logo
ENFRع
#

Latest news with #juniorhockey

Michigan-Based Universities Dominating Junior Hockey Transfers
Michigan-Based Universities Dominating Junior Hockey Transfers

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Michigan-Based Universities Dominating Junior Hockey Transfers

High-end draft picks Porter Martone, Malcolm Spence join growing list of junior talent joining Michigan-based universities. The junior hockey landscape has been completely flipped on it's head as of late as the Canadian Hockey League, Comprised of leagues from Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada have changed their rules as naming their players professionals and not allowing them to attend NCAA schools. This was changed this past August and players are taking advantage. Universities all over are tripping over themselves trying to land the top junior talent in the sport and lure them to their school. These teams have far better facilities, money-making opportunities with Name, Image and Likeness Deals as well as bigger and more mature talent than the CHL. The biggest draw for the NCAA is the American college experience that many players would be interested in experiencing rather than staying with a billet family in rural Canada. The biggest story out of the shifting junior hockey world was 2026 top NHL prospect Gavin McKenna leaving the WHL and committing to joining Penn State. Besides losing out on McKenna, Michigan-based universities are dominating this process. The University of Michigan and Michigan State have lead the way in terms of new transfers with top talents like Malcolm Spence and Jack Ivankovic joining the Wolverines while top draft picks Porter Martone and Cayden Lindstrom both agreed to play for the Spartans. The NCAA National Ice Hockey Championship was just won by Western Michigan, who has become a mainstay in the picture for a national title. The recent adds by the other Michigan-based schools will certainly close the gap and make NCAA hockey far more competitive than ever before especially in the state of Michigan. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. Spence was drafted 43rd overall in the second round during this year's draft and is coming off three stellar seasons with the Erie Otters. The Mississauga native put up 177 points through 195 games and will be a instant sparkplug for the Wolverines offence. They'll also get a reliable backstop with Ivankovic, who was drafted with the 58th overall pick in the second round by the Nashville Predators. After two season with the Mississauga/Brampton Steelheads, the 18-year-old posted a 39-17-9 record with a 2.93 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. He played with Team Canada on several occasions and will be an instant difference maker for Michigan. State got the higher end names however with Martone, who was projected to go as high as second overall in this year's draft but was ultimately selected sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers. Many expected his move to be to Penn State as they are also making splash adds but the 98-point producer last season instead chose the Spartans. Martone's 191 points through 149 games with the Steelheads make him a blockbuster add. The Spartans didn't stop their as they also added the fourth overall pick in last year's draft with Lindstrom. The BC native will be joining Martone after recording 88 points, including 46 goals and 42 assists, through 102 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. Lindstrom was sidelined for all of last season with an injury but returned for the playoffs and averaged a point-per-game through four playoff games. Both schools made adds that could immediately make them national title contenders and more junior players are transferring in and out all the time. We could still see more players opt to committing with Michigan schools and could make the state a future force to be reckoned with in the collegiate hockey scene. Red Wings' Net Gets Crowded: Gibson Joins Fold as Cossa, Augustine Eye NHL Jobs Red Wings prospects Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine both could challenge for Detroit's backup job in the 2026-27 season. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

Canadian hockey phenom Gavin McKenna heading to Penn State
Canadian hockey phenom Gavin McKenna heading to Penn State

Globe and Mail

time09-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Globe and Mail

Canadian hockey phenom Gavin McKenna heading to Penn State

Gavin McKenna's long-rumoured move to the NCAA is official. In a game-changing decision for junior hockey, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in next year's NHL entry draft announced on ESPN's SportsCenter on Tuesday that he's leaving the Western Hockey League and committing to Penn State University. 'It was a super-tough decision,' McKenna said. 'Obviously there are a lot of great options out there. But me, my family and everyone who's part of my circle decided that the best spot for me next year would be Penn State University.' McKenna said having the chance to go against 'older, heavier, stronger guys' in college will help prepare him for the NHL. McKenna had 41 goals and 88 assists in 56 regular-season games for the Medicine Hat Tigers last season. He joins the Nittany Lions after helping Medicine Hat win its first WHL title since 2007 and reach the Memorial Cup final. 'Obviously, the (WHL) was a great spot, and I'm very grateful for what it did for me and my family,' he said. 'I think both options are great, but I just think that going to college and being in such a great conference, it'll really challenge me and prepare me.' The 17-year-old from Whitehorse, who also played for Canada at the world junior hockey championship, has an exceptional blend of deceptive playmaking, elite stickhandling and shifty skating. In June, the six-foot winger became the third-youngest Canadian Hockey League player of the year behind Sidney Crosby and John Tavares. As the OHL hopes for another top NHL pick, Canada's junior hockey landscape faces change McKenna is the latest – and biggest – talent exiting the Canadian ranks for the NCAA in a changing junior hockey landscape. The NCAA lifted a long-standing ban in November, allowing CHL players to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season. A wave of CHL players nearing the end of their time in junior committed to American schools in the following months. McKenna, meanwhile, joins a growing number of WHL, OHL and QMJHL prospects committing to the NCAA with their junior careers in full swing. Keaton Verhoeff, another top 2026 draft prospect, is departing the WHL's Victoria Royals to join the University of North Dakota. Cayden Lindstrom, McKenna's Medicine Hat teammate and last year's fourth overall pick, is heading to Michigan State. Calgary Flames prospect Luke Misa, of the OHL's Brampton Steelheads, and defenceman Jackson Smith, this year's 14th overall pick who spent the past three seasons with the WHL's Tri-City Americans, have also committed to Penn State. The Big Ten school posted a 22-14-4 record last season and lost to Boston University in the Frozen Four semi-final. The NCAA approved new rules in June that allow colleges to directly pay their athletes, a practice previously forbidden for decades. College athletes can also profit off their name, image and likeness since June, 2021. The CHL, meanwhile, operates under an amateur student-athletes model and can only provide players a modest monthly stipend. Players are, however, allowed to pursue sponsorship deals. McKenna's season ended with a 4-1 loss to the London Knights in the Memorial Cup final, capping a stellar campaign that included a whopping 54-game point streak. Rumours surrounding his departure picked up steam in the weeks that followed, with the phenom reportedly visiting several U.S. schools this summer. Medicine Hat was one of five WHL franchises to bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup, but the CHL chose Kelowna, B.C., as host. The Tigers and Kelowna Rockets are scheduled to play two WHL pre-season games in Whitehorse on Sept. 12 and 13.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store