The following college hockey programs will start the upcoming season with numerous 2026 NHL draft picks, listed below:
BOSTON UNIVERSITY:
C Caleb Malhotra (3rd overall to VAN) (OHL Hamilton)
C Tynan Lawrence (11th overall to STL) (NCAA Boston University)
D Xavier Villeneuve (34th overall to CHI) (QMJHL Blainville-Boisbriand)
LW/RW Niklas Aram-Olsen (41st overall to VAN) (SHL Orebro)
Comments: Fellow 2026 picks D Luke Schairer (75th overall to STL) and G Brady Knowling (127th overall to SJS) will play for BU in 2026-27. Each will compete in the OHL this season, Schairer for Peterborough and Knowling for Saginaw. Adding Malhotra to returning sophomore Lawrence adds considerable depth up the middle for BU.
BOSTON COLLEGE:
LW Oscar Hemming (14th overall to CBJ) (NCAA Boston College)
RW Casey Mutryn (38th overall to SEA) (USNTDP)
G Roberto Henriquez (170th overall to BOS) (USHL Green Bay)
Comments: Casey Mutryn will attend BC as a freshman this season with brother Teddy Mutryn (95th overall in 2025 to SJS), who played for the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats in 2025-26.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN:
RW/LW JP Hurlbert (23rd overall to DET) (WHL Kamloops)
F Adam Valentini (96th overall to UTA) (NCAA University of Michigan)
Comments: In addition to these players, the Wolverines feature a strong freshman class led by projected #1 overall pick in 2027, D Landon DuPont, and 2025 first-round picks D Cameron Reid (NSH) and Jack Nesbitt (PHI).
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY:
D Chase Reid (7th overall by the SEA) (OHL Sault Ste. Marie)
RW/LW Nikita Klepov (15th overall to ANA) (OHL Saginaw)
LW Ethan Belchetz (17th overall to UTA) (OHL Windsor)
C Jack Hextall (30th overall to CGY) (USHL Youngstown)
D Tommy Bleyl (31st overall to NSH) (QMJHL Moncton)
Comments: D Jonas Kemps (98th overall to FLA) is committed to the Spartans for 2027-28. He will play for WHL Seattle this season.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
D Carson Carels (6th overall to CGY) (WHL Prince George)
D Keaton Verhoeff (9th overall to SJS) (NCAA North Dakota)
D Ethan MacKenzie (69th overall to TOR) (WHL Edmonton)
RW Connor Davis (129th overall to VAN) (USHL Cedar Rapids)
Comments: Twin brothers Markus Ruck (39th overall to PIT) and Liam Ruck (22nd overall to PIT) are committed to UND for the 2027-28 season. They both will return to the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers this year.
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER:
D Daxon Rudolph (4th overall to BUF) (WHL Prince Albert)
D Ryan Lin (21st overall to SJS) (WHL Vancouver)
D Ben MacBeath (64th overall to NYR) (WHL Calgary)
F Mikey Berchild: (105th overall to CAR) (USNTDP)
Comments: Denver used the draft as a back-end reload to defend its national championship.
PENN STATE UNIVERSTY:
LW Jaxon Cover (32nd overall to OTT) (OHL London)
C Egor Shilov (43rd overall to COL) (USHL Green Bay)
G Ryder Fetterolf(125th overall to CAR) (OHL Otrawa)
Comments: Offense brought in compensate for the loss of first overall pick Gavin McKenna (TOR).
MIAMI (OH) UNIVERSITY:
D Timofei Runtso (57th overall to MTL) (WHL Victoria)
C Ilia Morozov (C) (20th overall to BUF) (NCAA Miami)
Comments: Miami is looking to return to prominence in adding this youthful talent.