J.P. Hurlbert, in the immediate aftermath of being drafted at No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, sounds like just the player they need.
“I think I’m an offensive-minded player,” Hurlbert said from the draft floor at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, on Friday, June 26. “I kind of like to get hit and find soft ice and anticipate plays. I pick my shots very accurate and deceptive. I’m very confident with my release. I think I use my deception to my advantage in my playmaking. I’ll feel very dangerous five-on-five on the power play. I try to generate momentum and energy into a game.”
If only Hurlbert, at 6 feet and 190 pounds, could make the team next season.
But he’s 18 and headed to play in the fall for Michigan – a great place for him to further develop into what the Wings desperately need: A winger who can score.
Hurlbert has shown he can do that at lower levels, anyway: Hurlbert played for Kamloops of the WHL in 2025-26, producing 97 points – including 42 goals – in 68 games. He posted 37 points in 56 games for the Plymouth-based U.S. National Team Development Program U17 team, and 31 points in 34 games for the USNTDP Juniors in 2024-25, then decided to head west to develop in juniors for a year.
Kris Draper, general manager Steve Yzerman, and other scouts for the Wings couldn’t not like what they saw.
“J.P. has basically scored wherever he’s gone,” said Draper, the Wings’ assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting. “So that’s something that we liked. He has a good size. He’s a solid build. He shows real good offensive instincts. He knows how to score goals. He can make plays.
“When we were sitting there and had an opportunity to get into the first round, we thought it was a real good player to add to our prospect pool.”
A good prospect came into the pool, and one that had dropped down the depth chart – 2021 first-round pick Sebastian Cossa – went out as the Wings gained a first-round pick a few months after using their own (No. 15 overall) to acquire veteran defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline.
“In talking to Stevie, he was always prepared,” Draper said. “At the trade deadline, we ended up trading our first-round pick and brought in Justin Faulk. For us, it was just, continue doing the job, watching the players, knowing the players. If something were to come up and Stevie was able to add a first-round pick, make sure that we were ready to go. And that’s exactly what we did.”
It was certainly a meaningful outcome for Hurlbert, whose family hails from the Detroit area. Both his father and grandfather – both of whom also go by J.P. – grew up in the area. J.P. the Eldest watched the Gordie Howe-led Wings of the 1950s gobble up Stanley Cups.
Both were at the draft with the Wings’ newest prospect.
“Being able to share it with them was really special,” said J.P. the Youngest. “It was kind of crazy. I didn’t know what to expect. I heard my name called, and it was just pure joy and excitement.”
Before the draft, Hurlbert had several conversations with Yzerman, Draper and Nicklas Lidstrom, vice president of hockey operations.
“JP has some real strong ties here in the state of Michigan, and certainly going into Michigan in the fall, that was something that we certainly knew about him,” Draper said. “That’s something that we liked. And then, just as important, the way that he played on the ice. We think he’s a real good talent, a right shot that can score goals in different ways. He has very good offensive zone instincts, make some plays. Those are the qualities and characteristics that we liked.”
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings may fast-track J.P. Hurlbert. Here’s why
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
