in five playoff games. He also wowed at the Circle K Classic, where he notched five goals and four assists over five games.
“Landon is a very exciting and dynamic young player who impacts the game all over the ice,” noted Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton. “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.”
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.
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.
He is the highest WHL Draft pick in Everett Silvertips franchise history, surpassing eventual NHL first-round pick Zach Hamill who was taken third overall in the 2003 WHL Draft.
Landon DuPont is the third member of the 2024 WHL Draft class to sign with the Silvertips, joining 19th-overall pick Mirco Dufour and 32nd-overall pick Jaxon Pisani. He is guaranteed a WHL Scholarship for every year he plays in the WHL by signing a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
About the Everett Silvertips
The Everett Silvertips are entering their 22nd season in the Western Hockey League. Twenty-six players have suited up for the Silvertips and advanced to play in the National Hockey League since the team’s inaugural season in 2003-04. Everett is proud to boast nine U.S. Division championships and two Western Conference titles. For more information on the Everett Silvertips, visit everettsilvertips.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.
About the Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a postsecondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.