UML Recruiting: Finally in the 20s!

Doesn’t matter what recruits the bottom tear teams get the top three dogs get all the studs

Since we're inching closer to the end of the cycle for 2025-2026 freshman recruits, I thought I'd take a look at the NZ recruiting rankings. Lowell currently ranked 13th in the country and 4th in Hockey East behind BU, Maine, and Providence. I'd like to know how much the site weighs the number of recruits a team has in the overall formula. We're definitely on the higher end with 14.

Lowell2001 said:

Since we're inching closer to the end of the cycle for 2025-2026 freshman recruits, I thought I'd take a look at the NZ recruiting rankings. Lowell currently ranked 13th in the country and 4th in Hockey East behind BU, Maine, and Providence. I'd like to know how much the site weighs the number of recruits a team has in the overall formula. We're definitely on the higher end with 14.

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It simply adds the average star rating for each recruit and sums the result. So it is cheesy by default.

However, if you sort by average star rating it is a better indicator of on average how good your recruits are for that class.

When you do that you will see Lowell drops to middle of the pack. And the normal power house schools are at the top(Michigan, BU, North Dakota, etc…).

As we are just a month away from the 25/26 season, and there has been a discussion on the coaching situation as well .. here's an update of what the future classes look like. I'm using Chris' expected year of enrollment for these guys as my starting point (except for Kyle Jones). Obviously the transfer portal changes things, but at this point, we'd be looking at a roster size of mid-30s..

26/27 roster

Defense (11):
Seniors: Sean Kilcullen
Juniors: Daniel Buchbinder
Sophomore: August Classon, James Johnson, Tnias Mathurin, Nate Misskey, Josh Mori, Luke Shipley
Freshmen: Ryan Kroll, Stephen Grumley, Carsen Olsen

Forwards (20):
Seniors: Jaiden Moriello, Jan Vaarwerk
Juniors: Mirko Buttazoni, Chris Delaney, Jacob MacDonald, Libor Nemec, Lee Parks, Dominic Payne, Dominick Rivelli
Sophomores: David Adaszynski, Diego Buttazzoni, Cole Lonsdale, Dylan Wakely
Freshmen: Abzal Alibek, Lucas Busch, Aidan Dyer, Elliot Gulley, Easton Jacobs, Charles Kresl, Nick Romeo

Goalies (3):
Senior:
Junior:
Sophomore: Austin Elliot, Nikola Goich
Freshman: Jack Solomon

This leaves us at 34 on the roster, with the class breakdown being:
Seniors: 3
Juniors: 8
Sophomores: 12
Freshmen: 11

27/28 roster

Defense (13):
Seniors: Daniel Buchbinder
Juniors: August Classon, James Johnson, Tnias Mathurin, Nate Misskey, Josh Mori, Luke Shipley
Sophomore: Ryan Kroll, Stephen Grumley, Carsen Olsen
Freshmen: Wyatt Herres, Owen McCarthy, Anthony Pedalino

Forwards (19):
Seniors: Mirko Buttazoni, Chris Delaney, Jacob MacDonald, Libor Nemec, Lee Parks, Dominic Payne, Dominick Rivelli
Juniors: David Adaszynski, Diego Buttazzoni, Cole Lonsdale, Dylan Wakely
Sophomores: Abzal Alibek, Lucas Busch, Aidan Dyer, Elliot Gulley, Easton Jacobs, Charles Kresl, Nick Romeo
Freshmen: Tristen Buckley

Goalies (4):
Senior:
Junior: Austin Elliot, Nikola Goich
Sophomore: Jack Solomon
Freshman: Kyle Jones

This leaves us at 36 on the roster, with the class breakdown being:
Seniors: 8
Juniors: 12
Sophomores: 11
Freshmen: 5

Samuel Richard is listed as a freshman on the roster, that must be an error by UML sports media?

Will said:

Samuel Richard is listed as a freshman on the roster, that must be an error by UML sports media?

2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster - UMass Lowell Athletics

The official 2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster for the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks

goriverhawks.com

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Yeah, I think that's wrong. Scott corrected me earlier on this thread. He played for the University of New Brunswick for three years. He's also 24 anyway.

Carson Olson to the WHL

Tristen Buckley is also playing in the WHL with Spokane.

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I've updated the rosters above for the next two seasons. I had missed Dominic Payne, who's coming in as a Sophomore this year. Interestingly, the Lowell official roster shows Samuel Richard as a freshman. So I don't know what is correct, as this would make him a 24-year old frosh. Also, the official roster shows 29 players for 2025/2026.

18-year old Lowell commit Stephen Grumley has been named Captain for the Sherwood Park Crusaders (BCHL).

Will said:

Samuel Richard is listed as a freshman on the roster, that must be an error by UML sports media?

2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster - UMass Lowell Athletics

The official 2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster for the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks

goriverhawks.com

Click to expand...

Looks like they fixed it; listed as a senior now

Recruit update:
- Charlie Kresl is playing for Bismarck (NAHL).
- Lucas Busch is playing for Surrey (BCHL).
- Wyatt Herres is playing for Waterloo (USHL)
- Easton Jacobs, no information found on where he is playing.

boblav1 said:

Recruit update:
- Charlie Kresl is playing for Bismarck (NAHL).
- Lucas Busch is playing for Surrey (BCHL).
- Wyatt Herres is playing for Waterloo (USHL)
- Easton Jacobs, no information found on where he is playing.

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So if we continue to believe the USHL is the best US junior league, we've had two commits move out of the USHL to "lower" leagues and one move up.

UMLFan said:

So if we continue to believe the USHL is the best US junior league, we've had two commits move out of the USHL to "lower" leagues and one move up.

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What else would you believe. Of course USHL is the best league in the US by a mile. It’s on par with major junior. OHL, WHL, QMJHL and USHL are the big 4. I believe the next lower league would be BCHL. Then NAHL after BCHL.

I don't know if anyone else listens to McMahon's podcast, but on the most recent addition he mentioned how he really likes Diego Buttazzoni as an underrated freshman entering D1 that's not getting the same attention as some of the other CHL guys. Here's to hoping him and Mirko have big years.

boblav1 said:

Recruit update:
- Charlie Kresl is playing for Bismarck (NAHL).
- Lucas Busch is playing for Surrey (BCHL).
- Wyatt Herres is playing for Waterloo (USHL)
- Easton Jacobs, no information found on where he is playing.

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I found Easton. He was on training camp roster for Flint Firebirds (OHL) but didn't make the team. He turned up today on the Surrey Eagles roster and scored a goal.

Anthony Pedalino is playing for the Woodbridge Wolfpack U18 in the BEAST (no idea what that is).

A very early look at the recruit stats as of 10/6/25.

A point per game for Alibek is nice to see, and Gromley seems to be having a great start to his season. Our future netminders are ... struggling.

Recruit update:
- Lethbridge has traded Carson Olson to Kamloops (WHL).
- Jack Solomon is back with Austin (NAHL) after starting the season with Lincoln (USHL).