Saturday, June 28, 2025
10 College Hockey Players, Recruits Selected in First Round
Hagens meets with the media after being drafted seventh overall.
LOS ANGELES – Ten current or committed NCAA Division I players were selected during the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at the Peacock Theater on Friday, the third-most in college hockey history and its most since 2016.
Only the 2016 and 2007 drafts, with 11 each, featured more college hockey players chosen in the opening round.
Boston College forward James Hagens, who amassed 37 points in 37 games as a freshman in 2024-25, was the first college player off the board Friday, going seventh overall to the Boston Bruins.
Hagens was one of five rising sophomores to hear their names called in the first round. The others included Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler (Ottawa, 23rd overall), Michigan forward Will Horcoff (Pittsburgh, 24th), Boston University defenseman Sascha Boumedienne (Winnipeg, 28th), and Arizona State forward Cullen Potter (Calgary, 32nd).
A quartet of incoming college hockey players were also selected Friday, including Penn State defenseman Jackson Smith (Columbus, 14th), North Dakota forward Cole Reschny (Calgary, 18th), UMass forward Vaclav Nestrasil (Chicago, 25th), and Michigan State forward Ryker Lee (Nashville, 26th).
Additionally, Michigan State commit Mason West, who is projected to join the Spartans in 2026-27, was selected 29th overall by Chicago.
Also of note:
Smith was the first-ever Nittany Lion drafted in the first round, while Potter was Arizona State’s first-ever first-round pick.
There have been 44 NCAA first-rounders taken in the last five drafts, the most-ever in a five-year span.
There have been 80 first-round picks from the NCAA over the last 10 NHL Drafts (2016-25) compared to 53 first-rounders over the previous 10 drafts (2006-15).
Boston College has had at least one player selected in 30 consecutive drafts, the longest such streak in NCAA history. Minnesota can match that streak tomorrow during rounds two through seven.
A total of 220 NCAA players all-time have been selected in the first round of the NHL draft, dating back to St. Lawrence’s Alex Campbell, who was taken second overall by Boston in 1964.
Rounds two through seven of the 2025 NHL Draft will be held Saturday beginning at noon Eastern. Broadcast coverage will be provided by NHL Network, ESPN+, Sportsnet and Sportsnet1).
NCAA Selections in the First Round
No.
Name
Pos.
NHL Team
NCAA Team
2024-25
Team
7
James Hagens
F
Boston
Boston College
Boston College
14
Jackson Smith
D
Columbus
Penn State (’25-26)
Tri-City (WHL)
18
Cole Reschny
F
Calgary
North Dakota (’25-26)
Victoria (WHL)
23
Logan Hensler
D
Ottawa
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
24
Will Horcoff
F
Pittsburgh
Michigan
Michigan
25
Vaclav Nestrasil
F
Chicago
UMass (’25-26)
Muskegon (USHL)
26
Ryker Lee
F
Nashville
Michigan State (’25-26)
Madison (USHL)
28
Sascha Boumedienne
D
Winnipeg
Boston University
Boston University
29
Mason West
F
Chicago
Michigan State (’26-27)
Edina High
32
Cullen Potter
F
Calgary
Arizona State
Arizona State