With Neutral Zone being the go-to place to stay up to date with commitments around the hockey world, here is the latest installment of players who have committed to the NCAA and CHL. Players who commit after 12pm EDT on Oct. 20th will be included in next week’s report.
NCAA
Tristen Buckley (F, L, Sherwood Park Crusaders, 12/09/2007, UMass Lowell)
Committed to UMass Lowell, Buckley is currently playing for the BCHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders where he has collected two goals and four assists for six points in nine games.
Buckley stood out to scouts thanks to his high motor:
“He didn’t find the stat sheet here but he was always around the puck. He buzzes around the sheet, disrupts on the forecheck and uses his burst and hustle to create chance for his teammates.”
Reegan Hiscock (LW, L, 6’5″, 200, Victoria Grizzlies, 07/02/2004, Cornell)
Currently playing for the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, Hiscock has committed to Cornell for next season. Through nine games this season, he has scored seven goals and added five assists for 12 points.
Ranked a 3.75 star prospect, Hiscock was described by scouts as a complete player:
“Hiscock is a complete player, combining size, strength, and impressive mobility. He effectively uses his body to shield pucks and maintain possession in various situations. Offensively, he can attack off the rush, utilizing his long reach to collect pucks and deliver quick-release shots on net.”
Lev Katzin (C, L, 5’8″, 161, Green Bay Gamblers, 05/13/2007, Penn State)
A product of Thornhill, Ont., Katzin is currently playing for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. A Penn State commit, Katzin has three assists in five games this season.
Given a star rating of 4.25, Katzin impressed with his offensive awareness:
“Katzin is a smaller ’07-birthdate tender signing forward. The left-shot Ontario Canada native displayed smarts and offensive awareness. It was not that he had blazing speed hard shot or high-end puck skills. It is the fact that he navigated around the ice well to place himself on the right side of the puck. He picked up a secondary assist in the 1st period as he made a short pass along the wall to #9 Bechen who then quickly found #19 DeAngelo all alone for the goal.”
Bryce Mattern (F, L, 5’7″, 157, West Fargo HS, 12/07/2007, Arizona State)
Hailing from West Fargo, N.D., Mattern has committed to Arizona State. Currently playing for Team North Dakota 18U, Mattern has six goals and five assist for 11 points in four games.
Given a star rating of 3.75, Mattern stood out with his slippery puck skills:
“Mattern is an undersized left-shot forward who pleasantly surprised in moments at Select 17s. He played with good energy and slippery puck skills, allowing him to elude defenders off the rush, cycle, and maneuver through the neutral zone. Despite his slight frame, he was not afraid to take a hit to make a play and worked through body contact effectively. He demonstrated vision and the ability to be both a playmaker and a finisher. He set up one goal against Atlantic by using his skating to beat a defender and then quickly zipped a cross-ice pass to #17 Sanderson for the goal.”
James Shannon (F, R, 5’10”, 175, Coquitlam Express, 08/12/2004, Yale)
Committed to Yale for 2025-26, Shannon is playing for the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, putting up nine goals and 14 points through 10 games thus far.
Ranked a 3.5 star prospect, Shannon stood out thanks to his offensive zone abilities:
“Shannon was able to show a bit more jump from the wall or high slot to attack shooting lanes. Whether positioning himself as a passing option for a teammate or advancing toward the goalie to shoot by himself, Shannon demonstrated a lot of offensive initiative. He would often be the one to wind it up in his own end and carry the puck due to his great speed and skill. When his team was down, which was most of the game, he tended to try to do too much and put the entire game on his back.”
Brent Solomon (F, R, 6’0″, 160, Champlin Park, 01/02/2007, Wisconsin)
A Wisconsin commit, Solomon played for Champlin Park High last season where he collected 34 goals and 48 points in 22 regular season games.
Solomon stood out to scouts thanks to his ability to score goals:
“Brent is an average-sized right-shot forward playing for TCO. During the opening weekend, he played on his off-wing (left wing), showcasing his dangerous goal-scoring touch. Brent is coming off a significant season with Champlin Park, where he recorded 34 goals and 14 assists for 48 points in 22 games. He plays with a high level of confidence in the offensive zone, and his style of play is easily noticeable. This was evident as he scored 5 goals in his first 3 games, including a clean and true ‘Michigan’ goal in the 3rd period of Saturday evening’s game against Base.”
Owen Warnick (F, R, 6’1″, 165, Selkirk Steelers, 10/02/2006, Western Michigan)
A product of Winnipeg, Man., Warnick commits to Western Michigan for next season. Through 12 games this season with the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers, Warnick has 17 points.
Warnick impressed with his offensive instincts:
“He showcased his quick first strides and offensive instincts during the game. Owen’s assist came on a 5-on-3 power play in the first period when he sent a pass to the right dot that was one-timed for a goal, making it 1-0. He also managed to get shots through traffic while on the power play. Additionally, Owen demonstrated his quick burst of speed when he gathered the puck in the neutral zone and accelerated past the Niverville defenders for a breakaway.”
USHL
Ivan Ryabkin (C, L, 6’0″, 170, MHK Dynamo Moskva, 04/25/2007)
Considered a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, Ryabkin joins the Muskegon Lumberjacks from MHK Dynamo Moskva of the MHL.
Given a star rating of 4.5, Ryabkin has been described by scouts as incredibly skilled:
“Ryabkin is a 2007 born forward eligible for the 2025 draft and will likely be quick off the board on his draft night. He is incredibly skilled and poised for his age and was able to pick up 2 goals on the night. He showed some great hands and confidence on the rush, successfully transitioning the puck and was able to beat defenders with quick moves in 1v1 situations. He has a smooth and powerful stride that allows for a quick pace. His first goal came when he tapped in a rebound while crashing the net on the rush. His second was a one timer on a 2v1 rush where he was given a perfect feed for an easy finish. He works hard on the forecheck and gets involved around the boards to win possession for his team.”
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling