24 forwards who are candidates to be taken in 2026 USHL Phase 1 Draft

On Monday, the top 2010-born players around the world will have their eyes on the USHL Phase 1 Draft.

USHL teams will pick from the top '10s. Even with the CHL ruling, which allows prospects to play in the CHL and still be eligible for NCAA Division 1 hockey, being drafted in the USHL — and eventually playing there — is a huge deal.

Locally, Milton Academy forward Blake Wilichoski (Danvers, Mass.) has already been tendered by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. And back in December, high-end Mount St. Charles forward Zaac Charbonneau tendered with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Tendering means players signed to play for that team the following season.

The draft is different. USHL teams select players, but they don't have to immediately report. Many will head back to their prep or U16 team next season, while others might choose the CHL route.

Locally, the '10s have a deep class of forwards. Only two (Sam Lee and Jack Queally) made the U.S. National Team Development Program, but there are a slew of intriguing '10s in the region.

These players likely won't all get picked. But these are the 24 players I'd keep an eye on come Monday.

Instead of doing this alphabetically, I ordered the players as I'd have them on my draft board. One thing I didn't take into account is that USHL teams most certainly will consider the likelihood of players choosing the USHL over the CHL. I just based it purely on raw ability.

Let's dive in.

Wilson Boumedienne

Mount St. Charles, 6/29/2010, F, left shot, 6-0/161
Hometown: Södertälje, Sweden 

Boumedienne is so skilled. The Swedish forward thinks the game at a high level and uses his great hands and vision to break through coverage to produce scoring chances. While he missed a lot of this season due to injury, he still had 15 goals and 44 points in 22 games. He also lit it up at the 16U Five Nations with five goals and 16 points in seven games. His brother is Sascha Boumedienne, who just left Boston University for Ohio State and is a first-round pick of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS: How many players drafted out of prep make the NHL, AHL? 

Thomas Boisvert

Mount St. Charles, 1/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/152
Hometown: Trois-Rivières, Québec 

Boisvert was a step above this season, scoring 55 goals and totaling 134 points for Mount's 15O team. He's from Quebec, so the QMJHL could be a strong pull. But off of talent alone, Boisvert is at the top of this group. His first few strides allow him to create speed quickly, and he's such a powerful skater with his frame. He shields pucks so well as he skirts by defenders. He also has a heavy shot. I could see him being a high-end scorer in the USHL, as well as playing in most situations.

Carter Felt

Rivers, 8/17/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Natick, Mass. 

Felt is a total gamer. He led Rivers in goals (20) and points (34) this winter. He's feisty. He doesn't shy away from contact. He doesn't slink from the front of the net — he charges toward it. Is he the fastest player on the ice? No. But he has great skill and shields pucks well from defenders. He should be back at Rivers for at least one more season to dominate prep. Ultimately, he's the player you want on your side of the fight.

Jameson Needham

St. Sebastian's, 2010, F, right shot, 5-11/150
Hometown: Woburn, Mass. 

Needham showed himself as a play-driving, goal-scoring center this winter for St. Sebastian's with 12 tallies and 20 points in 25 games. I project him as a center who can play anywhere in a lineup due to his size, but his offensive upside makes him such an intriguing prospect to continue to put up a high level of points at the next level.

MJ Campbell

Mount St. Charles, 4/3/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Frankfort, Ill. 

Campbell has no trouble producing offense. He had 101 points in 51 games for Mount's 15O team his winter. At nationals, he had a whopping seven goals and 12 points in four games. He's so effective at getting quick shots off from in tight and around the net, and his ability to work alongside high-end talent should make him a worthy USHL Draft candidate.

Cam Daigle

St. George's, 2/5/2010, F, right shot, 5-7/155
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I. 

Yeah, Daigle doesn't have great size. But he makes up for it and then some. In his first prep season, he scored 13 times and finished with 33 points in 25 games. His great edgework and shiftiness make him an effective skater. His compete and strength get him into high-danger areas, even against much bigger opponents. I'm confident that this will translate to higher levels.

READ MORE: Tracking the portal – every move from the last two weeks

Dylan Rothstein

Taft, 7/6/2010, F, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: New City, N.Y. 

Rothstein can do it all. He can play center or wing. He can kill penalties and be effective on a power play. Rothstein can play in all situations. His IQ is extremely high. As a sophomore at Taft this season, he scored seven goals and posted 21 points in 24 games. I know that no matter what I give Rothstein, he can handle it. That will serve him well at higher levels.

Joey St. Laurent

North Jersey Avalanche, 11/4/2010, F, right shot, 5-10/165
Hometown: Greenland, N.H. 

St. Laurent has a great mix of speed, compete and skill to make himself a highly effective forward. He had 22 goals and 43 points in 30 games with the Avs this season. As a 14U player, he put up 86 points in 63 games with Seacoast Performance Academy. He's such an offensive threat.

Michael Barrett

Phillips Andover, 5/17/2010, F, left shot, 6-1/185
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass. 

