BEMIDJI – Travis Winter wasn’t expecting to get the call, but he wasn’t surprised he got it either.

On Wednesday, USA Hockey announced that Bemidji State’s men’s hockey associate head coach would serve on the American bench as an assistant for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. Winter got the call from head coach Bob Motzko “a few weeks ago.”

Winter will officially serve as a video coach. Boston College’s Greg Brown, Augustana’s Garrett Raboin, USA Hockey’s David Lassonde and Minnesota’s Steve Miller and Jacob LeRoy are also on staff.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity,” Winter said. “It’s very exciting. Anytime you can participate in a tournament like that and represent your country, it’s something that you don’t want to take for granted. You get excited for it; how can you not?”

The World Junior Championship begins in the Twin Cities on Dec. 26 at the Xcel Energy Center and at the University of Minnesota’s 3M Arena at Mariucci. The WJC runs through Jan. 5, 2026.

Winter will get the best of both worlds when the calendar flips to 2026. While Bemidji State typically plays a series on the second weekend in December, and on the first weekend in January (or a New Year’s Eve game), the Beavers are off from Dec. 6 to Jan. 9.

Scheduling luck allows Winter to serve on Team USA’s staff with the potential of not missing a BSU game, save for an exhibition against the Gophers on Jan. 2.

More importantly for Winter, with the WJC being in Minnesota, it’ll become a family event for the St. Cloud native.

Courtesy / Brent Cizek Photography

“It’s the State of Hockey, and our state’s going to knock it out of the park with how they handle it,” Winter said. “They’re going to put on a great show. It’ll be an experience I get to share with my family, with it being in the Twin Cities. They’ll get to be a part of it, too, which is special.”

Winter will enter his 12th season on the Beavers’ staff this fall. He was an assistant head coach for eight seasons, then spent the last three seasons with the title of associate head coach under Tom Serratore.

Winter played for BSU from 2005-09, serving as a captain in his final two seasons. After he graduated, Winter was hired as an assistant for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the United States Hockey League for four seasons, then spent a year as the head coach for the North American Hockey League’s Aberdeen Wings in 2013-14

Winter came back to Bemidji State in 2015 for his first season as an assistant, and he hasn’t left since.

“I think this honor is a testament to the respect of our program, what people think of our program and the things we’ve been able to accomplish over the years,” Winter said.

Motzko is one of college hockey’s most revered coaches. Since being hired by Minnesota prior to the 2018-19 season, he’s posted a record of 161-82-21. Combined with his previous 13 seasons at St. Cloud State, Motzko has a career record of 437-274-70, with 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three Frozen Four appearances.

Motzko replaces Denver’s David Carle as Team USA’s WJC head coach. Carle led the Americans to back-to-back WJC titles in each of the last two tournaments.

“(Motzko) asked if I’d be interested in helping out and went over the expectations for different roles,” Winter said. “He asked if I’d be comfortable doing that, and I said, ‘Yeah, of course.’

“I don’t know if you ever expect that call to come. With Bob being the head coach and being part of his circle in the hockey world, you’re kind of thinking you might get a call. But there’s a lot of other qualified guys, so you don’t spend too much time pondering that. When he called, it was awesome.”

Motzko and Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore have a long-standing relationship. Their relationship helped Winter build rapport with Motzko over the years, ultimately leading to Winter’s selection as an assistant.

“Typically, when these coaching staffs get assembled, they’re put together with people they’re familiar with,” Winter said. “They’re familiar with their expertise and strengths as coaches. They want to make sure they cover all areas. Obviously, in working with Tommy, he’s had a big influence on that.”

Like many Bemidji residents, Winter has been hard at work on community restoration following the severe thunderstorm and 100-plus mile-per-hour winds.

On Tuesday, Winter, BSU assistant coach Joe Wegwerth and members of Bemidji Covenant Church and Bemidji Youth Hockey helped clean up Paul Bunyan Park.

“I’ve never seen anything like this; not even close,” Winter said. “Joe and I were there, along with some members of our church and Bemidji Youth Hockey. We have a pretty good group. We were just old-school raking, making piles.”

Before he stepped onto campus in Boulder as a member of the Colorado Buffaloes, class of 2024 quarterback Julian Lewis signed a groundbreaking deal with Athletes First, a sports agency.

At the time, a senior at Carrollton (Ga.) High School, Lewis was one of the first athletes in the state of Georgia to be represented by an agency after the Georgia High School Association changed its guidelines to allow high school student-athletes the ability to participate in NIL without losing their eligibility.

The move sent shockwaves through the high school sports landscape. The Los Angeles-based Athletes First agency is highly accredited as they represent a large number of NFL players that include Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson and numerous other NFL stars.

Lewis, a five-star prospect and consensually rated as one of the top QB recruits in the 2024 class, was committed to the USC Trojans at the time of his signing.

Fast forward over a year and a half later and he’s competing for the starting job with the Buffaloes as a true freshman. Lauded for his accuracy, poise and arm strength, Lewis is on a favorable path to joining his fellow agency-mates in the NFL.

Speaking to the accredited nature of Athletes First, they began “an exclusive, three-day summit of NFL offensive linemen in Las Vegas spotlighting the strength, personality, and performance of the league’s best players at these positions,” a social media post wrote.

The event, titled “Big & Beautiful presented by BTL,” will be hosted and led by retired eight-time Pro-Bowler Tyron Smith with the help of Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith and Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz.

BTL Aesthetics, the brand presenting the event, will include its services surrounding physical and mental recovery in the Athlete Recovery Lounge.

Lewis already has an NIL valuation of $1.1 million thanks in part to Athletes First — a number that will more than likely grow with time on the field and with the help of an experienced, highly-regarded agency with strong NFL ties.

ABOUT MILLER

Steve Miller, associate head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey team, has influenced significant success both at the collegiate level and on the world stage during his time behind the bench over parts of the last five decades.

Miller has served as an assistant coach for eight previous U.S. National Junior Teams, with six medals to his credit, including gold four times (2025, 2024, 2021, 2017), silver in 2019 and bronze in 2018.

Over his more than 35-year coaching career, which began at St. Mary’s University in 1988-89, and has included stops at Miami University, University of Denver, Providence College, Air Force Academy, Ohio State University, and today Minnesota, Miller has three NCAA national titles to his credit, along with numerous conference regular-season and post-season championships, and NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, native – who was honored with the American Hockey Coaches Association Terry Flanagan Award in 2009 recognizing an assistant coach’s career body of work — has coached or recruited more than 25 players who are currently playing in the NHL.

The wait is finally over, Alexander Mogilny is finally headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025. 

Mogilny has been one of the biggest Hall snubs since 2009 and is remembered as one of the premier goal scorers during his 16 seasons in the NHL, which included time with the Sabres, Canucks, Devils and Maple Leafs. 

Through his career, Mogilny recorded 473 goals and 559 assists for more than 1,000 points and was part of hockey history when he became the first Soviet player to defect to play in the NHL back in 1989. 

The story of Mogilny’s defection feels like one right out of a spy novel. He left the Soviet Union team at the 1989 World Championships in Stockholm with the help of Sabres brass, who helped orchestrate the entire episode to get him to Western New York. 

Mogilny made his NHL debut with the Sabres that fall on Oct. 5, 1989, and began what is now a Hall of Fame career. 

He set a single-season goal-scoring record for the Sabres during the 1992-93 campaign when he put up 76 goals that year. 

Mogilny won a Stanley Cup with the Devils during the 1999-00 season after he was traded to New Jersey at the deadline. 

He also took home a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics as a member of the Soviet team and a gold at the 1989 World Championship. 

“I am happy to be part of a great organization like the Hockey Hall of Fame. I want to thank both my Russian and NHL teammates for helping me achieve this honor,” Mogilny said in a statement. 

Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, Zdeno Chara, Jennifer Botterill, and Brianna Decker join Mogilny in the player category and Jack Parker and Danièle Sauvageau in the builders category are part of the Class of 2025. 

Chara bookended his career with the Islanders, who drafted him in 1996 and played for the organization from 1997 to 2001 and was dealt in one of the most debated trades during the tenure of former general manager Mike Milbury.

