Jeremiyah Love starred in his sophomore season for Notre Dame and has even been named as a future Heisman contender, with NFL teams already ranking him higher than his 2026 class

There is a lot of hype surrounding Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, with several analysts predicting him to be the first running back selected.

Love was instrumental for the Fighting Irish last season and helped Notre Dame reach the national championship game, although Ohio State won the title. Love had 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and is set to feature on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26.

Heading into the 2025-26 season, Love has already been mentioned as an early Heisman Trophy contender and is expected to improve on his stunning numbers as a sophomore. According to ESPN, Love is already the No. 1 rated running back in the 2026 NFL Draft class.

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In addition to Love’s dominant rushing game, he also had 28 receptions for 237 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns last season. Love still has two years left of college eligibility, including the upcoming season, but could declare for the draft if he stays healthy.

Should Love declare, not only is he expected to be the first running back taken, but he could be selected in the first round. The last Notre Dame running back selected in the first round was Jerome Bettis in 1993.

Love has made it clear that he wants to improve on last season and has also challenged himself to win the Heisman. The last running back to win the prestigious trophy was Derrick Henry in 2015, but Love hasn’t ruled out success.

“Just to do better than I did last year, whatever that may be,” Love told On3 when asked about his goals next season. Want to win some awards. Want to win the Heisman, want to win the Doak Walker.

“I just want to do better than I did last year and make a statement for myself. And cement myself in Notre Dame history, to come out as one of the best players in Notre Dame history. But I just want to go out there and win it. That’s a long time, 10 years ago. But maybe this year, I’ll have to make it plus one.”

Love’s speed and explosiveness have already attracted the attention of NFL teams, and the Notre Dame running back believes that he is a unique athlete. “I don’t shape my game after anybody,” he added. “I kind of just have my own style play.

“I’m an all-around back. When I’m running the ball, I run pretty high, and the reason for that is because I’m a little bit taller, a little bit more lengthy. And whenever it’s time to get physical, I can get low and get physical. I don’t know how I would compare myself to other running backs.”

Love hasn’t just challenged himself to improve on last season, as he’s tasked the Fighting Irish with returning to the national championship game. This time, he wants to make sure they win.

“We’ve got to live up to those expectations,” Love said. “It makes me very confident knowing that the expectation for these guys is high, and it lets me know that they’re definitely going to grind their hardest and put in the work to live up to those expectations. Now I’m ready for the season, and ready to prove everybody right.

“Obviously, we got to the national championship game, and it didn’t end how we wanted it. But the fact that we made it there gave us a lot of insight on what we need to do in order to get there again and win it all next time.

“This season, we’re going to be hunted. People are coming at our necks, trying to make a statement. We welcome all of that. We’re just going to do what we have to do to make it to the national championship again this year and win it all. We know what it’s going to take to get there.”

The 2025 NHL Draft is officially over, with the Vancouver Canucks adding six new players into their organization’s portfolio. Their selection includes a surprising four centers, a goaltender, and a right-winger. Vancouver didn’t pick any defencemen this year, which isn’t surprising given the depth they have shown lately with both Vancouver and the Abbotsford Canucks. They had a pick in every round of the draft except for the fourth, which they traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Evander Kane earlier on in the week. Let’s take a look at the six players who are now members of the Canucks organization.

Braeden Cootes

Round 1, 15th OVR

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Centre

Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL

With their first selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, Vancouver selected centre Braeden Cootes of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Cootes, who captained the Thunderbirds alongside fellow Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio in 2024–25, is a two-way centre who is known for his leadership on and off the ice as well as his positive impact in the locker room. Offensively, Cootes hit another level this year, scoring 26 goals and 37 assists in 63 games. In terms of his potential, some have even likened Cootes to former Canucks captain Bo Horvat.

Aleksei Medvedev

Round 2, 47th OVR

Goaltender

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London Knights, OHL

Vancouver’s second pick in this year’s draft was Aleksei Medvedev, a goaltender who played in his first season with the London Knights of the OHL this season. He started 34 of the Knights’ games this season, putting up a 2.79 GAA and a .912 SV%. The left-handed catcher registered a record of 22–8–2 as well as three shutouts. Medvedev is one of the youngest goalies in this year’s draft, as he is still 17 until September 10, but is still 6’3 and has room to grow within the next few years.

Kieren Dervin

Round 3, 65th OVR

Center

Kingston Frontenacs, OHL

Selected in the third round at 65th overall, Kieren Dervin spent 10 games with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL in 2024–25. In his time with the Frontenacs during the regular season, he scored a goal and two assists. In the playoffs, he had a goal and two assists in 11 games. Prior to his time with Kingston, he spent two seasons with St. Andrew’s College, a Canadian hockey prep school located in Aurora, Ontario. With St. Andrew’s in 2024–25, Dervin posted 33 goals and 46 assists in 50 games played. He has already committed to Penn State University of the NCAA and is expected to join the team in 2026.

