Jackson Blake, F, University of North Dakota
The 20-year-old right wing is one of 10 candidates for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to the top NCAA men's hockey player. Blake is tied for second among NCAA players with 59 points (21 goals, 38 assists) in 39 games, including 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) during a 10-game point streak.
Picked in the fourth round (No. 109) by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL Draft, Blake is the son of former NHL forward Jason Blake, who played 871 games with four teams.
Zeev Buium, D, University of Denver
The 18-year-old freshman is No. 4 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters for the 2024 NHL Draft. An elite skater, he leads NCAA defensemen with 48 points (11 goals, 37 assists) in 38 games. His older brother and teammate, defenseman Shai Buium, is a Detroit Red Wings prospect.
Macklin Celebrini, F, Boston University
The 17-year-old is the youngest player in NCAA men's hockey but is the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft. He's also a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and is tied for second among NCAA players with 59 points (31 goals, 28 assists) and is second in goals in 35 games.
Sam Colangelo, F, Western Michigan University
Colangelo transferred to Western Michigan this season after three seasons at Northeastern University and has had his best NCAA season with 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in 37 games.
The 22-year-old was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (No. 36) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Collin Graf, F, Quinnipiac University
The 21-year-old is considered one of the best college free agents expected to be available when his season ends. The junior, is in his second season with Quinnipiac after spending his freshman season at Union College, played a pivotal role in the team's NCAA championship last season. Graf has 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 32 games and is a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker.
Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State University
The 18-year-old freshman from Belarus is No. 2 in Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters and could be a top-five pick in the 2024 draft. He leads Michigan State with 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 36 games.
Cruz Lucius, F, University of Wisconsin
The 19-year-old leads Wisconsin with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 35 games. Lucius was selected by the Hurricanes in the fourth round (No. 124) of the 2022 NHL Draft and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 7 as part of the return for forward Jake Guentzel. Lucius is the younger brother of Winnipeg Jets forward prospect Chaz Lucius, the No. 18 pick of the 2021 draft.
Tanner Ludtke, F, University of Nebraska Omaha
The 19-year-old freshman has a team-high 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 39 games and was named to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference All-Rookie team. Ludtke was chosen by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round (No. 81) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
The 20-year-old sophomore leads Michigan and is eighth among NCAA players with 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 33 games. McGroarty was selected by the Jets in the first round (No. 14) of the 2022 draft.
The 18-year-old freshman leads Maine with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 36 games. Nadeau was named to Hockey East's All-Rookie team and was a second-team All-Hockey East selection. He was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round (No. 30) of the 2023 draft.
Blake Pietila, G, Michigan Tech University
After going 0-3 with three ties in his first six games of the season, the 24-year-old post-graduate enters the tournament 18-12-6 with a 2.28 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and four shutouts in 36 games. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season and will be an unrestricted free agent when his season ends. Pietila attended development camp with the Dallas Stars during the offseason.
Rhett Pitlick, F, University of Minnesota
The 23-year-old junior leads Minnesota with 35 points (19 goals, 16 assists) in 37 games. He was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2019 NHL Draft. His father, Lance Pitlick, played 393 NHL games in eight seasons with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers. His brother, Rem Pitlick, is a forward with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 19-year-old freshman had four goals and an assist in a 6-2 win against Boston University in the Hockey East championship game March 23 and was named the tournament's most valuable player. In the semifinal win against University of Massachusetts the previous night, Smith had one goal and three assists in an 8-1 victory.
Smith leads NCAA players with 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) in 37 games and is a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft.
Ryan Ufko, D, University of Massachusetts
A co-captain this season as a junior, Ufko plays big minutes in all situations and has 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists), including six game-winning goals, in 36 games. The 20-year-old was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fourth round of the 2021 draft.
Ryan Walsh, F, Cornell University
The 20-year-old freshman, who centers the second line, scored the game-winning goal and had an assist in a 6-3 win against Dartmouth University in the ECAC semifinals March 22 and has 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 33 games. Walsh was chosen by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round (No. 188) of the 2023 draft.
Carter Wilkie, F, Rochester Institute of Technology
The 23-year-old junior leads RIT with 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists) in 39 games and will be an unrestricted free agent when his season ends.
