NHL NCAA Signings

Gabe Perreault during a game for the Boston College Eagles. Photo courtesy of Richard T Gagnon.

With the conclusion of NCAA hockey teams' seasons comes NHL and AHL signings, debuts, and experience for some former college players. Let's take a look at some of the big-name signings and debuts. 

Ryan Leonard - Washington Capitals

Ryan Leonard playing for the Washington Capitals. Photo courtesy of Winslow Townson/Imagn Images.

What a crazy few weeks it's been for Ryan Leonard. Loses in the regional game to send Boston College out of the Frozen Four and plays his last game in college hockey, signs his entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals the next day, and makes his NHL debut in Boston against the team he grew up supporting with his family and friends in attendance. Not to mention he then plays and scores his first goal in the game that saw Alexander Ovechkin tie Wayne Gretzky’s goal record and later plays in the game that Ovechkin breaks the record and gets to celebrate with the team. What a week for the newest Capital. Crazy. Leonard was drafted 8th overall in 2023 by the Washington Capitals after playing for the United States National Development Team Program (USNTDP). He played two seasons for Boston College, playing a total of 78 games, scoring 61 goals, and 109 points. He has since played in 7 games for the Capitals and has 1 point and averages 14:25 of ice time a night. 

Jimmy Snuggerud - St Louis Blues

Jimmy Snuggerud celebrating a goal against the Wisconsin Badgers. Photo courtesy of Luke Schmidt.

Making his NHL debut in the middle of a wild playoff chase is a crazy way to start your career. Snuggerud, drafted 23rd overall in 2022, played 119 games for the University of Minnesota before making his NHL debut. In those 119 games, the 20-year-old scored a total of 66 goals and captained the team in his junior season. Snuggerud signed his entry-level contract with the Blues on March 28th, 2025, and made his debut on April 1st against the Detroit Red Wings. He has 2 points in 6 games so far.

Oliver Moore - Chicago Blackhawks

Oliver Moore during a game for the University of Minnesota. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletics.

After two seasons at the University of Minnesota, the Chicago Blackhawks 2023 19th overall pick signed his entry-level contract on March 29th and made his debut on March 30th against the Utah Hockey Club. Moore was a product of the USNTDP and won the 2024 IIHF World Juniors for the United States of America. The 20-year-old has played 7 games for the Blackhawks and has 3 points. He played 77 games for Minnesota and recorded 66 points over his two years at the school. 

Gabe Perreault - New York Rangers

Gabe Perreault during a game with the New York Rangers. Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett.

The 19-year-old signed his entry-level contract with the Rangers just one day after Boston College was eliminated from the playoffs and made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden on April 2nd against the Minnesota Wild. The 2023 23rd overall pick played for the USNTDP before spending the last two years at Boston College. Perreault played 73 games for the Eagles and recorded 108 points. He was also a member of the teams that represented the United States of America during the last 2 IIHF World Junior Championships, where he helped lead them to the country’s first ever back-to-back gold medals. Perreault has played 3 games for the Rangers and hasn’t recorded a point yet. He chose to wear number 94 in the NHL, as it was his dad Yanic’s number when he played in the NHL. 

There were lots of signings and debuts made as the NCAA season wrapped up, and there will most likely be some more as the Frozen Four Final came to a conclusion on Saturday night, when Western Michigan won its first ever national championship. It is an exciting time in the NHL and in the college hockey world; be sure to check out all the newest signings before the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 19th. 

Edited by Neha Grewal