The NCAA gets a lot of the top CHL talent now, and with so many elite young players in the CHL, college teams will be in their ears very early. So who are these top players, and can they be playing college hockey as soon as the 2027 season?
It’s no secret that the CHL has become a full pipeline for NCAA teams now, and with high-end players committing every day, who are the top names in the CHL yet to commit to a college hockey program?
There’s no guarantee that any of these players end up playing in college, but the way things are going now, players in their draft year or in their draft-plus-one season are favouring college over junior hockey. So who are the names, and how soon could they be in the NCAA?
Maddox Schultz & Liam Pue: Regina Pats (WHL)
It would be hard to imagine Schultz and Pue splitting up once it’s time for them to make the jump to college hockey, simply due to how good they are together, and they’ve been playing together for some time now.
Drafted first and third overall in the 2025 WHL draft as underagers, Schultz and Pue played together in U18 AAA, as well as the WHL for the Pats. They’ll be full-time in the WHL this season and are being looked at as the top two prospects for the 2028 NHL draft.
They dominated at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup on the same line and will be heavily recruited by every blue-blood program. They’ll likely be entering college in the 2027-28 season, which is similar to Landon DuPont this year whose spending his draft year at the University of Michigan.
Luca Santala: London Knights (OHL)
The Finnish forward is making the switch to North America this season with the London Knights and is expected to make an NCAA commitment at some point this season. Collegepucknxt has his projected programs as Michigan, Penn State, BU, BC, ASU, and Michigan State.
Santala brings a heavy approach to the game and plays an all-around game, which is a large reason as to why he’s a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft. If he builds up some chemistry with Jaxon Cover over in London, Penn State may become a front-runner early on in this process for him.
Brock England: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
England had 51 points last season in the WHL and absolutely tore it up at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, posting four goals and five points in five games. His skating is next level, and when you mix in his elite shot, motor, and willingness to be physical, you get a pretty elite player.
He’s projected to be a lottery pick in the 2026 draft and will be highly sought after by every blueblood in the country. England will be one of the highest-profile players if he’s to commit to an NCAA program and should be looked at as a must-get target for any top program. The team that will be able to offer him the most is likely Michigan, which will be without Michael Hage most likely for the 2027 season, and England could slide into a top-six role immediately for them.
Kane Cloutier: Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Cloutier was the first pick in the 2026 OHL draft from the Vaughan Kings of the GTHL, and he brings a lot of hype around him. He’s the son of former NHL netminder Dan Cloutier, who played the peak of his career with the Vancouver Canucks.
The 15-year-old also appeared in four OHL Cup games with the Kings this past season, posting six goals and five assists. Due to his late December birthdate, Cloutier is a 2028 draft-eligible player and will likely play two seasons in the OHL, and if he’s developed enough, I’d expect his freshman year to be in the 2028-29 season, since 2029 is his NHL draft year.
