As the summer continues along, incoming recruiting classes are rested and ready for their first taste of collegiate action. We shift our focus to the freshmen entering their respective institutions this fall. All entry years are from College Hockey Inc and are subject to change. Players are listed alphabetically by last name.

After a deeply disappointing season for how much high-end talent it had, Boston University looks to rebound to Frozen Four form. They’re adding less high draft picks than last season, but perhaps that will be better for overall team cohesion. 

Niklas Aaram-Olsen — Left Winger, Orebro HK Junior (SweJN)

Aaram-Olsen has been a top prospect out of Norway since he appeared at U18s in 2023 as a 16-year-old, and now he’s a top prospect in the upcoming draft. He’s a smooth skater, if not particularly speedy, and he’s got one of the best shots in the draft. According to scouts, he generally is either a legitimate checking threat or he’s just a trigger man with limited off-puck impact, which is something he’ll need to work on. Still, he should be a weapon on the power play, which the Terriers badly need — their power play finished 50th out of 63 teams last season. Expect him to play in the top six. 

Rian Chudzinski — Right Winger, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

Ironic that Chudzinski is a Terrier given that he spent much of his childhood playing for the Boston Jr. Eagles. The six-foot-one 190-pound right-winger spent the first half of the year adjusting to life in the QMJHL with Moncton. Once he found his footing, though, he was off. Chudzinski is a high energy, high physicality player who crashes and bangs at top speed. While he doesn’t have a ton of offensive upside as his hands aren’t great, his tenacity makes him effective as a third- or fourth-liner. 

Caleb Malhotra — Center, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

The son of new Vancouver Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, Caleb is a projected top-ten pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. Before this year, Malhotra was a middling BCHL player, but his 84 points in 67 games  with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL sent his draft stock skyrocketing. Malhotra has great defensive instincts and he finally rounded out the offensive side of his game. He should be a great center in the top six.  

Zachary Morin — Left Winger, St. John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

While Morin is a Quebec native coming from the Q, this will not be Morin’s first time playing in the US. He spent a year in Michigan playing with Little Caesars before a year in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. He left the Phantoms a few games into his second year to go to St. John. He went undrafted in last year’s draft, but he’s got good tools as a puck distributor and he’s sneaky. He’ll be a good second or third-line left winger. 

Viktor Nörringer — Right Winger, Nashville Predators, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

Nörringer went point-per-game with the Lumberjacks last year immediately after transitioning from Frölunda HC J20 — an impressive feat. He was already drafted by the Preds before that, though. At six-foot-four and 205 pounds, he’s a power forward with a great shot. He’ll be a good addition to the third line. 

Aidan Souligny — Defenseman, Summerside Western Capitals (MHL)

Six-foot-three, 214-pound defenseman don’t come around every day. Souligny’s path hasn’t been very straightforward, as he split last year between the NAHL’s Bismarck Bobcats and the MHL’s Capitals. He only recorded four points in 36 games, and given how talented the roster is, he may not play a lot, but he’s a big two-way defenseman, so he may get a shot with the lower pairs. 

Xavier Villeneuve — Defenseman, Blainville-Boisbrand Armada (QMJHL)

The gem of this recruiting class for BU is also one of the more polarizing prospects in this draft. Defensive Rookie of the Year in the Q, All-CHL third team — Villeneuve is undoubtedly talented. His skills mainly lie in manipulating the puck and he’s very reminiscent of the Hutson brothers in the way he’s able to create plays and how high his IQ is. As an undersized defenseman, Villeneuve desperately needs to add more strength, however, and when he tries to do too much, it tends to fall apart. But his ceiling is incredibly high and BU fans should be excited to watch him on their top pair. 

Haoxi “Simon” Wang — Defenseman, San Jose Sharks, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

Wang is one of the most fascinating prospects in the NHL as a six-foot-five, 223-pound defenseman who began his career skating in China. Interestingly, his origins developed him into one of the better skaters in last year’s draft. He was taken early in the second round by the Sharks despite being a bit of a question mark as a prospect. Wang developed well in the OHL this year, rounding out his offense, and his size on the blue line should be a big advantage for the Terriers as his defensive game progresses. Look for him in the middle or bottom pair.  

Braidy Wassilyn — Center, London Knights (OHL)

The final member of this class — and the one most likely to have his name constantly misspelled — hails from Puslinch, Ontario. Wassilyn is ranked in the 100s in this draft as his offensive role was diminished with London but he rounded out his off-puck game well with the Knights, which will serve him well in the long run. It’s unclear if he’ll be drafted, but he would make a good player on the third or fourth line.