NHL Draft Risers, Fallers And Major Takeaways From U18 World Championship
FRISCO, Texas – The 2025 IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship has come to an end. Canada has gone back-to-back as the tournament champion for the first time in the event’s history, Sweden settled for silver once again and USA got a bronze medal on home ice. One reason for the event’s popularity is it is […]
FRISCO, Texas – The 2025 IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship has come to an end. Canada has gone back-to-back as the tournament champion for the first time in the event’s history, Sweden settled for silver once again and USA got a bronze medal on home ice.
One reason for the event’s popularity is it is one of the final and best viewings we get of the season’s NHL Draft class. There were upwards of 200 NHL team personnel including many of the league’s general managers that attended the tournament.
There were a lot of takeaways from the tournament, both as it pertains to individual players and the draft class as a whole. Here’s a look at the major takeaways, including which players helped and some that may have hurt their draft stock at this late stage of the season.
The Tournament Was Indicative of a Weaker Draft Class
The World U18s confirmed something that anyone that has been following the class has known for some time. The 2025 NHL Draft is especially shallow on talent.
These players are going to develop more over time and there will absolutely be gems to be mined from this group, but at this stage of the overall development of these players, there just aren’t as many legitimate NHL prospects as you’d hope to see.
It’s why we saw fewer 2025 NHL Draft picks move at the trade deadline and why teams are concerned that there may not be many takers when it comes to trades around draft day.
I’ve been to 10 U18 World Championships in person and this was the weakest field I have seen in all of those trips. I felt similarly about last year’s tournament, but there were at least a number of high-end prospects to track. That number was much smaller this year.
A big part of the tournament’s shallowness and lack of competitive games stems from Russia still being banned from international competition, but even so there’s far more to it than that.
It’s a down year in the United States, a massively down year in Finland, which was ousted in the quarterfinal. Switzerland, which has been trending down for years now, actually got relegated from the top level for the first time since 2006. They lost in a shootout to Norway, which had a lot of players that can return next year.
These things go in cycles. In talking with scouts, however, outside of the top several players for next year’s class led by Gavin McKenna, they’re not seeing a huge amount of upside for 2026 either. It’s still pretty early in that process, though.
So let’s get to the players and who stood out and who did not.
Prospects Rising After U18 World Championship
Let’s be clear about one thing first. Players are not going to dramatically change their draft stock playing at the U18s. It’s another data point in a series of them when it comes to evaluating top players. That said, there can be small changes, new information and at least the opportunity to give scouts a lasting impression on what they’re all about. Here are some players that did that this week.
Brady Martin, Canada
The hard-hitting Martin showed the value he can bring to any team. He’s a sturdy player who collected a lot of big hits, which only enhances the value generated by his clear skill. Martin had 11 points in the tournament including a pair of goals in the gold-medal game and was named to the all-tournament team. He is a player you notice every shift.
That is why Brady Martin is going to be a first round pick in the 2025 #NHLDraft!
At 5-foot-11, Jack Ivankovic will have teams that simply skip over him. But as players like Dustin Wolf have shown, sometimes you have to ask yourself how many times a player has to prove himself. Ivankovic, who led Canada to a title at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, played even better in Canada’s route to the gold medal. The quality of competition wasn’t all that strong until the end, but he delivered in every game. In six appearances, he allowed just six goals, posting a .961 save percentage. He should be a mid-round pick, but I do wonder if a team tries to jump the line for a goalie with superior hockey sense and poise in the net.
Milton Gästrin, Sweden
Aside from the final against Canada, which was a rough one for all of the Swedish players, I thought Gästrin showed the full range of his ability in the tournament. He’s not a graceful skater, but he won puck races and showed an extra gear I did not see before. He plays a heavier game and is good around the net. He finished with 10 points while captaining the team. I think there’s a stronger case for him to land in the first round, which is where he was trending towards anyway.
