In a bit of a surprise, Dartmouth defenseman Cooper Cleaves was selected in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. Cleaves was ranked in the fourth round by two scouting sites and was 166th among North American skaters by Central Scouting. He was unranked by other services. 

Cleaves is a six-foot-three, 205-pound right-shot defenseman and an overage draft pick at 20 years old. He grew up in Riverside, Connecticut and spent several years with the Mid Fairfield Rangers and the Brunswick School. In 2024-25, he played 25 games with the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL before moving up to the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL for 38 games. He had two goals and nine points with the Gamblers. 

Cleaves then headed to Dartmouth with his older brother, Hank. With the Big Green, Cooper contributed to one of the more surprising success stories in the NCAA this year. Dartmouth rattled off twelve straight wins to start the season and finished 23-8-4, winning the ECAC title and advancing to the NCAA tournament. Cooper was a big part of that, averaging 15 minutes a night as a freshman and adding four goals and six assists in 30 games. 

Cooper is a solid defenseman on the rush, constantly active against his opponents. He's a fairly quick skater as well, often winning races to pucks, and is able to participate offensively. Though he doesn't use it much, his shot is strong, as well. Cooper is raw but has good upside for the Habs.