Chara’s NHL career, which spanned from 1997 to 2022, also included time with the Senators, Bruins and Capitals. 

He is best remembered for his time in Boston, where he served as captain and helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup in 2011. 

Chara played in 1,680 games – the most by an NHL defenseman and third most among any player in the league – and averaged 23:33 of time on ice per game. 

Chara returned for one final stint with the Isles during the 2021-22 season, scoring a goal in his final game of his career on April 29, 2022. 

The Hall of Fame induction will take place on Nov. 10 in Ontario.

In a world where many questions regarding collegiate student-athlete compensation have been answered, even greater concerns are looming.

On Monday, Texas A&M Director of Athletics Trev Alberts spoke to the media regarding Texas A&M’s future financial plan in the wake of the NCAA v. House settlement.

While the mysteries of athlete compensation have been solved, it is far from over, as the NCAA is still having to deal with a number of lawsuits, and NIL regulation is still a massive concern to athletic directors and coaches across the country. With NCAA president Charlie Baker pushing Congress for a limited antitrust exemption to protect college sports from a slew of lawsuits, Alberts offered a differing opinion.

“We don’t need broad antitrust exemptions,” the Aggie AD said. “We need a skinny NIL bill that will basically do the foundations of what we need to be able to not live in a litigious environment every day, where we’re playing defense. We need to be playing offense.”

Alberts is correct in acknowledging that college sports need reformation in the form of NIL legislation, but with lawsuits piling up and the future of college athletics becoming more unstable with each passing day, is an antitrust exemption needed in order to achieve litigation-free player compensation AND competitive balance?

The reason the House settlement came around is that the NCAA couldn’t handle getting sued and losing lawsuits forever.

Alston v. NCAA, Carter v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA, etc. These were almost all losing battles, and every dollar that the NCAA has to spend on legal fees is a dollar not being directly invested into collegiate sports. Despite the efforts to repair damages with this settlement, it is far from perfect. A large downside of this settlement, as it was explicitly said by Judge Claudia Wilken, is that it does not protect the NCAA from future lawsuits.

Aside from the Title IX lawsuits that are already on the table in just the first few weeks, there are a few more aspects of the settlement that people could challenge in court:

1. “Anti-competitive” nature of having a salary cap
2. NIL Go clearinghouse process and restrictions

This raises the question of how do we avoid these exhausting lawsuits while also ensuring competitive balance with NIL?

Right now, there seem to be two clear solutions:

1. The NCAA is granted Congressional protection (antitrust exemption)
2. The NCAA and its athletes come to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA)

Let’s break down what each of those pathways would entail.

Limited Antitrust Exemption
A limited antitrust exemption granted by Congress would allow the NCAA to operate in a capacity that shields it from lawsuits. An antitrust exemption would likely allow the NCAA to have ultimate say when it comes to player compensation, NIL compensation, transfer portal regulations and more. It would also allow the NCAA to preserve the concept of “amateurism” and not claim athletes as employees, which would have its benefits.

While this kind of congressional protection could allow the NCAA to set and enforce uniform guidelines to stabilize college athletics without the fear of lawsuits, there are downsides. It could potentially allow the NCAA and its schools to not comply fully with Title IX. This antitrust exemption would also likely take away any and all ability for athletes to negotiate for fair compensation and allow for the NCAA to operate behind a veil with no obligation to be transparent and accountable for its actions.

Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
Collective bargaining through employment is often seen as a middle ground to antitrust exemption that allows for athletes to have greater bargaining power. The NBA and NFL both have collective bargaining that dictates how revenue is split between owners and players, scheduling, drug policies, player safety and more. It is not exactly apples to apples when comparing these professional leagues to college athletics because not every sport generates revenue. Plus, you’re talking about just 1,700 players that play the same sport the way that the NFL is. You’re talking about over 540,000 student athletes across more than 20 sports (both men’s and women’s). This CBA would be much more complicated than anything the professional sports leagues have seen.

