Morning Notes: Berry, Cehlarik, Wagner
Former University of North Dakota head coach Brad Berry is set to be named head coach of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, reports Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The Phantoms’ previous head coach, Ryan Ward, is expected to join Harvard University as an assistant coach, creating a vacancy for the junior club. The team is set to fill that vacancy with someone who was recently one of the top coaches in college hockey.
Berry, 61, coached North Dakota from 2015-16 through 2024-25. During that tenure, he was named his conference’s coach of the year four times, the NCAA’s coach of the year once. He won one NCAA national championship, four conference regular season titles, and one conference playoff title. While Berry has no previous coaching experience in junior hockey, he was previously an assistant coach at both the AHL and NHL levels.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Peter Cehlarik, a former Boston Bruins depth forward, has signed a two-year contract with the Växjö Lakers of the SHL. The 30-year-old got into 40 NHL games from 2016 to 2020, and has since spent the last six years in Europe playing in the KHL, Swiss National League, and SHL. The Olympic Bronze Medalist is coming off of a nearly four-year run with Sweden’s Leksands IF, and scored 24 points in 45 SHL games last season as Leksands suffered relegation to the country’s second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan.
- Former Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner has signed a one-year contract with the Frankfurt Lions of Germany’s DEL, according to a team announcement. The 29-year-old has played in 178 career NHL games, but has none since 2022-23. Wagner, who scored a career-high 12 goals for the Kings during the 2018-19 season, has spent the last three seasons playing for three different pro clubs. He spent 2023-24 in the SHL with IK Oskarshamn, where he scored 13 points in 34 games and was the SHL’s most penalized player. He spent 2024-25 back in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves, and he played for the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons in 2025-26. Now, he’ll test his luck playing in Germany’s top pro league for the first time.
2027 NHL Draft Prospect Kane Barch To Leave NTDP
Another pillar has fallen for the U.S. National Team Development Program’s 2009-born class. After losing their top player, Carter Meyer, the NTDP will also relinquish high-octane winger Kane Barch. The University of Michigan commit is set to join the OHL’s London Knights per Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek.
Barch had a quiet performance in his first, and only, year with the NTDP. He scored just 10 points in 36 USHL games, though did rank third on the team with 60 penalty minutes. Barch was recruited as a fluid, high-skill, and high-tempo play-driver with a physical edge. Against junior-level competition, his ability to blow by opponents was muted, leaving Barch’s 5-foot-10, 195-pound frame as his hallmark trait.
Despite a down year, it’s hard to deny that Barch doesn’t have strong scoring upside. He was routinely the top scorer of his youth hockey club, under the coaching of his father Krys Barch, who played eight years and 381 games in the NHL. The elder Barch also served as a development coach for the Buffalo Sabres from 2014 to 2020 and has since stepped back to support youth hockey in Huron-Perth, Ontario.
The younger Barch will find a setting where he can thrive with a move to London. The perennial OHL superteam has made good on their reputation this summer, recruiting multiple heavyweights including star 2027 NHL Draft prospect Luca Santala. The Knights will face a challenge in fitting six new forward additions into the lineup – a chore that could leave Barch flirting with middle-six minutes. Even then, the chance to show he can pop in a high-end offense will be great opportunity for the 2027 Draft-eligible Barch. A glimmer of scoring upside could be enough to convince pro teams to draft him early, on the back of a physical frame that could be further molded.
Barch is not committed to the Michigan Wolverines until the 2028-29 season. That could set the young winger up for a pair of seasons with the London Knights – unless he opts to advance his move to college.
Barch becomes the fifth NTDP player to request an early end to his two-year contract. He joins Meyer, Alexander Milojevic, Trevor Daley Jr., and Beck Thoreson. Multiple other NTDP players are also considering, or have requested, a release from the club per sources available to Pro Hockey Rumors. The exodus will create opportunity for other junior-age players in America, with the NTDP already adding two high school players and high-value 2027 Draft-eligible defenseman Jake Prunty.
Top 2027 NHL Draft Prospect Carter Meyer Released By NTDP
Star forward prospect Carter Meyer will make his case for the 2027 NHL Draft in a new setting. He has been granted a release from the U.S. National Team Development Program per Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek. The news was first reported by Mikael Lalancette of Le Soleil de Quebec. With this update, Meyer will be free of the two-year contract typically required by the NTDP. His decision spurred a flow of departures from the 2009-born squad, including Trevor Daley Jr. and Broden McArthur.
