Projected first-round NHL Draft pick Cole Reschny commits to UND – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS — UND has landed one of the top recruits in Western Canada.

Cole Reschny, a center who is projected to be picked in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, has committed to UND for the upcoming season.

The 5-foot-11, 187-pound forward from Macklin, Sask., tallied 92 points in 62 games this season for the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League. He finished ninth in the league in scoring.

“I did a lot of talking with my family, my parents, my agent and ultimately, going to UND was the best decision,” Reschny said. “I think it will best prepare me for the next level, which is the NHL one day.”

Reschny is expected to immediately center one of UND’s top two lines.

He visited UND earlier this month. Although he spoke to other college programs, UND was his lone college visit.

“It was great,” Reschny said. “Getting to meet the coaches like Dane (Jackson), Dillon (Simpson) and Chyz (Bryn Chyzyk) was great. It was very good to see all the facilities and to go around campus and see what things are like. I felt like it’s a great hockey environment and that’s what I want to be in.”

Reschny will attend the NHL Combine this week and has been invited to the NHL Draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28.

The Athletic

and TSN’s

Craig Button

both have Reschny going No. 15 overall in their most recent mock drafts.

Ryan Kennedy

of The Hockey News has Reschny at No. 25.

“Cole Reschny has a chance to be a top-15 pick in this year’s draft thanks to high-end hockey sense, excellent puck skills and an ability to make plays all over the ice,” said FloHockey prospect expert Chris Peters. “He doesn’t have the best size and he’s not a natural burner with his skating, but his offensive capabilities put him among the upper-tier players in his draft class.”

Reschny was especially dominant at the end of the season.

He racked up 25 points in 11 playoff games for Victoria, then joined Team Canada at the IIHF World Under-18 Tournament in Texas.

Reschny had eight points in five games at Worlds.

“His second half, especially in the playoffs with Victoria and at the U18s with Canada, he was a legitimate driver,” Peters said. “Based on how effective he was in the WHL in the toughest stretch of the season, I think he’ll make a fairly smooth transition as he progresses up the ranks.”

Reschny’s head coach in Victoria this season was former UND legend James Patrick.

“It was a great year,” Reschny said, “a big year for me, my draft year. It wasn’t the best start. I thought I could be playing better. But (at the end), I think I was playing my best hockey. We had a great year team-wise in Victoria. It was a big year for me. I have nothing but great memories of Victoria and I can’t thank them enough for all of that.”

Now, it’s on to the next step for Reschny.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started. It feels like it’s still a little bit away, but it will be here before I know it. I know they have a pretty good group there. I’m excited.”

Reschny is the second major prospect UND has grabbed out of the WHL in the last month. The Fighting Hawks also received a commitment from Cooper Williams, who will come to school in 2026 or 2027 from the Saskatoon Blades.

This is the first season in decades where Canadian major junior players are eligible for college. The NCAA announced the rules change last November.

“When the rules change happened, I started to take a look at things,” Reschny said. “I think everyone is taking a look at things and is open to the best options. I think seeing schools — the big ones like UND — you realize how much rich history there is and how many good players have come out of there and how they develop players with their facilities.”

Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.