The college hockey season will kick off this weekend. It will be a season unlike any before it, with a record-setting 326 NHL draft picks, including 30 first-round picks, spread across the college ranks. Many of those picks could entertain professional hockey on the other side of the year, while many others hope this can be the breakout season. Opening weekend will be the chance to start things on the right foot. With teams already in buses for their first roadtrip, let’s once again borrow from MLB Trade Rumor’s Big Hype Prospects series to cover four collegiate athletes to watch this season.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Ethan Wyttenbach, LW, Qunnipiac University
2025-26 NCAA Season – 40 GP, 25 G / 34 A / 59 TP, 20 PIM, +13
One of the top storylines in college hockey this season will focus on how sophmore Ethan Wyttenbach can follow-up his jaw-dropping freshman year. Wyttenbach led the country in scoring as an 18 year old, only two seasons removed from playing 16U hockey on Long Island. More than that, he outperformed his sole season in the USHL by one goal and eight points. Wyttenbcah has proved to be an incredible motor, with the speed and quick-thinking needed to blow by opponents and create strong chances on net. He has a hard shot and keen offensive instinct that paired perfectly with a strong supporting cast last season. The Cougars have returned each one of those supports – centers Mason Marcellus and Markus Vidicek, winger Antonin Verreault, and defenseman Elliott Groenewold. The stage is set the same as it was. Will that be enough for the Calgary Flames prospect to one-up his league-leading performance last season? Many among pro circles expect exactly that, leading up to Wyttenbach signing his entry-level contract with Calgary after the season.
Larry Keenan, LD, University of Massachusetts
2025-26 NCAA Season – 36 GP, 8 G / 11 A / 19 TP, 10 PIM, +8
It would be an exaggeration to say that Larry Keenan broke out for UMass last season. After all, he only scored four more goals and eight more points than his freshman season, albeit in four fewer games. Even then, the Detroit Red Wings prospect grew into a truly commanding role. He stepped up as the muslce on the MinuteMen blue-line, behind Colorado Avalanche prospect Francesco Dell’Elce. Together, the duo formed a one-two punch on the left-side, giving UMass two defense pairings capable of winning their minutes. With that platform underneath him, Keenan seems poised to boom in his first upperclass season. He is a heavy, physical defender capable of throwing hits and shutting down opponents on defense – and, as made evident last season, driving the puck on offense. Few players fit the old-school mold of heavy-hitter and heavy-shooter. Keenan has been honed for it, even taking his namesake from his grandfather Larry Keenan – who played 233 games in the NHL between 1961 and 1972. The junior Keenan could emerge as a true, top-pair option in Massachusetts this season as he pushes for his own contract in Detroit.
Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Michigan State University
2025-26 WHL Season – 46 GP, 32-13-0, / 2.51 GAA / 0.919 Sv%
Few players have drawn more preseason excitement than incoming Michigan State goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen. The San Jose Sharks first-round pick made good on his 30th-overall selecition with a standout 2025-26 season in Canada’s WHL. He led the league in wins and save percentage, notably growing his save percentage significantly from a .901 in his draft season. RAvensbergen looked more athletic, confident, and in-control during his final WHL season – and now brings those talents to a Spartans roster that sits among the early favorites to win it all. Michigan State deployed top prospect Trey Augustine as their starter for the last three seasons, and saw backup Melvin Strahl transfer to Minnesota over the summer. Their departures leaves a wide open room for Ravensbergen. The 19-year-old will be just the third teenager to fill Michigan State’s starting role since 2000. Reports from campus have raved about his ability to fill the spotlight, underlined by his prestige as a first-round pick. The Spartans have a long list of weapons on the 2026-27 roster – but Ravensbergen’s performance could end up the strongest influence over their championship odds.
Jacob Kvasnicka, RW/C, University of Minnesota
2025-26 WHL Season – 65 GP, 35 G / 50 A / 85 TP, 21 PIM, +32
Dynamic forward Jacob Kvasnicka had a truly explosive 2025-26 season. After two years buried on the U.S. National Team Development Program lineup, Kvasnicka emerged as a star in a move to the WHL’s newest club. He led the Pneticton Vees in scoring by 11 points – and seemed capable of doing it all in his minutes, from hard forechecking to patient playmaking. It was a shocking performance from the 2025 seventh-round pick. Kvasnicka will follow it up with a move to the University of Minnesota – joining a Gophers squad that has already elevated similar styles in L.J. Mooney, Brody Lamb, and Jimmy Clark. If their playmaking can shine in Minnesota, Kvasnicka should have no trouble finding a way to apply his high-speed tenacity. After a standout stint in the WHL, his freshman season in the Big Ten will provide the New York Islanders prospect with the chance to demand attention. He should have a path into top-six minutes with the Gophers with a strong start.