Meyer will be a true contender for a top-10 pick next season. He brings all of the hallmarks of a projectable forward. His style flaunts plenty of skill – but never leans too heavily on talent to beat opponents. Instead, Meyer showed significant improvements to his physical game through his sole season with the NTDP. Where many U17 players spend the season honing their skating, Meyer was honing his versatility on the forecheck. The result was a player capable of beating opponents in multiple ways. Meyer won battles behind the net, stripped pucks in the circles, and controlled possession when he gained the puck. He turned those moments into effective scoring chances, whether from quick and hard wrist shots or cutting drives to the low-slot.
Confident improvements, on top of honed skill, helped Meyer lead the NTDP’s 2009 class in points (37) and penalty minutes (91) through 42 USHL games last season. He also chipped in 10 points through four games at the World U17 Hockey Challenge and joined the 2008 class at the World U18 Championship where he scored five points in as many games. Meyer, the son of 281-game NHL veteran Freddy Meyer, has shown a knack for scoring at every level of his hockey career so far.
Meyer’s mix of top-end skill and physical confidence has molded a prospect who could breakout in a new setting. He is expected to join the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, who drafted Meyer’s rights with the 17th-overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft. They’ll pay off on that decision one year later, adding another top forward to an already-strong bunch. Meyer will join St. Louis Blues draft pick Maddox Dagenais, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nathan Quinn, and fellow top 2027 prospect James Scantlebury. Meyer could be the X-factor among the bunch, bringing the snappy playmaking and confident play-driving to round out a team of bold talent. How he handles that role will go far in determining his chances to become just the third QMJHL player drafted in the top-10 since 2020.
Morning Notes: Trocheck, Moyle, Kurtz
Veteran forward Vincent Trocheck was traded from the New York Rangers to the Utah Mammoth earlier this month, but just a short while ago, such a trade would not have been possible. According to various media reports, including from Cole Bagley of KSL Sports, Utah was formerly part of Trocheck’s no-trade list, meaning he had the contractual right to block any deal that would send him there.
By the time of this deal, though, Utah was no longer a trade destination Trocheck was protected against. In explaining why he was happy to arrive with the Mammoth during his debut media availability with the club, Trocheck pointed to how owners Ryan and Ashley Smith treat players and invest in club infrastructure, as well as optimism that the Mammoth are close to legitimate Stanley Cup contention.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- The AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins signed winger Nolan Moyle to a one-year, two-way AHL contract. The signing marks Moyle’s return to the Griffins organization. He began the 2025-26 season with the club, playing for its ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye. He bounced between Grand Rapids and Toledo until January 2026, when he left to sign in Austria with EC-KAC. The former Michigan Wolverines captain began his pro career in 2023-24 with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star, and will look to build on his 2025-26 season, which saw him dress for 16 AHL games.
- Defenseman Jayden Kurtz, who was drafted No. 45 overall by the Anaheim Ducks at last month’s 2026 NHL Entry Draft, has confirmed he will spend the 2026-27 season playing in the USHL with the Chicago Steel. The Wisconsin Badgers commit played in 16 games for the Steel last season but spent most of the campaign with Rogers High in his home state of Minnesota. A 6’3″, 194-pound blueliner, Kurtz was ranked in the third or fourth round by most public-facing scouting outlets, while the Ducks were notably higher on his potential. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote Kurtz “has a legit chance to play games” in the NHL thanks to his athletic tools.
Midday Notes: Dupont, McKenna, USHL Expansion
According to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, Landon Dupont, a top prospect for next year’s NHL Draft, is getting closer to a commitment to an NCAA school. The development of Denver winning the Daxon Rudolph sweepstakes leaves two schools in Michigan and Michigan State as the front-runners for Dupont, as he is expected to visit both campuses next week, per Robinson.
The 17-year-old defenseman ended his 2025-26 season winning a WHL championship with Everett, scoring 23 points in 18 playoff games. DuPont added six points in the Silvertips Memorial Cup run, which ended as the runner-up. His regular season saw 73 points scored in 63 WHL games, adding four assists and a +5 rating at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning Bronze with Canada. The Calgary native totaled 133 points across 127 WHL games over his last two seasons, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award last season.
Additional notes:
- According to Sheng Peng of SJHockeyNow, Gavin McKenna, the top-ranked prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft, is having dinner with only the Vancouver Canucks (selecting No. 3) at the Scouting Combine. Peng added that McKenna isn’t scheduled to have dinner with the San Jose Sharks (selecting No. 2) or the Toronto Maple Leafs (selecting No. 1), but he probably met with these teams in other settings. Notably, the Leafs GM John Chayka visited the 18-year-old at his home in Whitehorse, Yukon, McKenna said on the NHL Draft Class podcast. Toronto, along with McKenna and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, is scheduled to interview with 51 different prospects at the Combine.
- According to a league announcement, the USHL is set to expand out west, first reported by John Buccigross of ESPN. The league, along with a group of stakeholders including the NHL and USA Hockey, plans on establishing three new clubs in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Further information regarding member club principals, markets, and timelines will be announced on Wednesday, June 24.In the press release, USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan said, “This expansion is about more than adding teams. It is about expanding opportunity.” Adding these teams will grow the USHL to 19 clubs, with the Madison Capitols being the last expansion team, joining the tier-one junior league in 2014.
Big Hype Prospects: Morozov, Ignatavicius, Klepov, Henriquez, Hrenak
Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’re taking a look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at rising prospects for the upcoming draft who are worth keeping in mind.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Ilia Morozov, C, Miami University Red Hawks (NCHC)
35 GP, 8 G – 12 A – 20 TP, 27 PIM, +2
Among the many climbing into a spot in this year’s top 15, it may be bulky center Ilia Morozov who has most caught the eye of pro teams. He has played with an overwhelming layer of grit and energy to his game despite starting the year out as college hockey’s youngest player – a title that now belongs to Oscar Hemming, highlighted in our last Big Hype Prospects piece. Morozov’s hard work has translated to more ice time and success in the standings. Miami improved by 15 wins this season, the biggest jump of any Division I team this century excluding the Covid season per ESPN’s John Buccigross. That is in no small part thanks to Morozov, whose tenacity and two-way responsibility helped fortify Miami’s top-six. His game took a major stride from last season in the USHL and Morozov is still among the youngest players in the draft class. That added development time, and his six-foot-three, 205-pound frame, could be enough to convince teams to spend an early pick on the Russian power-forward.
Simas Ignatavicius, LW, Geneve-Servette (National League)
51 GP, 7 G – 8 A – 15 TP, 43 PIM, +6
Another major riser is winger Simas Ignatavicius, who is looking to become the first Lithuanian to be drafted into the NHL since Dainius Zubrus was selected in the 1996 first-round. Coincidentally, Zubrus has made his mark on Ignatavicius’ development path, and helped him elevate his game to a pro level very early on. Ignatavicius shines as a responsible and poised shooter, who knows how to fill his role on the forecheck and wait for the right moments to strike. He has an athletic, six-foot-three frame and smooth skating that come in handy on the forecheck. From there, Ignatavicius can work the cycle and connect with his teammates to create sustained offense. He has been a responsible, bottom-six forward in Switzerland’s top league – but recently boomed on a loan to the country’s second-tier pro league, with seven goals and 11 points in eight games. It was a nice reminder of the scoring upside that Ignatavicius can bring – and an even better reminder that Lithuania seems set to go three-for-three on draft prospects selected in the first round.
Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
61 GP, 35 G – 52 A – 87 TP, 35 PIM, +7
Very few 2026 draft prospects have seen as much of a breakout this season as winger Nikita Klepov. He is hunting down the rare 100-point mark in his first OHL season. If he hits it, Klepov will become the first rookie to reach the century mark since Patrick Kane – though Kane had the benefit of two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program, while Klepov is only one season removed from playing 16U AAA. In between youth hockey and the CHL, he scored 31 points in 59 USHL games, after going completely undrafted in the league. Klepov has had a propensity for living above the moment – and shown off the toolkit to make it possible. He is explosive on the puck, capable of turning slow-moving breakouts into fast-moving offense that generates multiple scoring chances. Better yet, the 6-foot Klepov has shown no fear in crashing through opponents to force play in the slot. He has not caught the eye of every scout – but holds a big spot in the minds of those who favor him. Klepov will be one of many upside buys in this year’s draft, which could place him all over the board.
Roberto Leonardo Henriquez, G, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
29 GP, 17 W – 0.925 Sv% – 2.06 GAA, 2 SO, 1 A
The recent rise in goalie goals and goalie fights have opened the door to more ‘Goalie Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks’ – when a netminder records a goal, assist, and fight all in one season. Even then, the feat is hockey’s immaculate inning, maybe occurring once per season and always carrying a special air behind them (though, immaculate innings have become more popular as well). Roberto Leonardo Henriquez will have that rare feat on his resume as he enters the 2026 draft, to go along with the highest save percentage and lowest goals-against average in the USHL. He has been phenomenal after putting together a standout season in the NAHL that unfortunately did not result in a draft selection last season. The six-foot-two, Slovakia/Dominican Republic dual citizen, and University of New Hampshire commit has put together a year that should demand a draft selection in a quiet year for goalies.
Samuel Hrenak, G, Fargo Force (USHL)
4 GP, 3 W – 0.942 Sv% – 1.71 GAA, 0G, 1 SO, 0 A
There is a new challenger for Henriquez’s spot on top of USHL goaltending. Copatriot Samuel Hrenak has been stellar since joining the Fargo Force in February. He has allowed only seven goals through 13 periods of action, after posting a commendable .912 Sv% in 23 games in Slovakia’s U20 league to start the season. Hrenak also filled the dismal role of starting goalie for Team Slovakia’s U18 club, who compete in a handful of exhibition games in Slovakia’s second-tier pro league. That deployment meant a tough start to the year for Hrenak but he is now proving just how impactful he can be in games against his peers. He was ranked in the top-10 of European goalies in the NHL Central Scouting Service’s most recent update and should climb their final list if his dominant USHL start continues. He will be eyeing a mid-round pick, and an NCAA commitment, as the summer roles around – and should be a major addition wherever he ends up.
Flames Assign Matvei Gridin, Activate Jonathan Huberdeau
The Calgary Flames have assigned winger Matvei Gridin to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers to make room to activate Jonathan Huberdeau off of injured reserve. Huberdeau has been sidelined since sustaining an undisclosed injury in a preseason matchup against the Vancouver Canucks on October 1st. He missed the first seven games of Calgary’s season.
Gridin played in the first four games of his NHL career to start the season, but found his way to the press box after posting one goal and a minus-three. He is among Calgary’s top prospects, and is set to become one of just six 19-year-olds in the AHL. A taste of NHL minutes, and continued pro challenge in the minors, could be exactly what Gridin needs to grow his game.
He looked fast and flashy in the QMJHL last year, posting 96 points in 72 games over the course of the Shawinigan Cataractes’ full season. That performance earned him the QMJHL’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. The 2024 first-round pick spent two seasons in the USHL prior to his draft. He scored 99 points in 108 total games in the league. That includes a league-leading 83-point season in 2023-24, the second-highest scoring season in Muskegon Lumberjacks history.
While Gridin develops in the minors, Huberdeau will look to keep up his momentum from last season. He scored 16 points in 18 games to finish the 2024-25 season, pushing him to 28 goals and 62 points in 81 games on the year. It was Huberdeau’s highest-scoring season since he posted 115 points with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22. His dip in scoring with the Flames has shadowed his last three seasons, but he showed a click next to Morgan Frost and Matthew Coronato that could propel the Flames’ offense this season. Coronato currently leads Calgary in scoring, with three points in five games. Frost has two points.
Hurricanes Sign Ivan Ryabkin To Entry-Level Contract
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed 2025 second-round pick Ivan Ryabkin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries $235K in signing bonuses and a $85K salary at the AHL level. The NHL salary grows each year – from $775K, to $850K, to $895K. Ryabkin is expected to delay the start of the contract by moving to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders this season, though rumors suggest he could make a push for the AHL roster out of training camp, per Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson.
Ryabkin was once lauded as the top Russian in the 2007 birth year, and even considered a potential top-20 prospect after his age-17 season. That standing took a tumble over the course of his draft season, as concerns over his workout regiment and discipline grew with Russian club Moscow Dynamo. The resulting split prompted Ryabkin to the move to the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks in January, after he scored just one goal and 12 points in 15 MHL games.
