‘You’ll Hear Me’: Sharks Draft Goalie Brady Knowling With Pick No. 127

BUFFALO — With the 127th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the San Jose Sharks selected goalie Brady Knowling.

Knowling is a 6-foot-5 goalie who says he’s been growing his whole life and played last season with the USNTDP. Knowling is set to play in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit in 26-27 before heading to the NCAA in 27-28. The newest Sharks goalie prospect is committed to Boston University.

“It’s pretty special. I can’t even describe the feeling. Like getting up, hugging my dad, my mom, and my sister,” Knowling said. “I know my other family’s in the stands. To know that they’re there, and share this opportunity and this moment with them, they’re gonna remember for the rest of their lives just like I am.”

Knowling had a large family contingent in Buffalo for the draft. The San Jose Sharks’ 4th-round pick told reporters that it was a no-brainer to be in attendance and hear his name get called.

After missing time due to a knee injury that required surgery in 24-25, Knowling told reporters that playing at the USNTDP was the best move for his development.

“I got the opportunity to try out and made the team,” Knowling said. “It was a no-brainer to choose them.”

Knowling will take time, but was the highest-ranked North American goalie in NHL Central Scouting’s rankings ahead of the draft.

The San Jose Sharks netminder has trained with multiple NHL goalies before. This includes Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, as well as Scott Wedgewood and Jake Oettinger.

“I want my name to be a part of a sentence where it’s like, wow, his skating is really good for your size,” Knowling said. “Like, a lot of these bigger goalies are stereotypically not as good as skaters as everyone else. And it’s like, yeah, I’m 6-foot-5, but I want to be able to be an unbelievable skater. To be a good goalie in the NHL, you need to be a good skater.”

Knowling joins an already loaded San Jose Sharks goalie pool, but his timeline gives him a chance to improve. Knowling was the first pick for the Sharks since round one.

“I want to be loud on the ice. I’m not yelling at people. It’s not constructive criticism; it’s more just hyping guys up and getting them going at TV timeouts. You’ll hear me if you come watch a game.”