Top NHL prospects playing in NCAA men’s hockey tournament
The NCAA men’s hockey tournament is set to begin today and the teams participating in the tournament are flush with previously drafted NHL prospects and free agents.
The NCAA men’s hockey tournament is set to begin with 16 teams vying for a chance to play for a National Championship at the Frozen Four in St. Louis on April 12th.
The defending champs from the University of Denver are back in the tournament, attempting to defend their title after defeating Boston College in last year’s National Championship game. The Pioneers will begin their title defence against Providence.
Boston College is the top-ranked team in the nation and could face Denver in a rematch of last year’s title game if they defeat upstart Bentley University Falcons in their first game at the tournament.
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Top Prospects
As is the case every year, the teams participating in the tournament are flush with previously drafted NHL prospects and free agents.
Here’s a look at a few of the top prospects participating in this year’s tournament:
Jacob Fowler, G, 6-foot-2 214 pounds
Draft: Third round, No. 69 (2023) by Canadiens
Club Team: Boston College Eagles
The Habs have an attractive pipeline of prospects, and Fowler is a name to keep an eye on. It’s impossible to win championships without solid goaltending. Fowler is completing his sophomore season with the Eagles, and his statistics are nothing short of incredible, especially after his first two years of developing at the college level. He’s a finalist for the Mike Richter top NCAA goalie award.
Fowler is big in his net and plays a hybrid style. He tracks the play effectively, moving side to side and fronts shooters in tight to make himself as big as possible. It’s difficult to pinpoint any real holes in his overall game and trajectory. He’s a proven winner and potential NHL starting goalie down the line.
I’m interested to see what the Canadiens have planned for Fowler at the end of the season, especially if Boston College wins a National Championship and Fowler feels he’s ready to turn pro.
Trey Augustine, G, 6-foot-1, 179 pounds
Draft: Second round, No. 42 (2023) by Red Wings
Club Team: Michigan State Spartans
Our readers should be familiar with Augustine by now. He backstopped Team USA to back-to-back world junior gold medals (2024 and 2025). The Detroit Red Wings prospect is also a finalist for the Richter award after posting a tidy 19-6-4 record, 2.01 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage this year with the Spartans.
Augustine approaches stopping pucks differently than Fowler. He doesn’t employ as much of a hybrid approach. Augustine is a true butterfly goalie who’s not as tall as Fowler but has a stocky build that takes up a great deal of width in the net. I’ve always been impressed with his efficiency when tracking the play and kicking out pucks directed along the ice with superior low net/pad coverage.
I would expect the Red Wings to put pen to paper with Augustine at the end of his college season.
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Ryan Leonard, RW, 6-foot, 192 pounds
Draft: First round, No. 8 (2023) by Capitals
Club Team: Michigan State Spartans
Leonard is one of my favourite prospects outside of the NHL. He’s a Hobey Baker finalist for the top men’s college hockey player in the NCAA and captained Team USA at the world juniors in Ottawa. Throughout his college career, he has, so far, contributed 60 goals and 47 assists in only 76 games.
He averages over 21 minutes per game ice time and he’s deployed in all situations. Leonard is a throwback-style forward. He’s a threat in open ice, rips pucks off the rush, and combines skill with his bulldog competitiveness. He’s always engaged in the hard areas of the ice and never backs down physically.
The Capitals have a future top-six power forward in their stable. I expect Leonard to be signed by Washington at the end of the season and step directly into the NHL in time for the playoffs.
Aiden Fink, RW, 5-foot-10, 160 pounds
Draft: Seventh round, No. 218 (2023) by Predators
Club Team: Penn State Nittany Lions
It’s always enjoyable to monitor the development of a late-round NHL pick, and the Nashville Predators have a legitimate prospect with Fink in their system. The freshman forward is second in the entire NCAA with a 1.41 points per game average. He trails Michigan State junior forward Isaac Howard, who has posted a 1.42 points per game average.
Fink has produced offense in all situations with Penn State this year. He’s darting off the rush and has fantastic hand/eye coordination in traffic. He’s especially dangerous when ripping pucks from the weak side flank on the power play.
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Isaac Howard, LW, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds
Draft: First round, No. 31 (2022) by Lightning
Club Team: Michigan State Spartans
Speaking of Howard, I’m keeping a close eye on whether or not the Lightning sign Howard to a contract after his breakout year in East Lansing. Consider his trajectory before this season:
Howard plays the game fast. He drives to the net off the puck and works to win battles in traffic. He’s never been short on confidence and he’s been rewarded this season. Howard plays a significant role for the Spartans. He’s deployed in all situations and averages over 21 minutes per game ice time. Howard is also a finalist for the Hobey Baker award.
Quinn Hutson, RW, 5-foot-11, 176 pounds
Draft: Free Agent
Club Team: Boston University
The hockey world is familiar with Montreal Canadiens rookie phenom Lane Hutson and his younger brother Cole, who starred for Team USA at the world juniors this Christmas. Cole is a draft pick of the Washington Capitals (43rd / 2024) and suiting up for B/U at the NCAA tournament.
The oldest Hutson brother is a forward and is completing his junior season with the Terriers. Quinn Hutson is a coveted free agent to monitor. He averages over 19 minutes per game with all of his shifts coming at even strength and the power-play. He’s not as darting as his younger brothers, but he displays fantastic hockey sense and the ability to find open ice to direct plays on net. His hand/eye coordination is elite.
Here’s a clip of what I’m describing with Quinn, followed by his college stats to date:
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