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Wilson Björck

Round 5, 143rd OVR

Center

Djurgårdens IF, J20 Nationell

Wilson Björck was the third center the Canucks selected in this year’s draft. Picked 143rd overall in the fifth round, Björck is one year older than the eligibility age and has a brother who will be eligible in the 2026 Entry Draft. Björck has played with Djurgårdens IF since 2022–23, splitting time with their J18 and J20 teams. In 2024–25, he scored 28 goals and 39 assists in 43 regular season games played with the J20 team. He averaged a point per game in the postseason with a goal and eight assists in nine games. Earlier this week, it was announced that Björck would be committing to Colorado College for the 2025–26 season.

Gabriel Chiarot

Round 6, 175th OVR

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Right wing

Brampton Steelheads, OHL

Vancouver’s fifth selection of the 2025 Draft was Gabriel Chiarot, a cousin of current Detroit Red Wings defenceman Ben Chiarot. Picked 175th overall in the sixth round of the draft, the 18 year old Chiarot spent the past two seasons with the Brampton Steelheads (formerly Mississaugua prior to relocation). He had 21 goals and 14 assists in 66 regular season games in 2024–25, and added a goal in six of the team’s postseason games.

Matthew Lansing

Round 7, 207th OVR

Center

Fargo Force, USHL

The Canucks’ final pick of the 2025 NHL Draft was Matthew Lansing, who was also the fourth centerman that the team selected this year. Lansing split time with the Fargo Force and the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL in the 2024–25 season, and also played 11 games with Waterloo the season prior. In 40 games with the Blackhawks this year, he scored eight goals and nine assists. With Fargo, he scored four goals and six assists in the regular season. He and Team USA won a Bronze Medal in the 2025 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship. In 2025–26, Lansing will be playing for Quinnipiac University of the NCAA.

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The San Jose Sharks continued adding to their forward prospect pool, selecting Teddy Mutryn with the 95th overall pick in the 2025 Draft.

Mutryn, who is committed to Boston College starting in the 2026-27 season, spent most of last season with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. In 47 games, he had 17 goals and 30 assists.

Often categorized as a power forward, Mutryn said he models his game after Charlie Coyle and Chris Kreider. He’s the type of player who can play in all situations and just wants to contribute to his team in any way possible.

As a 6-foot-1 forward who can play both center and on the wing, his versatility will certainly benefit his development and make him a useful asset for the San Jose Sharks.

Teddy Mutryn, on his reaction to being selected by the San Jose Sharks:

I was watching on TV. Actually, we had two TVs going, and one was a little ahead of the other, and I was in the room that was a little behind. So everyone started going nuts, and I didn’t see anything for like 30 seconds. So I was just freaking out. It was [a] crazy experience.

Mutryn, on the Sharks’ ties to Massachusetts:

I think it’s exciting I get to see those guys get picked and have success. There’s obviously some pride being from Boston, being from Massachusetts. I think it’s exciting to get to show the world and show the league what we can do. So it’s a pretty cool thing to be able to get drafted by an organization with a lot of guys from the Boston area.

Mutryn, on if he knew he was on the San Jose Sharks’ radar:

I had a little bit. I talked to them a couple of times. But to be honest, I had no idea. I felt like it could have been anyone. So I was kind of just sitting there, kind of nervous. I was excited, but it felt like it could be anyone. You’re kind of living and dying by each pick. But it was awesome. San Jose’s obviously an awesome organization in California, which is super nice weather. The winter is warm, which is unlike here in Boston. So it’s nice.

Mutryn, on knowing Will Smith and Mike Grier:

I’ve met Will a couple of times. He’s friends with a lot of kids that I know, coming from St. Sebastian’s, and then Mr. Grier too. I played with his son, Jayden. My freshman year, Jayden was a senior, so I got to know Jayden well, and he’s an awesome kid. So yeah, just super blessed and fortunate that they took a chance on me and believed in me. So it’s exciting.

Mutryn, on his family’s role in his success:

Obviously, my parents. All the money, time, and energy they’ve spent and put into helping me play hockey and pursue my career. I hope I can repay half of what they’ve given me. My family in general, my siblings. I have three younger siblings. I think they all push me to be better, and I want to be a good role model for them. So I think trying to make them proud is also part of my why I push myself. Why I want to be the best I can be and succeed.

Mutryn on why he chose Boston College:

I think BC is historically a phenomenal program. I grew up around the school. My father played quarterback for BC. My mom went there as well. She played lacrosse. I’ve kind of grown up around the school, going to football games, going to hockey games. I explored other options college-wise. But when I stepped on BC campus, I knew it was home. They always bring in a great pool of players. James [Hagens] is a phenomenal player. Obviously, Will was there, Ryan Leonard, they always bring in great players. So you know, you’re going to go there and play with good guys.

Watch the full interview here

Tij Iginla will be a partial participant in the Utah Mammoth’s development camp this week.

Tij Iginla has had a long year.

