General | 10/20/2025 2:07:24 PM
Over one hundred players with United States Hockey League (USHL) ties were named to NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list for the 2026 NHL Draft. Muskegon Lumberjacks forward and reigning Clark Cup MVP Tynan Lawrence headlined a group of 53 players on active rosters and nine USHL alumni in the NCAA.
NHL Central Scouting’s list identifies players based on the following criteria:
- A Rating -- Indicates a 1st round candidate
- B Rating -- Indicates a 2nd/3rd round candidate
- C Rating -- Indicates a 4th/5th round candidate
- W Rating -- Indicates a 6th/7th round candidate
- LV (Limited Viewing) -- Injured players who have not had sufficient viewings to be categorized.
Each USHL team had an active player or alumni listed. Lawrence received an A-rating, while Jack Hextall (Youngstown Phantoms), Landon Hafele (Green Bay Gamblers), Jonas Kemps (Chicago Steel), Tobias Trejbal (Youngstown Phantoms), Blake Zielinski (Des Moines Buccaneers), Myles Brosnan (Sioux City Musketeers), and multiple players from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) earned B ratings.
The breakdown of one hundred players includes every player who has played in a USHL regular season game. Eighty-four of those players have played in at least 10, while 18 fell below that threshold.
Top NCAA alumni to make the list included Miami’s B-rated Ilya Morosov and St. Thomas’ C-rated Bode Laylin, who played together for the Tri-City Storm, as well as UMass, C-rated defenseman Landon Nycz, who spent time with the Waterloo Black Hawks and Sioux City Musketeers.
Eighteen USHL affiliates were listed, including Theodore Lechner (Muskegon Lumberjacks), William Manchiso (Sioux City Musketeers), and Domán Szaongoth (Fargo Force), who each recieved C ratings.
| RATING |
FIRST |
LAST |
POSITION |
USHL TEAM(S) |
| A |
J.P. |
Hurlbert^ |
F |
NTDP |
| A |
Nikita |
Klepov^ |
F |
SC |
| A |
Tynan |
Lawrence |
F |
MUS |
| A |
Chase |
Reid^ |
D |
WAT |
| A |
Luke |
Schairer |
D |
NTDP |
| A |
Yegor |
Shilov^ |
F |
GB |
| B |
Landon |
Amrhein^* |
F |
NTDP |
| B |
Egor |
Barabanov^ |
F |
SF/MAD |
| B |
Mikey |
Berchild |
F |
NTDP |
| B |
Dayne |
Beuker |
F |
NTDP |
| B |
Harrison |
Boettiger^ |
G |
NTDP |
| B |
Landon |
Hafele |
F |
NTDP/GB |
| B |
Kyle |
Heger^* |
D |
MUS |
| B |
Jack |
Hextall |
F |
YNG |
| B |
Jonas |
Kemps |
D |
NTDP/CHI |
| B |
Brady |
Knowling |
G |
NTDP |
| B |
Lincoln |
Kuehne^ |
D |
NTDP |
| B |
Jackson |
Marthaler |
D |
NTDP |
| B |
Ilya |
Morozov^ |
F |
TC |
| B |
Olivers |
Murnieks^ |
F |
SC |
| B |
Casey |
Mutryn |
F |
NTDP |
| B |
Victor |
Plante |
F |
NTDP |
| B |
Logan |
Stuart |
F |
NTDP |
| B |
Tobias |
Trejbal |
G |
YNG |
| B |
Thomas |
Vandenberg^ |
F |
CR |
| B |
Blake |
Zielinski |
F |
DM |
| C |
Rudolfs |
Berzkalns |
F |
MUS |
| C |
Tommy |
Bleyl^* |
D |
DBQ |
| C |
Nicholas |
Bogas |
D |
WAT/NTDP |
| C |
Myles |
Brosnan |
D |
SC |
| C |
Carter |
Casey^ |
G |
WAT |
| C |
Cameron |
Chartrand^* |
D |
CR |
| C |
Callum |
Croskery^ |
D |
CHI |
| C |
Wyatt |
Cullen |
F |
NTDP |
| C |
A.J. |
Francisco |
D |
NTDP |
| C |
Eric |
Frossard^ |
D |
YNG |
| C |
Caden |
