ANN ARBOR — Landon DuPont, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NHL draft, is embracing a major step up as he takes his talents to the University of Michigan. Two years after making history as the first defenseman to earn exceptional status and play in the Western Hockey League at 15, the Calgary native will now face NCAA competition against players who could be six years older than him.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a big jump for sure,” DuPont said in an interview with TheHockeyNews.com. “Obviously, college is a big, heavy game, and they play with high pace, and that’s why I wanted to come here. I wanted to push myself and learn from my teammates, and even being here these past few weeks, everyone’s been pushing each other in practice, and you’re going up against guys like [Montreal Canadiens prospect] Michael Hage." DuPont led all rookies with 60 points in 2024-25 and tied for fourth among defensemen with 73 points in 63 games for Everett last season, leading the Silvertips to a WHL Championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup.
That production broke the record set by Scott Niedermayer for most points as a 16-year-old defenseman in the WHL. An offensive-minded defenseman cut from the same mold as Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, DuPont also studies defensive stalwarts. “Yeah, I just like to watch them a lot and take things out of their game,” DuPont said. “But I also like watching guys like Jake Sanderson and Jaccob Slavin, because they have really good sticks and they play hard in the D-zone." He said adjusting to the WHL centered on speed and physicality, noting those 19- and 20-year-olds are a lot bigger and crediting older teammates and coaches for helping his transition.
Just because DuPont is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in September doesn't mean he'll be picked first in June, and scouts will scrutinize how seamlessly he transitions from the WHL to the NCAA. Scouts love his ability to skate the puck out of trouble and generate offense whenever he's on the ice. Handling that microscope comes with experience living under expectations since earning exceptional status, and guidance from his father Micki, a former NHL draft pick who played 23 NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues and spent another 14 years in Europe. “The biggest thing he preaches to me is just to have fun with it,” DuPont said of his father. “You only get to be in your draft year one time, so don’t put any extra pressure on yourself and just go to rink every day and try to have fun and spend time with your teammates."