Rogers hockey star Jayden Kurtz was selected in the second round of the 2026 NHL Draft with the 45th pick by the Anaheim Ducks on June 27.
Kurtz, a 6-foot-3 defenseman, played 26 games for the Royals this season, recording 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists. Kurtz was one of the best high school hockey players in Minnesota and the country in 2026.
The Rogers graduate entered the draft in Buffalo, New York, as a prospect, but wasn’t selected on Day 1, when only the first round of seven-round draft was completed.
Kurtz didn’t wait long on Day 2, as the Ducks selected him with the 45th overall pick and 13th pick in the second round. The Ducks are coming off a good year, finishing third in the Pacific Division and advancing to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kurtz is committed to the University of Wisconsin. An NHL team drafting a player does not take away that player’s amateur status and players can choose to go to college or sign with a team and go directly into its system in the minor leagues AHL or ECHL.
Kurtz was one of nine Minnesota Mr. Hockey candidates after helping lead his team to a 21-5-1 season and conference championship.
Kurtz, 18, split the 2025-26 season between the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League and Rogers High School. He recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 USHL games with the Steel, according to NHL.com. He spent most of the season with Rogers, leading the Royals’ defensemen in scoring and ranking fourth among all skaters on the team. In 2025, he played in the Class 4A state boys hockey tournament as a junior under Royals head coach Dave Brown.