LJ Mooney, USA
The odds are stacked against players that are 5-foot-7 or shorter and that’s where Mooney is at this stage. However, he played some of his best hockey of the season at the biggest moment. He was Team USA’s most consistent driver and led them in scoring with 11 points. He made tons of plays, but what stands out to me is how fearless Mooney is. He had some good body checks, gets to the interior well and showed the quick-twitch skills that could make defenders miss. I wonder if a team takes a chance on him as early as the fourth round, because he’s a player I’d want to give a chance to.
Filip Ekberg, Sweden
Ekberg was the MVP of the tournament and an unlikely source of massive points. He had 18 in the tournament, most ever by a Swede in the tournament. He ranks in the top-10 all-time and is tied with Alex Ovechkin, Cole Caufield, Gabe Perreault and Mikhail Grigorenko. He’s tied for sixth in single-tournament goals with 10. I’m not saying he’s going to jump a round or two here. He’s still a mid-round pick, but I do think he showed more of the skill and hockey sense he can bring despite not being the biggest player.
He wears the “C” in Seattle for the Thunderbirds and he wore it for Team Canada. Cootes didn’t wow me by any means, but he played very well. He had a slow Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and his production was fine, not amazing in the WHL. That said, he does a lot of little things well, can be relied on in all situations and has an emotional maturity to him that makes him an effective leader. He had 12 points in the tournament as one of Canada’s leading players.
Will Horcoff, USA
This is going off of more from what I heard from scouts than my personal opinion on this one. Though Horcoff had just four points in seven games, I heard from NHL personnel that they saw improvement in his game from when he was at the NTDP earlier in the year. Horcoff left midseason to enroll at Michigan early and made an instant impact for the Wolverines. He returned and helped Team USA with his big frame, playing physical and being disruptive.
Cullen Potter, USA
With eight points in the tournament, he made his impact felt. Potter can change any game with his speed. He just needs to finish a bit more consistently on what he can generate. Seeing him against his own age group reminded me of how impactful he can be. That wasn’t always on display in college, but it’s a clear separator for him in this class. I think Potter has a better chance at going in the first round than I did before the tournament, but I do still want to see him complete more plays. With that skating and skill combination, though, he looked like a clear first-round talent, particularly in this class.
Prospects With Stock Stable After U18 Worlds
Jackson Smith, Canada
Smith had four goals and one assist in the tournament from the back end, but I also think he didn’t show us anything we didn’t already know he could do. He’s a highly-mobile player with size. The questions that remain come down to hockey sense and his ability to think the game at the pace needed to play it at a high level. His execution was a little off at times, and it looked like decisions need to come quicker. He’s still poised to be a top-15 or top-20 pick in this draft, but I did think some of his flaws were exposed.
Radim Mrtka, Czechia
Mrtka is a bit of an enigma as a prospect. He’ a 6-foot-6, right-shot defenseman defenseman who can skate and make a few plays. But there are questions about his compete level and physicality, which I thought showed up once again in this tournament and do give me pause. He can’t lose battles at his size against his own age group. That said, he’s got so many tools that NHL teams are going to see the upside for him. He could be a top-10 pick yet.
Sascha Boumedienne, Sweden
Boumedienne set the tournament’s record for points by a defenseman with 14. You would think that would put him in the risers category, but I think we saw against tougher opponents that there were some wildly questionable decisions made with and without the puck. The reason Boumedienne is still a surefire first-round prospect for this draft is that he is a high-end skater who can make a difference at both ends of the ice. The only problem, as one scout put it to me, there are times where it looks like he will keep both teams in the game. There’s a lot to like, but there is a lot of room to grow. That was known, but further confirmed in this tournament.
Boston University freshman defenseman Sascha Boumedienne has set a new single-tournament scoring record at the IIHF World U18 Championship!
Moore very quietly had points in every game at the World U18s, finishing tied with LJ Mooney for the team lead with 11. He has been talked about as a potential first-rounder and I think he’s a better fit for an early Day 2 pick. There’s some upside there with his skill and hockey sense, and as he gets stronger he should be more effective. I don’t think he did a ton to help himself, but did less to hurt himself at this tournament.
Blake Fiddler, USA
Fiddler came from outside the NTDP and quickly became USA’s No. 1 defenseman. That said, I don’t know that he seized the opportunity fully. He has good mobility and size, which separates him. But there were definitely moments where the pace ate him up a bit and his decisions weren’t coming quick enough with or without the puck. I think there’s a lot of ability to be mined and his potential is only just starting to be scratched. I did come out of the tournament wanting a little more from Fiddler.
Prospects With Stock Falling After U18 Worlds
Anton Frondell, Sweden
Frondell came to the tournament late, flying in directly after Djugårdens earned promotion to the SHL. He missed two games before arriving two hours before the game against USA in the prelims and he stepped right into the lineup. Frondell finished the tournament with three points, continuing an alarming trend of sub-par showings within his own age group. Every GM in the lottery was at this tournament and he was the only prospect they were probably there to see. He did not look like the player challenging for a spot in the top three as has been suggested. I have been a big Frondell fan since my first viewings of him last season, but this was a let-down, even with the cross-continental travel. Three points in a weak tournament just won’t cut it.
Cole McKinney, USA
Let me preface this by saying I’ve got a lot of time for Cole McKinney and I think he’s going to be a solid player and a borderline first-round prospect. He just picked a bad time to not have his best. He finished the tournament with five points and USA needed more from him. His two-way play is a big benefit, but I don’t think we saw him showcase the full complement of his skill set. He’s the classic player that does everything well, but nothing truly elite. I still think he’s going to play in the NHL, but this was a tough week of hockey.
Jack Murtagh, USA
Murtagh’s identity on Team USA is that of a scorer. As a top-six winger who can find the net, he had just two goals and six points in the tournament. I’ve liked the way he’s played most of the year, but he was harder to spot at U18 Worlds. He was being talked about as a fringe first-round candidate, but I think there may be fewer believers in that lofty position after this event. This wasn’t a great last impression.
Cameron Schmidt, Canada
He played his best game in the gold-medal game, which was a good reminder of how he can impact a game with his speed and skill. That said, I thought we’d see Schmidt open things up more offensively. There were also instances of poor decisions and occasionally trying to do too much. At his size, he has to play a very clean game and not give people excuses to doubt what he can bring to the table. I don’t think that happened here and I expect Schmidt to slip into the mid rounds, possibly the second half of the draft.
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Trump golfs with Greg Sankey, Notre Dame AD. What did they discuss?
Kirby Smart on college football’s future Kirby Smart urges leaders to prioritize the game’s future over personal or conference agendas in playoff talks. President Donald Trump played golf with two prominent college sports figures last weekend. Who won the round, and what did they discuss? SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he’ll contain the particulars to […]
Kirby Smart urges leaders to prioritize the game’s future over personal or conference agendas in playoff talks.
President Donald Trump played golf with two prominent college sports figures last weekend.
Who won the round, and what did they discuss?
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he’ll contain the particulars to those who played in the golf group. Sankey joined Trump and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua for the round of golf. They played at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.
“It was helpful for me and for Pete, as well, to hear his thoughts and his perspectives and to share some of ours,” Sankey said Monday during a call with reporters. “I think those are best left for the moment on the golf course.”
The golf outing came amid what Sankey described as an “inflection point” moment for college sports, on the heels of a federal judge on Friday approving the House legal settlement.
The settlement allows NCAA member schools to directly compensate athletes beginning July 1 in the form of revenue-sharing for the use of the name, image and likeness of players. Previously, athletes could earn money via NIL deals with third-party individuals and groups. This settlement allows schools to bring payments to athletes in-house.
The settlement allows schools to distribute a capped financial allotment to athletes across sports. The cap is estimated to start around $20.5 million per school.