Harvey^* |
F |
WAT/NTDP |
| C |
Noah |
Kosick^* |
F |
SF |
| C |
Bode |
Laylin |
F |
TC |
| C |
Teddy |
Lechner |
D |
NTDP/MUS |
| C |
Pavel |
Martinu |
F |
SC |
| C |
Landon |
Nycz^ |
D |
WAT/SC |
| C |
Andrew |
O'Neill |
F |
NTDP |
| C |
Niko |
Tournas^ |
F |
CR |
| C |
Parker |
Trottier |
F |
NTDP |
| C |
Aleksi |
Vlasov^ |
F |
SF |
| C |
Sam |
Wathier |
D |
NTDP |
| C |
Lucas |
Zajic |
F |
NTDP |
| LV |
Boris |
Borin |
F |
YNG |
| W |
Dryden |
Allen^ |
D |
DBQ |
| W |
Poul |
Anderson^ |
F |
LIN |
| W |
Bjorn |
Bronas |
G |
SC |
| W |
Ryan |
Cameron |
G |
NTDP/CR |
| W |
Luke |
Carrithers |
G |
NTDP |
| W |
Nathaniel |
Celski |
D |
MUS |
| W |
Henry |
Chmiel |
D |
DM |
| W |
Cash |
Cruitt |
G |
MAD |
| W |
Dylan |
Dean^* |
F |
SC |
| W |
Owen |
Degraff |
F |
WAT |
| W |
Nicholas |
Desiderio^ |
F |
DBQ |
| W |
Kaiden |
Donia^* |
D |
LIN |
| W |
Jimmy |
Egan^* |
F |
OMA |
| W |
Nikita |
Fedotov |
D |
GB |
| W |
Ryder |
Fetterolf^* |
G |
TC |
| W |
Aurelio |
Garcia |
F |
NTDP |
| W |
Brody |
George |
F |
NTDP |
| W |
Kambryn |
Hendrickson^ |
G |
WAT/OMA |
| W |
Evan |
Jardine |
F |
YNG |
| W |
Kase |
Kamzik^* |
F |
SC |
| W |
Will |
Keane |
G |
MUS |
| W |
Yegor |
Kim |
F |
OMA |
| W |
Lincoln |
Krizizke |
D |
DBQ |
| W |
Oleg |
Kulebyakin^* |
F |
LIN |
| W |
Jack |
Kultgen |
D |
GB |
| W |
Robin |
Kuzma^* |
F |
GB |
| W |
Jet |
Kwajah |
F |
MAD |
| W |
Hudson |
Lohse |
D |
DBQ |
| W |
Logan |
Lutner |
D |
NTDP |
| W |
Beksultan |
Makysh^* |
F |
DBQ |
| W |
Tomas |
Mikel |
D |
CR/DM |
| W |
Andrew |
Mohesky |
F |
NTDP |
| W |
Andrei |
Molgachyov^* |
F |
YNG |
| W |
Zachary |
Morin^ |
F |
FNG |
| W |
Jack |
Parsons^ |
G |
NTDP/CHI |
| W |
Zade |
Penner |
D |
FGO |
| W |
Caleb |
Pittsley |
F |
MAD |
| W |
Patrick |
Quinlan^ |
G |
NTDP |
| W |
Dakoda |
Rhéaume-Mullen^ |
D |
NTDP |
| W |
Jimmy |
Reiber |
D |
WAT |
| W |
Lukas |
Sawchyn^ |
F |
CHI |
| W |
Joseph |
Skidmore |
G |
CR |
| W |
Kaenan |
Smith^* |
G |
SF |
| W |
Cooper |
Soller |
F |
SF |
| W |
Kade |
Stengrim^ |
F |
YNG |
| W |
Nicholas |
Sykora^ |
F |
SC |
| W |
Jack |
Torr |
F |
FGO |
| W |
Cole |
Tuminaro |
D |
CHI |
| W |
Adam |
Valentini^ |
F |
CHI |
| W |
Ben |
Wilmott^ |
F |
CHI |
| W |
Ryan |
Yurkiw |
D |
OMA |
| W |
Simas |
Ignatavicius# |
F |
GB |
| W |
Samuel |
Hrenak# |
G |
FGO |
| W |
Phillips |
Ethan# |
G |
SC |
| LV |
Kent |
Sauer Jr.# |
F |
LIN (IR) |
| W |
Davis |
Keegan# |
F |
WAT |
| W |
Joseph |
Erickson# |
F |
CHI |
| C |
Theodore |
Lechner# |
D |
MUS |
| W |
Ethan |
Sturgis# |
F |
GB |
| W |
Nicklas |
Nelson# |
W |
SF |
| C |
Jayden |
Kurtz# |
D |
CHI |
| W |
Luke |
Puchner# |
F |
LIN |
| W |
Elliot |
Lennon# |
G |
MAD |
| C |
William |
Manchuso# |
F |
SC |
| W |
Brian |
McFadden# |
D |
CHI |
| W |
Neilan |
Johnson# |
G |
GB |
| W |
Alexander |
Karmonov# |
D |
FGO |
| C |
Doman |
Szongoth# |
F |
FGO |
| W |
Filip |
Novak# |
F |
CHI |
|
|
* Less than 10 USHL Games Played
^ USHL Alumni
# USHL Affiliate
About the USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading 16–to 20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.
Elevated through the recently announced
Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede).