Top 2026 Prospect Tynan Lawrence Joining Boston University
Center Tynan Lawrence, a projected top-five pick in this year’s draft, will join Boston University for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, Darren Dreger of TSN reports.
In a class headlined by wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, Lawrence is touted by most as the top center available in the draft. Elite Prospects’ consolidated ranking has him going No. 4 behind that trio, although he’s slotted anywhere between second and 13th overall in relevant public rankings.
The 6’0″ middleman hails from New Brunswick and has played for Canada internationally, but has spent most of his formative development in the United States. He joined elite prep school Shattuck St. Mary’s in 2022 before making the jump to major junior play last season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.
Lawrence made quite a statement as a 16-year-old rookie, leading Muskegon in scoring with 25 goals and 54 points in 56 games. He added 18 points in 14 playoff games as he guided the Lumberjacks to a Clark Cup championship, taking home MVP honors in the process.
While an injury kept Lawrence on the sidelines for the first several weeks of 2025-26, he was named Muskegon’s captain ahead of his return and has 10 goals and 17 points in 13 games. Evidently, that’s how he’ll end his USHL tenure as he makes an early jump up to collegiate play.
Part of Lawrence’s intrigue is his age. An August birthday, he’ll be 17 for the entire season and is the youngest player projected to go near the top of the draft. He will be tied with Miami center Ilia Morozov, also a likely first-rounder, as the second-youngest player in the NCAA.
Lawrence was already committed to BU but wasn’t expected to suit up for the Terriers until next season. He’ll now join a squad off to a disappointing 7-5-2 start, linking up with a roster comprised almost entirely of NHL draft picks.
Snapshots: Lawrence, Wassilyn, Schneider
2026 projected top-10 pick Tynan Lawrence was a high pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft one year ago by the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, leading to speculation he may jump there for his draft year. That doesn’t appear to be the case, per Jonathan Hudon of Le Quotidien, who relays Lawrence is expected to remain with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks for 2025-26 instead.
Lawrence, a late birthday for the class who turns 17 next weekend, is a 6’0″ center currently pegged to go in the No. 6-No. 10 overall range in preseason rankings. The New Brunswick native has played in the United States since 2022, when he opted to head to renowned prep school Shattuck St. Mary’s to continue his development. He joined Muskegon last season, posting 54 points in 56 regular-season games before guiding the Lumberjacks to a Clark Cup championship, posting 18 points in 14 playoff games to be named MVP as a 16-year-old rookie in the high-end junior league.
He would have been a big get for Chicoutimi and joined what looks like a stronger-than-normal class out of the QMJHL next season, but he’ll instead stay south of the border with a commitment to Boston University for the 2027-28 campaign still on the books (although that will presumably get moved up to the 2026-27 campaign).
Elsewhere from around the hockey world:
- Sticking with next year’s draft, projected first-rounder Braidy Wassilyn is also a Boston University commit. There was some speculation he might join them as a 17-year-old freshman for the upcoming season but that won’t happen, according to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects. The 5’11” forward will instead remain with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, where he had an 8-31–39 scoring line in 62 games last season.
- Heading overseas, former NHLer Cole Schneider has signed with Italy’s HC Bolzano in the ICEHL, the club announced. The 34-year-old American headed to Europe last summer after a lengthy AHL career, winning the Norwegian league scoring title with 64 points in 45 games for Storhamar. Schneider, who had one assist in six career games for the Sabres, also has 574 points in 776 career AHL games.