COMMITTED UND Recruits

[burd]

Same thing going on at UMD, or is it just that Sandy can’t recruit ?

[hockeytherapy13]

24 minutes ago, burd said:

Same thing going on at UMD, or is it just that Sandy can’t recruit ?

Yeah shut that place down and give us Max Plante.  (My money is on him for NCHC player of the year)

[siouxforce19]

3 hours ago, TwamleyShuffle said:

They did most of their heavy lifting through the portal. Gearing up for another competitive season for the Broncos  

And they had a long list of committed players yet every year are super aggressive in the portal. I never exactly understand what they are doing there. 

[brianvf]

12 minutes ago, hockeytherapy13 said:

Yeah shut that place down and give us Max Plante.  (My money is on him for NCHC player of the year)

Plante and Shags can transfer over, I’d be ok with that. 

[tnt]

2 hours ago, brianvf said:

Plante and Shags can transfer over, I’d be ok with that. 

I’m guessing that Pilgrim is more likely to join Shaugabay in Duluth.

[brianvf]

8 minutes ago, tnt said:

I’m guessing that Pilgrim is more likely to join Shaugabay in Duluth.

I'd be ok with that if it means that we trade him for Plante.    

[brianvf]

 

[brianvf]

Can Verhoeff go #1? He accepts the challenge:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/can-keaton-verhoeff-chase-down-gavin-mckenna-for-top-pick-at-2026-nhl-draft/

Quote

Verhoeff raves about the setup in Grand Forks, home of the eight-time national champions.

"It's unreal, probably some of the nicest I've ever been in in my life," he said. "There's a full rink, we have the entire facility for ourselves, and a massive gym with all the equipment you can think of. (There's a) shooting area. Everything you need to develop as a player. If you like to be at the rink, that's the place you want to be at. I know for me that was a huge part of my decision. You're able to get access to that rink 24-7. It's huge for me to be able to go in on a Sunday and go get a workout in or go get a bike in."

Quote

Also exciting for Verhoeff is the chance to remain a teammate of Cole Reschny.

Both Victoria stars committed to North Dakota in May. Reschny, a centre, was picked in the first round (18th overall) by the Calgary Flames in this year's draft.
"Going with Cole was one of the big deciding factors," Verhoeff said. "He's an unbelievable person, unbelievable player, one of the guys I can lean on and learn from as well. He's super helpful away and at the rink (and) he's a great leader."

 

[hockeytherapy13]

9 hours ago, brianvf said:

Can Verhoeff go #1? He accepts the challenge:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/can-keaton-verhoeff-chase-down-gavin-mckenna-for-top-pick-at-2026-nhl-draft/

 

When a guy that high end and skilled plans to play with a chip on his shoulder, look out. Man it's to be awesome watching him progress this season. Guessing by early December he'll already be terrorizing teams with his size and speed. 

[nascar99]

Will Zellers on Bruins Beat to talk about his hockey journey:

 

[brianvf]

These articles on Verhoeff vs McKenna for #1 are coming fast n furious now.
Here's a couple more.  I can't wait to see this guy suit up this season.

Philly Flyers article on the two:

https://phillyhockeynow.com/2025/08/14/gavin-mckenna-or-keaton-verhoeff-would-either-complete-the-flyers-rebuild/

Quote

For a defenseman, I do believe that North Dakota is one of the best places for him to be. The NCHC is no joke, and most of those schools play a disciplined but physical brand of hockey that makes it easy for defensemen to grow into studs.
While I am higher on McKenna, Verhoeff has just as good a path to stardom.

And Hockey Writers calls Verhoeff a generational defensive talent:

https://thehockeywriters.com/2026-draft-eligible-keaton-verhoeff-is-a-generational-defensive-prospect/

Quote

For Verhoeff, it’s more of a “watch to understand” ordeal. In preparation for the 2025 NHL Draft, I tuned into a few early-season Royals games to get a better understanding of what top prospect Cole Reschny—selected 18^th by the Calgary Flames—had to offer. While he ended up being one of my favorites of last year’s class, the spotlight was often shared with Verhoeff. The two controlled the pace of games together.

Verhoeff’s impact came with his all-around skill set. Games flowed through him—shutting opponents down, breakout passes, and offensive zone support. His goal-scoring prowess proves his ability in the latter, but he was arguably most impressive defensively and in transition. He used his big frame and overall defensive acumen to prevent chances against, while his retrieval, skating, and puck-moving ability helped drive the pace of play.

In his draft-minus-one season, Verhoeff played like a future No. 1 defenseman. This combination of size, tools in all three zones, and production isn’t the norm for a 16-year-old blueliner—it only comes once or twice in a generation.

 

[sioux rube]

 

[beastandco]

This might be one of the worst lists I have ever seen. So many head scratchers.

[LuvHockey]

Thanks for wasting my time then?

(sorry)

[nascar99]

21 minutes ago, beastandco said:

This might be one of the worst lists I have ever seen. So many head scratchers.

The problem with NCAA Hockey not being super popular nationally is that all the newbies who dive in to cover something NCAA related are coming from a very NHL biased/slanted perspective, so you get lists like these that don't make a ton of sense, especially considering that older veterans are quite often more impactful than 18 or 19 year old freshmen.

[Kevin G]

On 8/14/2025 at 6:31 PM, brianvf said:

These articles on Verhoeff vs McKenna for #1 are coming fast n furious now.

 

 

On cue, Chris Peters and Cam Robinson discuss Verhoeff and McKenna on their podcast episode which dropped today (at about the 27:40 mark). 

 

[The Sicatoka]

Standard draft logic says two equal prospects you take the defenseman, especially if they shoot right. 

[farce poobah]

Standard draft logic also says: "Draft the UND guy before the Penn State guy."

[cberkas]

Standard draft logic: Hope that Buffalo doesn't get the #1 pick

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Some prospects like DuPont and Preston and then Verhoeff (#3) involved in a lot. Announcers call him out on some mistakes but he also shows some poise.