Canadiens' prospect report: NCAA

MONTREAL - College hockey has emerged as a primary supplier for the sport's young talent and a central breeding ground for some of the Canadiens' elite prospects.

Think of it this way: the NCAA is the quarterback and NHL teams are the receivers. Not every play is a catch, but every so often general managers score a touchdown.

According to College Hockey Inc., league-wide, roughly one in every three players to have played at least one game in the NHL this season have collegiate roots, compared to the approximated 20% two decades ago.

As for the Habs, of the 39 players who suited up for the team this year, 11 are NCAA alumni.

This season, ten Habs prospects played at American colleges or universities and here is a breakdown of their respective campaigns:

Lane Hutson, Defenseman, Boston University
Drafted 62nd overall by Montreal in 2022

It's hard to put Lane Hutson's freshman season at Boston University into words, but we'll try.

Call it what you will, but we'll simply leave it at phenomenal. The 19-year-old's 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 39 games were the most by a U-19 defenseman in the NCAA since Brian Leetch in 1986-87.

The Holland, MI native helped power the Terriers to the NCAA's Hockey East regular season title, before leading them to a berth in the Frozen Four of the NCAA's men's ice hockey championship.

To nobody's surprise, the accolades followed Hutson's record-breaking season. As the first-ever defenseman to win the Hockey East scoring champion crown, the American was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star and was announced to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. He was also awarded the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, as well as the Walter Brown Award and Mickey Cochrane Award. Lastly, Hutson was the only defenseman to be named a Top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented to the top player in Division I men's hockey.

Through it all, the Canadiens' second-round pick in 2022 represented USA at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship where he recorded one goal and three assists in seven games, helping the Americans to a bronze medal.

Sean Farrell, Forward, Harvard
Drafted 124th overall by Montreal in 2020

In 2021-22, an impressive season as a sophomore at Harvard led Sean Farrell to the Olympic Games and then the World Championship with Team USA.

This year, his outstanding campaign as a junior landed him in Montreal where he finished the season with the Canadiens.

The latest Hab to come out of college produced 20 goals and 33 assists in 34 games for the Crimson in 2022-23, earning him a nomination for the coveted Hobey Baker Award. Farrell's 0.97 assists per game ranked him tied for first in the nation, while his 1.56 points per game was the second highest in the NCAA's Division I.

Following his breakout season, the Massachusetts native was named the Ivy League Player of the Year.

The 21-year-old scored his first NHL goal in just his second career game on March 30 at the Bell Centre to put a bow on a memorable campaign.

Jayden Struble, Defenseman, Northeastern
Drafted 46th overall by Montreal in 2019

Wearing the 'A' at Northeastern University, Jayden Struble netted one goal and tallied 11 helpers in 31 games in his senior year as a Huskie.

After a four-year collegiate career, the 21-year-old turned pro when he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens (effective next season) on March 15.

Struble also agreed to an AHL contract, allowing him to continue his 2022-23 campaign with the Laval Rocket, where he contributed one assist in nine outings to help Montreal's affiliate club clinch a second consecutive playoff berth.

Jakub Dobes, Goalie, Ohio State
Drafted 136th overall by Montreal in 2020

Consider Jakub Dobes' numbers in his two seasons at Ohio State University and you'll understand why he's the new owner of an NHL contract.

A 2.31 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 40 appearances with the Buckeyes this year prompted the Canadiens to sign the Czech netminder to a two-year, entry-level deal on March 31.

Dobes quarterbacked his team to the NCAA men's ice hockey championship where they fell to the eventual national champion Quinnipiac Bobcats in the quarterfinal.

Twenty-one wins in his sophomore year placed him inside the Top-10 in the NCAA.

Rhett Pitlick, Forward, Minnesota
Drafted 131st overall by Montreal in 2019

Rhett Pitlick, the brother of current Habs forward Rem, played all 40 games for the University of Minnesota in 2022-23.

The Golden Gopher posted 25 points for the nation's top offense, helping them to a Big Ten Conference regular season championship and runner-up finish at the NCAA Frozen Four.

Luke Tuch, Forward, Boston University
Drafted 47th overall by Montreal in 2020

Alongside Hutson at Boston University, Luke Tuch posted 9-11-20 totals in 40 games with the Terriers in his junior season.

The 21-year-old, whose older brother Alex plays for the Buffalo Sabres, wore the 'A' for his collegiate squad this season en route to a Frozen Four appearance.

Blake Biondi, Forward, Minnesota Duluth
Drafted 109th overall by Montreal in 2020

Double shoulder surgery forced a premature ending to Blake Biondi's junior season at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The 21-year-old scored three goals and added a trio of assists in 17 games before being sidelined. Last season, Biondi recorded 28 points in 42 games for the Bulldogs.

Jack Smith, Forward, Minnesota Duluth
Drafted 102nd overall by Montreal in 2020

Jack Smith, Biondi's teammate at the University of Minnesota Duluth, made the jump to the collegiate ranks this season where he registered five points in 24 games.

Ty Smilanic, Forward, Wisconsin
Drafted 74th overall by Florida in 2020

Ty Smilanic, acquired in the trade that sent Ben Chiarot to Florida last March, transferred from Quinnipiac University to the University of Wisconsin prior to this season.

Smilanic, who was granted a mid-season leave of absence from the team for personal reasons, recorded one goal and one assist in 14 games with the Badgers as a junior.

Last year as a Bobcat, the Colorado native tallied 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 41 games.

Jack Gorniak, Forward, Wisconsin
Drafted 123rd overall by Montreal in 2018

The Wisconsin native wrapped up a five-year collegiate career with 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 31 games for the Badgers this season.

Gorniak played alongside Caufield in his two-year stint at the University of Wisconsin, from 2019 to 2021.

Stay tuned for the next Canadiens prospect report when we check in on our youngsters in Europe.