When Gavin McKenna and Keaton Verhoeff decided to leave the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and try their hand at the NCAA, fans were worried that they were going to see an exodus of talent leaving their favourite junior teams. General managers, however, were less prone to panic. “We’re not going to probably know the full impacts of this rule change in player movement trends for at least a year or two, maybe three,” said CHL President Dan MacKenzie in July while the new rules were still rolling out.
But a month into the hockey season, there are already some trends emerging. Rylan Gould joined Michigan Tech this season, but after six games, the former point-per-game player with the Swift Current Broncos had just a single goal, so he chose to return to the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Everett Silvertips following a trade from Swift Current. “There was always going to be the possibility of some of these guys coming back,” said Broncos General Manager Chad Leslie. “We made sure it was open-ended; guys knew they had the opportunity to come back.”
The NCAA was never going to be for everyone, and CHL managers made it clear that former players would be welcomed back if their college dreams didn’t work out. While plenty could change over the next several months, here are five players who could benefit from returning to their junior teams.
Lev Katzin, Penn State University
Lev Katzin made the most of his brief time in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). After leaving the United States Hockey League (USHL) in December 2024, he joined the Guelph Storm and immediately began putting up points. In his first six games, he scored five goals and recorded 13 points, earning him Rookie of the Week honours, which he repeated a month later after putting up nine points in six games to start January. By the end of the season, he had 48 points in 44 games and was the second-most productive player on the team behind Jett Luchanko.
Unfortunately, even after starring for Canada at the U18 World Junior Championships, Katzin wasn’t selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, likely because of his diminutive 5-foot-8 frame. His skill was comparable to Johnny Gaudreau’s, but scouts had some questions about his inability to finish plays. That’s been amplified now that he’s with Penn State; after 10 games, Katzin has yet to record his first NCAA point.
Penn State Nittany Lions forward Lev Katzin skates past Arizona State Sun Devils defender Sam Court (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
Of course, it hasn’t been all bad. Katzin has shown his ability to be a high-energy grinder with a great physical edge. He earned praise from his teammates and coaches after taking down a 6-foot-2 Clarkson defender in an October matchup. “I thrive off physicality, I love it,” he said. “I’ll always do anything for my teammates.” (from “Penn State men’s hockey’s talented freshman class continues to earn ice time,” Centre Times Daily – 17/10/2025)
As of right now, though, that’s the only side scouts are seeing from Katzin’s time at Penn State. The fact is that he is too small to be a grinder in the NHL and needs to show off some of the offensive prowess he demonstrated last season. The OHL could be a better fit for him to show off both sides of his game, especially if he wants to be drafted in 2026. Otherwise, it could be a long road to an NHL contract.
Ben Riche, Quinnipiac University
When Ben Riche committed to Quinnipiac University, he initially declared his enrollment date for 2026-27, as he still had another year of junior eligibility and was having a breakout season with the Saskatoon Blades with 23 goals and 54 points in 37 games. But less than a month later, he was traded to the Prince George Cougars. “Ben is the type of player we were looking for,” said Cougars General Manager and Head Coach Mark Lamb. “He’s a dynamic left-shot centre with tremendous speed and offensive talent. He’s a real difference-maker.”
Related: The NHL’s Top 100 Prospects – Preseason Update
Unfortunately, Riche wasn’t as comfortable with the Cougars, totalling just 20 points in 27 games, leading to him moving up his enrollment date to this season. However, he may have been a bit hasty with the transfer. Quinnipiac has been one of the hottest teams in the NCAA after eight games, but Riche has played just three and is the only freshman on the team still looking for his first point. It’s unlikely he’d want to return to Prince George, but if a trade were orchestrated, the WHL would offer more playing time for the speedy forward.
Dawson Cowan, University of Nebraska-Omaha
After going undrafted at the 2024 NHL Draft, Dawson Cowan was one of the WHL’s best goalies last season with the Spokane Chiefs, leading the league with 34 wins and his four shutouts finished second. He was also one of the busiest; only two other goalies started more than his 51 games. He was a runner-up for the Goalie of the Year, and although he was still passed over at the 2025 Draft, he was invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp. After an appearance at the San Jose Sharks’ camp in 2024, the NHL was clearly keeping tabs on the talented netminder.
