Austin, Texas will be the site when the University of North Dakota and Michigan State University do battle this Halloween in the 2026 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, kicking off the season for both schools. The Fighting Hawks and Spartans will have an NCAA-record 13 first-round draft choices on their rosters.
North Dakota features a roster with 4 first-round picks, including 2026 selections Keaton Verhoeff (SJS, 9th overall) and Carson Carels (CGY, 6th overall). Freshman Carels will join sophomore Verhoeff, as well as fellow first-round pick and junior EJ Emery (NYR 2024, 30th overall), in perhaps the most formidable D-corps in the country. That d-corps will be accompanied by top forward prospects Cole Reschny (CGY 2025, 18th overall) and Will Zellers (COL 2024, 78th overall, now with BOS). Both Reschny and Zellers averaged nearly a point per game in their freshman campaigns last season.
Michigan State will enter the contest with 9 first-round picks of its own. Like UND, this includes multiple 2026 first-round picks (5). Their five first-rounders tie in-state rival University of Michigan for the most ever by a college hockey program in one draft. These selections provide the Spartans with elite firepower at both the forward (Ethan Belchetz (Utah), Jack Hextall (Calgary), and Nikita Klepov (Anaheim)) and d-man (Tommy Bleyl (Nashville), Chase Reid (Seattle)) positions. However, their most impressive recruitment effort this past spring involves the commitment of goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen (SJS 2025, 30th overall), who will attempt to fill the shoes of departed top goaltending prospect Trey Augustine (DET). Augustine was the Spartans’ backbone for three seasons, and turned professional this spring.