Additionally, the settlement outlines that any Division I athlete who earns an NIL deal or deals worth $600 or more must report those deals to a regulatory system called “NIL Go.” This centralized clearinghouse, run by Deloitte, will be tasked with determining whether those deals have a “valid business purpose” and whether the money involved in those deals falls within “a reasonable range of compensation,” whatever those terms are considered to mean.
“This (settlement) brings us to a point of having the opportunity for stability and fairness in the new system,” Sankey said Monday, “replacing what has been a chaotic number of months in a fully unregulated environment – replacing that environment with transparent and enforceable rules that promote consistent opportunities for all and are part of a judicially approved settlement.”
Sankey and other college sports leaders have lobbied for years for federal legislation to regulate the NIL marketplace and supersede the patchwork of state NIL laws. No such federal legislation has emerged.
While Sankey declined to get into the specifics of his golf course talks with Trump, he said he appreciates the president’s “interest in college sports.”
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
Players aim to sharpen skills as BR.ICE summer hockey program kicks off second year
HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – Summer may be here, but that isn’t stopping hockey players from getting onto the ice. “My last time on the ice was April, and I broke my collarbone,” 8th grader Isacc Haugland said. “This is my first time back on the ice after that.” Haugland has been itching to play hockey […]
HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – Summer may be here, but that isn’t stopping hockey players from getting onto the ice.
“My last time on the ice was April, and I broke my collarbone,” 8th grader Isacc Haugland said. “This is my first time back on the ice after that.”
Haugland has been itching to play hockey again. He’s played since he was four years old and has wanted to play for even longer.
“It’s kinda just been a family thing,” Haugland continued. “Both my older brother and older sister played hockey. I’ve just wanted to play hockey since I was, like, two.”
The BR.ICE Hockey Development program is letting him get back in the game. The program started last year in Houghton and wrapped up its first program in Marquette last month. Haugland is joining 175 other players between 6 and 18 years old to sharpen their skills across several programs.
“Each program is different,” BR.ICE Hockey Development Owner Raymond Brice. “Our elite programs are progression programs for varsity athletes only. We want to push those kids to move on to the next level, teaching super detailed skills… and then for our younger groups, we’re trying to teach foundational skills. We want to preach good habits.”
The program is being held at Michigan Tech University’s MacInnes Student Ice Arena this year. Haugland is no stranger to the arena. He moved to the area from Ohio two years ago after already attending MTU hockey camps for several years. While currently playing on Calumet’s middle school hockey team, he hopes one day to wear the black, yellow and white.
“I’d like to go play college hockey, hopefully for Tech,” Haugland added. “One of the reasons we moved up here is multiple people in my family are looking towards going to Tech. I want to see if I can get a scholarship or at least play some juniors hockey.”
There is a very limited number of open slots still open for this year’s program, which runs until August. Costs vary depending on which program you sign up for, ranging from $300 to $610. To view openings, click here.
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Congressman rips House settlement, pleads with President Donald Trump to ‘step in and save college sports’
Congressman Michael Baumgartner ripped the recent House Settlement and called for President Donald Trump to “save college sports.” He called it an “unsustainable model” for college athletics. The argument is that this new settlement will only enrich the power conferences, such as the Big Ten and SEC. Baumgartner’s new act claims it’ll be the roadmap […]
Congressman Michael Baumgartner ripped the recent House Settlement and called for President Donald Trump to “save college sports.” He called it an “unsustainable model” for college athletics.
The argument is that this new settlement will only enrich the power conferences, such as the Big Ten and SEC. Baumgartner’s new act claims it’ll be the roadmap to fixing college athletics.
As The Athletic’s Chris Vannini pointed out, Baumgartner is from Spokane and a friend of late-coach Mike Leach. It appears the call for President Trump to help in this process is of utmost importance.
