2025 NHL Draft: College Hockey's Rising Stars and New CHL Rule Impact

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft saw five current and five incoming college hockey players selected in the first round, 76 total across seven rounds. The NCAA landscape is changing after a rule dictated that CHL players would be allowed to enroll and play college hockey. Thus, this draft was uniquely intriguing, as 15 CHL players with college commitments were selected, including two through the first 18 picks.

College hockey is viewed as a higher level of competition than the OHL, WHL and QMJHL because players are older and more experienced. After all, it's not uncommon for NCAA teams to have multiple players over 24 years old, while CHL teams prohibit players who are 21 years old when the season begins. This rule change has ramifications across the hockey world, as players who age out of juniors can now enter college at 21 years old and play for four years. 

This article will focus on players selected in the first two rounds who will play college hockey during the upcoming season. The ever-changing landscape could mean additions such as sixth-overall pick Porter Martone has been rumored to be interested in joining Penn State, while No. 1 2026 prospect Gavin McKenna is also flirting with an NCAA commitment for the upcoming season. 

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FORWARDS

James Hagens, Bruins (Round 1, 7th overall)

The Long Island kid was in the conversation for the No. 1 pick ahead of the 2024-25 season, but an underwhelming 11 goals and 26 points in 37 games at Boston College caused him to slip to No. 7. For reference, Macklin Celebrini – a superstar in the making for the Sharks – posted 32 goals and 32 assists across 38 games at Boston University before being selected first overall last draft. Hagens will likely stay at BC for a second season where he'll be the focal point of a forward corps that lost Ryan Leonard (Capitals) and Gabe Perreault (Rangers). He should be a top-six center for the Bruins by the 2026-27 season. 

Cole Reschny, Flames (Round 1, 18th overall)

Reschny will enroll at the University of North Dakota after being selected No. 18 by the Flames in June's draft. In the WHL last year, Reschny rang up 92 points across 62 regular-season games and 25 points over 11 playoff games. He's on the smaller side (5-foot-10, 187 pounds), but he's defensively sound and an elite playmaker, giving him a chance to stick at center in the NHL, although he'll be a fine fantasy option even if he gets bumped to the wing. It wouldn't be surprising if he spent two seasons at North Dakota before signing. 

Will Horcoff, Penguins (Round 1, 24th overall)

Horcoff joined the University of Michigan halfway through the 2024-25 season and fit right in with 10 points through 18 games as the team's youngest player. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound winger needs to get a bit quicker before making the jump to the NHL in a couple of years, but he should at least fit in as a third-liner for the Penguins at that point.

Ryker Lee, Predators (Round 1, 26th overall)

Lee led the Madison Capitols of the USHL with 31 goals and 68 points last season. It's easy to see how the Predators fell in love with his wicked wrist shot, but he has a lot to prove at the NCAA level. Specifically, his size (6-foot, 181 pounds) isn't offset by elite skating, and he doesn't consistently attack the slot. Michigan State is a program that's more than qualified to round him out as a player, but Lee's a riskier option at this point.

Cullen Potter, Flames (Round 1, 32nd overall)

Potter's an elite skater who enrolled at Arizona State as a 17-year-old and posted 13 goals and nine assists across 35 games. He's smaller (5-foot-10, 172 pounds) and isn't a standout playmaker, but his skills are good enough to become a third-line player with power-play upside after a couple more years of fine-tuning in the desert. 

Malcolm Spence, Rangers (Round 2, 43rd overall)

Spence was the Rangers' first pick of the draft at No. 43. He was often mocked to go in the mid-20s, so this appears to be an excellent value for the Blueshirts. Spence racked up 73 points over 65 games in the OHL last season. He's fast and competitive on both ends of the ice with a solid all-around skillset, but offensively, his stats probably won't be a difference-maker for fantasy purposes at the next level. Expect Spence to develop for a couple of seasons at Michigan before he flirts with signing an entry-level deal. 

Charlie Cerrato, Hurricanes (Round 2, 49th overall)

Cerrato's freshman season at Penn State was outstanding, as he produced 15 goals and 42 points through 38 games during the Frozen Four run. However, he's a late bloomer, as he's already 20 years old. Many players who aren't drafted until 20 years old have middling athleticism, but Cerrato's college production is outstanding nonetheless, and he'll be a compelling player to watch develop over the next couple of seasons. 

DEFENSEMEN

Jackson Smith, Blue Jackets (Round 1, 14th overall)

Smith was the first CHL player taken that had committed to the NCAA (Penn State). The Calgary native has a knack for jumping up on the rush, and while he sometimes spends too much time attacking, it translated to 54 points through 68 games in the WHL last season. Smith has the size (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and defensive ability to eventually earn a top-four role with the Blue Jackets, and there's fantasy upside as a power-play quarterback. 

Logan Hensler, Senators (Round 1, 23rd overall)

The youngest player at the University of Wisconsin by 16 months, Hensler was a top-four defenseman and won gold at the U20 World Juniors. He's an excellent skater whose defensive game is solid and should continue to develop under head coach Mike Hastings, but he needs to prove himself offensively next season. The Senators already had Wisconsin players Blake Montgomery and Tyson Dyck in the pipeline, and they also added Bruno Idzan in the sixth round of this draft. 

Sascha Boumedienne, Jets (Round 1, 28th overall)

Boumedienne was the youngest player in the NCAA last season, but he still managed top-four minutes and posted 13 points through 40 games on a Terriers team that made it to the National Championship. He's a smooth skater who will continue to develop offensively at BU, but his defensive game is what will propel him to the next level after a couple more college seasons. 

Haoxi Wang (Sharks) and Carter Amico (Flyers) will also head to Boston University next season, and Jacob Rombach (Predators) will skate for Minnesota. The trio was selected in the first six picks of the second round. They're all at least 6-foot-5 and picked partly because of the potential that comes with such size. They move well but haven't produced much offensively yet and will face even stiffer competition in the NCAA ranks. 

GOALIES

Jack Ivankovic, Predators (Round 2, 58th overall)

Perhaps the Predators felt comfortable taking a swing on Ivankovic because of their success with Juuse Saros -- the league's shortest goalie. Both goalies measured in at 5-foot-11, and Saros has been a steady No. 1 goalie over the past five seasons. Ivankovic put together two strong campaigns in the OHL and registered a dominant .961 save percentage and 6-0-0 record across six games for Canada's U18 World Junior team as a 17-year-old.  Still, goalies are inherently risky bets, and his stature makes the margin for error even thinner. The University of Michigan will be a proper test for his future. 

Alexis Cournoyer, Canadiens (Round 5, 145th overall)

Cournoyer wasn't selected in his first eligible draft, but he posted a .942 save percentage through 21 games in the QMJHL last season and was selected in the fifth round by the Canadiens as a result. Cournoyer was the sixth goalie the Canadiens have taken over the last three drafts, so he'll have plenty of competition when his time comes. He could start immediately at Cornell, however.

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