NCAA Skaters Signing with NHL Clubs in 2024

The exodus of NCAA players to the professional ranks began before the 2024 NCAA tournament started, and has continued following the conclusion of the Frozen Four last weekend in St. Paul. 

Some of the more notable signings, many of them underclassmen, to date since April 1 have included (players listed in alphabetical order by last name):

PLAYER SCHOOL NHL CLUB
Sean Behrens Denver Colorado
Gavin Brindley * Michigan Columbus
Shai Buium Denver Detroit
Dylan Duke Michigan Tampa Bay
Cutter Gauthier * Boston College Anaheim
Lane Hutson * Boston U. Montreal
Victor Mancini #        Omaha           NY Rangers
Scott Morrow * UMass     Carolina
Bradley Nadeau *        Maine           Carolina
Frank Nazar III * Michigan Chicago
Victor Ostman Maine Seattle
Jacob Quillan # Quinnipiac Toronto
Massimo Rizzo Denver Philadelphia
Luke Tuch Boston U. Montreal 
Cade Webber Boston U. Toronto
Dylan Wendt # W. Michigan New Jersey

# Indicates player has made AHL playing debut 

* Indicates player has made NHL playing debut 

USA Rolling with Two More Wins at WJC

The United States improved to 3-0-0 at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden with today's 4-3 shootout victory over Czechia. 

Isaac Howard (Michigan State) scored a goal in regulation, and then added the decisive goal in the extra session to lift Team USA to the victory. Ryan Chesley (Minnesota) and Will Smith (Boston College) also tallied in regulation for the U.S., while Jacob Fowler (Boston College) picked up the win in goal after making 20 saves.

The day before, the U.S. posted a 11-3 rout of Switzerland, powered by a first-period hat trick from Jimmy Snuggerud (Minnesota). Cutter Gauthier (Boston College) and Frank Nazar (Michigan) recorded four assists apiece, while Gavin Brindley (Michigan) scored two goals and set up another, and Fowler had 21 stops.

Team USA will complete group play in this year's WJC on Sunday against Slovakia.

Several NCAA-Bound Skaters Selected in 2022 NHL First Round

The European-dominated first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal on Thursday night didn't feature very many NCAA-bound players. 

The ones who were selected were a half-dozen forwards who all came from the U.S. National Team Development program in Michigan, long a feeder to both the NCAA and the NHL. All six of those skaters are committed to NCAA Division I schools for the upcoming 2022-23 season. 

Logan Cooley was taken third overall by the Arizona Coyotes, after tallying 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points for the USNTDP during the 2021-22 season. He's headed to the University of Minnesota as a freshman this fall.

Cutter Gauthier (34-31⁠—65 pts.) went fifth overall to the Philadelphia Flyers and is committed to Boston College, while Frank Nazar (28-42⁠—70 pts.) was taken 13th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and will skate for the University of Michigan.

Also committed to Michigan starting next season is Rutger McGroarty (35-34⁠—69 pts.), who was selected one slot after Nazar, and went to the Winnipeg Jets. Jimmy Snuggerud (24-39⁠—63 pts.) was tabbed 23rd overall by the St. Louis Blues and is off to Minnesota, while Minnesota-Duluth commit Isaac Howard (33-49⁠—82 pts.) was chosen 31st overall by the three-time Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Also selected on Friday at 25th overall by Chicago was defenseman Sam Rinzel, who played last season with Waterloo (USHL) and Chaska (Minn.) High School. He is committed to Minnesota, but not until the 2023-24 season, according to eliteprospects.com.

Rounds Two through Seven of this year's draft will be televised today, beginning at 11 a.m. ET (NHL Network).

ADDENDUM: The full slate of all 225 selections from this year's entry draft can be found here.

U.S. Falls to Sweden, Earns Silver

The United States lost only one game at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship in Germany. Unfortunately, it was Sunday's gold medal game against Sweden.

The Swedes broke a 2-2 tie in the second period with back-to-back power-play goals, then held on for a 6-4 victory at Fanatec Arena in Landshut to claim its second U-18 gold ever, and first since 2019. The U.S., which was seeking its first gold medal in the U-18 Worlds since 2017, suffered its first loss of this year's tournament, after outscoring its opposition by a 47-11 count over five previous games. It was the fifth silver medal all-time for the U.S. since the U-18 tournament commenced in 1999. 

Rutger McGroarty (Michigan commit) scored twice for the Americans, who also got goals from Ryan Leonard (Boston College) and Frank Nazar III (Michigan), all at even strength. The U.S. also outshot Sweden by a 51-15 margin overall. Trey Augustine (Michigan) made nine saves for Team USA, which surrendered an empty-net score in the final minute of play, after pulling within a goal.

Finland defeated the Czech Republic, 4-1, in the bronze medal game.