The last two months have been busy with all levels of hockey in full swing.
New England prep and high school seasons just wrapped. USA Hockey Nationals are currently going on. Junior hockey leagues are nearing the finish. The NCAA men's hockey tournament is underway.
We're nearing the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
That doesn't mean that college hockey recruiting stopped — quite the opposite, actually. The last two months have been very busy as teams fill their commitment lists. For many, it was about locking up '05s and '06s for next season, while some teams jumped on '07s, '08s and '09s for future seasons.
Schools are increasingly recruiting from the CHL (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League). Since the CHL ruling, Canada's junior leagues have so much untapped talent that college coaches have been taking from.
Of the 39 players who have committed to local colleges since Jan. 9, 19 are playing in the CHL this season. That's almost half.
Let's dive in and examine how active teams have been.
Northeastern recruits several locals
The Huskies have been busy. On Feb. 12, they got a commitment from Hotchkiss goalie and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Neilan Johnson. Days later, they scored a commitment from Lawrence Academy defenseman Matas Janulis (Lincoln, Mass.). And earlier this month, former Milton Academy and Boston Junior Eagles goalie Sam Caulfield (Needham, Mass.) committed to Northeastern.
Johnson was arguably the best goalie in prep this winter with a sparkling 1.79 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage. He was the biggest reason why Hotchkiss made the Elite 8 semifinals as the No. 5 seed. The '08 from Maryland's athleticism is outstanding, and he was ranked No. 36 among goalies in NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings.
Janulis is an '08 defenseman who had four goals and 16 points in 27 games this winter. While he's a two-way threat in prep, he's likely more of a shutdown defenseman at higher levels. He has a strong stick and maintains great gaps when defending the rush. He's also a reliable puck-mover, especially on breakouts. He's 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds.
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Caulfield was with the USHL's Chicago Steel, but switched midseason to the QMJHL's Baie-Comeau Drakkar, where he has a 2.72 GAA and a .926 save percentage. The 6-foot-3 netminder is extremely athletic and has been in junior hockey for the last two seasons. The '06 was previously committed to Colgate.
Northeastern also got commitments from two QMJHL forwards in Renaud Poulin and Liam Armit. Poulin, an '06, has 55 points in 64 games for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Armit is an '09 and in his first season of junior hockey. The 6-foot-2, 168-pound right wing has nine goals and 21 points for Baie-Comeau.
Josh Phillips commits to Princeton
On Thursday, Phillips committed to Princeton. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound center and right wing was one of the top players in prep this winter. The Kimball Union star ranked third in the region for points (62).
The '07 has great hands and a wicked shot, and an ability to get to high-danger areas. While his skating is an area of improvement, his size and offensive instincts make him so lethal. He's from California and would make a lot of sense as a USHL Phase 2 pick.
Will Prowse commits to Boston University
Prowse decommitted from Princeton and picked BU on March 10. He's in his second season with the USHL's Lincoln Stars, boasting a 2.72 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 39 games, which are extremely strong stats for junior hockey.
The 6-foot-1, 183-pound netminder is one of my favorite prep hockey stories. He was Holderness' backup in 2023-24, but was slated to start the following season. Instead, he bet on himself, and the '06 had a strong season in Lincoln last season with a 2.77 GAA and a .896 save percentage in 25 games.
He's from Vail, Colo., and his younger brother Henry was a standout on Holderness' blue line this winter.
Cullen Emery commits to Brown
Emery's career hit a bump when he spent the beginning of his senior year in the BCHL. Things didn't work out, but Dexter Southfield took him back. He posted 18 goals and 44 points in 30 games in 2023-24.
After two seasons in junior, the '05 committed to Brown on Jan. 15.
With the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks, Emery has 11 goals and 28 points in 43 games this season. Last winter, he notched 40 points in 53 games with the NAHL's Johnstown Tomahawks.
The 5-foot-10, 181-pound right wing can also play the middle and can play a gritty, speedy game.
