Since the first NHL draft in 1963, 220 college hockey players have been selected in the first round by 30 Division I programs. Michigan leads the way with 35 first-rounders, followed by Boston College with 27.
St. Lawrence’s Alex Campbell was the first NCAA hockey player to be drafted in the first round in 1964 when he was drafted second overall by the Boston Bruins. Since then, 219 other NCAA hockey players have been drafted in the opening round. Here’s a complete rundown of NCAA men’s hockey players selected in the 1st round of the NHL Draft.
HISTORY: Colleges with most DI men’s hockey championships
No. 1 pick in DI Men’s Hockey
There are only five players ranked No. 1 overall in college hockey. Michigan State’s Joe Murphy was the first when he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1986. It would be another 24 years before an NCAA player finished first, but in 2000, Boston University’s Rick DiPietro became the second goaltender in NHL history to finish first. Most recently, BU’s Maclin Celebrini was the top pick in the 2024 draft to the San Jose Sharks. Boston University is the only college to issue multiple first-general choices.
| NAME | Position | Year | NHL TEAM | NCAA TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Murphy | F | 1986 | Detroit Red Wings | State of Michigan |
| Rick DiPietro | G | 2000 | New York Islanders | Boston University |
| Eric Johnson | D | 2006 | St. Louis Blues | Minnesota |
| Owen Power | D | 2021 | Buffalo Sabres | Michigan |
| McLean Celebrini | F | The year 2024 | San Jose Sharks | Boston University |
NCAA 2025 First Round Selection
DI Hockey has had 10 players or players selected in the first round of 2025, the third-most in a single draft all-time. The 2007 and 2016 drafts each had 11 players taken in the first round, a record.
| NAME | Position | Select no. | NHL TEAM | NCAA TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Hagens | F | 7 | Boston Bruins | Boston College |
| Jackson Smith | D | 14 | Columbia blue jacket | Penn State |
| Cole Reshney | F | 18 | Calgary Flames | North Dakota |
| Logan Hensler | D | 23 | Ottawa Senators | Wisconsin |
| Will Horcoff | F | 24 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Michigan |
| Vaclav Nestrasil | F | 25 | Chicago Blackhawks | UMass |
| Ryker Lee | F | 26 | Nashville Predators | State of Michigan |
| Sasha Boumediene | D | 28 | Winnipeg Jets | Boston University |
| Mason West | F | 29 | Chicago Blackhawks | Michigan State Commission (’26-27) |
| Cullen Potter | F | 32 | Calgary Flames | State of Arizona |
Colleges with the highest number of choices in the first round
In all, five NCAA DI programs have 20 or more first-round draft picks.
Michigan – 35
Michigan State has 35 first-round NHL draft picks among all NCAA schools. The last Michigan player taken in the first round was 2025 Will Horcoff, 24th overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins. David Shand was the first Wolverine to be drafted in the first round in 1976 when he was drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Flames. Buffalo Sabers guard Owen Power is Michigan’s only player overall (2021).
Boston College – 27
James Hagens scored the go-ahead goal to help BC Hockey overcome Bentley
Boston College has the second pick in the first round with 27 points. The last BC player taken in the opening round was 2025 seventh overall pick James Hagens of the Boston Bruins. Brian Litch was the first Eagle to be picked in the first round in 1986 against the New York Rangers. Will Smith became Boston College’s highest-drafted player in 2023 after going No. 4 overall to the San Jose Sharks.
Minnesota – 26
Minnesota is third in the first round with 26 picks. The last Gopher taken in the first round was Oliver Moore, the 19th overall pick in 2023 of the Chicago Blackhawks. Mike Ramsey was the first Minnesota player to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft by the Buffalo 19s. Ramsey was the youngest member of the US Olympic team that upset the Soviet Union in the 1980 Miracle on Ice. Eric Johnson is Minnesota’s only first-round pick; The St. Louis Blues selected him No. 1 overall in the 2006 draft.
Miracle on Ice: Where the 1980 US Olympic team played college hockey
Boston University – 25
Boston University is the fourth seed in NCAA history with 25 first-rounders. Sacha Boumediene is the last first-rounder to be taken since 2025 when the Winnipeg Jets selected him 28th overall. David Quinn is the first Terrier to be taken in the first round after the Minnesota North Stars drafted him just 119-for-119. Teams with multiple first-round NCAA picks: Rick DiPietro went first overall to the New York Islanders in 2000, and Maclin Celebrini was the No. 1 pick in 2024 to the San Jose Sharks.
North Dakota – 23
North Dakota has the fifth pick in the first round at No. 23. Most recently, Cole Reshney was taken 18th overall in 2025 by the Calgary Flames. John Marks is the second NCAA player and first North Dakota player to be taken in the first round after the Chicago Blackhawks drafted him ninth overall in 1968. Jonathan Toews is the highest draft pick in North Dakota program history, going third overall in 2006 to the Chicago Blackhawks.
College NHL first round picks
| First round picks | Colleges |
|---|---|
| 35 | Michigan |
| 27 | Boston College |
| 26 | Minnesota |
| 25 | Boston University |
| 23 | North Dakota |
| 19 | Wisconsin |
| 12 | State of Michigan |
| 5 | Denver, Minnesota Duluth, Providence |
| 4 | Maine |
| 3 | Harvard, Miami (OH), Notre Dame, Ohio State |
| 2 | Colorado College, UConn, Cornell, UMass, New Hampshire, Northeastern, St. Cloud State |
| 1 | Arizona State, Bowling Green, Dartmouth, Lake Superior State, Penn State, St. Lawrence, UMass Lowell, Yale |
*Data from Collec Hockey Inc.
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