Men's Ice Hockey | 6/1/2026 1:07:09 PM
Twelve players who finished the 2025-26 season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and four USHL alumni who recently completed their first year of NCAA Division I men’s hockey were invited to the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine, taking place from June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y.
Top-ranked draft-eligible players from around the world are selected to participate in interviews with NHL teams, medical, and fitness testing at KeyBank Center and LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo, where the NHL Draft will be held June 26-27.
Among the USHL alumni invited to take part in the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine are NCAA standouts Tynan Lawrence (Muskegon Lumberjacks/Boston University) and Ilia Morosov (Tri-City Storm/Miami University), as well as a trio of players who were active in the league last season, such as Wyatt Cullen (NTDP), Jack Hextall (Youngstown Phantoms), and Blake Zielinski (Des Moines Buccaneers).
| Name |
Position |
USHL Team |
NCAA Team |
| Rudolfs Berzkalns |
F |
MUS |
Boston College |
| Nick Bogas |
D |
NTDP |
Michigan State |
| Wyatt Cullen |
F |
NTDP |
Minnesota |
| Jack Hextall |
F |
YNG |
Michigan State |
| Brady Knowling |
G |
NTDP |
Boston University |
| Lincoln Kuehne* |
D |
NTDP |
Arizona State |
| Tynan Lawrence* |
F |
MUS |
Boston University |
| Ilia Morosov* |
F |
MUS |
Miami |
| Jayden Kurtz |
D |
CHI |
Wisconsin |
| Casey Mutryn |
F |
NTDP |
Boston College |
| Landon Nycz* |
D |
WAT/SC |
UMass |
| Victor Plante |
F |
NTDP |
Minnesota Duluth |
| Luke Schairer |
D |
NTDP |
Boston University |
| Tobias Trejbal |
G |
YNG |
UMass |
| Adam Valentini* |
F |
CHI |
Michigan |
| Blake Zielinski |
F |
DM |
Providence |
*Played some or part of the 2025-26 season in the NCAA.
About the USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).
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 90% 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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).