Read our draft profile on Ilia Morozov, a center from Miami (Ohio).
One of the most intriguing players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft is Ilia Morozov, a center for Miami (Ohio) University. The Russian center was one of the bigger players in college hockey this year, standing at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. He’s not a highly productive player, but he’s very agile and well-rounded, which is why he’s currently rated for the late first round.
Morozov is a Moscow, Russia, native who played youth hockey with Orbita Zelenograd. At just 14, he left Russia and traveled to the US to pursue his dream of hockey. Morozov ended up in Illinois with the Windy City Storm U15 team, then moved up to the USHL’s Tri-City Storm in 2024-25. In 59 games with Tri-City, he earned just 22 points. His production did increase somewhat with Miami, but not much, with 20 points in 36 games.
But points aren’t what Morozov’s game is built on. He’s an extremely dedicated defensive player, spending plenty of time on Miami’s PK this year. Scouts note that he’s very good at utilizing his large body to cut off angles. For a player of his size, he’s a strong skater who’s very well known for playing fast constantly. Morozov has gained attention for the way he does the little things correctly: cycling pucks, battling hard along the boards, tracking back defensively, etc. The board battles are a particular highlight; he’s not afraid to use his body not to throw mindless checks but to cover up pucks on the boards and force opposing players out.
The offensive upside is likely limited with Morozov. It hasn’t really been his game in years, and he’s not the greatest puck handler. Now, that’s something he could learn with time, but he currently seems to fit much more as a 3/4C than he does as someone who will be spending time on a power play unit (though he does do that at Miami as well). Even though his puck handling isn’t strong, he has enough vision to make intelligent passes to help his teammates advance the puck.
What’s more impressive about Morozov was that he acquitted himself well at the NCAA level while being the youngest player in college hockey for most of the year (Oscar Hemming, who joined Boston College halfway through the year, has him beat by ten days). Had he been just a few weeks younger, he wouldn’t be eligible for this draft. Morozov didn’t look out of place on the ice at all, and he’ll have more time to hone his skills due to his age.
Miami coach Anthony Noreen first saw Morozov play with Windy City, and was set to coach him with Tri-City before he accepted the job at Miami. Morozov followed him there. Noreen is a big believer in Morozov’s potential.
“Elite character, elite compete level, 200-foot player that's just going to keep getting better because of the way he approaches the game and how intentional he is with his training and his practice habits,” Noreen told THN’s Frank Zawrazky earlier this week.
In the meantime, Morozov is working on a finance degree.