Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the club has selected forward Caleb Malhotra third overall and forward Adam Novotný 24th overall at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, New York.
Malhotra, 18, appeared in 67 regular season games for the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season, posting 84 points (29-55-84), 51 penalty minutes, and a +33 plus/minus rating. He also added 26 points (13-13-26), four penalty minutes, and a +10 plus/minus rating in 15 playoff games.
The 6’2”, 182lbs centre’s 55 assists and 84 points placed him second on the Bulldogs, while his 26 playoff points led all Brantford skaters. Additionally, his regular season goals, assists, and point totals ranked him second amongst all OHL rookies, and his assist total were the seventh most in the entire OHL. He was also named the OHL’s Rookie of the Week four times during the regular season, and an additional three times during the OHL playoffs.
A native of Toronto, ON, Malhotra served as the captain of Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, and an assistant captain of the Eastern Conference at the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game.
Malhotra is the first player selected by Vancouver from the Brantford Bulldogs, and the Canucks highest-selected player from the OHL/OHA since 1973.
Novotný, 18, played in 58 games with the Peterborough Petes of OHL this season, recording 65 points (34-31-65) and 22 penalty minutes, adding one assist in six playoff games. He also represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge.
The 6’1”, 205lbs forward spent the 2024.25 season with Mountfield HK of the Czech Extraliga, scoring three points (1-2-3) and adding 14 penalty minutes in 41 games, adding two points (2-0-2) and two penalty minutes in 10 playoff games. He also skated in one game with Mountfield HK U20, as well as seven postseason contests, registering 11 points (8-3-11), four penalty minutes, and a +3 plus/minus rating.
The Hradec Kralove, CZE native has represented Czechia internationally on multiple occasions, including the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (silver), the 2025 U18 World Championships, and the 2025 (bronze) and 2026 (silver) World Junior Hockey Championships.
Novotný is the 10th player selected by Vancouver from the Peterborough Petes, and the first since 1992.