However, Cowan decided to forego his final year with the Chiefs in favour of joining the University of Nebraska-Omaha. But, so far, things have not gone smoothly. Cowan has played just one of six games, with the rest going to veteran netminder and team captain Simon Latkoczy, who has a .925 SV% and a 2.82 goals-against average (GAA). In his lone appearance, Cowan has a 4.00 GAA and a .900 SV%, although he looked decent against a weaker opponent.
If Cowan wants to remain on NHL radars, he needs to play more to build up his consistency, which UMass-Lowell cannot accommodate at this time. That makes going back to junior a viable option, and luckily for him, Spokane currently has two 20-year-old spots available. Pairing him with 16-year-old starter Carter Esler could be a recipe for a big resurgence from the Chiefs, or give Spokane a valuable trade chip to send to a team struggling with goaltending. While it still would be fewer games than he played last season, it’s at least a more regular role, which would help him develop into a potential NHL prospect.
Diego Buttazzoni, UMass-Lowell
Diego Buttazzoni was on the verge of a massive breakout in his 19-year-old season. As a WHL sophomore in 2023-24, he put up 55 points in 67 games and was ranked 134th among North American Skaters ahead of the 2024 Draft. When he passed over, he returned to the WHL and finished third on the team with 38 goals and 77 points, plus another 27 points in 18 playoff games. Once again, he was projected to be a late-round selection, landing 141st on Central Scouting’s Final Ranking, but still went unselected.
Diego Buttazzoni, Portland Winterhawks (Kyle Smutzki/Portland Winterhawks)
However, rather than continue his upward trajectory with the Portland Winterhawks, Buttazzoni joined the University of Massachusetts-Lowell for the 2025-26 season, where he met up with his brother, Mirko, a sophomore at the university. While playing with his brother is no doubt a special occassion, Buttazzoni has struggled to adapt to the NCAA. The freshman has just four appearances in Lowell’s eight games and has one goal, six penalty minutes, and a minus-2 plus/minus.
One criticism ahead of the 2025 Draft was that, at 5-foot-9, Buttazzoni often shied away from puck battles, especially in the defensive zone. That’s been an issue in the NCAA, as well. With two years of junior eligibility remaining, he’d likely be better suited to building consistency instead of fighting for ice time against 22-year-olds.
Rémi Gélinas, Clarkson University
Rémi Gélinas came to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies partway through the 2024-25 season from the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL). At 19 years old, he had the size and strength to make the jump, yet struggled to adapt to the quicker pace from previous attempts with Junior A. That wasn’t a problem this time, though. In 32 games, he scored 25 goals and put up 42 points in 32 games in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), making him one of the biggest risers heading into the 2025 Draft.
But, like Riche, when the opportunity came to go to university, Gélinas jumped on the chance to join Clarkson University, which the Huskies did not take lightly. “It’s unsettling,” said general manager Yannick Gaucher. “It’s ice time, it’s quality minutes he could have given us all year. We considered him one of the best 20-year-olds in the league based on his potential. We had high hopes for Rémi this year. This was not planned, it was something that was supposed to happen in the next year, so it changes our plans, that’s for sure.”
Yet Gélinas has struggled to adapt to the tougher league. Noted for his strong offensive instincts and finishing ability, he has yet to score a goal after eight games with Clarkson, picking up just two assists in that span. Defensively, he’s been one of the better centres on the team and currently sits at a minus-1, but if that’s the highlight, few NHL teams are going to look to him to fill out their organizational depth. A return to the QMJHL might change that.
NCAA Proving to be a Tougher League Than Expected
For years, the two development paths – college or major junior – have been at war. Neither was a better option, just different, with both having their positives and negatives en route to an NHL career. However, now that the barrier between the two has been removed, we know exactly how much tougher the NCAA is than the CHL. The players are bigger, stronger, and more experienced, and paired with the shorter season and higher demands of university life, some of the new freshmen this season may have been caught off guard.
For some, like Gould, returning to junior might be the right call. There’s no shame in discovering that one path is not the right one; two avenues existed side by side for a reason. But some may choose to stick it out despite early challenges and pursue their degree regardless of whether the NHL comes calling. Whatever they choose, they’ll need to make up their mind soon, or risk being forced into a path they weren’t ready for.
