Everett Silvertips’ Landon DuPont Off To An Exceptional Start In The WHL

There have only been three defensemen granted Exceptional Status by Hockey Canada and the CHL with Landon DuPont of the Everett Silvertips being the latest and quite possibly, the greatest of the bunch. DuPont is just the second player granted Exceptional Status in the WHL after Connor Bedard and while that’s quite a high standard to live up to, he’s doing his damnedest to live up to it.

DuPont has recorded four goals and seven assists in just eight games. His powerful skating, dynamic puck skill, and intuitive play with and without the puck has allowed the 15-year-old to excel in a league where 19 and 20-year-olds dominate.

Through seven games, Bedard is the only other Exceptional Status player to have scored more than DuPont. That means DuPont – a defenseman – is scoring at a higher pace than NHL superstars such as Connor McDavid and John Tavares. His numbers are impressive alone but it’s the way he goes about competing at both ends of the ice and dictating play for his team.

DuPont is decisive and direct with his play. His mobility allows him to burst into seams at the offensive end or quickly jump on an attacker if they bobble the puck ever so slightly. His ability to read the play and make not only the correct decision but the most impactful is what makes him special.

Defenders in the WHL don’t often come into the league with an instant impact. There are growing pains and oftentimes, teams will shelter them by deploying them strictly in the offensive zone or limiting their ice time. With DuPont, that hasn’t been the case. He’s played more minutes than any player on the Silvertips this season. Prior to Kaden Hammell, Eric Jameson and Tarin Smith returning from their NHL training camp stints, DuPont was given over 26 minutes in his WHL debut.

That level of trust is rare. DuPont's commitment to using his tools to create offensive chances for his team and kill them for his opponents earns him that trust. DuPont has been an integral part of the Silvertips' impressive start to the season and he will be a massive piece of the puzzle moving forward. He will be a workhorse for the team on the back end, a strength on a team with three NHL-drafted players and DuPont.

His defensive game is seldom discussed because the flash and flair of his offensive game draw so much of attention. While DuPont certainly isn’t the biggest defender, standing just 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, his processing of the game allows him to be in attack mode even when he doesn’t have the puck.

DuPont closes gaps in transition and steps up on attackers along the boards, leading with his stick and aggressively chopping the puck free or pickpocketing the puck carrier with precision. His stick control and reads allow him to identify the attacker’s next step, and then he terminates their plan.

When defending the off-puck man on the rush, he focuses on tying up sticks or picking off the pass once he’s established inside position toward the puck. It’s the little details of his defensive game that give him the success that he’s had. He’s not crashing and banging the way some want their blueliners to but he kills plays at a moment’s notice.

DuPont's start to his WHL season has led to an invite to Canada’s U17 World Challenge roster where he will surely be one of the best players at the event despite likely being one of the youngest players there.

The tools and intellect that DuPont possesses truly are exceptional. The start that we’ve seen from DuPont is historic and the Everett Silvertips have to be ecstatic with the player that they will build around for the next few years.

DuPont has more than shown that he deserved Exceptional Status. He’s had arguably the best start of any player given the honor by Hockey Canada and the CHL. If he continues down this path, we might not only be talking about him as the number one pick in the 2027 NHL draft but we could be talking about him as a generational blueliner that alters the future for any NHL franchise that is lucky enough to bring him on.

That’s a long time off though so for now, DuPont will continue focusing on what’s in front of him and he’ll likely find a great deal of success doing it.

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