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Keaton Verhoeff found home in North Dakota while chasing NHL Dreams – Hockey Writer – NHL Enters Draft

The Big Fork in North Dakota is familiar with Keaton Verhoeff. The people, the feeling of homeland and the hockey heartbeat reminded him of where he grew up, and the University of North Dakota quickly became not only a stop on his road—feeling like home.

“The big fork reminds me a lot of Alberta and gives me the feeling of this hometown,” Verhoeff said. “When I was talking to the coaches and staff here, and even a few guys who were still here, it felt great. It seemed like a good fit for me.”

At 17, Verhoeff was praised as the expected top three draft pick for his size, offensive instinct and natural leadership. Flohockey scout Chris Peters is one of his highest players in the game, and he ranked second in the 2026 NHL draft rankings.

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“The first thing that obviously stands out for boys is his figure – the fact that he is now a physically developed 17-year-old and his draft class is really young,” Peters said. “It’s really his fluidity, maturity and hockey feel for the pack, and I think that really put him on the upper level.”

With the continuous development of college hockey, more and more top talents have chosen the NCAA route rather than junior year. Verhoeff is part of the wave, joining Canadian star Gavin McKenna, the expected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Porter Martone and more.

For Verhoeff, the move isn’t just about focusing on others – it’s about finding the right place to grow your own game, and North Dakota offers this unique path.

Move to North Dakota

Last November, a rule was passed that allowed Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to play in the NCAA, creating new avenues for the top prospects and changing the dynamics between the two leagues. It allows teams like North Dakota to make the most of it, bringing in a variety of new faces, including Verhoeff.

“It’s an opportunity to play against older, faster and physically people [to] “A little bit ready for you,” Verhoeff said.

“But coming to North Dakota, it’s a tough school in the hockey and league, and I think the opportunity to offer, the people around, the team we have this year is the right move for me and the next step in my career.”

North Dakota is widely regarded as a blue-blooded program in the National College Hockey Conference (NCHC) and the NCAA, and has produced stars such as Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, TJ Oshie, etc. Maintaining a level of success requires top-notch facilities and resources.

“Their ice is a unique building,” Vehoff said eagerly. “It’s super cool to be able to get into the facility every day and get the job done. The coaching staff is amazing and very welcoming. It’s a super smooth transition from Victoria to North Dakota. It’s everything I asked for.”

In North Dakota, it also offers Verhoeff a unique opportunity to stand out on the ice on Friday and Saturday’s game schedules, something the Western Hockey League (WHL) can’t give him.

Keaton Verhoeff, Victoria Royals (Kevin Light / Victoria Royals)

“We have more time to train, go to the gym and on the ice,” Verhoeff said. “This gives you the opportunity to get better on the ice and be stronger on the ice, which is a big deal for me, just developing my ice games, especially making sure I get stronger in the weight room and being able to improve those aspects of the game.”

The program not only gives an advantage to the 6-foot-4 defender, but also gives the team and scouts an edge to see him fight against a much improved competition in the NCAA. But Peters urged patience.

“If he started the season a little slow, but showed to be a credible and influential top four defenders by the end of the season, I think most scouts would say, ‘It’s all going well, he’s the guy we consider ourselves.

“But, based on what I see from the players, my assumption is that early seasons are hard – maybe early conference games will be difficult – but by the middle of the season, he will be a very influential freshman guard.”

The jump into the NCAA has a significant impact not only on the Scouts, but also on Verhoeff himself, who hopes to make himself the top three in the 2026 NHL draft. Even further, challenge McKenna’s first overall choice.

2026 NHL Draft

The 2026 NHL Draft is nearly a year away, but Verhoeff has been hearing questions about his form, and he has been nearly two years since Scouts first started paying attention to his game.

“You always hear it,” Veehoff said. “You always see things online. Just pick it up day after day and focus on all the little things you can control.

The 2026 NHL draft title is McKenna, and many have compared it with San Jose Shark Macklin Celebrini and Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard. He took a similar move to Verhoeff, jumping to the NCAA with Penn State Nittany Lions.

“I’m a competitive guy, I know there’s a lot of competition in the draft, and I think for me it’s just looking at the guy in front of me, watching the guy in front of me chase them,” Verhoeff said. “Hopefully I can play well in the draft and beat those guys this year.”

Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, has had a lot of success in the WHL, and he played with the Victoria Royals last season.

This success also triggers comparisons with other top prospects, like McKenna. The first choice of New York Islanders in 2025 Matthew Schaefer and Verhoeff often mention a name together.

“Verhoeff has the potential for defenders,” Peters said. “In our podcast, I mentioned that if you were going to give me a one-on-one Verhoeff vs. Schaefer, then in this case I might choose Verhoeff and just compare him to the draft pick for the last number.”

Like most players, hearing his name call on draft night is a dream for Verhoeff, especially to hear it late at night. The 17-year-old defensive player saw the names of his cousin and teammates, but patiently awaited his next summer.

“I’m glad it’s my turn this year,” Verhoeff said. “It’s something you’ve been expecting in your life, and it’s a blessing and privilege to have it this year. I’m so grateful for it, but I think for me, that’s the first step – the first step of a long career, hopefully so.”

Verhoeff and the Fighting Eagles have high expectations

Expectations are not high for Verhoeff and other staff in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The coaching staff has two new employees, including head coach Dane Jackson and assistant coach Matt Smaby.

“This summer, they joined Matt Smaby, who played in the NHL and worked with some defensive players to add a very important staff,” Peters said. “He was a junior coach for Sam Rinzel, who performed well at Minnesota last year, then jumped into the NHL and immediately had a success with the Blackhawks.”

Former defensive player Smaby played seven seasons between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) and captained the Fighting Eagles in 2005-06. He spent three years in North Dakota before continuing to compete in the NHL with Tampa Bay Lightning.

“I think Smaby looked at a guy like Jake Sanderson and said, ‘Look at what he did when he was there,'” Peters said. “What should I do?” I guess that could be one of the real selling points – if they could take him to the next level to this extent, why can’t they do that for me? ”

Keaton Verhoeff Victoria Royals
Keaton Verhoeff, Victoria Royals (Kevin Light / Victoria Royals)

With Smaby’s experience in the NHL and the University of North Dakota, Jackson also provides expertise and coaching to move on to Verhoeff.

“It’s so cool to be able to work with him and master his knowledge,” Verhoeff said. “He has a lot of small details and aspects of the game that I haven’t learned yet.

Verhoeff’s toolkit can be North Dakota’s midstream tay column in the coming seasons. He also has the potential to be the highest combat eagle in school history and is preparing to hold a championship season in the NCAA.

“They plan to grow our team so they can have the championship season we all hope for,” Verhoeff said. “I think it will be a wonderful year for us in the room and the people we lead our coaching staff.”

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