“The House settlement locks in an unsustainable model that enriches the power conferences at the expense of everyone else – walk-ons, women’s teams, Olympic sports,” Baumgartner said in a statement. “And just like Teddy Roosevelt saved college football in 1905, President Trump can step in to save college sports today. My Restore College Sports Act is the roadmap, with fair revenue-sharing, rationalized conferences, and reasonable student compensation.”
President Trump has been involved in trying to change college athletics for the better. He created a commission on college sports and recently played golf with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua. What comes of it remains to be seen considering Baumgartner claimed the power conferences, such as the one Sankey is in charge of, will be the downfall of the rest of college athletics.
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported President Trump’s meeting with Sankey and Bevacqua could ultimately lead to action from the White House or even expedite Congressional negotiations over college sports legislation. The president created a commission and selected a chair group that would oversee the look to solve the issues in college athletics. President Trump even wanted to tap former Alabama head coach Nick Saban to lead the charge. The commission work was paused two weeks ago.
All of this is on the heels of the House Settlement which now allows colleges and universities to directly pay their athletes. It was a near $3 billion settlement.
The Stanley Cup Final shifts to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., for Game 3 tonight (8 p.m. ET on TNT, MAX, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) with the rematch between the Oilers and Panthers deadlocked 1-1. This will mark the fifth consecutive postseason that the state of Florida has hosted games in the Final. * Some of […]
The Stanley Cup Final shifts to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., for Game 3 tonight (8 p.m. ET on TNT, MAX, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) with the rematch between the Oilers and Panthers deadlocked 1-1. This will mark the fifth consecutive postseason that the state of Florida has hosted games in the Final.
* Some of the biggest names in this series have provided noteworthy performances through two games, including Sam Bennett, who is leading the entire playoffs and the Final in goals (tied), Sergei Bobrovsky, who has made 42 saves in each of the first two contests, as well as the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who both posted multi-point performances in each game so far.
* An annual tradition will continue in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final with four of the top prospects for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft attending the game: Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, James Hagens and Jake O’Brien.
STANLEY CUP FINAL RETURNS TO FLORIDA FOR GAME 3
After the 2025 Stanley Cup Final opened with a pair of thrilling games in Edmonton, with each team winning once in extra time, the series shifts to a familiar place with Game 3 set for Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, a venue that has hosted six Final contests since 2023. The Panthers own a 4-2 record on home ice in the Final since 2023, including a 3-1 mark against the Oilers in 2024 that culminated with a Game 7 victory and the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
* This will mark the fifth consecutive year the state of Florida hosts a Stanley Cup Final contest, with 12 total games across that span (FLA: 6 GP & TBL: 6 GP entering Game 3).
BIG NAMES HAVE DELIVERED ON THE BIG STAGE EARLY IN FINAL
Not only has the Stanley Cup Final provided edge-of-your-seat action, comebacks, overtime and memorable highlight-reel plays, but some of the biggest names in hockey have been stepping into the spotlight with noteworthy performances in the grandest of moments, including Florida’s Sam Bennett and Sergei Bobrovsky as well as Edmonton’s dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
* Bennett enters Game 3 tied for the series lead with three goals, while he paces all skaters in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 13 tallies overall. As the series shifts to Florida, the Panthers forward will look to extend his goal streak to four games and establish the longest run in franchise postseason history.
* The further into the season the Panthers go, the more productive Bennett becomes. He averages 0.49 points per game in the regular season, 0.73 P/GP in the playoffs and it increases even more when appearing in the Final (0.79 P/GP; 5-6—11 in 14 GP).
* Bobrovsky made 42 saves for the second straight contest in Game 2 to help the Panthers tie the series and can become the fourth goaltender on record with 40-plus stops in three consecutive playoffs games, following Craig Anderson (3 GP in 2010), Ron Tugnutt (3 GP in 2000) and Mike Palmateer (3 GP in 1983). No goaltender on record has posted 40-plus saves in three straight games during the Final.
* Bobrovsky owns a career .884 save percentage and a 3.38 goals against average through 14 games in the Stanley Cup Final, while those numbers dramatically improve to .929 and 1.84, respectively, when he plays on home ice.
* McDavid (0-5—5 in 2 GP) leads all skaters in points and assists during the 2025 Stanley Cup Final including wowing the home crowd with a highlight-reel helper in Game 2. The Oilers captain owns a career rate of 1.78 points per game in the Final (3-13—16 in 9 GP) – the fifth-highest mark in NHL history (min. 2 GP) behind Mario Lemieux (10-9—19 in 9 GP; 2.11 P/GP), Babe Dye (9-1—10 in 5 GP; 2.00 P/GP), Daniel Briere (3-9—12 in 6 GP; 2.00 P/GP) and Mark Stone (5-4—9 in 5 GP; 1.80 P/GP).
* Draisaitl did not register a goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final (0-3—3 in 7 GP), but the 2024-25 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner has had a big impact through two games of this series. He scored the series-opening goal just 1:06 into Game 1 – the fastest opening goal of a Final in nearly 50 years – and completed that contest with his third overtime winner of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs to tie the NHL record for most in a single postseason.
* In Game 2, Draisaitl capped off the highest-scoring first period in a Stanley Cup Final game since 2016 with his 10th goal of the postseason – the third time in his career he has hit double digits in a single postseason. The only other active player to reach 10 postseason goals three times is Evgeni Malkin (also 3x).
* Draisaitl’s next point will mark his third career 30-point postseason. The only players in NHL history to accumulate 30 points in a single playoff year three or more times are Wayne Gretzky (6x), Mark Messier (3x) and McDavid (3x including 2025).
TOP PROSPECTS SET FOR ANNUAL VISIT TO FINAL
A tradition every year at the Final, and with the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics in the rearview mirror, the next stop for the top four ranked North American Skaters for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft is a trip to Sunrise, Florida for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl and Sam Bennett, the top four picks in the 2014 NHL Draft, reminisced about a similar experience when they attended the 2014 Staney Cup Final between the Kings and Rangers prior to being selected into the NHL.
* Matthew Schaefer (Erie, OHL), Michael Misa (Saginaw, OHL), James Hagens (Boston College, NCAA) and Jake O’Brien (Brantford, OHL), ranked Nos. 1-4 on NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings, respectively, will be in attendance for Monday’s game to meet some of the players, the media and soak in the atmosphere.
* Schaefer, a defenseman and the top-ranked North American skater, had a standout start to the season but missed a major portion of the 2024-25 campaign after being sidelined by an injury sustained at the 2025 World Junior Championship. He can become the first Ontario Hockey League skater to be selected first overall since Oilers forward Connor McDavid – who also played for Erie – in 2015 and the first OHL defenseman taken with the top spot since Panthers defenseman Ekblad in 2014. Click here to read more about how Schaefer is inspired by the memory of his late mother.
* A trio of dynamic forwards will join Schaefer, including Misa, who also has something in common with McDavid and Ekblad as a player who received exceptional player status to enter major junior hockey a year early. Misa is coming off a season in which he won the OHL scoring race by a 10-point margin (62-72—134 in 65 GP), recording the league’s highest single-season point total since 2006-07 (Patrick Kane had 145 points that year, while John Tavares ranked second with 134).
* Hagens, a forward at Boston College, grew up an Islanders fan as a native of Hauppauge, New York, less than 40 miles from UBS Arena. The Islanders hold the top pick in this year’s Draft. He concluded the 2024-25 season fourth in points among NCAA freshmen (11-26—37 in 37 GP) and helped Team USA earn gold at the 2025 World Junior Championship. Should Hagens be selected among the top-five picks, it would mark the first time in NHL Draft history that a top-five selection has come out of U.S. college hockey for three consecutive years.
* O’Brien finished the 2024-25 campaign tied for seventh in assists and points across the OHL (32-66—98 in 66 GP) while leading the league with 41 power-play assists. He was on the ice at hockey school as young as three years of age – his mother, Amy Turek, represented the Canadian National Team in both ice and in-line hockey, played in the National Women’s Hockey League and ran summer hockey camps where Jake got his start as the youngest player on the ice.
* All four players were featured with notes in the recently released #NHLStats Pack: Looking Ahead to the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
QUICK CLICKS
*Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl, Sam Bennett ‘brothers for life’ since 2014 NHL Draft
* Panthers must protect home-ice advantage in Stanley Cup Final
* Ryan Nugent-Hopkins expected to be a game-time decision for Game 3
* Sam Bennett jokes Brad Marchand ate Dairy Queen again before 2OT winner
* 10 things learned at the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics
Heads of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC convened by video Monday morning to discuss the direction college sports continue to move in the wake of Friday’s formal passage of the House Settlement. And while SEC head Greg Sankey confirmed his Sunday afternoon round of golf with President Donald Trump and Notre […]
Heads of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC convened by video Monday morning to discuss the direction college sports continue to move in the wake of Friday’s formal passage of the House Settlement.
And while SEC head Greg Sankey confirmed his Sunday afternoon round of golf with President Donald Trump and Notre Dame’s Pete Bevacqua, the session mostly was very general discussion with little substance as to how, exactly, everyone moves forward since U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken on Friday formally approved the $2.8 billion House Settlement that was the final legal hurdle (for now) to have institutions directly paying their current student-athletes, as well as also providing backpay for previous athletes.
Said Sankey, “I’ve always appreciated (Triump’s) interest in college sports. It was helpful for me and for Pete as well to hear his thought and perspective and share some of ours.”
Those thoughts? “I think those are best left for the moment on the golf course.”
Revenue-sharing payments for the House Settlement are scheduled to begin July 1; three weeks from Tuesday. For much of the past 12-24 months, college leaders and athletics departments have been trimming costs and operating budgets, as well as also seeking new revenue streams.
Notre Dame, for example, has announced its intention to begin selling alcoholic beverages on campus at all Irish football, men’s and women’s basketball and hockey games. The Irish also have had budget cuts and a much-publicized hiring freeze earlier this year.
Tennessee has already enacted a “talent fee” atop its ticket prices, a measure UT Athletics Director Danny White said was strictly to generate funding to compensate student-athletes.
Jim Phillips, ACC commissioner, addressed the potential for punishment of Name, Image and Likeness deals that do not get approved by third-party overseer Deloitte or which are not properly disclosed.
But his answer was a non-answer, for now anyway.
“We’re in the process of putting together structure,” said Phillips, who did tout the just-launched College Sports Commission as being positioned to potentially enforce more widespread guardrails in collegiate athletics after the essentially unchecked NIL existence since its initial launch four years ago.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the so-called “Affiliation Agreement” that the four true Power Conferences — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC — have proposed in an effort to create a more uniform operating environment for member schools in those leagues, despite various state laws that could allow institutions to ignore the $20.5 million first-year revenue-sharing cap as well as the agreement that any NIL deal worth more than $600 must be approved by the aforementioned Deloitte-operated clearinghouse.
On punishments for NIL deals that aren’t up to the new standard.
Jim Phillips: “We’re in the process of putting together structure…nothing to date right now to come forward with”
Greg Sankey on yesterday’s golf outing with President Donald Trump and Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua:
“I’ve always appreciated his interest in college sports. We’ve hosted him at some of our games. … It was helpful for me and for Pete as well to hear his thought and his…
Recapping notable recruits linked to Penn State men’s hockey | Penn State Men’s Hockey News
It was just over 13 years ago when Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula signed one final check to complete his funding of $102 million to Penn State, financing the men’s hockey program in its jump to the Division I level. The Pennsylvania native had a dream — he wanted hockey players to grow up in […]
It was just over 13 years ago when Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula signed one final check to complete his funding of $102 million to Penn State, financing the men’s hockey program in its jump to the Division I level. The Pennsylvania native had a dream — he wanted hockey players to grow up in the Keystone State, play for the blue and white and then go on to play in the NHL.
Fast forward through five NCAA Tournament berths, one conference postseason tournament title and one regular season championship and Pegula’s vision is finally coming to fruition. All it really took was one Frozen Four run.
The Nittany Lions’ extended playoff surge in 2025 has fueled a new hype around the outlook of the team and garnered an increasing amount of recruiting interest in the program from top-tier athletes.
Here are a few notable prospects Penn State has been linked to.
Jackson Smith (LHD, 18)
Just one week ago, Scott Wheeler of the Athletic reported that left-handed defenseman Jackson Smith, a projected top-15 NHL entry draft pick, committed to Penn State. Just moments later, Wheeler walked back on that report.
Wheeler said “nothing’s done until it’s done done,” and that Smith feels that there is a potential fit at Penn State. While the commitment has not been announced, it seems as though both sides have mutual interest.
On Smith’s side, there’s an opportunity to develop and clean up his game in one of the best conferences in college hockey. For head coach Guy Gadowsky, he’d achieve the ability to add a two-way defenseman and a quarterback to his top power-play unit.
Smith met with Pegula’s Sabres during the NHL draft combine on Saturday, with reportedly a “good amount” of the conversation surrounding Penn State, according to Chad DeDominicis on X.
The Canadian is scheduled to visit Penn State immediately after the NHL Draft combine, which was completed on Saturday, per Cam Robinson of Eliteprospects. He’ll make other campus visits with Boston College and Michigan both linked to the defenseman.
Gavin McKenna (LW, 17)
Now to the crown jewel of prospects, Gavin McKenna.
The 2007-born forward has been a hot name as of late in the recruiting trail with Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State all rumored to be within the mix.
On 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, hosted by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, Friedman mentioned that he’s talked to numerous NHL sources and an “informal straw poll” leads him to believe Penn State is the favorite in the McKenna sweepstakes.
Friedman said he was told it would be “premature” to make any proclamation as to where McKenna will play next season, but when asking around, most of his sources picked Hockey Valley as the most-likely destination.
McKenna is the consensus top prospect in the 2026 NHL entry draft and just lifted the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Western Hockey League (WHL) championship. The Canadian recorded 129 points along with a WHL-leading 88 assists during the 2024-25 season.
Friedman mentioned the WHL hopes McKenna stays with the Tigers but he doesn’t “know the odds of that (happening).” McKenna is expected to make a few college visits and State College will most likely be one of them.
Michael Misa (C/LW, 18)
Back in early May, the Nittany Lions garnered a commitment from Luke Misa. Since then, the floodgates opened with rumors swirling about potential additional signings — including his brother, Michael Misa.
Earlier this week in a report via Puck Preps, Michael Misa said he’s never played on the same team as his brother.
“The chance to play with him has been a dream for a while,” Michael Misa told Puck Preps. “It’s never actually happened, but maybe someday it will.”
That dream could become a reality as soon as next season. Michael Misa is a consensus top-two prospect in the 2025 NHL entry draft, but there is a chance his drafted team wants him to develop elsewhere next year.
With a plethora of money available and his brother committed, Penn State is at the top of the list for Michael Misa’s 2025 destinations.
Porter Martone (RW, 18)
Arguably the most talked about prospect linked to the Nittany Lions has been Porter Martone.
Martone, former teammate of Luke Misa on the Brampton Steelheads, is projected to land in the top six of the 2025 NHL entry draft and offers size at the wing, standing 6-foot-3.
Penn State has been speculated to be getting aggressive with dollar offers to Canadian Hockey League (CHL) athletes, including reportedly offering a deal north of $250,000 to Martone over a month ago.
The forward recorded 98 points, 37 goals and 61 assists in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season and would offer star power at the right wing for the Nittany Lions.
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