The United States Hockey League has made a bold strategic pivot in its ongoing rivalry with the Canadian Hockey League for top junior talent. This week's Phase I and Phase II Drafts revealed a clear shift: USHL teams are moving away from Canadian players and embracing American and European prospects like never before.
The numbers tell a striking story. In the first 10 rounds of the Phase I Draft—featuring 2010-born players—136 selections were made. Only two were Canadian. That's a dramatic drop from recent years, when USHL teams routinely selected 13 to 25 Canadians in the same span.
What's driving this change? A landmark NCAA rules change in November 2024 now allows Canadian Hockey League players to retain their NCAA eligibility for the first time in roughly 50 years. Previously, Canadian players hoping to play college hockey had to bypass the CHL and join the USHL or Canadian Junior A leagues. Now, many are choosing to stay closer to home and develop in the CHL before heading to NCAA programs.
The impact has been immediate. In the four USHL Phase I Drafts before the rule change, Canadian selections remained steady. After the announcement, that number slipped to seven last year and just two this year. Across all 15 rounds this season, only nine Canadians were selected total.
Meanwhile, European players are filling the gap. For the first time ever, USHL teams drafted more Europeans (27) than Canadians (9) in the Phase I Draft—and more Czech players (13) than Canadians overall. That's a record for European selections, especially notable since only seven Czechs were taken in the previous 12 drafts combined.
American players now dominate, accounting for 85.6% of Phase I selections. The top three rounds featured several notable local talents: Moorhead forward Owen Kraft (Round 1, Lincoln), Moorhead defenseman Hank Laurila (Round 2, Lincoln), Moorhead defenseman Drew Kortan (Round 2, Des Moines), Warroad forward Charlie Marvin (Round 2, Waterloo), Grand Forks forward Tyler Kunz (Round 3, Chicago), and Moorhead forward Cameron Coulter (Round 3, Dubuque).
Hockey runs deep in these families. Kraft's father, Ryan, played at the University of Minnesota and in the NHL, while his brother Mason is committed to Minnesota State. Laurila's brother Sam is a freshman at UND. Kortan's sister Olivia plays for Minnesota, and his cousins Tanner and Griffin Ludtke both played at Omaha. Marvin's father Lee suited up for UND, and Kunz's brother Jackson also played there.
Other local players selected in rounds 4-10 include Warroad forward Easton Lee (Round 4, Lincoln), Grand Forks forward Noah McGauvran (Round 6, Madison), Warroad defenseman Ayven Hontvet (Round 6, Fargo), Warroad forward Rodrick Jackson (Round 8, Des Moines), and Moorhead forward John Gramer (Round 8, Fargo).
This shift signals a new era for the USHL—one where American talent development and European scouting take center stage, while the Canadian pipeline narrows. For fans and players alike, it's a fascinating evolution in the landscape of junior hockey.