Top Draft choice openly states he wants to be picked by a Canadian team

Carson Carels wants to bring it back home.

But first, he'll have to get drafted by a team back home.

Carels, the number two ranked defenseman in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, told media today that he hopes he'll be drafted by an NHL team this summer so that he can one day bring a Stanley Cup championship back to the country.

"A lot of people have asked me who I would want to go to," the Prince George Cougars blueliner and Manitoba native said. "Any Canadian team is definitely at the top of the list. You want to bring a Stanley Cup back to your country."

Carels is the third ranked North American skater in the upcoming draft, following forward Gavin McKenna and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff. TSN draft insider Craig Button has Carels second on his overall list though just behind McKenna and ahead of OHL defenseman Chase Reid and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. Any way you look at it though, Carels is expected to go near the top of the Draft with a top 5 selection looking fairly likely.

As it currently stands the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets are all in the running for a spot in the top 5 and Carels has openly said he'd be ecstatic if he got the chance to play in his home country. Stay tuned.