North Dakota's defensive corps provides the physical grit and offensive production in hopes to of a title run.
Cliche as it is, the old adage of "Defense wins championships," sums up North Dakota's roster construction for this fall. The Fighting Hawks' blue line is teeming with talent between high value newcomers and important returners.
Keaton Verhoeff comes back for following his selection by San Jose ninth overall this summer. Despite being a freshman, Verhoeff was a productive piece on North Dakota's back end. What impressed me most about Verhoeff was his increasing versatility down the stretch.
Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Keaton Verhoeff reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and PWHL San Jose player Laila Edwards after being selected with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn ImagesComing out of the WHL, Verhoeff was primarily a top paring defenseman and did not play much of a depth role. That changed at North Dakota where he slotted in on the second and third parings especially during the playoffs. Rather than being one dimensional, Verhoeff put his 6 foot 4 214 pound frame to work and showed he could do it all. Those postseason reps rounded out his game and will serve to benefit incoming freshmen in the same position he was once in.
Speaking of those freshmen, there's a few big names coming to Grand Forks. Fellow 2026 first rounder Carson Carels leads off the list after being taken sixth overall by Calgary. He notched 73 points (20 goals + 53 points) across 58 games. Carels was born three days after Verhoeff and is in a similar spot to his new teammate after his time in the WHL. I imagine the two will be build off one another as fellow right shots from similar junior backgrounds.
Ethan MacKenzie is an intense two way defenseman drafted by Toronto a few months ago from the Edmonton Oil Kings. MacKenzie makes waves on the score sheet and with his body. An alternate captain last year, accrued 58 points (22 goals + 36 assists) in 59 games while tying for a team third +29 rating.
One other player of note is Garrett Lindberg, who spent two years at the U.S. National Team Development Program. I wasn't surprised that when his rights were traded from the Chicago Steel, it was to a team in the same state as his new institution. Lindberg was a consistent presence as the Fargo Force's captain, elevating his game come playoff time.
North Dakota's lone transfer recipient on the back end is Brasen Boser. While Boser spent significant time on Arizona State's top pairing over the past two years, his USHL production didn't quite translate. Boser will have less pressure on his shoulders as he heads back to his home state.
The only other junior defenseman on North Dakota's roster is E.J. Emery, who took significant strides throughout his sophomore season. Emery's skating got better while he becoming more reliable, going from a +3 freshman rating to +17 in 2025-26. Given the additional support around him, his offense should increase.
I did not have North Dakota on my initial 2027 Frozen Four Favorites List. There are few teams deeper than the Fighting Hawks's forward group However, the more I dig into their defensive core, the more it appears they could prove me wrong.
