Tuesday, June 23, 2026

NCAA Storylines for 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo

Draft Rankings Include Record Number of Current, Committed Collegians

NCAA Storylines for 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo
Penn State All-America forward Gavin McKenna is the top-ranked North American skater (Photo: Megan Smarkusky, Penn State Athletics).

The 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo this weekend projects to be a historic one for NCAA hockey.

A total of 149 current or committed NCAA Division I players were listed in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, the most on record since College Hockey Inc. began tracking such data in 2013. Each of the first 13 North American skaters in the final rankings were current or committed college hockey players, and five of the top 11 played NCAA hockey during the 2025-26 season.

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna was the top-ranked North America skater, headlining a top five that also included incoming Michigan State defenseman Chase Reid, incoming North Dakota defenseman Carson Carels, North Dakota rising sophomore defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, and incoming Denver defenseman Daxon Rudolph.

Other notable NCAA players included Boston University rising sophomore forward Tynan Lawrence, Miami rising sophomore forward Ilia Morozov and Boston College rising sophomore forward Oscar Hemming, who were ranked seventh, 10th and 11th, respectively.

In all, 41 different schools had at least one current player or recruit ranked by Central Scouting.

Last season, 76 active or committed NCAA players were selected in the NHL Draft, the most since the NHL went to its current seven-round format in 2005. Ten of those 2025 draft picks were chosen in the first round, third-most in college hockey history.

The 2026 NHL Draft takes place Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. 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 NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, visit College Hockey Inc.’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide.