Tuesday, September 29, 2026

NHL Rosters Feature Record-High NCAA Players on Opening Night

12 College Hockey Programs Boast Double-Digit NHLers

Toronto forward and Penn State alum Gavin McKenna (Photo: College Hockey Inc.).

The 2026-27 National Hockey League (NHL) season has arrived and there are 249 former college hockey players officially listed on NHL Opening Night rosters. That eclipses last season’s 248 for the largest such number on record since College Hockey Inc. began tracking the data in 2017-18.

Forty-seven NCAA Division I programs – representing all six NCAA Division I men’s conferences – boast at least one former player on an NHL roster, led by Boston University and Michigan with 21 each. Other schools with 10 or more alums on NHL rosters include: Boston College (20), Boston University (20), Minnesota (18), Denver (12), North Dakota (11), Northeastern (11), Harvard (10), UMass (10), Minnesota Duluth (10), Providence (10), and Wisconsin (10).

The list includes 10 NCAA alumni who played college hockey as recently as last season: Winnipeg defenseman Garrett Brown (Denver), Boston forward James Hagens (Boston College), Colorado forward T.J. Hughes (Michigan), Washington defenseman Cole Hutson (Boston University), Philadelphia’s Porter Martone (Michigan State), Toronto forward Gavin McKenna (Penn State), Anaheim forward Roger McQueen (Providence), Edmonton forward Owen Michaels (Western Michigan), Ottawa defenseman Hoyt Stanley (Cornell), and Minnesota forward Charlie Stramel (Michigan State).

The Anaheim Ducks enter the season with a league-leading 16 former college hockey players on their opening night roster, followed by Buffalo (12), Chicago (12), Carolina (11), Winnipeg (11), Colorado (10), and Toronto. Also of note, 15 of the NHL’s 32 current general managers played college hockey, as did 12 of the league’s current head coaches.

The NHL season begins today with a triple-header on ESPN that features Florida at Carolina, the New York Rangers at Boston, and Chicago at Vegas. Those six rosters alone showcase a combined 44 former NCAA standouts.

Last season, 336 former college hockey alumni played in the NHL, third-most in history behind only the record 349 in 2021-22 and 341 in 2024-25. Last year’s standouts included James Norris Memorial Trophy winner Zach Werenski and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy recipient Cole Caufield.

NCAA Division I men’s hockey success also extends beyond the ice, where the sport enjoys a 93-percent graduation rate that ranks among the top five of all NCAA Division I men’s sports.

For more information on college hockey players in the NHL, visit College Hockey Inc.’s NHL Matchup Tool.

Note: Roster data includes players who are on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve to open the season, or who have been designated injured/non-roster.