Cullen emerges at U.S. Development Program, projected top-15 Draft pick

The Upper Deck 2026 NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be held June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) with rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at left wing Wyatt Cullen with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Wyatt Cullen's first full season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team was as much about rediscovery as it was production.

Despite missing 22 games with an injury that occurred during preseason testing, the 17-year-old left wing (6-foot-1, 183 pounds) still finished sixth at the program with 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) and first in average points per game (1.12) in 40 games this season.

"Obviously it was tough with injury because I came into the season super confident after a really big summer, so it was a little setback for sure," Cullen said. "I think once I kind of got back to playing, got healthy, every week I just kept getting better and better and I really peaked at the end there. 

"Personally, it was a good season overall, but I don't think I really reached my 100 percent max. I think if I had a couple more months, I think I really would have kept getting better and better."

His success this season reflects both what he's already shown and what evaluators believe is still coming. He's No. 13 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and projected by many to be chosen among the top 15 selections.

"The exciting thing about Wyatt is the ceiling," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "When he was able to string games together, he made that team completely different. All of a sudden, they were much more of a scoring threat every time he was on the ice. Other players got way more chances because he's super crafty with the puck and his IQ is off the charts."

Not too surprising when you consider his father is three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen, who played 1,516 NHL games during 21 seasons with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes (2006) and twice with the Penguins (2016, 2017).

What stands out most to Matt isn't the scoring line or draft rankings; rather, how much his son has grown inside the structure of the NTDP.

"It's been a really good experience for him," Matt said. "He came in here as a smaller guy with some pretty good offensive abilities and he's really learned the complete game. He's had to fight for pucks and learn how to use his body a lot more. He's just had some great experiences."

Those experiences extend well beyond domestic competition. International tournaments, the CHL/USA Hockey Prospects Challenge, and constant games against older and stronger players have all accelerated Wyatt's learning curve. He had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 15 games against opponents in the United States Hockey League, and seven points (three goals, four assists) in 10 games against NCAA competition this season.

He finished third among all players in scoring at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship with nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games for the United States, which finished fifth. 

Though the name on the back of the jersey invites easy comparisons, Cullen has been intent on carving his own identity, one built on pace, intelligence and relentless work habits. 

"I mean, obviously everyone says hard work," he said of what he's learned from his father. "But he harps on that a lot and, for me, I've got to be working hard out there on the ice. Pucks will come to me and plays open up if I'm skating, moving my feet and working hard."

Cullen was listed at 5-foot-8 when he entered the NTDP in 2024-25 but was five inches taller at the start of this season. It was a dramatic growth spurt that changed both his physical profile and his projection.

"It was tough skating-wise (through the growth spurt)," Cullen said. "I think growing that much, I think I really had to put a lot of work into my skating over the summer and that was huge with my dad. He helped me so much with the skating part of it and that was probably the biggest thing. Once I kind of got used to my body and got stronger, I think everything just felt good and normal again."

The growth didn't come without work as Cullen attacked the offseason with purpose, training six days a week, skating frequently with his father and skills coach Josh Bjorlin of Fargo (USHL). Bjorlin also is director of the Cullen Force Academy, a skills-development program in Fargo, North Dakota, that provides training for players of all ages and levels.

"Wyatt has always been a special player," Bjorlin said. "Even at a young age, his hands and vision separated him from everyone else. What truly makes him unique is his ability to execute plays at full speed while layering in secondary movements that are almost impossible to anticipate. 

"He creates deception with an elite combination of hands and feet and his ability to manipulate rhythm, sync his hands and footwork, and then suddenly change pace or timing is remarkable. Simply put, Wyatt has an endless toolbox offensively and rarely gives defenders the same look twice."

Cullen's skating has taken a noticeable step forward as his body has matured. Now, pace is central to his game. With the puck on his stick, Cullen looks to push defenders back and let his instincts take over.

"There's not many guys that see the ice the way he does, the way he can make plays," NTDP assistant coach Kevin Porter said. "He definitely has a gift. Offensively, we've harped on some of his defensive skills and making sure he maintains a complete game, a 200-foot game. But offensively, his hockey IQ is pretty high, and I think that's what a lot of teams are looking for."

Matt was never one to push old game film on his kids. When it does happen, it's usually by chance, and often met with humor.

"Every once in a while, they'll see an old clip," he said with a grin, "and they'll be like, 'You actually weren't that bad.'"

What Wyatt absorbed most was an understanding that growth comes through adversity. He's committed to the University of Minnesota in 2026-27.

"As a youth player, similar to dad, when the puck is on his stick it's hard to get it away from him because he just looks like he has it on a string," said Central Scouting's Pat Cullen, who happens to be Matt's first cousin. "Wyatt wants to be the best and that family goes about it the right way. Mom and dad are just world-class people, and Wyatt is just one of the three Cullen boys (including Brooks Cullen, 19, and Joey Cullen, 16) following in dad's tracks. It's been really fun to watch."