The latest D-I NCAA commitments are below.
Before we get to the names, here’s a refresher on how star ratings are formalized …
Weight of Star Rating
20% Historical Performance – how the player has performed 3 months prior and previous seasons
60% Current Performance – how has this player played the last 3 months
20% Projection – Translatable skills to be ready to play at the next level
Projection-Based Star Rating
5 -Star – First Round NHL Draft Pick / Elite NCAA/CHL prospect
4.5- Star – Full Scholarship D1/ 1st Rnd CHL who makes an immediate impact at NCAA/CHL level
4.0- Star – Scholarship D1/ 2-3 Rnd CHL Draft player who will play as a freshman/rookie
3.5 Star – Solid D1/Mid Round CHL Draft player who will contribute but may take some time
3.0 Star – High-End D3 prospect or Low Round CHL Pick who could develop but is missing areas in his game
’05 F Finn Brink (★★★¾) to Wisconsin for 2024
Brink gained some USHL experience at the end of the season for Madison and the U.S. NTDP after his season at Maple Grove High School in Minnesota wrapped up. For Maple Grove, the 5-foot-10 forward had 60 points (29g, 31a) in 31 games.
Brink took part in USA Hockey’s Select 17 festival this summer and the Select 16 last summer.
Brink was ranked No. 59 in our 2005 National Rankings.
NZ Scouts (MNHS Class AA Finals): “Brink is a workhorse of a forward that does not stop until the whistle. He drives to the net hard and fights through contact to get there which is how he scored his lone goal of the game. Finn showed solid pass reception, corralling pucks from his feet to his stick instantly while moving. Brink is always the first guy back on the back check to support his defenseman and made a few key ones late in the game to stop odd man rushes. He is a feisty, fierce competitor that battles for ice and pucks each and every shift.”
’03 D Breck McKinley (★★★¾) to Bowling Green for 2023
5-foot-9 right-shot defenseman from Canada played the last two seasons in the AJHL for the Spruce Grove Saints. In 55 games this past season he had 42 points (4g, 38a) and over parts of three seasons he appeared in 79 AJHL games and finished with 56 points (7g, 49a).
Before the AJHL, McKinley played for the St. Albert Raiders and St. Albert Flyers in the AEHL.
NZ Scouts (AJHL Finals): “He is an undersized offensive defenseman who likes to jump up in the play offensively. He is an effective puck distributor and was able to jump in for several good shots on goal. He showed a good hard wrister on the rush.”
’02 G Zach Wiese (★★★¼) to Minnesota for 2022
Wiese played for the Rochester Grizzlies in the NA3HL this past season where he posted a 1.70 GAA and .927 save percentage; he also played in one game for the Austin Bruins in the NAHL.
Wiese played for Owatonna High School in Minnesota until he graduated in 2020 and played primarily in the NA3HL after graduation for Rochester. At Minnesota, he’s projected as a third goalie.
’01 F Ben Troumbly (★★★½) to Augustana for 2022
In our 2001 National Rankings, Troumbly was ranked No. 131 overall and No. 28 in the NAHL. He’s undersized but packs a big punch into his game.
In 45 contests for Bismarck in the NAHL this past season he finished with 33 points (11g, 22a) and 34 PIMs. He began the year with Wenatchee in the BCHL where he had a pair of points in four games.
Troumbly played at Greenway High School in Minnesota before his junior hockey career. His final season at Greenway he had 44 points (16g, 28a) in 23 games.
NZ Scouts (NAHL): “Troumbly only stands about 5’7 but had a huge game as there is no fear whatsoever when he plays. Ben scored two goals, outmuscling a 6’6 defenseman for each of them as they both came just around the crease. For his first, he was fighting below the goal line of the oppositions net, lifted the stick and fought through a bigger defender for a wraparound chance he was able to bury.”
’02 G Carson Cherepak (★★★½) to RPI for 2022
Cherepak was outstanding for the Dauphin Kings in the MJHL this season, where he posted a 2.21 GAA and .921 save percentage in 38 games. Then in the playoffs he was stellar, including a 1.19 GAA and .961 save percentage in the Centennial Cup.
The Winnipeg native was ranked No. 282 in our 2002 National Rankings and he was the No. 4-ranked 2002-born player in the MJHL.
NZ Scouts (Centennial Cup): “Carson gave his team every opportunity to win this game. He plays way bigger than his frame perceives as he gets aggressive to shooters, taking away any angle to beat him straight up. Cherepak flies around his crease effortlessly getting to the right spots at the perfect time. He swallows up pucks and did not let any rebounds to dangerous areas.”
