The Vancouver Warriors focused on physical presence and versatility on Thursday, locking down a well-rounded class of prospects that includes several homegrown B.C. talents.
Warriors’ Head Coach and General Manager Curt Malawsky and his staff looked for the best player available at each pick. They made seven selections, including two first-round picks, targeting players at every position who can contribute on both ends of the floor and bring versatility to the lineup.
“We're pretty happy, we addressed a lot of areas. I thought the big pick for us was obviously Matt Collison at third overall. Big, athletic, he's six-foot-four, 225, goes to the middle of the floor, can really shoot the ball well, and plays with an edge,” Malawsky said.
“I think he'll really open up a good outside game for us, and he can also get in tight and open up space for his teammates and is an ultra-competitive type of guy.”
Collison, the lefty forward, was a midfield at Johns Hopkins University, finishing his career with Blue Jays posting 100 goals and 47 assists.
The 23-year-old recently won a PLL championship with the Philadelphia Waterdogs, putting up 15 points, five one-point goals, four two-point goals, and two assists through eight games. The Scarborough, Ontario native is a product of the Toronto Beaches Junior Lacrosse program.
The Warriors selected goaltender Marcus Khan 16th overall. The Langley, B.C. netminder played Junior A ball for the Langley Thunder 2025-26 seasons and was acquired by the Coquitlam Adanacs during the 2026 season to help them down the stretch of the regular season and throughout the BCJALL playoffs.
Khan posted an .859 save percentage through 17 regular-season games and a 7-1-0-1 record. Through the BCJALL playoffs, Khan had a 5-3-0-1 record in nine games, and a .799 save percentage.
“Marcus is one of the top goalies in the BC Junior A junior Lacrosse League. We have been watching him for many years,” said Malawsky. “He won a national championship at U17. I think he throws the ball extremely well. He's got a huge upside and there is no one better to learn from than Christian Del Bianco. He’s grown up watching the Warriors; it's a pretty cool thing to draft another young local guy. We're excited for Marcus.”
Forward Jeremy Wudrick was selected 27th overall in the second round, hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Wudrick played 58 games at Ladner University in South Carolina, collecting 91 points (53G, 38A), scoring three game-winning goals for the Bearcats.
“I like how he moves bodies. He was good in Junior, played in Nanaimo and had some injury problems, but then he came back and played with the Nanaimo Senior team, and I thought he did a good job,” said Malawsky. “He can shoot the ball from the outside. He can challenge guys to the net. He's a tough matchup, and we wanted a little bit of depth at camp on the right side.”
This past summer for the Nanaimo Timbermen, Wudrick had 28 points (13G, 15A) in 17 games, including two game-winning goals, helping the Timbermen to the WLA playoffs.
One pick later, the Warriors took Blake Young, a 6’4”, 195-pound defender who spent the 2026 summer with the Delta Islanders and Port Coquitlam Saints. The Ridge Meadows product was over a point-per-game player, recording 15 points (6G, 9A) through 14 games.
“He's got another year of Junior, so it was big for us. I imagine at some point he'll be playing in a Minto Cup coming up here,” Malawsky said. “I've watched him play against men in the WLA, and I thought he played really well. He's a player we’re looking at for the future, and I think he's got a ton of upside.”
The Warriors selected defender Joel Mullen 32nd overall in the third round. The Vancouver native picked up 17 ground balls and had seven caused turnovers in addition to two goals and four assists in his senior season at the University of Utah.
Mullen attended Limestone University for his freshman through junior seasons, and in his junior season earned various awards including: 2025 USILA DII Short Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year, 2025 USILA DII All-American First Team, 2025 USA Lacrosse All-America Second Team, 2025 USILA DII All-Region First Team, and 2025 All-SAC First Team.
“He's a pest, he gets in guys' hands, and he agitates guys. He plays a very physical style, plays on the edge, which we like,” said Malawsky. “He was on Team BC for a few years, so I watched him a lot, and he just brings that aggression and that compete level that we really like. He’s tenacious on loose balls, and he takes care of the ball really well, and doesn't spit it up in transition, which is big at this level.”
Mullen suited up for the WLA’s Nanaimo Timbermen last summer and earned the team’s Defensive Player of the Year award. In addition to his defensive talents, he recorded nine points (2G, 7A) through 16 games with Nanaimo.
The Warriors selected faceoff specialist Henry Dodge in the fifth round, 61st overall. Dodge completed his senior season at the University of Maryland with the second-best faceoff percentage in the NCAA (.679) and first in the Big Ten Conference.
“One of the top draw guys in the country,” said Malawsky. “He's going back to the University of Maryland and hopefully down the road he can play in the National Lacrosse League. We were looking for some depth behind Stath in the face-off position, so we're excited to get him.”
He spent his freshman through junior years at the University of Vermont where he finished his junior year with the top faceoff percentage in Division I (.710) and his 8.5 ground balls per game were fourth highest.
In the sixth round, the Warriors selected righty forward Joel McCormick 66th overall. The Maple Ridge native played three years of his collegiate career at Robert Morris University, and his freshman season at Stony Brook University.
“I've known Joel since he was five years old. He's had some injury troubles the last couple of years, but prior to getting hurt, he had a really good campaign in the WLA with Burnaby,” Malawsky said. “He's got a really high ceiling and a great IQ, and he's got a phenomenal stick. He knows a lot of the stuff that I've run over the years, so he'll fit right into training camp.”
At Robert Morris, McCormick amassed 58 points (31G, 27A) through 48 games and earned 2026 NEC Second Team All-Conference and 2026 NEC All-Tournament Team selections.
McCormick also suited up for the Burnaby Lakers for the 2025-26 seasons, putting up eight points (5G, 3A) through two games in 2026.
The Warriors secured local products in four of their seven picks, which Malawsky says is important to the club and supports the Warriors’ mandate of growing the game in the Greater Vancouver area.
“It was a pretty big Eastern-based draft, and even with the American kids that come out, they're usually on the Eastern Seaboard. It's tough for us, but we found some really good prospects that are out here,” Malawsky said.
“I'm a big fan of growing the game British Columbia, and any chance we get to draft or support some of the local products that fly under the radar sometimes, I think that's really big for us, so we have an opportunity to show the rest of the country that some of these B.C. guys can play.”
The Warriors secured powerhouse Eastern-collegiate talent and homegrown B.C. grit through the 2026 NLL Entry Draft with a bolstered and versatile roster. By prioritizing physical presence, high lacrosse IQ, and local roots, Malawsky and his staff have secured depth for the upcoming season, while also laying a strong foundation for the franchise's long-term future.