A record 326 NHL-drafted players are competing in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season — up from 232 in 2024 — according to data compiled for ESPN’s coverage of the 2026–27 season.
The increase follows a 2025 NCAA rule change that classified Canadian junior hockey players as amateurs rather than professionals, restoring their eligibility to play college hockey. That shift contributed to more top prospects enrolling in NCAA programs, including Gavin McKenna, who chose Penn State over staying in the Western Hockey League ahead of his draft-eligible season.
TOP NEWS
Boston University leads all NCAA programs with 19 NHL draftees. Caleb Malhotra, a center selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, recorded 29 goals and 55 assists in 2025.
Michigan State ranks second with 17 draftees. Cayden Lindstrom, a center and left wing drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, posted 3 goals and 7 assists in 2025.
Denver has 16 draftees. Daxon Rudolph, a defenseman chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, tallied 28 goals and 50 assists in 2025.
Michigan and Minnesota each have 16 and 15 draftees, respectively. Jack Nesbitt, a center drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, recorded 25 goals and 33 assists in 2025. Wyatt Cullen, a forward selected by the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, had 16 goals and 29 assists in 2025.
Other programs with notable rosters include Boston College (14), North Dakota (14), Western Michigan (13), UMass (12), Colorado College (11), Harvard (10), Ohio State (10), Penn State (10), Providence (10), Quinnipiac (10), Arizona State (9), UConn (9), Minnesota Duluth (9), Notre Dame (9), Wisconsin (9), Cornell (7), Lake Superior State (7), Miami (OH) (7), New Hampshire (6), Northeastern (6), Maine (5), Merrimack (4), Michigan Tech (4), St. Cloud State (4), Clarkson (3), Dartmouth (3), Minnesota State (2), RIT (2), and Vermont (1).
NCAA men’s hockey games air regularly on ESPN+, and ESPN will broadcast the Frozen Four championship tournament.
The NCAA season is underway as the Denver Pioneers pursue their 12th national title.
More: NHL
