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.
Ross Campbell (F, R, 5’10, 160, Charlottetown Islanders, 06/30/2006, Maine)
Campbell is entering his fourth season with the Islanders and has already recorded two goals and six points. The Prince Edward Island native will leave his home province to join Maine in 2027.
Campbell is great offensively.
“Campbell is an undersized right shot forward with an ultra high compete who does not stop moving his feet.”
Cole Chandler (F, L, 6’2, 176, Shawinigan Cataractes, 05/01/2007, Northeastern)
A 2025 fifth-round pick of the Boston Bruins, Chandler is playing in his third and final QMJHL season before heading to play at Northeastern in 2026.
Chandler is a top player whose development could lead him to a spot in the NHL.
“Cole Chandler is a well-rounded forward who excels in various aspects of the game. He possesses strong presence in the faceoff circle, winning draws cleanly on his forehand, and recovers quickly after losing possession. His size and stride make him effective on the backcheck, allowing him to disrupt opposing plays. Cole’s playmaking ability is notable, as he consistently delivers accurate passes and maintains a strong offensive flow. He showcases his skill with clever puck handling, using off-foot moves to create space and set up scoring chances. His combination of size, skating, and playmaking ability makes him a valuable asset on the ice.”
Gerry DiCunzolo (F, L, 5’9, 162, Peterborough Petes, 06/16/2009, Penn State)
After putting up 147 points in 62 games and being drafted to the USHL and OHL last season, DiCunzolo chose to suit up for the Peterborough Petes this year. DiCunzolo will head off to Penn State in 2028.
DiCunzolo flashed his speed and skill for NZ scouts at the USA 16U camp.
“His quickness and speed were immediately noticeable. He stole a puck on the first day, cut to the net, and showed off his quick hands in the crease. If you blinked, you missed him. DiCunzolo is an undersized, left-shot forward who skipped the NYS District Evaluation Camp back in May due to prior engagements at Shattuck, so this was our first good look at him in a while. He was tentative early on but showed his quick shot release in stride. He jumped for pucks and never lost a race for possession. He scored both of his goals on the final day against Team Orange. For the first, he stole a puck at his blue line and took off to finish with a slick backhand shot. A few minutes later, he established himself at the net front and buried a rebound. It was a gritty goal that got Team White within one in the second half. We liked his compete, as he hit with force and competed with a bite we had not seen all week.”
Liam Kilfoil (F, L, 5’11, 180, Halifax Mooseheads, 03/21/2007, Northeastern)
Kilfoil, a former second round pick in the QMJHL, has won two gold medals with Team Canada in his career – one at the U18 Championships and one at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Next year, he will play at Northeastern.
Kilfoil has great hockey sense and a competitive nature.
“Liam Kilfoil is a competitive, versatile left-shot forward (5’11”, 180 lbs) capable of playing both center and wing, who served as an Assistant Captain for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. Despite being slightly undersized by NHL standards, Kilfoil consistently played a major role for Halifax, averaging a significant 21:13 TOI per game, including heavy responsibilities on special teams—3:24 per game on the power play and 2:02 on the penalty kill. He led Halifax offensively with 21 goals and 46 points in 62 games, highlighting his offensive reliability on a struggling team.”
Blake Matheson (D, R, 6’1, 197, West Kelowna Warriors, 06/06/2005, Long Island)
Matheson, while a member of the Winkler Flyers, led the MJHL in goals (15) last season. This season, he heads over to Long Island University.
Matheson was written about in a MJHL game report by NZ scouts.
“He had good positioning throughout the game, blocking several shots and taking a hard hit in the defensive zone to clear the puck. Blake also showcased his offensive abilities during the night. He joined a rush and took a shot toward the net from out wide, which was deflected in by teammate #10 Brady Craik to open the scoring in the first period. Additionally, he connected on multiple one-timer shots from the point that made it through traffic.”
Luke McNamara (F, L, 6’3, 185, Fargo Force, 03/02/2005, Western Michigan)
After four seasons in the OHL, McNamara joined the USHL’s Fargo Force this year. Having had a great start to the season, he earned a commitment to Western Michigan and will join the defending NCAA champions next fall.
McNamara is a hard worker with good offensive upside.
“He does a good job at taking advantage of open areas of the ice to create plays for his teammates, and he does not need elite speed to produce offense. That being said, his lack of speed is an issue, and he is far more productive stationary with time and space than off the rush. He works his bag off and it shows by some of the chances he is able to create. At times, he gets lost defensively and this has a lot to do with his foot speed.”
Kaenan Smith (G, L, 6’1, 203, Janesville Jets, 07/21/2008, Minnesota Duluth)
A member of the USA gold-medal-winning team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Smith is playing in the NAHL with the Janesville Jets. In 2027, he will join Minnesota Duluth.
At Nationals, Smith was seen as a great goalie who kept his team in games.
“He utilized his size effectively and did not go too far away from his crease utilizing that big body to block shots and shut down chances around the blue paint. He was poised and confident utilizing his glove and snagging pucks out of the air as if to say ‘Good luck next time.’ There were very few second chances on his watch as he absorbed shots efficiently and was quick to pounce on anything loose in the crease. He was technically sound and square to the shooters which meant you had to be on your game to beat him cleanly. He was locked in so much that he took a hard shot directly off the mask and barely flinched prepared to make the next save just seconds later. His confidence was growing with each period but he was taking on a barrage of shots from all directions which led to multiple GA as his team was eliminated on the final round-robin day.”
Ethan Travis (F, L, 5’10, 170, NV River Rats 18U AAA, 04/22/2008, Sacred Heart)
An eighth-round pick of the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, Travis has eight goals and 15 points in his first 13 games with the NV River Rats. In 2028, he will go to Sacred Heart.
Travis is a physical player who exudes skill.
“He has a strong frame that allows him to have success against numerous styles of competition and he can fit a game no matter which way it’s played. If you want him to lead with physicality he can lower the boom and deliver solid contact all around the rink. If you need him to rush the puck and put pressure on the defense he has a strong first step and can get up to speed quickly using that crossover stride to gain speed as he moves up ice.”
Rio Treharne (F, R, 6’0, 187, Waterloo Black Hawks, 02/05/2007, Northern Michigan)
A third-round pick in the USHL draft, Treharne is currently playing with the Waterloo Black Hawks. Last season, he split playing time between Minnesota high-school hockey and the NAHL. In 2027, he will play at Northern Michigan.
Treharne flaunted his skill and grit at a showcase in Minnesota.
“Rio is a two-way forward that made a plethora of positive plays for Team Blue over the three games at the Minnesota Hockey High-Performance 54 Program. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota product showed efficiency in his play, making high-level plays look routine. He scored a nice goal by going hard to the net and slamming home a rebound. During the play, he showed a pure desire to score. He did well along the boards, making some nice body checks and getting possession of the puck. He demonstrated a nice mix of hard work and playmaking, making some slick passes through traffic and battling for position in congested areas.”
by Sebastian Zucchet
Sebastian Zucchet is a freelance sports reporter from Toronto and someone who deeply enjoys hockey.