Columbus Blue Jackets top prospect Cayden Lindstrom and the Medicine Hat Tigers fell short in the 2025 Memorial Cup to the London Knights last night.
After a strong push to the Memorial Cup Final, the Medicine Hat Tigers came up short against a deeper London Knights team. But now that the tournament is over, the focus shifts to Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom and his return to hockey after a 13-month rehab.
Lindstrom made his return in the WHL Championship Series and helped the Tigers win the league title to earn their spot in the Memorial Cup. He suited up for seven games in total during the playoff run, finishing with two goals and two assists for four points. He was held off the scoresheet during the Memorial Cup.
Now that the season is wrapped up, the big question becomes: will Lindstrom commit to playing NCAA hockey next season?
Because he hasn’t signed his entry-level contract yet, he’s still eligible to play college hockey. There were rumours all season about that possibility. Back in March, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that it looked likely Lindstrom would head to the NCAA and was expected to suit up for Michigan State in the fall.
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Cayden Lindstrom Expected To Head To Michigan State University Next Season
With the NCAA opening the doors to CHL players in recent months, we have seen several players begin to commit to playing in the U.S. college ranks in the coming years. It’s opened up a new pathway for players to continue their development and obtain a good education while keeping a path to pro hockey open in a way that USports, Canadian university athletics, hasn’t in the past.
But after missing over a year of action, and now returning for a short playoff run, it’s fair to wonder if that plan is still in place.
At this time, there hasn’t been any update. But Portzline’s report remains the most recent and suggests Lindstrom is still expected to head south. The key detail is that CHL players have until January 10th to return to their junior team, meaning if Lindstrom does head to Michigan State, he could still come back to the Tigers unless his WHL rights are traded.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets and Lindstrom agree on an entry-level deal before he commits anywhere. After going fourth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, this is definitely a situation to keep an eye on heading into the summer.
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