Gаbe Perreаult toрs New York Rаngers NCAA рrosрeсts аһeаd of 2024-25 seаson

Emery said being selected by the Rangers in the draft this year was one of the best outcomes he could have hoped for. He, and many scouts, say his game is similar to that of K’Andre Miller, the current Rangers defenseman and a fellow alumnus of the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“I would say I’m really good at being a lockdown guy, someone who can shut down plays, get the puck up the ice and make plays.” Emery said at the draft. “I model my game after K’Andre Miller, so I’m not complaining about wearing this jersey.”

When discussing his choice to commit to North Dakota, Emery stated, “The coaches and the fans, and obviously the team, made me feel at home and I know they’re going to look out for me. I felt safe there. It’s the best option.”

Emery had 16 assists in 61 games with the USNTDP to go with an excellent plus-34 rating last season. At the U-18 World Championships, he added another six assists in seven games and was plus-15.

When speaking with The Rink Live, USNTDP U18 coach Nick Fohr had this to say about Emery: “E.J. played his best hockey at the end of the year, and when you look at how he played at the U18 World Championships, that’s the type of play you’re going to get from E.J. Emery in his future. He’s such a smart kid, he’s long, he skates really well and his ability to recover is off the charts, and that’s such a valuable trait in a defenseman. I challenged him to be the best defender in the draft this year, and it’s tough to say because I haven’t seen every kid obviously, but I would argue he’s right up there at the top and he’s gonna make some team really happy.”

Rangers director of player personnel and amateur scouting John Lilley said the team thought Emery’s defensive game was the best in the draft class.

“He ends plays and, to me, he’s an elite defender,” Lilley said. “He’s a guy we had high on our list, and we’re excited to get him. EJ is very a talented young man. He’s raw, very athletic, just starting to come into his own.”

North Dakota was 26-12-2 last season. The Fighting Hawks were picked second in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll, receiving four first-place votes and 241 points, while coming in No. 5 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Preseason Poll.

They will host Augustana University in an exhibition game on Oct. 5, and will take on Providence College in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game on Oct. 12. North Dakota is the reigning Penrose Cup champion after finishing first in the NCHC during the regular season with a 15-8-1 record. The Fighting Hawks bring back a pair of Preseason All-NCHC players in senior forward Cameron Berg and sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage.

Colorado College was third in this year’s NCHC Preseason Poll, its highest spot in the conference’s 12-year history. The Tigers finished fourth in the NCHC last season, their best showing in the conference, and return First-Team All-NCHC selections in junior forward Noah Laba, a fourth-round selection by the Rangers in the 2022 draft.

An argument can be made that Laba should be ranked as the top center prospect in the Rangers organization following a breakout sophomore season with Colorado College, when he scored 20 goals and added 17 assists for 37 points in 36 games. The 6-foot-2, 192-pounder was regularly featured on the top line for the Tigers, and had 362 face-off wins in 634 draws taken for a 57 percent winning percentage.

Laba earned Second-Team All-America honors last season and was named the NCHC Defensive Player of the Year as well as the winner of the Three Stars Award. Despite a strong push by the Rangers to sign Laba to an entry-level contract this spring, the 20-year-old elected to return to college for his junior season.

“They wanted me there and in a way, obviously I want to move on and be there too. But I just felt like my time here at CC wasn’t done, there’s more for me to do, more for me and the team to accomplish,” Laba said. “That went into the decision. I’m really happy with it and (the Rangers) obviously fully supported my decision.”

Expectations will be high for the Tigers, who had their best season since 2010-11 with 21 wins, though they fell just short of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. But that isn’t something Laba is worried about.

“I think we gotta look at it as not pressure but an opportunity. We’re not worried about what happened last year or the year before. It’s a whole other team and we’re going to treat it as such and we’re going to prepare for each game like we have the past few years,” Laba said. “We’re going to work for the result. Obviously, it’s the process that matters so just sticking to that is important.”

Colorado College will play an exhibition against Briercrest College on Oct. 5 before Northern Michigan comes to Ed Robson Arena on Oct. 11-12. The Tigers were ranked No. 11 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Preseason Poll.

