Jack Galanek is a sophomore at UMass who is eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He’s actually a double re-entry as he was first eligible in 2024, but went undrafted in that draft and in 2025. After a so-so year at UMass with just five goals and 19 assists in 36 games, Galanek is unlikely to be drafted this year, particularly after he was rated as a D-level prospect in his draft year. However, it is possible that a team may take a flyer on him in the later rounds of the draft given his strong motor. 

Galanek is from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and he’s a center who shoots left. He spent his early years playing at Shattuck St. Mary’s before being drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. Galanek ultimately spent parts of three seasons with Muskegon, even wearing a letter for them in his final year (coincidentally, the year Muskegon secured the Clark Cup — 2024-25). 

Last year, he began his freshman campaign at UMass. Despite not producing many goals, he averaged the sixth-most minutes per game on the team, playing generally around 20 minutes per night. 

Galanek’s greatest asset is his constant action. He’s always in motion, moving the puck around and flying up and down the ice. He’s strong on the forecheck and is a good facilitator, getting the puck to his teammates well. 

The knock on him is that he’s not particularly skilled at anything other than being fast. His hands aren’t great, his skating isn’t anything special and he’s not a prolific scorer. But he’s got a strong motor and is always one of the hardest workers on the ice. There’s raw athleticism there if nothing else.