This article is part of a series of stories stemming from a lengthy interview with Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte in mid-June.

Over the past week, Colorado College hockey has revealed several players on its incoming class for the 2025-2026 season. 

Earlier this month, Tigers coach Kris Mayotte called the incoming group the “best class we’ve had since I’ve gotten here.”

To recap the announcements, CC officially welcomed forwards Merril Steenari, Connor Hvidston, Tomas and Mateo Mrsic, Brayden Schuurman, Ryan Alexander, Wilson Björck, Brandon Lisowsky, as well as defensemen Seth Constance and Colton Roberts, and goaltender Jackson Unger.

The full list of incoming Tigers has not officially been revealed as the process is ongoing. That’s due in part to a change to college hockey this season, which allows players from the Canadian Hockey League to be eligible for the NCAA. 

On Nov. 7, the NCAA Division-I Council voted that players who skated in one of the Canadian Hockey League’s three leagues — the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League — could play in the NCAA this upcoming season, provided they were not compensated beyond necessary expenses before college. 

Previously, CHL players were considered professional and could not skate for NCAA teams.

According to Mayotte, the inclusion of CHL players beginning in November has extended the recruiting season. 

“We basically built this class, the majority of it, starting in March,” he said. 

CC has taken full advantage of the change, bringing in a bevy of skaters from the WHL. 

As previously reported, CC welcomed Tomas Mrsic June 19, the leading scorer for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders a season ago. Hvidston earned 56 points on 19 goals and 37 assists for the Calgary Hitmen, also in the WHL. Lisowsky was a top-10 goal scorer in the league, playing for the Saskatoon Blades and the Victoria Royals last season. He earned a total of 74 points on 40 goals and 34 assists. Roberts played for the Vancouver Giants, earning 36 points on six goals and 30 assists. Schuurman played for the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Seattle Thunderbirds. He recorded 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists. Finally, Unger comes to CC by way of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, where he posted a .909 save percentage. He was also at Moose Jaw where he had a .887 save percentage. 

In recruiting these new players, Mayotte reaffirmed his commitment to bringing in talent whose values align with the Tigers’ program. 

“We know there’s a whole new crop of players available to college hockey, but we wanted to make sure and be really intentional that we weren’t simply chasing a points total,” he said. “You still need to make sure you’re recruiting the right people and the right players and the right guys for your locker room.”

Mayotte credited assistant John Lidgett with spearheading the team’s recruiting efforts in this unique offseason, saying his knowledge of Western Canada, the coaches, agents, and families therein, has been crucial to the creation of this incoming class and making sure that the new Tigers have character as well as talent. 

The team hopes for great contributions from the newcomers outside the WHL as well. Björck’s arrival was first reported in April . He was the second-highest scorer in Sweden’s J20 Nationell league with 67 points on 28 goals and 39 assists.

Steenari played in the United States Hockey League last season, earning 41 points on 29 goals and 12 assists for the Fargo Force. 

Alexander and Constance are the team’s additions from the transfer portal. Constance, a rising sophomore, played for Northeastern University last season. Alexander comes to CC from National Collegiate Hockey Conference foe Arizona State where the rising senior earned eight points on three goals and five assists.

Björck selected by Vancouver, adds to several NHL picks skating for Tigers 

Wilson Björck was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL draft on Saturday. 

Here’s a list of CC Tigers who will have an NHL Logo next to their name on game days:

Returners

Klavs Veinbergs (Tampa Bay, 2022, seventh round)

Owen Beckner (Ottawa, 2023, seventh round)

Fisher Scott (Detroit, 2024, seventh round)

Newcomers 

Tomas Mrsic (St. Louis, 2024, fourth round)

Connor Hvidston (Anaheim, 2022, fifth round)

Wilson Björck (Vancouver, 2025, fifth round)

Brandon Lisowsky (Toronto, 2022, seventh round)

Colton Roberts (San Jose, 2024, fifth round)

Petr Mrazek’s goaltending odyssey now takes him to the Anaheim Ducks. Essentially John Gibson’s less expensive replacement, Mrazek will be counted on to play quite a bit as a backup to Lukáš Dostál so that his young countryman doesn’t wear down in the No. 1 role.

“We’re certainly going to be counting on him for at least 30 starts,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “I think the cool thing is Lukáš and Petr, they were teammates at the world championships. They’re very familiar with one another. They’re good friends.

“Petr’s very competitive. Having that relationship, I feel that they’re going to push each other real hard to be the best. I think it’ll be a good tandem.”

