Prospect Watch: NTDP Evolves To Take On New Challenges

USA Hockey's National Team Development Program had a busy summer.

The vaunted NTDP lost some talent to junior programs, highlighted by Carter Meyer going to the Quebec Remparts and Trevor Daley Jr. joining the Soo Greyhounds.

But 'The Program' also made a significant move in the front office, promoting Rod Braceful to senior director of hockey operations and bumping up Andrew Whiteside to director of player personnel. Whiteside gets Braceful's old job after being assistant director of player personnel before.

So what does it all mean? I asked Scott Monaghan, the assistant executive director of USA Hockey for the NTDP.

"It's taking the next step on the hockey side for us," he said. "Rod's a really sharp hockey mind — he's more than just a scout. We felt this allowed us to have another layer above the coaching staff in terms of the day-to-day hockey operations."

Braceful, whose career also includes a stint scouting for the Chicago Blackhawks, becomes the second senior director in NTDP history — Monaghan was the first. But in recent years Monaghan has been in charge of the NTDP and USA Hockey Arena, following the passing of program icon Jim Johannson in 2018, so there was a lot on his plate.

Braceful can now have a more direct role with the NTDP's coaches on a day-to-day basis.

"The key goals have always been success on the international stage for USA Hockey — which we saw last February at the Olympics and we take a lot of ownership in that — but we have to keep the pipeline going," Monaghan said. "And Rod will be a big piece in that: Are we doing the right things developing the players? Do we need to add or delete anything?"

Like all developmental programs, the NTDP waded into unfamiliar waters when the NCAA began allowing CHL players to join. J.P. Hurlbert left after one year to play for WHL Kamloops before being taken 23rd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2026 draft, while a number of kids left this summer for major junior.

The NTDP's selling point has always been about that two-year commitment: The U17s get the stuffing beat out of them by older competition, but all that experience, plus an unbeatable strength and conditioning program, typically leads to glory in Year 2, culminating with the world under-18 championship.

"I tell this to parents: As a society, we don't go through failure enough," Monaghan said. "You have to go through that pain and suffering to learn how to succeed down the road. That's a bit of the secret sauce here - and you go through it with guys your age. We have a lot of captains that have come out of here and I think that's part of it."

The men's Olympic team won gold with a roster loaded with NTDP alumni — including overtime hero Jack Hughes. The challenge for Monaghan, Braceful and Whiteside now is to remind young players of that lineage as competition for talent in North America continues to heat up.

"We're navigating a huge world right now and we're not the only ones," Monaghan said. "College hockey, junior — It's wide open. Our biggest challenge is to continue doing what we've done so well in almost 30 years: Be the cutting-edge program. We are that and we want to be that."

The CHL added a fun little wrinkle to the pre-season with some inter-league exhibition play. OHL Saginaw played three games against QMJHL Newfoundland, while the "Clash of the Kingdoms" saw the OHL's London Knights take on the WHL's Victoria Royals for a pair of games in B.C.

The Knights were clearly jet-lagged for Game 1, but bounced back and won Game 2. Plus, the game was color-on-color with green jerseys versus black. I highly endorse this. Game 1 between the Spirit and Regiment was penalty-filled, but I suppose that's what you get when kids are rarin' to go.

This inter-league experiment is set to continue throughout the regular season this year, with eight games scheduled. The first matchup will take place on Nov. 1 when the Val-d’Or Foreurs travel to take on the North Bay Battalion.

I'd love to see more of this as the CHL evolves and I wonder: In the battle for eyeballs, do we see a future where the Memorial Cup field expands and there's an NCAA-style bracket?

Just throwing it out there...

Speaking of the NCAA, I'm working on my annual Top 100 players to watch list as we speak (Penn State, post your full roster!). As a teaser, here are the schools with the most players on my long list - keeping in mind some of the players on those teams will be cut for the final ranking. In no particular order:

Michigan State

Michigan

Boston University

UMass

North Dakota

Who will be the No. 1 player on the list? You probably don't need too many guesses...

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