Thank you to the 70 readers who voted in this year’s countdown of the 25 best players in the Columbus Blue Jackets system under the age of 25. Today we continue with #22:
#22 William Whitelaw
Voting
22nd of 40
Total Points: 1656
Average Placement: 23.324
Last year: 18th (-4 difference)
Biography
Birthdate: February 5, 2005
Birthplace: Rosemount, Minnesota
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 174 lbs
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Drafted by Columbus with the 66th overall pick (Round 3) of the 2023 NHL Draft
2024-25 Season
After spending his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin, Whitelaw transferred within the Big Ten to the University of Michigan, which of course has produced a number of current Blue Jackets players. The results were mostly the same:
2023-24: 10G/7A/17P in 37 games
2024-25: 11G/7A/18P in 35 games
2025-26 Outlook
In April, he once again entered the transfer portal. This time, he’s taking his talents to Kalamazoo to join the defending champion Western Michigan Broncos. WMU has one of the best coaches in NCAA, so this could be just what Whitelaw’s development needs. There’s also some evidence in his underlying numbers that he’s more effective than the scoring suggests.