The National Hockey League’s 32 teams announced their official 2026-27 opening night rosters on Monday afternoon, and there are a total of three Pacific Junior Hockey League alumni included.
Abbotsford, B.C. product Devon Toews begins his ninth NHL season with the Colorado Avalanche. The 32-year-old was an alternate captain for the Avs over the last two seasons, and he finished 2025-26 with 24 points (3 goals, 21 assists) in 68 games.
In the PJHL, he played five games with the Abbotsford Pilots as a 16-year-old during the 2010-11 season, scoring two points (1 goal, 1 assist), before joining them for their playoff run. In 13 playoff games, Toews finished with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) as the Pilots advanced to the PJHL championship final.
In New Jersey, defender Brenden Dillon enters his 15th NHL season, and his third with the Devils. At 35 years old, the Surrey, B.C. native posted 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists) in 82 games with New Jersey. Dillon has played 1,056 career NHL games during his career with Dallas, San Jose, Washington, Winnipeg, and the Devils.
Dillon also played in the PJHL at 16. He skated in 45 games with the Hope Icebreakers in 2006-07, scoring 31 points (4 goals, 27 assists) as a rookie. He also got into two PJHL playoff games with Hope.
Hailing from Langley, B.C., Danton Heinen opens the 2026-27 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The gritty, 31-year-old has played 612 games with Columbus, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Boston, and Anaheim. He put up 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in 46 games with the Penguins and Blue Jackets in 2025-26.
Heinen won the PJHL Championship, Cyclone Taylor Cup (B.C. provincial title), and Keystone Cup (Western Canadian title) with the Richmond Sockeyes in 2012-13. That season in the PJHL, he finished 11th in league scoring with 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists) in 43 games as a 17-year-old.
From local Lower Mainland rinks to the brightest lights in hockey, these three alumni stand as living proof that the road to the NHL can begin right here in the PJHL.
