Prospective Recruits

[nascar99]

1 hour ago, yzerman19 said:

I always find it interesting that Canada sends their best to this tourney and USA doesn't send most of their top draft eligible guys.  My take is USA is trying to get guys more exposure internationally who won't likely play in u18 worlds.  

1. The NTDP has been built around developing guys into winning the U18, helping to build the core of the U20 World Junior team to win that. USA Hockey doesn't care much about the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

2. Hockey Canada has never cared about the U18 because it is during the CHL Playoffs, thus their best can't go, and instead, they send their best to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, in major part as a kickoff to the season for the top draft eligibles & give them exposure.

[scpa0305]

2 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

I always find it interesting that Canada sends their best to this tourney and USA doesn't send most of their top draft eligible guys.  My take is USA is trying to get guys more exposure internationally who won't likely play in u18 worlds.  

Thats what they’ve stated in the past. I’ve always wondered this as well. But I will say this, Gavin Burcar is one of the very best at his birth year. 

[scpa0305]

1 hour ago, nascar99 said:

1. The NTDP has been built around developing guys into winning the U18, helping to build the core of the U20 World Junior team to win that. USA Hockey doesn't care much about the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

2. Hockey Canada has never cared about the U18 because it is during the CHL Playoffs, thus their best can't go, and instead, they send their best to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, in major part as a kickoff to the season for the top draft eligibles & give them exposure.

I will say, US has changed/deviated a bit the last two years…and so has Canada with the U18 worlds. Can Canada get every kid, no, some are still in playoffs. But they have beefed their rosters up the past 3-4 years.

[dustnyou]

32 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

I will say, US has changed/deviated a bit the last two years…and so has Canada with the U18 worlds. Can Canada get every kid, no, some are still in playoffs. But they have beefed their rosters up the past 3-4 years.

Also now have to consider a lot of the best Americans will be in the CHL playoffs too… 

[scpa0305]

19 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

Also now have to consider a lot of the best Americans will be in the CHL playoffs too… 

Well in theory they would be on ntdp though, that’s the team that goes to the worlds. Yes I realize they’ve brought some CHL guys the last year or two, but it’s been 1-2 max.

[yzerman19]

4 hours ago, dustnyou said:

Also now have to consider a lot of the best Americans will be in the CHL playoffs too… 

In 2010, NTDP got everyone they wanted.  Guys who went CHL did not or were not going to make NTDP.

[brianvf]

On 8/3/2026 at 11:07 AM, I Ranger said:

Craig Button listed his players to watch for Canada at the Hlinka/Gretzky cup and 5 are uncommited. I would imagine these 5 (at least 4 of 5) would be main targets for us. Maddox Schultz, Liam Pue, Brock Cripps, Brock England and maybe to a lesser extent Alexis Joseph based on logistics? 

Watching these teams play at Hlinka, that is an elite group of four Canadian guys.  If we could land 2+ of them, we're sitting pretty.
I know all the big powerhouse schools will be after them too, but they are sure fun to watch.

England is so fast and has a cannon for a shot.
Pue and Schultz remind me of the Ruck twins, they play so well together and can find each other anywhere on the ice.
Cripps is a really smooth skater...he's like a lesser hyped version of DuPont.

With how late these Canadian kids are committing, most probably won't commit until next summer though.  Will be fun to watch their progress this year and see where they end up.

[cberkas]

Hopefully Ulmer is telling Schultz and Pue how great UND is

[ChadR]

28 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Hopefully Ulmer is telling Schultz and Pue how great UND is

Chyz is confirmed in attendance also. 

[cberkas]

3 minutes ago, ChadR said:

Chyz is confirmed in attendance also. 

Ulmer scouts for the Pat's

[yzerman19]

Be fun if USA sent the NTDP i17 to this next year

[yzerman19]

They'd be u18 next year

[scpa0305]

10 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

They'd be u18 next year

Agreed, send the top 2010…both ntdp and ‘10s that are doing well. The best ‘10s.

[I Ranger]

13 hours ago, brianvf said:

Watching these teams play at Hlinka, that is an elite group of four Canadian guys.  If we could land 2+ of them, we're sitting pretty.
I know all the big powerhouse schools will be after them too, but they are sure fun to watch.

England is so fast and has a cannon for a shot.
Pue and Schultz remind me of the Ruck twins, they play so well together and can find each other anywhere on the ice.
Cripps is a really smooth skater...he's like a lesser hyped version of DuPont.

With how late these Canadian kids are committing, most probably won't commit until next summer though.  Will be fun to watch their progress this year and see where they end up.

I'm curious to see if these two might be a package deal too. Would be huge for any school to land them both and hopefully UND is in the mix! Like you state though, most likely at least a year away from them committing. 

[yzerman19]

Prior to the Hlinka, the last international best on best for the 2010 age group was the U15 WSI

 

[yzerman19]

5 hours ago, I Ranger said:

I'm curious to see if these two might be a package deal too. Would be huge for any school to land them both and hopefully UND is in the mix! Like you state though, most likely at least a year away from them committing. 

not a package deal