Justin Kipkie

April 2025- One of the top scoring defensemen in the WHL, Kipkie looks a possible steal, being drafted out of the fifth round of the 2023 NHL draft. Playing for the Victoria Royals, team captain Kipkie scored 12 goals and 50 assists in 64 games. A career high in assists and points, he finished fifth in scoring among WHL defenseman. It’s been impressive that his offensive production has increased not dipped, despite an increased focus on him playing more defensively. Even though he has good size (6-3, 207 lbs), Kipkie does not play very physical, relying more on his hockey sense and stick to break up plays. Utah has been happy to see him put more of a concerted effort to go back harder on retrieval and be more engaged in battles. While play in his own zone is still a work in progress, offense has not been a problem for Kipkie. Primarily a shooter, he loads up for one-timers with his booming shot from the point. Always engaged in the neutral zone, Victoria has relied on him to run their power play the past two years. This season he’s regularly averaged 27-28 minutes per game. Keith Duggan