Six OBJ players selected in NAHL Draft
June 11, 2026
Six players from the Ohio Blue Jackets program were selected in the 2026 NAHL Draft, highlighted by first-round selections of goaltender J.D. Low and forward Tyler Wilmoth.
With the 9th overall pick, the Elmira Aviators selected Low as the first goaltender taken in the draft. A key member of the Ohio Blue Jackets' 2024-25 18U National Semifinalist team, Low enjoyed an outstanding rookie season with the Port Colborne Sailors (GOJHL), posting a 17-8-3 record along with a 2.69 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.
Just three picks later, the Oklahoma Warriors selected Wilmoth with the 12th overall pick. One of the most reliable two-way forwards in the Blue Jackets program, Wilmoth recorded 24 goals and 43 assists for 67 points over his final two seasons at the 18U level. During the 2024-25 season, he scored the overtime winner that secured the T1EHL Playoff Championship.
The second round featured two more Ohio Blue Jackets alumni, as defenseman Grant McGee was selected by the Aberdeen Wings with the 42nd overall pick, while fellow defenseman Lucas Goodfellow went to the Odessa Jackalopes with the 64th overall selection.
Longtime teammates and members of the 2024-25 18U Mid-Am Championship team, both defensemen enjoyed successful rookie campaigns in junior hockey. Goodfellow, a smooth-skating and elusive blueliner, recorded 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists) in 49 games split between the Wisconsin Windigo (NAHL) and New Jersey Rockets (NCDC). McGee, a towering 6-foot-5 right-shot defenseman, posted nine points (1 goal, 8 assists) in 47 games with the Port Colborne Sailors (GOJHL).
The New Jersey Titans selected two current members of the Ohio Blue Jackets' 2026-27 18U team, taking forward Hayden Saad in the fifth round (131st overall) and defenseman Keaton Hodges in the 15th round (472nd overall).
Both players were key contributors to the Blue Jackets' T1EHL Playoff Championship squad. Saad finished the season with 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 55 games, while Hodges added 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) from the blue line.
Entering its 52nd season in 2026-27, the NAHL, the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior league boasting 34 teams teams in 19 states from across North America. The NAHL is part of the USA Hockey National Junior Development Model, which includes the USHL and the US National Team Development Program. The NAHL works closely with NCAA College Hockey, the NHL, the USHL, and USA Hockey's National Development Program in order best serve as an imperative piece in the development system for collegiate and professional hockey.