The Chicago Blackhawks are a young team. Almost all of their defenseman, their goalies, and their most impactful forwards are all ahead of their prime in the NHL. If they keep building, there could be some exciting hockey moments coming up for Chicago.
Kyle Davidson, his scouting team, and all of their coaches have done a great job drafting and developing talent over the years. Most of those players have yet to reach the NHL, but they all have that aspiration to one day make it there.
A lot of their prospects are headed to American colleges in 2025-26, which is a great move for their development. Going up against smart talent with varying play styles will be good for them all.
For different reasons, Chicago Blackhawks fans must watch these five college hockey teams a little closer than others this year:
Boston University
One of Chicago's top prospects who won't be playing pro hockey to start the season is Sacha Boisvert. He will play for Boston University after transferring there from the University of North Dakota.
Boisvert is a two-way center who hopes to impact the NHL once he gets there in all three zones. His competitive level and overall skill are signs that he could be a great pro.
When BU's season is over, Boisvert is a candidate to sign his entry-level contract and make his NHL debut. Under Jay Pandolfo, he should develop his gifts into what he needs to become an NHL player.
Boston University will also be one of the more entertaining teams in college hockey. They come into the year as a legit candidate to make the Frozen Four and have a chance at a National Championship. Other top prospects are there with Boisvert, like Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) and Cole Eiserman (New York Islanders) will help make this an incredible hockey team.
UMass
The Chicago Blackhawks had three first-round picks in 2025. The middle one, Vaclav Nestrasil, is going to attend the University of Massachusetts in 2025-26.
That makes UMass a must-watch for the Chicago Blackhawks fan, who may want to see one of their top prospects work on their skills against great Hockey East competition.
Nestrasil has a ton of talent, and making this move from the USHL to the college ranks is smart for his development. Seeing how he can help elevate this program is going to be great television all year long.
Minnesota Duluth
Chicago has Spencer Knight as the main guy, and he is still very young. They also have Arvid Soderblom and Drew Commesso as aspiring NHL goalies looking to earn jobs in the long term.
However, it is never a bad thing to continue goaltender development because things can change for a goalie in an instant.
Adam Gajan is getting ready for his second season as a goaltender for the University of Minnesota Duluth. Chicago selected the Slovakian net-minder in the second round (35th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft with hopes that he can become something one day.
With all the goaltending depth that Kyle Davidson has accumulated, they could make a trade if more than two are NHL worthy, but it also doesn't hurt to be strong at the position in Rockford. Gajan has the tools needed to be a part of that process. Checking him out at Minnesota Duluth is necessary in 2025-26.
Penn State
Penn State is known for being a football school. They have as good a chance as anyone to be a college football playoff team this season.
At this point, they have to be considered a hockey power as well. They've had a ton of great players over the years, but they were given a generational boost this offseason.
After weeks of speculation over what school he was going to choose, Gavin McKenna landed on Penn State as the team he wanted to play for in 2025-26.
McKenna is going to be the number one pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and he has "generational" labels on him. There will be an incredible amount of hype surrounding him this season.
Blackhawks fans may want to pay attention, because they might be a team in draft lottery contention again in 2025-26. They might be more entertaining, but their roster is likely to have a bottom-five finish one more time. Those teams will all be looking at McKenna, who would help them all turn things around.
McKenna is going to have help, too, which will make Penn State an all-around exciting team to watch play. Stars like Jackson Smith (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Luke Misa (Calgary Flames) will also be there looking to develop into pro-ready players.
If the Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL by American Thanksgiving, Penn State Games will be must-see TV until the end of their season. McKenna is also just worth the price of admission on his own.
Providence College
The Chicago Blackhawks have had a handful of players from Providence College over the years, and it won't be different in 2025-26.
Both John Mustard (67th overall in 2024) and Julius Sumpf (98th overall in 2025) will play for Providence in 2025-26. Mustard was on the team last year and played a big role as a freshman. Sumpf will be going there following a transfer from the QMJHL.
Watching both of these players develop their games as they work toward becoming pros is something for Blackhawks fans to watch when tuning into college hockey this season.
North Dakota
Although Sacha Boisvert is no longer going to be attending the University of North Dakota, there is still a reason for Blackhawks fans to watch them. It is similar to the reason why they should tune into Penn State as they look towards the 2026 NHL Draft.
Keaton Verhoeff is expected to be the number two overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He is a defenseman with an incredible amount of size and skill. He'd go number one in most years, but we already know that McKenna has that spot all but locked up.
The Blackhawks very well could be selecting second overall in 2026, so they are going to want to keep an eye on Verhoeff with North Dakota in 2025-26.
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