A Year in Review: NCAA/CHL
Yet another returning series
I really liked how this series played out last year as I felt like it gave Canes fans who don’t avidly watch every single prospect (who doesn’t?) a look into every prospect and how their seasons went. It also allows me to give a more specific explanation for each player and give an outlook for next year.
With that in mind, there are only 3 leagues I can currently tackle as of now, those being the NCAA, CHL, and HockeyAllsvenskan. HockeyAllsvenskan, while admittedly easier to do because there are only two players, I’m putting off for now because I’ll loop in the other Swedish league (SHL) to make it easier for myself. So for now, let’s talk about the “junior” ranks of North America, with the NCAA and CHL prospect(s).
Charlie Cerrato, C (Penn State)
A sadly common trend we’ll see when I talk about these prospects is seasons getting derailed due to injury. Charlie “Chuck” Cerrato was able to come back before his season was over from injury but it did derail a good chunk of his season. In 23 games this year, he had 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points.
Cerrato was arguably Penn State’s most important center this season and when he went out with injury, you could see the impact it created. He plays in every situation and plays heavy minutes at even strength. He’s a crafty playmaker who isn’t afraid of going into the dirty areas to make things happen. Dangerous in transition, he’s able to use his passing ability to make things happen and has the hockey sense to see the play before it happens. He’s been great in the dot as well, making me more confident he sticks as a center throughout his career. As well, his work ethic is second to none and he’s got that #dawg trait that teams love to have come playoff time. He was a great player pre injury and tried his best to help Penn State in the postseason before going down with yet another injury in the NCAA tournament. While it stunk to see him out for an extended period of time, this was another successful season of development for Cerrato.
Outlook for 2026/27: Cerrato will be an important piece for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He’s already flashed the pro level skills he showcased at Penn State in the playoffs with an impressive performance in Game 1.
Jayden Perron, W (Michigan)
What needed to be a big season for Perron became a big season, as Perron was one of Michigan’s most important offensive players as the season went on. In 40 games this season, he had 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points.
It was a career year for Perron, who capitalized on the opportunities given to him at Michigan. The wider public saw the immense skill that had Perron drafted in the 3rd round back in 2023. A lot of the traits you wanted to see developed did, including his play driving. Perron is extremely dangerous in transition, partly due to the East-West nature of his skating. He’s not afraid to go from one side of the ice to the other with the puck on his stick because he’s found ways to get around and through contact from defenseman. The passing remains great, being trusted as much to be the powerplay quarterback for the number 1 power play in the country, a power play that clicked at a 31.6% rate. His shot remains sneaky good, able to pick corners with deceptive speed off the stick. This year was also the first time you saw that real game breaking potential skill that Perron has, a prime example shown by this goal in the Big Ten Championship game.
Outlook for 2026/27: It looks like Perron will head back to Michigan for one final season, even though nothing has been announced anything yet.
Justin Poirier, W (Maine)
Stop me if you heard this one before, yet another player who was really important to their team’s success suffered an injury and the team started to struggle. Poirier was Maine’s top goal scorer and one of the best freshman in the country before injury. In 27 games played this season, he had 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points.
Poirier was having a really nice run of games pre hip injury, leaning into the traits that made him successful in junior. His shot was still great, being able to beat most goaltenders with power and precision. He was handling the physicality better than expected, winning some board battles and being able to bounce off contact from time to time. He was one of the better players on that Maine team and will now, barring being healthy, be an important top 6 winger for a reloaded Penn State team.
Outlook for 2026/27: Hopefully healthy in time for the start of next season, Poirier will be a top 6 goal scoring winger for Penn State.
Michael Emerson, W (Merrimack)
A 6th round pick in 2023, Emerson has turned into a decent bottom 6 winger for a Merrimack team that shocked a lot of people and won the Hockey East Championship. In 37 games played, he had 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points.
Emerson is mainly used for his physical presence and defensive impact. He has the ability to help out in faceoffs as he was a center for a good portion of last year. His shot is sneaky good, but his value is in his physicality, forechecking, and defensive impact. He was a decent player for that Merrimack team who surprised people.
Outlook for 2026/27: A middle/bottom 6 winger for Merrimack
Filip Ekberg, W (Ottawa 67s)
After ending his draft year season on a crazy heater, Ekberg came into this year fully healthy and ready to be a big contributor for Ottawa. In 68 games played, he had 27 goals and 27 assists for 64 points.
To be fair to Ekberg, he was a big contributor for Ottawa. Injuries robbed parts of his season but he was the 6th highest scorer on his team during the regular season and 4th in the playoffs. His goal scoring took a step up, which was nice to see since he has a tiny bit of the “I have a good shot but I’d much rather pass the puck” syndrome. The playmaking is noticeable, being able to connect plays at a decently high rate. With one more year of OHL eligibility left, I’d expect Ekberg to step up in point production, especially with Ottawa losing some production going into next year.
Outlook for 2026/27: One of Ottawa’s more important wingers.