The NCAA men’s hockey season is well underway, as the Denver Pioneers look to win their 12th national championship. Unlike other NCAA sports, the hockey team will make its quest with a multitude of NHL draftees on their roster. That’s because drafted hockey players regularly opt to continue in developmental programs instead of jumping straight to the pros.
Recently, the NCAA has become a more popular destination, a shift highlighted by last year’s first overall pick, Gavin McKenna, choosing Penn State over remaining in the WHL in his final pre-draft season. A major reason behind this is a 2025 rule change classifying Canadian junior players as amateurs instead of professionals, allowing for NCAA eligibility. Since taking effect, there has been an influx of pro talent into the NCAA, with the total number of NHL draft picks on NCAA teams jumping from 232 in 2024 to 326 this season.
For NHL fans, that means an easier time watching your favorite team’s next generation of players, with ESPN+ airing many games during the season and ESPN scheduled to broadcast the Frozen Four.
But who are they, and where are they playing? Below is a list of NCAA teams with the number of NHL picks featured on their rosters this season, as well as some notable selections on each team and their 2025 stats:
Boston University: 19
Caleb Malhotra, C (29 goals, 55 assists) – 2026 1st round, Vancouver Canucks
Michigan State: 17
Cayden Lindstrom, C/LW (3 G, 7 A) – 2024 1st round, Columbus Blue Jackets
Denver: 16
Daxon Rudolph, D (28 G, 50 A) – 2026 1st round, Buffalo Sabres
Michigan: 16
Jack Nesbitt, C (25 G, 33 A) – 2025 1st round, Philadelphia Flyers
Minnesota: 15
Wyatt Cullen, F (16 G, 29 A) – 2026 1st round, Nashville Predators
Boston College: 14
Oscar Hemming, F (1 G, 7 A) – 2026 1st round, Columbus Blue Jackets
North Dakota: 14
Keaton Verhoeff, D (6 G, 14 A) – 2026 1st round, San Jose Sharks
Western Michigan: 13
William Whitelaw, C/RW (19 G, 15 A) – 2023 3rd round, Columbus Blue Jackets
UMass: 12
Vaclav Nestrasil, RW (13 G, 18 A) – 2025 1st round, Chicago
Colorado College: 11
Zach Olsen, F (18 G, 16 A) – 2026 3rd round, Toronto Maple Leafs
Harvard: 10
Ben MacDonald, C (6 G, 4 A) – 2022 3rd round, Seattle Kraken
Ohio State: 10
Sascha Boumedienne, D (2 G, 8 A) – 2025 1st round, Winnipeg Jets
Penn State: 10
Jackson Smith, D (11 G, 15 A) – 2025 1st round, Columbus Blue Jackets
Providence: 10
Ryder Cali, C (16 G, 20 A) – 2026 2nd round, Florida Panthers
Quinnipiac: 10
Chris Pelosi, C/LW (18 G, 16 A) – 2023 3rd round, Boston Bruins
Arizona State: Nine
Ben Kevan, RW (4 G, 6 A) – 2025 2nd round, New Jersey Devils
UConn: Nine
Charlie Morrison, D (4 G, 9 A) – 2026 3rd round, New York Rangers
Minnesota Duluth: Nine
Adam Kleber, D (3 G, 9 A) – 2024 2nd round, Buffalo Sabres
Notre Dame: Nine
Danny Nelson, C/LW (13 G, 16 A) – 2023 2nd round, New York Islanders
Wisconsin: Nine
Logan Hensler, D (4 G, 8 A) – 2025 1st round, Ottawa Senators
Cornell: Seven
Michael Fisher, D (1 G, 7 A) – 2022 3rd round, San Jose Sharks
Lake Superior State: Seven
Raoul Boilard, C/LW (16 G, 21 A) – 2024 4th round, New York Rangers
Miami (OH): Seven
Ilia Morozov, C (8 G, 12 A) – 2026 1st round, Buffalo
New Hampshire: Six
Malte Vass, D (0 G, 3 A) – 2025 3rd round, Columbus Blue Jackets
Northeastern: Six
Miguel Marques, RW (10 G, 13 A) – 2024 3rd round, Nashville Predators
Maine: Five
Jérémy Langlois, D (2 G, 7 A) – 2022 3rd round, Utah Mammoth
Merrimack: Four
Trevor Hoskin, RW/C (13 G, 22 A) – 2024 4th round, Calgary Flames
Michigan Tech: Four
Conner Roulette, LW/C (15 G, 20 A) – 2021 4th round, Dallas Stars
St. Cloud State: Four
Hayden Paupanekis, C (15 G, 22 A) – 2025 3rd round, Montreal Canadiens
Clarkson: Three
Ben Gaudreau, G (9-13-4 record, 2.92 GAA, .897 SV%) – 2021 3rd round, San Jose Sharks
Dartmouth: Three
Cooper Cleaves, D (4 G, 6 A) – 2026 3rd round, Montreal Canadiens
Minnesota State: Two
Will Skahan, D (1 G, 0 A) – 2024 2nd round, Utah Mammoth
RIT: Two
Ben Roger, D (3 G, 11 A) – 2021 2nd round, Ottawa Senators
Vermont: One
Cedric Guindon, LW/C (3 G, 10 A) – 2022 4th round, Montreal Canadiens
