Most NCAA teams are either at or nearing the 10-game mark this season, so we\u2019ve got some decent sample sizes to work with.<\/p>\n
College hockey is in a whole new era, with former CHL stars now eligible to play in the NCAA. While you won\u2019t find a lot of them represented on this list, two \u2013 Porter Martone and Jack Ivankovic \u2013 were bright spots on a midpack Brampton Steelheads team last year.<\/p>\n
The top of the NCAA standings is dominated by three Michigan-based teams \u2013 Michigan State, the University of Michigan, and the defending champions from Western Michigan. Penn State, Boston University and Denver are other teams hovering inside the top 10, while Minnesota Duluth continues to fly up the rankings.<\/a><\/p>\n The past few weeks, we\u2019ve looked across the CHL to find some of the best NHL-drafted talent early on. Today, we\u2019re going to do the same with the NCAA, looking at 10 players coming off outstanding Octobers:<\/p>\n Austin Burnevik, RW, St. Cloud State University (Anaheim Ducks<\/a>)<\/p>\n Burnevik impressed with a 28-point freshman season with St. Cloud a year ago. It even earned him a spot on USA\u2019s World Junior team, albeit in a more defensive role. This year, though, he\u2019s scoring a goal per game and tracking for well north of 40 points as St. Cloud\u2019s top forward. The team doesn\u2019t have a ton of high-end talent, but Burnevik continues to find ways to be productive every single night in just about any situation. Sure, SCS doesn\u2019t face top-quality competition every night, but the 2024 sixth-rounder continues to find ways to stand out every night, no matter what. Oh, and he\u2019s 6-foot-4 and 201 pounds \u2013 can\u2019t go wrong with that.<\/p>\n Charlie Cerrato, C, Penn State University (Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>)<\/p>\n All eyes are on Gavin McKenna at Penn State, but they should also be on Cerrato. The 20-year-old was taken as a triple overager after putting up excellent numbers as a freshman last year. He\u2019s on pace for more than 60 points while challenging for the NCAA\u2019s scoring title. He was known more for his two-way game at a younger age, and he\u2019s still doing special things in the defensive zone, but he\u2019s more dangerous as a passer than most ever expected him to be. Just imagine if he started dominating as a shooter, as well. The Hurricanes love betting on upside, and Cerrato \u2013 a second-round pick last year \u2013 might be the real deal.<\/p>\n Adam Gajan, G, University of Minnesota-Duluth (Chicago Blackhawks<\/a>)<\/p>\n Gajan\u2019s stock dropped in a massive way last year, but he\u2019s starting to figure things out as a sophomore. He\u2019s 8-2 with a .917 save percentage, putting him near the top of every major statistical category. Gajan has always been a project goaltender thanks to his late rise up draft boards, so it was understandable that he struggled last year. UMD, as a whole, wasn\u2019t a great team, either. Now, he\u2019s stealing the odd victory and giving his team a chance to win every single night. They haven\u2019t faced a ton of tough opponents yet, but Gajan looks damn good.<\/p>\n Max Plante, C, University of Minnesota-Duluth (Detroit Red Wings<\/a>)<\/p>\n There\u2019s a handful of notable performances out of UMD this year, but I wanted to highlight Plante in particular \u2013 especially since he\u2019s the NCAA\u2019s leading scorer with 19 points. I\u2019ve always been a fan of his game \u2013 he\u2019s a smart, skilled two-way forward who makes some of the best passes you\u2019ll find at this level. Drafted 47th overall by Detroit in 2024, Plante had a great rookie season, but has already reached more than half the production he had last year in just 10 games. He\u2019s healthy, thriving, and expected to play a big part on USA\u2019s World Junior team in a few months as he chases his second straight gold.<\/p>\n Michael Hage, C, University of Michigan (Montreal Canadiens<\/a>)<\/p>\n Could Hage be with the big club next year? He\u2019s making a strong case after yet another good start to the season with Michigan. He\u2019s one of the top scorers in the country right now, pacing for around 50 points. He is easily the main reason up front to watch the Wolverines \u2013 he\u2019s one of the most consistent producers in the NCAA, period. He shoots a lot, isn\u2019t a slouch physically and can play all situations. There just isn\u2019t much to dislike about his game right now. I expect him to turn pro next year.<\/p>\n Jack Ivankovic, G, University of Michigan (Nashville Predators<\/a>)<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve followed our prospect coverage over the past few years, you know I\u2019m an Ivankovic fan. He might be small, but he\u2019s an absolute force in the crease. He has a 9-1 record with a .934 save percentage, giving him some of the best stats in the NCAA. His numbers were so-so in Brampton last year, but there\u2019s only so much you can do when your D-corps was as weak as theirs was. Expected to be one of Canada\u2019s goaltenders at the upcoming World Juniors, Ivankovic\u2019s competitive nature, great glove hand, and overall competitiveness make him one of the NCAA\u2019s most exciting young goaltenders.<\/p>\n Porter Martone, RW, Michigan State University (Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>)<\/p>\n Martone\u2019s transition to the NCAA has been seamless, as expected. He has nine points in six games with MSU, which includes four multi-point efforts. Martone\u2019s mix of size, hockey sense and offensive awareness made him a perfect player for MSU. Sure, his skating still needs work, but he was one of the few 2025 NHL Draft prospects taken in the top 10 who had a decent argument to go straight to the NHL. In the end, some extra seasoning in college won\u2019t hurt \u2013 but I doubt he\u2019ll be there next year, given how dominant he has been already.<\/p>\n