Recruits 2026 and Beyond

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Hard to figure any rhyme or reason in our recruiting philosophy

Nous recrutons / des francophones.

Allez le Rouge!

[chimpfood]

My hopes for the lines next year:

Kraft-Walsh-Ryan
Long-Zadvernyuk-Major
Hiscock-DiGiulian-Devlin
Wehmann-Catalano-Armstrong

Veilleux-Fegaras
Ashton-Tuminaro
Randle-Fisher

Rousseau

ES: Pirtle or Gorski depending if you want a forward or a D.

This is my wish, not what I would actually guess. I think it is so obvious that Digiulian needs to play center but Casey loves having Manor in that spot instead for some reason. I already hate having 2 lefties on the right side at forward but we have so many talented lefties it kind of has to happen. I would imagine that these two lefty winger lines pair with our righty centers so that they can play along the right side boards if need be. I love the idea of a super gritty, get under your skin fourth line so that's what I put but wouldn't be surprised to see a better scorer like Pirtle or Arend get time instead of Wehmann.

On D I bet Casey sticks with Fegaras and Ashton but I think 6 and 4 would pair pretty well. I also like the idea of having Ashton and Tuminaro together as 2 massive bodies, and I think Tuminaro will show pretty quickly that he needs more ice time than fisher.

At goalie the depth should pretty clearly be Rousseau-Roest-Katz in that order, so not a lot to say there.

[stereax]

Major at center is either like, 1G 1A or a -3.

Possibly both.

[The Rancor]

Seems like a nice Halifax Moose pipeline developing.

[abmarks]

Rated 114 by NHL Central Scouting. We now have recruits at 96, 112, and 114 in this year's rankings, plus Caton Ryan at 177.

Daniel Walters is really good at hockey?

He's also trending towards post-fegeras crimebag of the year for Ms. Stereax. 

2025-2026 Fegaras:

Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	PPG	PIM/G
——————	———————————————	————————	———	———	———	———	———	———	—————
2025-26	Cornell Univ.	NCAA	34	5	16	21	30	0.6	0.9
——————	———————————————	————————	———	———	———	———	———	———	—————

Walters (From https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/876330/daniel-walters)

Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	PPG	PIM/G
——————	———————————————	————————	———	———	———	———	———	———	—————
2025-26	Halifax Mooseheads	QMJHL	67	16	15	31	122	0.5	1.8
2024-25	Halifax Mooseheads	QMJHL	74	3	9	12	61	0.2	0.8
2023-24	Halifax McDonald's U18	NSU18MHL	42	16	22	38	50	0.9	1.2
2022-23	Halifax Gulls U15 "A"	NSU15MHL	31	30	45	75	62	2.4	2.0
2022-23	The Buccaneers U16 AAA	NSU16AAAHL	2	2	1	3	2	1.5	1.0
2021-22	Halifax Gulls U15	NSU15MHL	35	17	26	43	38	1.2	1.1
——————	———————————————	————————	———	———	———	———	———	———	—————
Total			251	84	118	202	335	0.8	1.3

[Trotsky]

When looking at the PIM we should probably subtract the fighting and associated GM/DQ minutes.

[ursusminor]

When looking at the PIM we should probably subtract the fighting and associated GM/DQ minutes.

Some leagues, I think including the entire CHL, don't count misconducts (of any type) and DQ's in penalty minute totals. Major penalties are included. I checked Walters' game-by-game stats https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/players/21289/, and he had two major penalties. Associated misconducts, etc., were indeed not included.

[abmarks]

When looking at the PIM we should probably subtract the fighting and associated GM/DQ minutes.

Some leagues, I think including the entire CHL, don't count misconducts (of any type) and DQ's in penalty minute totals. Major penalties are included. I checked Walters' game-by-game stats https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/players/21289/, and he had two major penalties. associated misconducts, etc., were indeed not included.

I didnt take time to adjust stats at all.  I ws just amused to document crimebaggery for stereax

[stereax]

When looking at the PIM we should probably subtract the fighting and associated GM/DQ minutes.

Some leagues, I think including the entire CHL, don't count misconducts (of any type) and DQ's in penalty minute totals. Major penalties are included. I checked Walters' game-by-game stats https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/players/21289/, and he had two major penalties. associated misconducts, etc., were indeed not included.

I didnt take time to adjust stats at all.  I ws just amused to document crimebaggery for stereax

Thank you 💜 it feels between Armstrong ang Walters, the crimebag pipeline stays strong!

[chimpfood]

Louis Wehmann and the penticton bees season ended yesterday, they did way better than I expected moving up from the BCHL to the WHL. Wehmann is a 20 year old LW who posted 37 points in 68 regular season games. Not superb numbers but I am actually very bullish on him as a fourth/third liner in college. He turned up for playoffs with 13 points in 15 games. Seems like a high energy and high physicality player and he can fight damn well, look up his fights.

[chimpfood]

Forgot to post after the end of Charlie Arend's season. 20 year old forward for Dubuque of the USHL. 43 points in 52 games, a big step up from the previous two years. I don't see him factoring in this upcoming season but hopefully can be a piece for us later in his career.

[chimpfood]

The other ECAC schools are recruiting surprisingly well. Harvard as usual is doing well with high draft picks, Quinnipiac bringing in some more huge CHL scorers, Clarkson and RPI also getting some decent CHL guys. The big surprise for me is Saint Lawrence who looks to have tricked two draft picks and another draft eligible who will probably go this year into coming. We'll see how many of those actually come to fruition.

[stereax]

As part of the Devils' FO restructuring, Sunny Mehta brought in Braden Birch '13 to be AGM of the Devils and GM of the Utica Comets.

This means y'all are now federally obligated to listen to me ramble about the Devils <3

(This was supposed to go in alumni in the pros, but alas.)

[BearLover]

No surprise, but Alex Pelletier named USHL Player of the Year: https://ushl.com/news/2026/4/20/mens-ice-hockey-alex-pelletier-named-ushl-player-of-the-year.aspx

Some credit should go to the Cornell coaching staff, as Pelletier never could have won USHL PotY had the coaches brought him in last year.

[BearLover]

The other ECAC schools are recruiting surprisingly well. Harvard as usual is doing well with high draft picks, Quinnipiac bringing in some more huge CHL scorers, Clarkson and RPI also getting some decent CHL guys. The big surprise for me is Saint Lawrence who looks to have tricked two draft picks and another draft eligible who will probably go this year into coming. We'll see how many of those actually come to fruition.

Not disagreeing with you, but we need to grade recruiting on a curve. Now that the player pool has doubled with CHL eligibility, every program should be recruiting better than it did two years ago. The question is whether our/the ECAC's recruiting is improving more or less than the rest of the country's.