However, if every athlete agrees on certain standards, you can distribute compensation fairly without a fear of lawsuits while also agreeing on a more stable middle ground in terms of NIL and transfer portal regulation that would stretch uniformly across every school in the league. There wouldn’t be a need for Congress to write new NIL laws that preempt state laws. The NCAA, with the help of athletes and other representatives, could agree on regulations that would be enforced by the NCAA and difficult to challenge in court because they would be a part of the CBA. Even though Deloitte’s NIL Go clearinghouse does some auditing and regulating now, the process and “fair market” evaluations are not necessarily protected from litigation. Also, it’s not certain that complete competitive balance would be achieved through this, as some schools may not be able to afford paying athletes as “employees” if they have to meet certain minimum wage standards. You’re already seeing Olympic sports get cut from many schools, but a CBA could have the potential to accelerate those deficits and prevent many collegiate athletes from participating in sports at all.

The question is, with the NCAA trying to avoid lawsuits while athletic directors and coaches are demanding clear, uniform and enforced NIL regulations… could a limited antitrust exemption or a CBA be the answer to all of this?

Either way, greater power would be granted to the NCAA (or some other entity) that would allow it to operate without fear of litigation.

It could be a good thing for college sports to have basic uniformity where everyone is happy with their compensation, as well as competitive balance.

However, can we trust the NCAA to operate efficiently, transparently and with the athletes’ best interest in mind?

They have had 119 years to prove that and have, thus far, failed.

19. St. Louis Blues

Kimelman — Cole Reschny: Reschny’s speed and tenacity make him an appealing prospect. College hockey will be good for him because of the opportunity it will provide him to add strength and develop his skills against older competition. Three years from now, the possibility of the Blues rolling out Robert Thomas, Otto Stenberg (2023, No. 25) and Reschny as their top three centers should have them competing for more than just a playoff spot.

Morreale — Lynden Lakovic: Lakovic missed 21 games because of injury this season but still led Moose Jaw in scoring. He’s a high-end wing capable of setting up teammates and finishing around the goal. He was Moose Jaw’s captain this season and some scouts have compared him to Sabres forward Tage Thompson.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Minnesota Wild)

Kimelman — Logan Hensler, D, Wisconsin (NCAA): After taking a forward with their first pick, the Blue Jackets can add Hensler (6-2, 198) a right-handed shot who skates well and showed no problem handling older, more physically developed forwards in the defensive zone as a college freshman. The 18-year-old had 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 32 games this season, and averaged 12:12 of ice time in seven games to help the U.S. win gold at the WJC.

Morreale — Justin Carbonneau: After selecting a physical defenseman six picks earlier, the Blue Jackets snag Carbonneau, who has been compared to Flyers forward Owen Tippett. Carbonneau is a prototypical power forward with plenty of grit and smarts. His skating continues to improve, as does his 200-foot game. The right-handed shot led Blainville-Boisbriand with 89 points and was second with 37 power-play points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 62 games.

21. Ottawa Senators

Kimelman — Benjamin Kindel, C, Calgary (WHL): The Senators need a young center prospect and Kindel (5-10, 180) would be a strong option. The 18-year-old was seventh in the WHL with 99 points (35 goals, 64 assists) in 65 games and showcased great skating and quickness with strong playmaking ability.

Morreale — Blake Fiddler, D, Edmonton (WHL): Fiddler (6-4, 220) ranked first among Edmonton defensemen in goals (10), points (33) and shots on goal (131) in 64 regular-season games. He had three points (two goals, one assist) with a plus-8 rating and averaged 20:46 of ice time in seven games for the United States at the 2025 U-18 Worlds. The son of former NHL forward Vernon Fiddler, Blake is a playmaker from the blue line who can get shots through but also jump down and create scoring chances.

22. Philadelphia Flyers (from Colorado Avalanche)

Kimelman — Cameron Reid: After selecting a center with their first pick, the Flyers address their second-biggest need with Reid, an explosive skater who won’t shy away from physical play. Reid projects to be a top-four defender who can quarterback a power play effectively.

Morreale — Daniil Prokhorov, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg Jr. (RUS-JR): With three picks in the first round, the Flyers can afford some swings, and this choice fits the bill. He offers size (6-5, 219), skill and physicality, and is strong at the net front. Compared by some scouts to Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin, the left-shot right wing had 27 points (20 goals, seven assists) in 43 games this season with St. Petersburg in the MHL, Russia’s junior league. He was seventh among MHL skaters with 187 shots on goal.

