nascar99

Malcolm Spence to Michigan now official

Half of Michigan's 2024-25 roster left in the portal/graduation/turn pro. They aren't bringing in all of their USHL recruits, they have plenty of space for high end CHLers.

Looks like Malcolm Spence of the Erie Otters is going to the NCAA next season, most likely to Michigan as Schloss reported

Just gotta get used to it. Happens for NCAA Baseball programs all the time with commits signing pro after the draft. Difference is, player pool is much larger in baseball and they're able to replace guys much easier.

If true that really sucks. Cole Reschny, Ben Kindel, Jackson Smith, etc would be fun in Grand Forks

I would like for another CHL commit (preferably a high end guy). Tons of top tier Dub guys that could use some NCAA time before turning pro

I would say 60-70% will be interested. Now how many end up in the NCAA instead of signing their ELC is the question.

I don't think this is in reference to Kashawn Aitcheson (projected top 15 pick) but it could be in reference to Anthony Romani (Canucks), Dalyn Wakely (Oilers), Beau Jelsma (undrafted), Riley Patterson (Canucks, former Michigan State commit), or Brad Gardiner (Stars).

He had a 2nd-3rd round grade pre-draft & fell to the 5th

Hopefully Duke makes the Dub and gets good enough to become a legitimate NCHC type of recruit. Even if not, hopefully he's good enough for D1 and play at Augustana in his dad's home state. Would be cool

Unsurprisingly, Sammy Nelson (2008, NTDP, 2027 Draft) commits to Notre Dame where his brothers are.

Schloss with the quick answer

Garrett Lindberg goes 2nd overall in the 2025 USHL Phase 2 Draft to Chicago. Sign that he'll go back to junior for another year and won't be in Grand Forks for 2025-26?

Depends on the player. Luke Misa is very different from Josh Zakreski. Matthew Mayich is quite different from Mazden Leslie. We'll see.

I never said that they wouldn't, but every NCAA team outside of a few like Minnesota will get much of their future rosters from each of the CHL leagues. You'll see fewer non elite NAHL, Minnesota HS, & New England Prep School types go D1. I also don't think the bottom tier USHLers will be NCAA locks anymore either. Of course, there will be fewer Canadian Junior A guys getting D1 interest too.

5 of the 6 commitments from yesterday were CHLers. The NCAA's demographics will change to even split or possibly plurality Canadian in the coming years.

NCAA route players have already avoided signing their ELC until done with their NCAA career. Not signing an ELC just pushes back RFA & UFA, which owners and GMs like. Plenty of teams are very supportive of prospects going the NCAA route and developing better instead of rushing into pro.

Don't be surprised to see the Sabres draft a CHLer this June and then "mysteriously", that player ends up at Penn State.

His Dub rights are owned by Victoria, would imagine he goes there unless he really wants to go to the USHL

Pegula money?

It has everything to do with their birthday. Porter Martone presumably graduated HS in 2024 due to his 2006 birthyear but because he's born after September 15 (the NHL Draft cut date), he had to play another season (2024-25) before being drafted. So if the rules were in effect in the past, he could have graduated HS in 2024 and then played for an NCAA program like Michigan or Penn State in his DY.

Gavin McKenna doesn't apply to your example, he's a late birthday (for NHL Draft purposes) but will already have graduated before his draft year. Same as Dylan Holloway, Kent Johnson, Owen Power, Adam Fantilli: all late birthday Canadians who graduated HS as normal, but graduated before their DY and thus went into university normally for their DY. Matthew Wood, Jonathan Toews, Mike Cammalleri, Macklin Celebrini, and Eli McKamey in the future are all examples of guys with normal birthdays who accelerated a year to graduate HS after their 16 year old season so they could play their 17 year old season (DY) in the NCAA.

McKenna will already have graduated HS. Canadian K-12 grade year grouping is Jan 1 - Dec 31, so thus all 2007s graduate HS in 2025. Celebrini fully accelerated a year to graduate HS early.