As a sophomore at Andover, Barrett had 10 goals and 23 points in 31 games. There's offensive potential for sure, but his size is what makes him intriguing. He can play physically, especially on forechecks, to make life miserable for opposing defensemen. That's a translatable skill to higher levels.

Chris Sawyer

Atlantic Coast Academy 16U, 6/17/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Pelham, N.H. 

Sawyer has a high level of skill and vision, especially off the rush. In 28 games with Atlantic Coast Academy's 16U team this winter, he had 14 goals and 43 points. His poise with the puck is impressive, as he has no issue slowing the game down.

Robert DeKleine

Belmont Hill, 3/21/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/159
Hometown: Westboro, Mass. 

DeKleine was one of the few locals invited to the QMJHL Cup, a showcase for top talent for the QMJHL Draft. He was in Belmont Hill's top six this season with nine goals and 20 points in 31 games. He has a high compete and uses his skating and frame well to get to high-danger areas.

Drew Short

Winchendon, 3/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/175
Hometown: Lunenberg, Mass. 

In a crowded cast at Winchendon, Short still produced well with eight goals and 26 points in 35 games. As a center, he can drive play and does a nice job supporting plays in all three zones. He will be at Belmont Hill next year.

READ MORE: 10 biggest takeaways from men’s college hockey transfer portal

Owen Frick

Cushing, 3/7/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/170
Hometown: Holden, Mass. 

While Frick's stats from the prep season (five goals and 11 points in 33 games) may not pop off the page, Frick is a physical agitator who, if he blends that offense with being a pest, could end up being a unique prospect that teams at higher levels will want.

Colin Walsh

Framingham High School, 8/18/2010, F, left shot, 6-1/180
Hometown: Framingham, Mass. 

Walsh tore it up for Framingham this winter, as well as the Neponset Valley River Rats 15O team in the fall. His IQ and ability to slow the game down make him such a dangerous force as a forward. He will be at Rivers next season.

Brayden Hekle

Shattuck-St. Mary's, 6/8/2010, F, right shot, 6-0/161
Hometown: Milford, Conn. 

Hekle moved to Shattuck this season and scored 15 goals and notched 41 points in 52 games. The former Mid Fairfield standout plays with high skill and has really nice vision. His size will help him at higher levels, too.

T.J. Petropoulos

Milton Academy, 7/16/2010, F, right shot, 5-7/161
Hometown: Brockton, Mass. 

Petropoulos was a depth player at Milton with seven points in 29 games, but was one of the top '10s during the fall with the East Coast Militia. He has an extremely high compete and has no issue getting to high-danger areas to produce offense.

Kai Scranton

Mid Fairfield, 5/3/2010, F, left shot, 5-9/135
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn. 

It's all about speed with Scranton. He's a phenomenal north-south skater and has a high level of skill, too. The shifty winger has been a longtime standout with Mid Fairfield and had four points in four games at USA Hockey's Select 15 Camp last summer.

Jamie Calla

Governor's Academy, 7/12/2010, F, right shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass. 

Calla is a highly skilled forward who can dangle through coverage with ease. He's an effective passer, too. That translated to prep, as he put up 18 points in 28 games for Governor's Academy this winter. As he rounds out the rest of his game, he's a future top-six option at higher levels.

READ MORE: 9 takeaways from the latest in men's college hockey recruiting

Jake Guerriero

Archbishop Williams, 1/7/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Braintree, Mass. 

Guerriero is fresh off a great showing at USA Hockey 15O nationals with three goals and five points in three games. He also had a strong winter for Archbishop Williams (MIAA) and the fall with the River Rats.

Austin Wu

Dexter Southfield, 1/28/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/175
Hometown: Dedham, Mass. 

Wu always produces. He had 17 points in 27 games as a freshman at St. Sebastian's in 2024-25 before moving to a stacked Dexter Southfield squad and notching 14 points this winter. He's a powerful skater who is worth monitoring as he develops.

Landon Roe

Belmont Hill, 1/17/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/161
Hometown: Belmont, Mass. 

Roe posted 11 points in 28 games for Belmont Hill this winter and showed well in the fall for the Minuteman Flames. Like most of the players in this story, he's going to need more time to develop in prep, which is perfectly fine.

Owen Lundin

Lawrence Academy, 2/26/2010, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Bolton, Mass. 

Lundin has the frame, skating and play-driving abilities to be a potential draft pick. He's a longtime Minuteman Flames standout and had five points in 27 games for Lawrence Academy this winter.

Ethan Machado

Cushing, 9/7/2010, F, right shot, 5-8/161
Hometown: Anchorage, Ala. 

Machado has been a top player in his birth year for quite some time. While it was a quiet winter at Cushing (six points in 33 games), Machado features a high motor and an extremely high IQ.

READ MORE: 30 boys '10s to watch for the Top 50 

Zach Mohamed

Nobles, 2/22/2010, F, left shot, 6-0/195
Hometown: Needham, Mass. 

Mohamed was a top player with the Militia in the fall before breaking out for seven goals and 18 points in 26 games on Nobles' top line. With his production alone, he's worth taking a flier on.