23. Nashville Predators (from Tampa Bay Lightning)

Kimelman — Cullen Potter, C, Arizona State (NCAA): The Predators find a future top-six center in Potter (5-10, 172), one of the fastest skaters in this year’s draft class. The 18-year-old had 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in 35 games as a college freshman, and had eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games to help the U.S. win the bronze medal at the World U-18s.

Morreale — Logan Hensler: The sixth-youngest player in NCAA hockey, Hensler played well at both ends of the ice, including 30 blocked shots in 32 games as a college freshman after he had 32 points (four goals, 28 assists) in 61 games with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 team in 2023-24. Hensler can lead the rush, can close out quickly while defending and can identify shooting and passing lanes.

24. Los Angeles Kings

Kimelman — Milton Gastrin, C, MoDo Jr. (SWE-JR): With Anze Kopitar (37) and Phillip Danault (32) each older than 30, finding young centers could be a priority this year for the Kings. Gastrin (6-1, 194) had 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 40 games in Sweden’s junior league, and the 18-year-old also made his SHL debut with MoDo, going without a point in eight games. He really stood out among his age group for his leadership ability, serving as captain for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the World U-18s. At the latter tournament, he had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in seven games to help Sweden win the silver medal. His vision and high-end hockey IQ make him a dependable player in all three zones.

Morreale — Benjamin Kindel: The right-shot center can play any situation, is smart and responsible with and without the puck and is an asset on the power play and penalty kill. He was named a WHL Eastern Conference First Team All-Star, and his 23-game point streak (45 points; 15 goals, 30 assists) from Nov. 8-Jan. 12 was the second-longest in the league during the regular season, behind forward Gavin McKenna (40 games) of Medicine Hat, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft.

25. Chicago Blackhawks (from Toronto Maple Leafs)

Kimelman — Malcolm Spence, LW, Erie (OHL): After selecting a center with their first choice, the Blackhawks can take a shot with a talented forward who projects to be a solid goal-scorer. Spence (6-1, 190) is a very good skater who can accelerate with the puck on his stick, and he’s strong enough to make his presence felt on the forecheck. He also was one of five OHL players to score at least five power-play goals and five short-handed goals this season. The 18-year-old will play at the University of Michigan next season.

Morreale — Cullen Potter: Potter was the first forward to go from the NTDP Under-17 team to college, skipping his chance to play on the program’s Under-18 team. An elite skater capable of creating chances in the offensive end, he has outstanding hockey bloodlines; his mother, Jenny Potter, played for the United States at the Olympics four times and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

26. Nashville Predators (from Vegas Golden Knights via San Jose Sharks)

Kimelman — Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Prince George (WHL): Predators general manager Barry Trotz said the timeline is right for Nashville to add a top goalie prospect either this year or next at the draft, so this seems like a good opportunity to select the best available at the position, coincidentally with a pick acquired from the Sharks when they traded their former top goalie prospect, Yaroslav Askarov. Ravensbergen (6-5, 191) has the prototypical NHL size, and his athleticism and demeanor also are standout qualities. The 18-year-old was 33-13-4 with a 3.00 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in 51 games.

Morreale — Malcolm Spence: Spence was third in scoring for Erie this season, his third in the OHL. He also tied for fourth in the league with seven game-winning goals. He has plenty of speed and is a high-end playmaker. Spence had seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games to help Canada win the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

27. Washington Capitals

Kimelman — Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University (NCAA): The Capitals can continue to add to their prospect depth on defense with Boumedienne (6-1, 184), who displayed a mature game as a college freshman and had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 40 games. The 18-year-old really turned heads at the 2025 World U-18s, setting a record for defensemen with 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in seven games for Sweden, and he was named the tournament’s best defenseman.

Morreale — Milton Gastrin: Gastrin is considered a playmaker with good speed, compete and intelligence. He can play center or left wing, and is a strong skater who plays a simple and effective game with high hockey IQ. Gastrin also was captain for Sweden when it won the bronze medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and for the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

28. Winnipeg Jets

Kimelman — Blake Fiddler: The Jets lack a young defenseman with the kind of size and strength Fiddler brings. Add in that he’s a right-handed shot with strong NHL bloodlines, and he fills a need as well as arguably being the best player available at this spot.

