Wednesday, June 25, 2025

College Hockey Storylines for 2025 NHL Draft

35 NCAA Schools Have Players in Central Scouting Rankings

College Hockey Storylines for 2025 NHL Draft
James Hagens is ranked No. 3 among North American skaters (Photo: BC Athletics).

The present and future of college hockey will take center stage this week at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles, with more than 100 current and committed NCAA Division I players listed in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.

Twelve active college hockey players were among those ranked by Central Scouting, including potential top-five pick James Hagens. The Boston College forward from Hauppauge, New York, enjoyed a terrific freshman season, collecting 11 goals and 37 points in 37 games, and was ranked No. 3 among North American skaters.

Other rising sophomores ranked inside the top 25 of North American skaters included Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler (12), Boston University defenseman Sascha Boumedienne (18), Arizona State forward Cullen Potter (22), and Michigan forward Will Horcoff (24).

In all, 35 different schools had at least one current player or recruit ranked by Central Scouting.

Last season at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas, 57 players with NCAA ties were selected, including nine first-round picks. Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini and Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov were taken with the first two picks by San Jose and Chicago, respectively.

The 2025 NHL Draft takes place Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first round is on Friday, followed by rounds two through seven on Saturday.

For more NCAA-related storylines ahead of this year’s draft, including the complete list of current or committed college hockey players on Central Scouting’s final rankings, visit College Hockey Inc.’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide.