As the summer continues along, incoming recruiting classes are rested and ready for their first taste of collegiate action. We shift our focus to the freshmen entering their respective institutions this fall. This list of incoming freshmen was graciously provided by Long Island's coaching staff. Players are listed alphabetically by last name.

Long Island University continued developing their program and capped off Brendan Riley's first campaign capturing an inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup win.  Perhaps these pups could propel the Sharks to their first NCAA tournament appearance wearing their signature powder blue jerseys.

The BCHL's scoring leader is headed east for school. Zachary Benayon lit the lamp 36 times in 53 games, finishing with a league fifth 68 points. It was quite surprising that he was only named a Second-Team All-Star at the year's end. With last year's top producer Noah Serdachny headed to Austria, Benayon could be a jolt that keeps the offense going.

Bourque was a steady producer on a struggling Tigres team and served as an alternate captain. He was consistently played third line right wing, accruing 42 points (21 goals + 21 assists) in 57 games. The Gatineau, Quebec native has shown consistent growth over nearly five QMJHL seasons. If this trend continues, Bourque could become an important piece for the Sharks.

Another top goal getter, Luc Bydal led the North American Hockey League (NAHL) scoring 42 times in 58 games. The fuel behind Bydal's elite performances is his speed. When Bydal turns on the afterburners, he leaves defenders in the dust. This set the pace for Anchorage's forecheck–and opponents' backcheck. Everyone talks about how hockey is getting faster, but Bydal remains ahead of the curve.

Callaway showed a lot of resilience in 2025-26. He spent time in the NAHL as a backup netminder before being called up to Waterloo. The Black Hawks had the USHL's worst record at 16-42-2-2 and allowed 249 goals, third worst in the league. Still, Callaway played his heart out putting up an .891 save percentage in spite of the adversity. This kind of character and talent is something cultures are built upon.

After a stint in the BCHL, Rousseau returned to the Q with the Halifax Mooseheads for his age out year. He slotted right onto the top line collecting 26 points (14 goals + 12 assists) in 36 games. Rousseau showed grit in the postseason notching a team second nine penalty minutes in four games. This sandpaper and scoring could have Rousseau squarely in the middle six.

Imposing, fearsome but loyal to a fault. That's what Long Island is getting from the 6 foot 7 and 223 pound Veney. He patrols the blue line like a dog with a bone, poking pucks free while hammering off shots from the point. Veney remains squarely in his role and doesn't overstep or become a liability. I had the privilege of working with Veney in Omaha and from my experience he's the guy everyone wants to play alongside but hates to line up across from.