General | 3/27/2025 7:00:00 AM
The 2025 NCAA Tournament gets underway this week as 16 teams will continue their pursuit of a national championship.
The tournament gets underway with a pair of games in both Fargo and Toledo on Thursday, followed by two games in both Allentown and Manchester on Friday. The winners will square off on Saturday and Sunday respectively, which will determine the Frozen Four field.
This year’s Frozen Four is set for April 10-12 in St. Louis. Here are some of the top USHL alums to keep an eye on.
Zeev Buium, So., D, Denver
NTDP; 2021-23
Buium has blossomed in his second NCAA season and has 11 goals and 43 points, which leads all NCAA defensemen. He had 25 points (6-19-25) as a freshman.
Buium was named both the NCHC Player of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year. He scored his 11th goal last Saturday in the NCHC Championship Game and will try to stay hot as the Pioneers play Providence in the Manchester Regional.
Alex Bump, So., F, Western Michigan
Omaha, Tri-City; 2021-23
Bump has fired an NCAA-leading 225 shots at opposing goaltenders and is a big reason why the Broncos are averaging an NCAA-best 4.1 goals per game. The sophomore leads the way in goals (23) and points (46), and he has 11-5-16 over his past 12.
Bump scored the overtime winner last Saturday, lifting Western Michigan to a 4-3 win over Denver in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game. Bump was named the tournament MVP as he scored three times in St. Paul, and Bump was named the NCHC Forward of the Year. He was also a unanimous First Team All-NCHC selection. WMU faces Minnesota State on Thursday.
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Gr., F, Ohio State
Chicago; 2018-20
Fontaine transferred to Ohio State after four seasons at Northeastern, and he’s made an immediate impact in Columbus. Fontaine leads OSU with 17 goals and 40 points, and he has 12 multi-point efforts. His previous career high was 30 points at the NCAA level.
The Buckeyes advanced to the Big Ten Championship Game and will now play BU in Toledo.
Connor Hasley, Jr., G, Bentley
Cedar Rapids; 2021-22
Hasley leads the country with 11 shutouts and his 1.95 GAA ranks ninth among NCAA goaltenders. His 21 wins also rank seventh and he’s stopped 818 of the 886 shots fired his way this season.
Hasley, who spent one year in Cedar Rapids, led Bentley to the program’s first Atlantic Hockey championship and the Falcons will make their NCAA Tournament debut on Friday against Boston College.
Isaac Howard, Jr., F, Michigan State
NTDP; 2020-22
Howard’s 26 goals are tied for third in the NCAA and the junior forward has 51 points – which is tied for fourth nationally.
He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and followed it up with a two-goal, four-point showing in the Big Ten Championship Game – including the overtime winner. Howard has points in eight of his past nine, racking up 6-6-12 in the stretch. The Spartans are the top seed in the Toledo Regional and No. 2 seed overall.
Cole Hutson, Fr., D, Boston University
NTDP; 2022-24
Hutson’s 40 points rank third among NCAA defensemen and he’s been among the nation’s top freshmen overall. Hutson received First Team All-Conference honors and starred in Ottawa this winter, where he became the first defenseman to ever lead the WJC in points. His 11 points also set a U.S. single-tournament record by a defenseman.
Hutson and the Terriers open the tournament against Ohio State in Toledo. He’s recently removed from a four-game goal streak too and has 12 points (4-8-12) over his past eight games.
Ryan Leonard, So., F, Boston College
NTDP; 2021-23
Leonard leads the NCAA with 29 goals, nine game-winning goals and was named the Hockey East Player of the Year. He also played a key role at the WJC and captained the U.S. to a gold medal in January.
Leonard has five multi-goal and 13 multi-point games this season, and the Eagles are the No. 1 team in the Pairwise.
Cole O’Hara, Jr., F, UMass
Tri-City; 2020-22
O’Hara was arguably the biggest snub among the Hobey Baker Finalists as the Ontario native has been tremendous, especially in the second half.
O’Hara is tied for fourth in points (51) and ranks ninth in goals (22) in the country. He has points in 15 of his past 16 games too and has racked up 24 points (13-11-24) in the stretch. The Minutemen are making their fifth tournament appearance since 2019 and battle Minnesota in Fargo.
Sam Rinzel, So., D, Minnesota
Waterloo; 2021-23
Rinzel was named the Big Ten Defenseman of the Year last week and his 31 points rank sixth among NCAA defensemen. He’s also a plus-19 over his 39 games.
Rinzel had 2-26-28 as a freshman but has continued to excel in his sophomore season. The Chicago pick (2022, 1st) enjoyed a solid 2022-23 season in Waterloo too and put up 36 points (9-27-36) for the Black Hawks, along with three points (1-2-3) in the playoffs.
Hampton Slukynsky, Fr., G, Western Michigan
Fargo; 2023-24
Slukynsky will return to Scheels Arena, where he helped Fargo win a USHL-record 50 games and a Clark Cup title last season. Slukynsky won the USHL Goalie of the Year Award in the process and was also named the USA Hockey Goaltender of the Year.
That success has followed him to college as Slukynsky was a unanimous pick on the NCHC All-Rookie Team. He’s 15-5-1 with a .918 save percentage and 2.04 GAA for the Broncos and emerged as WMU’s starter late in the second half.
Jimmy Snuggerud, Jr., F, Minnesota
NTDP; 2020-22
Snuggerud earned his second consecutive All-Big Ten First Team honor and was named a Hobey Baker Finalist.
Snuggerud leads the Gophers with 22 goals and 49 points, which ranks eighth in the country. His 22 goals are also tied for ninth nationally. Snuggerud has seven points over his past six games and will try to lead Minnesota to its first national championship since 2003.
Alex Tracy, Jr., G, Minnesota State
Sioux City; 2020-22
Tracy was the lone goalie on the Hobey Baker Watch List and led Minnesota State to a CCHA regular-season and tournament title. The Mavericks have allowed the NCAA’s fewest goals (56) and Tracy owns both the nation’s top save percentage (.945) and lowest GAA (1.43). His 26 wins rank second and his five shutouts also rank third.
Tracy has made 266 of 277 possible saves over his past 10 games and MSU is unbeaten over its past 11 (10-0-1). The Mavericks will face Western Michigan in Fargo.
About the USHL
The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.
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), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.