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Cornell was active with former local players
In late January, Cornell got a commitment from former Taft goalie Nick Cirka. Former Mount St. Charles standout forward Callum Hughes and former Cushing defenseman Ryland Randle committed to the Big Red earlier this month.
Cirka was young and mainly a backup when he was at Taft, but left halfway through last season for the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, where he posted a 4.02 GAA and a .884 save percentage in eight games. In 27 games this season, the Quebec native has a 4.00 GAA and a .873 save percentage. He's 6-foot-4, and the No. 20-ranked goalie on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings.
Hughes, from Basking Ridge, N.J., was a standout with Mount St. Charles from 2021-23 before moving to the BCHL's West Kelowna Warriors for 2023-24. Midway through last season, he moved to the OHL's Erie Otters, where he notched 23 points in 45 games. He has that same point total, but in 58 games this winter in Erie. He was formerly committed to Boston University and is a 6-foot-1 and 170-pound left winger.
Randle is one of the most dynamic defensemen I've seen in prep. At Cushing, he was one of the top offensive threats and won an Elite 8 title last winter. The '06 spent this season with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers, where he has 10 goals and 31 points in 58 games. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound defender is an electric skater with outstanding puck skills. He was previously committed to Arizona State.
Holy Cross gets a commitment from former Brunswick star
After decommitting from Harvard, Drew DellaSalla committed to Holy Cross in late January.
The '06 was a standout at Brunswick from 2021-23 before making the move to the USHL's Omaha Lancers in 2023-24. He spent last winter in the USHL between the Lancers and the USHL's Lincoln Stars. While he started this season in Lincoln (10 points in 33 games), he moved to the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs, where he has two goals and one assist in 14 games.
The 6-foot forward can play center and wing and has a lot of skill. He's from New York City.
The Crusaders also got commitments from defensemen Daniel D'Alessandro and Melker Sigurd. D'Alessandro, an '06, is with the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers, while Sigurd is an '06 playing for U20 Nationell's Rögle BK in Sweden.
Quinnipiac has been very busy and snagged a local
The Bobcats scored four commitments since mid-January: Kitchener Rangers' (OHL) forward Dylan Edwards and goalie Christian Kirsch, Seacoast Performance Academy 16U defenseman Noah Mazzola and Kelowna Rockets (WHL) defenseman Parker Alcos.
Edwards, an '05, has split this season between the Otters and Rangers. He's been a star for the Rangers with 24 goals and 48 points in 35 games, after notching 16 goals and 39 points in 32 games with Erie to begin the season. He's 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds. Kirsch, his teammate, has a 2.42 GAA and a .899 save percentage in 41 games for Kitchener this season. The 6-foot-4 goalie was a fourth-round pick by the NHL's San Jose Sharks in 2024.
Mazzola is an '09 and has been a star for SPA's 16U squad this winter. The Lynnfield, Mass., native has 17 goals and 77 assists (94 points) in 61 games. He's 6-foot-2 and 168 pounds.
Alcos has been in the WHL since 2022-23. The '06 started the season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he had 14 points in 31 games, before being dealt to Kelowna, where he has 16 points in 32 games. He's a 6-foot-4, 185-pound defenseman picked in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks.
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UConn has also been busy
The Huskies have gotten commitments from two defensemen and a goalie since mid-January.
On Jan. 12, Québec Remparts defenseman Charlie Morrison committed to UConn. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound defenseman was ranked No. 29 by NHL Central Scouting in its midterm rankings. The late '07 has four goals and 13 points in 41 games this season.
Veeti Louhivaara committed to UConn in February. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound goalie is with JYP U20 in the U20 SM-sarja in Finland. He was a fifth-round pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Last week, Spokane Chiefs (WHL) defenseman Will McIsaac picked UConn. The '06 has been with Spokane full-time since 2022-23. This season, the St. Louis Blues' fifth-round pick (2024) has eight goals and 34 points in 66 games. He's 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds.
UMass picked up three CHL commits
UMass has had three commitments since mid-January: forwards Maxim Massé, Max Curran and Weston Cameron.
Massé has torn it up for the QMJHL's Chicoutimi Saguenéens with 51 goals and 102 points in 63 games. The '06 has been in Chicoutimi since 2022-23. In 2024, the Anaheim Ducks picked the 6-foot-3, 198-pound forward in the third round.
Curran was also selected in the 2024 NHL Draft, but in the fifth round by the Colorado Avalanche, though he was later traded to the Calgary Flames. The Czech native has 41 points in 31 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL. He's 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, and can play center or left wing.
Cameron is the youngest of the bunch. An '08, he's 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds and plays center. The Toronto native has six goals and 16 points in 44 games for Kitchener this season.
How about Sacred Heart?
Sacred Heart has been busy, getting commitments from forwards Ashton Dahms and Christian Chouha, as well as defenseman Landon Hanson.
Dahms is an early '05 who has been in junior hockey for the last three seasons. He had a nice season with the USHL's Tri-City Storm last winter with 10 goals and 24 points in 51 games. This season, he has 15 goals and 26 points in 56 games for Tri-City. The Lakeville, Minn., native is 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds.
Chouha, an '06, is also in the USHL, but with the Sioux Falls Stampede. He moved from the BCHL's Langley Rivermen to Sioux Falls midseason and had six goals and 14 points in 16 games. He's 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds and was originally committed to Princeton.
Hanson broke out with the Oil Kings this winter, scoring 24 times and adding 31 assists in 68 games. He's 6 feet and 181 pounds and is a right-shot forward.
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Other notable recruits...
- Harvard got commitments from Woodbridge Wolfpack 16U forward Norman Greene and St. Andrew's College forward James Roy. Greene, from Clarence, N.Y., is 6 feet and 183 pounds, and a standout for Woodbridge. Roy is also 6 feet and has 46 points in 39 games for St. Andrew's College. Both are '09s.
- Windsor Spitfires defenseman Carson Woodall committed to Boston College. The 6-foot, 185-pound defender has 12 goals and 63 points in 68 games this season. He's an '06.
- Maine got commitments from Woodbridge Wolfpack 16U forward Reese Tracy and Dubuque Fighting Saints defenseman Ludvig Lafton. Tracy is a '09 who has been a standout for Woodbridge. He also got three games with the USHL's Chicago Steel, and is 5-foot-9 and 148 pounds. He's been at USA Hockey's Select 15 and 16 Camps the last two summers. Lafton is a '06 who the Utah Mammoth picked in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound defenseman has 30 points in 51 games for Dubuque this season.
- UMass Lowell got two commitments over the last two months: Oshawa Generals (OHL) forward Harrison Franssen and Peterborough Petes (OHL) Aiden Young. Franssen, a '06, has 42 points in 64 games this winter. He's 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. Young is a '07 left wing on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings. The 5-foot-11 forward has 23 goals and 58 points in 62 games for the Petes.
- Merrimack got commitments from Tri-City Americans (WHL) forward Connor Dale and Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) forward Simon-Xavier Cyr. Dale, an early '05, has spent the majority of the season with Tri-City, where he has 23 goals and 55 points in 60 games. He's 6-foot-2 and 183 pounds. Cyr is an '08 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound center has nine goals and 22 points in 64 games this season.
- UNH got commitments from Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) goalie Leonardo Henriquez and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) forward Nicky Romeo. Henriquez, who is 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, has a strong 2.28 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 33 games this season. He's an '07. Romeo is an '05 who was initially committed to UMass Lowell. The 6-foot, 181-pound forward has 27 goals and 52 points in 58 games this winter.
- Grant Young committed to Dartmouth. The 5-foot-11, 179-pound forward has 14 goals and 26 points in 39 games for the RoughRiders this season. The '06 had a brief stint with the Long Island Gulls 16U squad in 2022-23.
