The Winnipeg Jets have made history at the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting defenceman Alofa “Noa” Ta’amu with the 199th overall pick, making him the first player of Samoan heritage ever to be drafted into the NHL.
Born in Kansas City, Ta’amu has taken an unconventional path to hockey’s biggest stage. The 6-foot-2, 227-pound left-shot defenceman spent the 2025–26 season with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he built a reputation as one of the league’s most physically imposing and defensively reliable blueliners.
While he was ultimately selected in the seventh round, Ta’amu was widely regarded as a much higher-ranked prospect. Elite Prospects placed him at No. 99 in its consolidated rankings, while Daily Faceoff ranked him No. 102, NHL Central Scouting listed him 109th among North American skaters, and McKeen’s Hockey ranked him No. 166, suggesting he may prove to be one of the steals of the draft.
Elite Prospects describes Ta’amu’s game as being built around strength, mobility, and defensive disruption.
“Ta’amu’s game is all about disruption and strength. Agile with surprisingly quick feet, he’s a deft rush defender, capable of matching footwork, timing pokechecks, and even surfing into angle-offs.”
Those attributes, combined with his size and physicality, make him an intriguing long-term prospect with the potential to develop into a dependable NHL defenceman.
For Samoa and the global Samoan community, Ta’amu’s selection represents a landmark moment. Samoan athletes have earned international recognition across rugby, American football, boxing, and mixed martial arts, but Noa Ta’amu has now broken new ground in ice hockey, becoming the first player of Samoan heritage to hear his name called at the NHL Draft.
His selection is more than just a personal achievement—it is a historic milestone that broadens the representation of Samoans in professional sport and could inspire a new generation of Pacific Islanders to pursue opportunities in a game where their presence has been rare.
With his blend of size, athleticism, and defensive instincts, the Jets will be hoping the history-making defenceman can continue his upward trajectory as he begins his professional hockey journey.
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