Exceptional Status Defender Landon DuPont is the Real Deal – The Hockey Writers NHL Prospects Latest News, Analysis & More

When defenceman Landon DuPont was granted exceptional status by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) last spring, it was a big deal. Not only was he just the third defenceman given the exemption, but he was the second player to receive it in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Despite the incredible opportunity for the youngster, to follow up the previous recipient, Connor Bedard, was going to be a tall order.

However, DuPont is proving the CHL made the right call. Despite being the youngest player in the WHL, the 15-year-old defender leads all rookies with 16 points in 11 games and sits fourth with four goals. The Everett Silvertips are a strong team this season, with draft-eligible Carter Bear leading the scoring alongside NHL prospects Julius Miettinen, Tarin Smith, Kaden Hammell, and Eric Jamieson, but he still sits second behind Bear and hasn’t looked out of place alongside some of the league’s best players.

DuPont is having the impact everyone hoped he’d have and there’s little question that he’ll be a front-runner for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, but how does that compare with players who received exceptional status in the past? By looking at those who came before him, there is a good chance we can see just how impactful he’ll be in the future.

DuPont’s First WHL Games

DuPont wasted no time getting on the scoresheet, registering an assist in his WHL debut against the Vancouver Giants. He also put four shots on goal, which led all defencemen on the ice, and his plus-2 was the highest among all Silvertips’ defenders. The following game, he doubled his offensive impact with two assists as Everett stomped the Portland Winterhawks 8-2, and in his third game, he added yet another assist and led the Silvertips with seven shots.

It was only a matter of time before DuPont scored his first goal, and in his fifth game, that moment finally came. On a rush play midway through the second period, the rookie defender caught a backhanded pass from Julien Maze, who was attempting to create some space as the Prince Albert Raiders scrambled to establish defensive positions. DuPont took advantage of the confusion and put the puck easily by goalie Max Hildebrand. Two games later, he recorded his first two-goal game, and the day after, he had his first three-point night. It wasn’t until the Silvertips took on the Moose Jaw Warriors on Oct. 11 that his point streak was broken, but by then, he had a firm grip on the league’s rookie point lead.

Being that Everett is in the U.S. Division, most of the teams in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will only get one look at the exceptional defender this season, but he’s made an immediate impression everywhere he’s played. “A special talent,” said Saskatoon Blades’ head coach Dan DaSilva following the Blades’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Silvertips on Oct. 5. “To play in this league at 15, you must be a very special player. First look at him, he looked very good, very calm out there. He looked like he was a 20-year-old already, so he’s going to be a special player and it was very neat to see him up front.”

Exceptional Status Doesn’t Guarantee Success

The exceptional status clause was created in 2005 when it was painfully obvious that then-15-year-old John Tavares was far too good for the Ontario U16 circuit. In 72 games in 2004-05, the eventual 2009 first-overall pick had 91 goals and 158 points, prompting Tavares to petition the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) to amend their rule that only 16-year-olds could be drafted in the league. The request partly worked; while most 15 year olds were still ineligible, the CHL introduced an exception for players deemed “exceptional.”

Since then, eight players aside from DuPont have been allowed to play their 15-year-old season in the respective junior leagues. Of those eight, only two were defencemen, and they could not have had more different experiences. Aaron Ekblad, granted exceptional status in 2011, excelled with the Barrie Colts, becoming an elite two-way defender and going first overall in 2014. Sean Day, granted the status two seasons later, struggled to adapt to the OHL. He looked better in his sophomore season with the Mississauga Steelheads, but regressed in his draft season, which saw him fall to the third round in the 2016 Draft. He was eventually traded to the Windsor Spitfires in 2017 and then to the Kingston Frontenacs just one season later before turning pro, but never made the NHL.

Aside from Day, only two other players weren’t selected first overall in their NHL Draft year. Joe Veleno was the first player from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (now called the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) granted exceptional status, and while he was a solid producer for the Saint John Sea Dogs, he was never elite and fell to 30th overall at the 2018 Draft. Shane Wright also missed going first overall, falling to fourth in 2022, likely due to the OHL’s cancelation the entire 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. He was one of the most productive players in the league in his draft year, but the three prospects who went ahead of him at the draft all played through 2020-21. Michael Misa could very well join this group, too. He’s been incredibly productive, but the 2025 Draft class has a few players who are projected to go ahead of him.

Projecting DuPont’s Junior Career

Although there hasn’t been an exceptional-status defender since Day, it’s still possible to use the previous examples to help project his junior career. We’ll start with Day, who is likely the worst-case scenario. Like DuPont, he got off to a good start, recording assists in his first two games, but he then hit a skid, recording just one assist over his next six outings. He broke the slide with his first OHL goal, but the rest of the season went similarly — bursts of offense followed by long droughts. He finished his first season with just six goals and 16 points in 60 games. Already tied with Day’s rookie production, there’s little risk of DuPont facing similar struggles.

Ekblad is a much better comparable, but it’s still not perfect. The current Florida Panthers’ captain was a dominant force in junior and looked much older than he was out on the ice. DuPont has also been described as mature for his age, and his calm approach allows him to thrive where others may stumble. However, one big difference is that Ekblad was more of a two-way force and never surpassed a point per game in the OHL, while DuPont plays a more offensive style and is on pace for 27 goals and 88 points. That level of production is closer to Doug Bodger, who put up 26 goals and 92 points in 72 games with the Kamloops Junior Oilers as a 16-year-old in 1982-83. He went on to go ninth overall at the 1984 Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jim Benning also had an incredible 16-year-old season with 71 points in 71 games before going sixth overall in the 1981 Draft.

Related: 2025 NHL Draft Rankings – Horn’s Early Top 50

Thus, it might be easier to compare DuPont to some of the forwards who came before him. Bedard, the only other player from the WHL granted exceptional status, had his rookie season cut short due to the pandemic, but when he returned, he produced at a 127-point pace. Connor McDavid surprisingly finished far below that, putting up just 66 points in 63 games at 15 years old. The following season, he had 99 points in just 56 games. Given DuPont’s current pace, it’s likely he follows a similar pattern, slowing slightly as the season progresses but ending over a point per game, then breaking out as a sophomore in 2025-26.

It’s worth considering, however, that DuPont joined a very good Silvertips team. After 11 games, Everett sits in first place in the Western Conference with just two losses so far. DuPont can thank the Kamloops Blazers, who traded their next four first-round picks to Everett along with four players and six more picks for Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer in preparation for hosting the 2023 Memorial Cup. Little did the Blazers know that their 2024 first-round pick would end up being first overall, costing them a chance at a generational defenceman. While it’s not uncommon for exceptional-status players to play in the playoffs, rarely has one joined as deep of a team.

All things considered, DuPont has a rare opportunity to set a new standard for exceptional status players. There arguably hasn’t ever been a player like him, and fans will have the privilege to watch him become a junior star over the next three seasons. He’s already proven he was worth the hype of his draft selection. Now he just has to keep it up.

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