The Ducks selected defenseman Jayden Kurtz in the second round (45th overall) of the NHL Draft just after Day 2 got underway in Buffalo, N.Y.
Kurtz, 18 (12/30/07), split the 2025-26 season between the Chicago Steel of the USHL and Rogers High of the Minnesota State High School League (USHS-MN). He recorded 1-2=3 points in 16 USHL games with the Steel. He spent the majority of the season at Rogers High, earning 13-25=38 in 26 contests, leading club defensemen in points and ranking fourth on among all club skaters in points.
The 6-3, 194-pound defenseman appeared in 29 games with Rogers High in 2024-25, collecting 5-15=20 to rank third in scoring on his team among defensemen. A native of Rogers, Minn., Kurtz is committed to Univ. of Wisconsin for the 2027-28 season.