The mid-season move proved instantly profitable for both Ryabkin and Muskegon. The high-volume winger totaled 26 goals, 46 points, and 100 penalty minutes over a combined 41 games in the USHL. His scoring presence was the final heave that pushed Muskegon to their first Clark Cup Championship in franchise history. Ryabkin filled the sniper role to a tee, perfectly complimenting high-energy playmaker Tynan Lawrence and nifty power-forward Vaclav Nestrasil Jr..
News of his first NHL contract will make Ryabkin a must-watch player as training camps roll around. He still measures at a hefty 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, and stood out as an unpoised hitter on what was a heavily penalized Lumberjacks lineup. His scoring prowess at the junior level is unquestioned, but the 2025-26 season will be about proving his competition, drive, and level-headedness both on and off of the ice. Breaking into the minor-leagues at 19 would go a long way towards showing that growth. Ryabkin made his debut in the KHL and VHL – Russia’s top pro leagues – early into the 2024-25 season.
Snapshots: Penguins Ownership, Canucks, Pradel
A few days ago, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that a new prospective owner for the Pittsburgh Penguins had emerged in the Hoffmann Family of Companies. In a subsequent report from Jason Mackey and Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the two allege that there’s much more smoke than previously believed.
According to the article and the multiple sources listed, the Hoffmann Family has a decisive lead on the other interested group led by Mario Lemieux, and may have already encouraged the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to sell their entire stake in the Penguins since the Hoffmann Family is willing to pay the $1.75BB, on line with Forbes’ valuation of the franchise. There has been considerable secrecy throughout the sale process. Still, the sources listed by Mackey and Vensel believe that the Hoffmann Family has already signed a letter of intent with FSG.
It’s important to note that a letter of intent doesn’t necessarily confirm a sale. It simply allows the interested party an exclusive negotiating window and allows them a deeper look into the organization’s financials in good faith. Still, if the Hoffmann Family is seriously considering the full $1.75BB price for the Penguins, it’ll be hard for another buyer to come forward with a better offer.
Additional snapshots:
- Drawing nearer to the start of training camp and preseason, the Vancouver Canucks announced a few changes to their Hockey Operations department. In a public announcement, General Manager Patrik Allvin revealed three significant staff changes: Brian Hamilton has been promoted to Head Equipment Manager, Ian Beckenstein has been appointed as the Video Coach, and Taylor Phillips has taken on the role of Executive Assistant of Hockey Operations. In terms of outside hires, the team brought in Evan Mathias as the Assistant Video Coach.
- Recent draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Michal Pradel, will remain with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm for another year rather than join the WHL’s Regina Pats. According to a report from Kevin Allen of DET Hockey Now, Pradel will stay with the Storm so that he can play under the tutelage of former Red Wings Assistant Coach John Torchetti, who was named Tri-City’s new head coach this offseason. Although he spent much of the year in his native Slovakia, Pradel appeared in 14 games for the Storm last season, securing a 9-4-0 record with a .899 SV% and 2.41 GAA.
Pat Maroon Joins USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks As Assistant Coach
After announcing his retirement earlier this year, longtime NHL winger Pat Maroon is making his first foray into coaching as an assistant with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, the team announced Friday.
Maroon, 37, jumps behind the bench just a few months after his final NHL game and does so into the United States’ top junior environment – a league he never played in himself despite spending his early development south of the border. The St. Louis native played Tier II juniors in the U.S. for the NAHL’s Texarkana and St. Louis Bandits, where his immense offensive success and physicality made him a sixth-round pick by the Flyers in 2007, before jumping to the OHL with the London Knights.
He’ll now help oversee a Lumberjacks roster that already has a few notable names locked in for 2025-26. Among them is Canadian center Tynan Lawrence, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 draft, who refuted CHL interest to stay in Muskegon. Also on Muskegon’s roster are NHL-drafted forwards Melvin Novotny (Sabres, 2025, 7-195) and Viktor Nörringer (Predators, 2024, 4-127). Lawrence returns from last season, when he helped the Lumberjacks win their first Clark Cup title since their inception in 2010.
That trio will have the benefit of working with a three-time Stanley Cup champion in Maroon, who turned an odd development path into an NHL career spanning 14 years with over 800 appearances and 300 points.