The 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo turned into a showcase for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, with fourteen of its prospects hearing their names called across seven rounds.
First‑Round Highlights
Wyatt Cullen slid to the tenth overall pick, where the Nashville Predators selected the forward after a standout season in the program. Shortly after, the Detroit Red Wings reached for JP Hurlbert at the twenty‑third spot, rewarding the winger’s offensive burst.
A Surge of Talent in Later Rounds
The second round produced a surprise when Casey Mutryn fell to the thirty‑eighth pick, landing with the Seattle Kraken. Victor Plante, who had just netted the game‑winning goal in the CHL‑USA Prospects Challenge, was chosen forty‑seventh by the Detroit Red Wings, while defenseman Luke Schairer became the first NTDP blue‑liner drafted, slipping to seventy‑five with the St. Louis Blues.
Goalie Brady Knowling made history as the first NTDP net‑minder taken, drafted one‑hundred twenty‑seven overall by the San Jose Sharks. Forwards such as Lincoln Kuehne, Jonas Kemps, and Mikey Berchild followed, each finding a home with clubs ranging from the New York Islanders to the Carolina Hurricanes.
A Deepening Talent Pool
The breadth of selections — from Landon Hafele’s sixty‑seventh pick by the Winnipeg Jets to Logan Stuart’s two‑hundred eight spot with the Washington Capitals — underscores a program that consistently produces NHL‑ready talent. Even the final pick, Jack Parsons, went two‑hundred twenty overall to the same Jets, rounding out a draft that will likely shape the next wave of American players.
For USA Hockey, the draft results are more than numbers on a board; they are a validation of the developmental pipeline that bridges junior hockey and the professional ranks. As the program looks ahead, the continued presence of its alumni in the NHL will only reinforce its reputation as a premier incubator of talent.