Most hockey players his age are skating for their junior or college teams, gaining the developmental experience necessary to take the eventual next step to their NHL clubs.

Iginla had to put all of that on pause.

“It wasn’t probably what I would’ve expected — at 18 years old getting double-hip surgery,” he said.

It was previously reported that Iginla underwent one hip surgery in December; however, he confirmed on Sunday that it was two. Iginla got his right hip done at the beginning of December and waited six weeks to build up “strength and stability” to support the surgery on his left hip at the end of January, he said.

Iginla is in Utah this week for the Utah Mammoth’s development camp and can participate in “a lot of the drills,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. The forward will, however, wear a non-contact jersey. He said he thinks he will be back to full contact and 100% skating in the next month or so.

“He’ll be out there. He’s really excited about being here,” Armstrong said. “He’ll move slowly, but get going. Good to see him and he is back on the ice.”

Iginla — who was Utah’s sixth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft — sat out the majority of last year’s training camp due to a lower body injury. He went on to play 21 games for the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets — and had 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) — before he officially addressed the hip issue.

“It was great to be a part of that [Utah] camp,” Iginla said. “I definitely learned a lot — for one thing, I learned that my hips were pretty messed up. Other than that, it was good to see the level, see the guys, be around that.”

The taste of NHL pace Iginla got in September is what has fueled him through his rehabilitation. He wants to return stronger and make up for the time and on-ice reps he has missed compared to his Mammoth prospect counterparts.

Accordingly, Iginla watched a lot of hockey. Whether it was Mammoth games, tape of current NHLers, video of himself or even his brother and sister’s seasons, Iginla worked to sharpen his IQ of the sport while sidelined. He used virtual reality, he said, for hockey sense training. Iginla has spent a lot of time in the weight room, too, to build his power away from the ice.

“I think there’s a certain aspect of resilience that you have to have going through that,” Iginla said. “Keeping a good head space and finding ways to keep getting better. For someone like me, that’s what keeps me sane going through something like that. Just knowing that I’m not just sitting on the couch getting worse.”

Double-hip surgery is not exactly uncommon for hockey players. Mammoth defenseman Ian Cole underwent the procedure in 2019 (he was 30 at the time), as did Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand in 2022 (he was 34 at the time). Obviously, Iginla being 18 and needing the surgery stands out.

The Utah doctors, training staff, coaches and front office will keep a close eye on Iginla this week as he takes the ice in the limited capacity alongside other top prospects for the Mammoth. Some notable names attending development camp are 2025 fourth-overall pick Caleb Desnoyers, Cole Beaudoin, Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But and Michael Hrabal.

Six of Utah’s seven players selected in the 2025 NHL Draft will be at development camp — forward Yegor Borikov will not be there.

The event — which goes until Thursday — offers the opportunity for players to show their progress and get a feel of the pros, and for the organization to get an up-close look at the assets in its system.

The on-ice sessions are set for June 30 and July 1 at Park City Ice Arena and happen in two groups (scheduled for 9:45-11:45 a.m. and 12:15-2:15 p.m.). Those practices will be open to the public. Development camp will conclude on July 3 with a scrimmage at Utah’s Olympic Oval. The prospects will play in a four-on-four, intra-squad competition to simulate a mock game with officials. While the scrimmage is closed to the public, the Mammoth will host 500 youth hockey players from the Utah Amateur Hockey Association to watch.

For Iginla, it is the first phase of getting back to some hockey normalcy and starting to see his hard work in recovery pay off.

“Try to trust the process and believe that it will all work out for the best,” Iginla said. “At this point, I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

There were rumors that the Sharks might do something unorthodox at second overall, but sanity won out and GM Mike Grier took the runaway best player available in Michael Misa.

Misa is impossible not to notice quickly in any given game. He’s quite the skater and he has a lot of octane in the tank. Misa layers a lot of different talents together in ways that lead to his line controlling play. He has a separation burst and the stick skills to separate from checks. He slings wrist shots into the corners of the net. He finds high-difficulty passing lanes in motion. He is also lethal in pressuring in the defensive zone to create turnovers and then blowing past defenders in transition.

Sometimes Misa tries to do too much and, despite his point totals, I would have liked to see him dominate more. Scouts also wonder if he’s better suited for the wing. In any case, San Jose already looks good at center with Celebrini and Smith and Misa should be a great two-way forward.

Joshua Ravensbergen is a good value at 30th overall and, with how deep San Jose’s prospect pool is, they could afford to take a risk on a big, athletic goaltender. Haoxi Wang, taken 33rd overall, is also a high-upside flyer. The 6’5″ defenseman skates like the wind and shows good shutdown potential, but is still figuring out the offensive side of the game. Cole McKinney has a strong defensive foundation to his game and, with a little offensive jump, could develop into a middle-six center.

The Sharks didn’t do anything beyond the scope of what was expected of them with the draft picks they had, but they didn’t throw away any value, either. A deep prospect pool gets deeper.