With Utah’s 96th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Mammoth added Adam Valentini to the organization’s prospect pool. Learn more about Valentini and his journey below!
The Basics
Valentini was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. The 5-foot-10 forward started his youth hockey career in the Greater Toronto area before going to Chicago, and then Michigan. He has represented his country, Canada, at multiple international events.
Road to the Draft
Valentini’s youth hockey career started with the Mississauga Senators’ U15 AAA and U16 AAA teams before he joined the Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA team. After three seasons of playing in the GTHL at the U15 and U16 levels, Valentini made the jump to the USHL.
For the 2024-25 season, Valentini played for the Chicago Steel (USHL). Through 58 games he had 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points. He led the Steel in scoring and had the fifth most points out of all rookies in the USHL.
Last season, Valentini started his college hockey career with the University of Michigan. The Wolverines won the Big Ten Championship in his freshman year and had a long postseason run.
Through 40 games with Michigan, Valentini had 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. Valentini had some significant moments in his freshman campaign, including a power play goal in the NCAA regional finals, as Michigan beat Minnesota Duluth. Valentini played in the Frozen Four last season; however, Michigan fell in the semifinals to the eventual winner, the University of Denver.
International Experience
Throughout the last two years, Valentini has represented Canada at four different international tournaments. In 2024, Valentini was a member of Canada’s Winter Youth Olympics team, where he scored one goal in four games. Also in 2024, Valentini played at the World U17 Hockey Challenge. He won gold with Canada White and was the team’s leading scorer with nine points in five games (4G, 5A).
At the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Valentini was an alternate captain for Canada. He won bronze and contributed five points in five games (2G, 3A). At the 2026 Under-18 Men’s World Championship, Valentini was an alternate captain. He had five points (3G, 2A) in five games.