Morreale — Bill Zonnon, RW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL): The left-handed shot (6-2, 185) can play wing or center and has improved each of his three seasons in the QMJHL. He was second on the team with 83 points (28 goals, 55 assists) and 34 power-play points (seven goals, 27 assists) in 64 games this season. He fits the Jets profile as a player with strong compete and good defensive habits.

29. Carolina Hurricanes

Kimelman — Bill Zonnon: The Hurricanes need to add center depth to their prospect group, and Zonnon excelled after being moved to center this season. The 18-year-old has the quickness and tenacity the Hurricanes like in their forwards. He should develop into a key contributor on the power play and penalty kill. He’s expected to play with Blainville-Boisbriand next season after being traded there June 5.

Morreale — William Horcoff, C, Michigan (NCAA): The youngest player in college hockey this season had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 18 NCAA games after joining Michigan in December. Horcoff, the son of former NHL forward Shawn Horcoff, had 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 28 games with the NTDP U-18 team to begin the season. He makes plays in tight spaces and is really effective when he uses his size (6-5, 203) to shield pucks and thrive in high-traffic areas.

30. San Jose Sharks (from Dallas Stars)

Kimelman — Henry Brzustewicz, D, London (OHL): After selecting London defenseman Sam Dickinson with the No. 11 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Sharks can choose his partner from the Memorial Cup championship team here. Brzustewicz (6-1, 203) had 42 points (10 goals, 32 assists) in 67 games this season. The 18-year-old right-handed shot skates well and can jump into the play, and also is strong enough to push forwards away from the front of his net. He should get more ice time and offensive opportunities next season with London.

Morreale — Sascha Boumedienne: The youngest defenseman in NCAA hockey this season had a strong second half to the season, including seven points (three goals, four assists) in his final 12 games, which set him up for an outstanding World U-18 tournament. He’s poised, defends well and has the ability to skate and transition the puck well. He is expected to play a bigger role for Boston University next season.

31. Philadelphia Flyers (from Edmonton Oilers)

Kimelman — Jack Ivankovic, G, Brampton (OHL): The Flyers use the benefit of having three first-round picks to select a player one scout called, “probably the most skilled goalie in this draft.” Ivankovic (5-11, 173) doesn’t have the typical NHL size for the position, but he’s won everywhere he’s gone, including a gold medal for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18s Championship when he was 6-0-0 with a 1.05 GAA, .961 save percentage and two shutouts in six games and was voted the tournament’s best goalie. He also was the first 17-year-old goalie (he turned 18 on May 22) to start for Canada at the World Junior Championship since 1987. Ivankovic will play at the University of Michigan next season.

Morreale — Henry Brzustewicz: A two-way right-handed shot, Brzustewicz brings great competitiveness, vision and physicality from the back end. Capable of being utilized in all situations, Brzustewicz was third in scoring among NHL draft-eligible defensemen in the OHL and had 14 power-play points (two goals, 12 assists) in 67 games. His older brother is Flames defenseman prospect Hunter Brzustewicz, who made his NHL debut April 17.

32. Calgary Flames (from Florida Panthers)

Kimelman — William Horcoff, C, Michigan (NCAA): The Flames further address their center depth with Horcoff, who brings NHL-ready size and quality bloodlines. Horcoff showcased his athleticism during the NHL Scouting Combine when he set the record for longest horizontal jump at 124.8 inches. Another season of college hockey will further allow him to develop on and off the ice.

Morreale — Cole McKinney, C, USA U-18 (NTDP): The Flames should continue to build down the middle and the 18-year-old right-handed shot (6-0, 200), who has been compared to Boston Bruins forward Elias Lindholm, is a nice option at this point. McKinney, who will attend the University of Michigan in 2025-26, led the NTDP U-18 team with 61 points (27 goals, 34 points) in 60 games, including 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 18 games against NCAA competition. He plays a 200-foot game, is good on face-offs and kills penalties, has an improved shot and plays with grit.