In The NHL

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College hockey is making a bigger impact in the National Hockey League than ever before, and it’s visible at every turn.

Nightly highlights are filled with dazzling plays from former college players like Cale Makar and Jack Eichel. Cover stories in The Hockey News and features on Hockey Night in Canada, ESPN Hockey Night, and NHL on TNT spotlight the efforts of players like Adam Fox and Connor Hellebuyck. Talented young stars like Cole Caufield, Brock Faber and Owen Power are making immediate impacts in the league.

A record number of college hockey players are playing in the NHL, a number that has increased by 65% over the last 20-plus years.

College hockey, in short, is the fastest growing development path for the NHL.

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Just 20 years ago, only one in five NHLers had a college background. Growth since then has been remarkable, and should continue. In 2024-25, a record 42% of all NHL debuts were made by NCAA alumni.

NHL front offices are filled with general managers, assistant general managers and scouts who played the college game. Head coaches and assistant coaches in the league have college backgrounds, including several hired straight from college.

NHL Drafts have featured an average of more than 60 current or future college players in the last 15 years, and teams continue to scour the NCAA ranks for free agent signees as well. In 2021, five of the top 10 picks came from the college ranks for the first time in NHL Entry Draft history.

Once a hidden gem of hockey talent, college hockey has become one of the biggest suppliers of talent to the NHL, surpassing all of Europe.