At times inconsistent and unpredictable in his 13-year career with five teams, the 33-year-old Mrazek will have some work to do as the Ducks had a strong tandem of Dostál and Gibson in their 21-point improvement over 2023-24 that put them on the fringe of playoff contention in the second half of the season. Mrazek finished the season with the Detroit Red Wings – his second stint with the club – after making 33 starts with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Ducks saw Dostál ascend into a full-fledged No. 1 goalie last season but also witnessed him wear down in the second half as his numbers began to plummet. Mrazek has a career .906 save percentage but he’s been a sub-.900 goalie in three of the last four seasons.

“Seeing Lukáš play 54 games probably helped last year,” Verbeek said. “I’m not sure (or) ecstatic that I want him to play that many. It’s a lot of games and so bringing in Mrazek, he’s carried the load for different teams at different times. That experience that he has in that area made it more comfortable to be able to do that.

“We had a really good tandem and I wasn’t really crazy about breaking up the tandem. But I think with getting a goaltender that I felt comfortable with coming back that could support Lukáš made the difference.”

BOSTON — James Hagens hasn’t decided whether he’ll be back at Boston College for his sophomore season or whether he’d ready to turn pro yet.

After earning All-Rookie status in Hockey East as a freshman at Boston College, the Bruins picked Hagens with the No. 7 overall pick in Friday’s NHL Draft.

Barring an injury, he’s likely to spend at most one more year in Chestnut Hill, but if he and the Bruins, both agreed he was ready, he could turn pro now.

Last month Hagens was non-committal about his future before he knew what team he’d be with.

“Just have to see what happens. There’s no decision made yet,” Hagens said on a Tuesday morning Zoom call. “That’s a discussion that me and my family and the team would have to have after the draft.”

On Friday, he offered a similar response.

“It’s a talk that sure I’ll have with the staff when I, when I see them,” he said. “Good thing is it’s right down the street from each other, so yeah, I’m glad it all worked out.”

But pushed a little, he admitted he was eager said he’s gained weight and strength since he got to Boston College.

“I wanna play in the NHL as soon as possible,” he said. “That’s a conversation with the team, whether I’m doing that now or once the season’s once the college season’s over, that’s a conversation we have to have.”

Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney liked the enthusiasm, but pumped the breaks a bit.

“He will come right back and join us for development camp and we’ll just incrementally have discussions about where he’s at,” Sweeney said. “There will be no hurry to try and fast-track James. I’d say about every player. If somewhere between now and then that changes and we feel differently about it, as we’re evaluating, we may make that decision. I know He’d like to play right away. I’m sure every guy that was drafted tonight thinks they might be able to play in the National Hockey League, but we’ll allow that to take a more natural course and make the right decision.”

Hagens played at BC last year with Dean Letourneau, Boston’s first-round pick in 2024 as well as Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau, who were later-round Bruins picks. There were 12 NHL Draft picks on the Eagles roster in 2024-25.

Bruins’ 2023 seventh-rounder Kristian Kostadinksi will be a freshman next year at the Heights.

Hagens, who was at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles, is expected to be at Bruins Develoment Camp on Monday at Warrior Arena. College players can attend development camps, but need to be signed to attend training camp.

It was a long wait to get to the first pick of the 2025 NHL draft for the Colorado Avalanche, but yet not as long as expected. As the Charlie Coyle trade provided the club with an extra selection at 77th overall in the third round. In addition to the two picks they already held in the fourth and seventh rounds, Colorado ended up with a three-pick draft class. Let’s meet the new Avalanche prospects.

77th Overall – LD Francesco Dell’Elce – UMass (NCAA) – 40 GP: 7G, 17A, 24P

With that pick the Avalanche selected Francesco Dell’Elce, a six-foot-one left shot defenseman who currently plays at UMass. He just turned 20-years-old so this means Dell’Elce was first draft eligible in 2023. He was playing at St. Andrews College, a prep school in Canada, at that time and not quite on the radar. Dell’Elce subsequently spent a year in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees before beginning his NCAA career.

Dell’Elce broke out in his freshman year at UMass putting up 24 points and averaged over 20 minutes time on ice as a freshman. With that resume he was ranked 82rd for North American skaters by NHL Central scouting and thus, expected to hear his name called this time around.

Colorado loves their overagers as a way to shortcut development and have made that investment in third round picks in previous years. Dell’Elce projects to be a similar type transition defenseman similar to Sam Malinski so perhaps the organization has found a prototype they can be successful with.

118th Overall – RD Linus Funck – Luelå J20 (Sweden) – 48 GP: 5G, 23A, 28P

In what’s clearly an effort to rebuild their prospect pool on the back end, the Avalanche selected another defenseman in the fourth round. This time they deviated from their typical strategy and looked to the Swedish junior ranks to find a big six-foot-three right handed defenseman.

Funck is a first year draft eligible at 18-years-old and was a bit of a favorite in the scouting community as someone who can play a two-way game and is growing into his large frame. He had an upward trajectory on his junior team this season and hopefully gets to keep developing in Sweden before reaching North America. Funck was the 39th ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting.

214th Overall – LC Nolan Roed – Tri-City (USHL) – 61 GP: 27G, 33A, 60P

For the last pick in their 2025 draft class, the Avalanche went back to their familiar roots with a overage pick on the NCAA path. Left-shot center Nolan Roed had a breakout campaign in Tri-City where he led the team with 60 points and was ranked 135th for North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The five-foot-eleven 19-year old is expected to attend St. Cloud State for the 2025-26 season giving the Avalanche yet another prospect to follow in the NCAA.

Welcome to Colorado, hope to see them all at development camp!

Michigan’s hockey program had a historic 2025 NHL draft.

The Wolverines had eight players or recruits selected during the two-day event, breaking their previous draft record of seven (2015, 2007, 1990).

Of the group, four went in the first two rounds. Only one was on the Wolverines’ roster last season, a testament to the talent they are bringing into their program.

But it’s also not a surprise this is the year they set a new record with the 2025-26 season being the first where Canadian Hockey League players are eligible to play NCAA hockey. Four picks played in one of the three Canadian junior leagues last season. Before this year, CHL players were banned from playing in the NCAA because they were considered professionals by the governing body of college athletics since they received stipends from their junior teams.

Here’s a look at the eight current and future Wolverines who were selected:

Forward Will Horcoff: First round, No. 24 overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh traded up to select the 6-foot-5 Horcoff, who joined the Wolverines midway through last season and chipped in four goals and six assists in 18 games. He has an NHL pedigree, with his father, Shawn Horcoff, playing over 1,000 games in the league and currently holding the position of assistant general manager for the Detroit Red Wings.

Will was playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program last season before jumping to the college ranks in January.

“I think his size is the biggest factor, but it’s what he does with it too,” FloHockey NHL prospects analyst Chris Peters said of Horcoff. “The physicality he’s able to play with, the fact that he transitioned to college hockey, and the first few games there were a couple instances where college athletes are bouncing off of him and you’re just like, ‘Well, this is different. He’s built a little different.’

“I think the NHL pedigree absolutely helps. I think teams like his character. They like the athleticism that he displays and the strength he has. I think the offensive upside and the offensive ceiling is a bit lower, but at the same time, at the end of the first round, especially in this draft class, you’re just trying to find NHL players. I think that his physical profile and how he’s progressed so far over the last couple of years does suggest high NHL potential.”

Forward Malcolm Spence: Second round, No. 43 overall to the New York Rangers

The 6-foot-1, 203-pounder brings an element to Michigan’s lineup that it was lacking last season: a power forward willing to go to the hard areas of ice. Most experts had him projected as a first-round pick, so the Rangers appeared to get good value at No. 43.

Spence is making the jump from the Ontario Hockey League, where he had 32 goals and 73 points in 65 games last season for the Erie Otters.

“I think adding Malcolm Spence was a very important addition for (Michigan’s) staff because you’ve got a lot of guys with a lot of skill on the roster, but you need to get some guys that have some of that grind to their game,” Peters said. “That’s what Malcolm Spence brings in addition to having the skill and scoring ability with his size and the pace that he plays with. I think he’s gonna make an impact on the physical side of things, which is really helpful.”

Forward Cole McKinney: Second round, No. 53 to the San Jose Sharks

McKinney was teammates with Horcoff last season with the NTDP, leading the team with 61 points in 60 games. The 6-foot Illinois native is expected to slot in as the team’s No. 2 or No. 3 center next season and plays a well-rounded 200-foot game.

“I really like the way that he plays,” Peters said. “I think that he has real good two-way sense. He’s a hard-worker, does have skill. I thought he was one of the NTDP’s best players this year down the stretch.”

Goalie Jack Ivankovic: Second round, No. 58 to the Nashville Predators

The Predators helped develop Juuse Saros into one of the top goalies in the NHL despite him being undersized at 5-foot-11. They are taking another gamble on a smaller goalie in Ivankovic, who likely will begin next season as Michigan’s starting after playing the 2024-25 campaign with the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL. He is listed at 6-foot but has all the other tools teams covet in a goalie.

“It’s only the size, I promise you,” analyst Sam Cosentino said on the NHL Network draft broadcast. “His technical game, his winning pedigree, the way he’s a teammate, his character all fit what you want in a No. 1 goalie. But because of the size, everyone backed off. In my opinion, this guy was right on the fringes of the first round, especially because of that winning pedigree and all that he’s done with Team Canada. I think this is a steal of a pick here.”

Defenseman Drew Schock: Fourth round, No. 101 to the Anaheim Ducks

Schock is another NTDP product, registering nine goals and 37 points in 66 games last season. His father, Harold, also played at Michigan, winning a national championship in 1997.

“He does a lot of things well,” Peters said. “There’s not one elite trait about him, but he does so many things well. I think he reads plays really well. Good gap control, good mobility, plays physical when he needs to, can be relied on in all situations. He’s a guy that I do think could potentially make a more immediate impact on the blue line.”

Forward Jimmy Lombardi: Fourth round, No. 125 to the Los Angeles Kings

Lombardi isn’t signed for next season, so Michigan can’t acknowledge his commitment, but he recently verbally pledged to the Wolverines for the 2026-27 campaign. The 18-year-old will play one more year with the Flint Firebirds in the OHL, where he registered 13 goals and 45 assists in 63 games in 2024-25.

Forward Asher Barnett: Fifth round, No. 131 to the Edmonton Oilers

Yes, Barnett also played with the development program last season and will have plenty of familiarity with several of his new teammates. He had eight goals and 22 points in 58 games and also served as captain for Team USA at the IIHF World U18 Championship this spring.

“I think is kind of a simple what you see is what you get kind of player,” Peters said. “He’s effective. He’s reliable. I think he’s pretty smart. He’s decently mobile. He’s probably gonna be one of those guys where his impact’s gonna be felt more in the coming years.”

Forward Aidan Park: Seventh round, No. 233 to the Edmonton Oilers

The 6-foot-1, 188-pound center was the second-to-last pick in the draft. Park, 19, was draft-eligible last year and didn’t get selected but had a strong season with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, where he had 33 goals and 33 assists in 55 games.

“I think Park is really intriguing,” Peters said. “The high skill level that he has, he obviously had an explosive season this year. He fits into the mold of the kind of team that Michigan has with the skill. There’s so much skill in that lineup, and he just adds another piece to it. I think his impact will probably be felt more as a sophomore and junior than as a freshman.”

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Nearly 70 Current, Future and Former NCAA Players Taken in Rounds 2-7

LOS ANGELES – Seventy-six current, committed and former NCAA Division I players were selected during the 2025 NHL Draft, college hockey’s biggest number since the NHL went to its seven-round draft format in 2005.

Sixty-six of those picks came Saturday during rounds two through seven after 10 players had been chosen during Friday’s opening round at the Peacock Theater.

Twenty-seven different NCAA schools had at least one player or recruit selected, led by Michigan with eight. Boston University was next with seven selections, while Michigan State and North Dakota had six each. Minnesota and Penn State both had five players taken.

Five of the seven rounds featured at least 10 college hockey players taken, topped by the 13 selections in rounds two and seven.

Also of note:

• The 2025 NCAA selections included 48 forwards, 23 defensemen and five goalies.
• Forty-seven of the 76 NCAA draft picks were Americans. The remaining 29 players came from Canada (21), Sweden (four), Belarus (one), China (one), Croatia (one) and Czechia (one).
• Most of the NCAA-affiliated players drafted in 2025 will be incoming freshmen during either the 2025-26 or 2026-27 seasons. However, nine active collegians were selected: Boston University D Sascha Boumedienne (WPG), Penn State F Charlie Cerrato (CAR), UMass D Francseco Dell’Elce (COL), Boston College F James Hagens (BOS), Wisconsin D Logan Hensler (OTT), Michigan F Will Horcoff (PIT), Arizona State F Cullen Potter (CGY), Western Michigan D Zack Sharp (SJS), and Michigan State F Shane Vansaghi (PHI).
• Twenty-seven of the NHL’s 32 franchises drafted at least one current or committed NCAA player. Pittsburgh had the most with seven, followed by San Jose (six) and Calgary (five), Los Angeles (four), Montreal (four), New Jersey (four) and Philadelphia (four).
• There have been 80 first-round picks from the NCAA over the last 10 NHL Drafts (2016-25) compared to 53 first-rounders over the previous 10 drafts (2006-15).

For more information, visit CollegeHockeyInc.com.