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2026 Draft set for January 29
2026 Graduating Junior Draft to be held Thursday January 29
For release Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026, at 9 a.m.
Burnaby, B.C., Jan. 13, 2026: The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) has scheduled its 2026 Graduating Junior Draft for Thursday January 29, at 7 p.m.
The WLA will be hosting its draft of B.C.’s top 21-year-old players live from the Langley Events Centre, and the entire event will be available virtually to lacrosse fans throughout North America.
The draft will be webcast live at WLALacrosse.com and hosted by longtime lacrosse play-by-play broadcaster, Jake Elliott. A representative from each team will also appear by video link, along with WLA Commissioner, Paul Dal Monte.
Each team will submit two (2) territorial protections (see below), followed by five (5) draft rounds, in reverse order of the 2025 final regular season standings. Should a team elect not to exercise their two territorial protections, they will be awarded compensatory picks following the 1st and 2nd rounds respectively. Territorial Protections will be announced Tuesday Jan. 20.
The projected order of first round picks is:
For the full, up-to-date draft order, visit WLALacrosse.com.
Draft results will be presented live at WLALacrosse.com and on official WLA social media channels. Check your team’s social media or use the hashtag #WLADraft2026 to participate in the conversation.
“The WLA Junior Draft signals the unofficial start of the 2026 season, and we are very excited about this year’s crop of graduating juniors and what they will contribute to each of our member clubs”, said Dal Monte.
The 2026 WLA schedule will be announced in mid-February with teams playing a full 18-game regular season followed by playoffs in the run up to the Mann Cup in September in Ontario, against the Ontario Major Series Lacrosse champion.
The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is an amateur men’s Senior A box lacrosse league,
sanctioned by Lacrosse Canada. The WLA consists of seven teams based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia, playing an 18-game schedule from late May to the end of July. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the Major Series Lacrosse (Ontario) champion for the Mann Cup. The championship is hosted alternately between Ontario and British Columbia every September.
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For more information, contact:
Paul Dal Monte, Commissioner
604.862.6863