Several other Rangers prospects to play in NCAA this season

Another big body — listed 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds — Ty Henricks was selected by the Rangers in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. The native of Mission Viejo, California, is committed to Western Michigan University, which was voted No. 6 in the NCHC preseason poll. Henricks scored 17 goals and added 15 assists for 32 points in 60 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL last season. He added one goal in eight playoff games.

The Rangers will allow Henricks to develop at his own pace, since they hold his NHL signing rights until Aug. 15, 2029.

Western Michigan finished 21-16-1 in 2023-24 and is No. 17 in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Preseason Poll. The Broncos play an exhibition against the USNTDP on Oct. 5 before Ferris State comes to Lawson Arena on Oct. 11.

One player who could be signed to his entry-level contract at the completion of his college season is versatile forward Brody Lamb of the University of Minnesota. Lamb has skated on both wings and at center, and he’s played up and down the lineup. He appeared in all 39 games during his sophomore year for the Golden Gophers last season, setting career highs in goals (12), assists (15), and points (27).

Minnesota was 23-11-5 and lost to Boston University in the Sioux Falls Regional Final. The Golden Gophers were chosen to finish second in the Big Ten Conference Preseason Poll.

Minnesota is sixth in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Preseason Poll and will begin its season on Oct. 5 against St. Cloud State.

Hank Kempf, a 6-foot-2 left-shot defensemen is heading into his senior season at Cornell University, after being named as an alternate captain for the Big Red. A seventh-round selection in the 2021 draft, Kempf is known more for his shutdown defense than for producing offense; he has two goals and 16 assists for 18 points in 98 NCAA games during his three seasons with Cornell. Kempf blocked a team-high 59 shots last season, registering at least one block in 26 games.

Off the ice, Kempf was a finalist for the 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award for his work within the Cornell and Ithaca, New York, communities. He was also a finalist for the ECAC Hockey’s Defensive Defenseman Award.

The Rangers hold his signing rights through next summer, though it’s very possible the 22-year-old goes unsigned.

Cornell finished 22-7-6 in 2023-24, won the ECAC conference tournament and defeated Maine in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Denver, the eventual NCAA champion, 2-1 in double overtime in the Springfield Regional final. The team received two first-place votes in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Preseason Poll to come in at No. 9 and were voted to the top spot in the ECAC Hockey Men’s Preseason Poll. League coaches have predicted Cornell to lead the conference this season, receiving 10 of 12 first-place votes. The Big Red have a scrimmage against Princeton scheduled for Oct. 19, with an exhibition against the University of Toronto on Oct. 26 before North Dakota visits Lynah Rink on Nov. 1-2.

Also in the ECAC is 2022 sixth-round pick Zakary Karpa, who was captain at Harvard University as a junior last season, scoring four goals and adding four assists for eight points in 31 games. One of the strengths of his game is at the face-off dot, where Karpa won 299 of 576 face-offs for a 51.9 winning percentage. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound left-shot center could provide solid AHL depth for Hartford if he’s signed once his collegiate career comes to an end.

Harvard was 7-19-6 last season. The Crimson will play an exhibition game against the USNTDP on Oct. 18 and a scrimmage against Boston University on Oct. 19. ECAC play begins against Dartmouth on Nov. 1.

Rounding out the Rangers’ NCAA prospects is defenseman Rasmus Larsson of Northern Michigan, which competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Wildcats were 12-16-6 last season and are picked to place ninth in the CCHA by the coaches and eighth by the media in the preseason conference polls.

Chosen in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Larsson is a 6-foot-3 left-shot blueliner who has been described as a sturdy, puck-moving defenseman with an accurate shot and plenty of natural athleticism. He scored four goals and had 13 assists for 17 points in 59 regular-season games for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL last season. He was second in assists and points, and third in goals among defensemen on the team. His eight penalty minutes were the fewest among Green Bay skaters to have appeared in at least 20 games.

Northern Michigan plays an exhibition against Michigan Tech on Oct. 5 before visiting Colorado College on Oct. 11 and 12.