Tonight at 6:00 PM ET, the United States Hockey League will hold its 2026 Phase I Draft — and every pick will be a 2010-born player. Sixteen USHL teams, 15 rounds each, 240 selections. This is the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States, and the pathway that has produced more than 285 NHL Draft picks since 2020.

For the Massachusetts 2010 class, this is real. Some of our tracked players have already been locked in before a single pick is made. Others will hear their names called tonight. And some will watch the draft and use it as motivation heading into the summer.

But first — if you're a hockey parent and this is new territory, here's what you need to understand.

Tender vs. Draft — What's the Difference?
Tender
A guaranteed commitment. The player signs a deal directly with a USHL team before the draft. The team gives up their 1st round pick (and 2nd if they tender two players) to secure the player. No one else can take them. This is the highest compliment — it means a team wanted you so badly they sacrificed draft picks to lock you in.
Draft Pick
The team selects a player, but it's not a guaranteed roster spot. The player becomes that team's property in the USHL, but many will return to prep school or club hockey for another year before reporting. Being drafted is an honor — it means a USHL franchise values you — but it's a different level of commitment than a tender.

Already Off the Board

These Massachusetts 2010s won't be in tonight's draft — they've already been claimed.

Blake Wilichoski Milton Academy • Minutemen Flames Tendered — Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Logan Cotter St. Marks • Militia Hockey Club Tendered — Green Bay Gamblers
Jack Queally St. Sebastian's • River Rats NTDP U17
Sam Lee Belmont Hill • Minutemen Flames NTDP U17

Wilichoski to Cedar Rapids is a significant move. He was at the NTDP Evaluation Camp in March, was a 1st Team All-Massachusetts selection with 18 points, and played for the #1 ranked Minutemen Flames at USA Hockey Nationals. Cedar Rapids gave up a first-round pick to lock him in — that tells you how highly the USHL values him.

Cotter to Green Bay makes him the second Massachusetts defenseman off the board. At 22 points from the blueline at St. Marks, he was one of the top-producing defensemen in the 2010 class and a USA Boys National 15 Team selection. The Gamblers gave up a first-round pick to secure him.

Queally and Lee are not eligible for the USHL Draft — they've already committed to the NTDP U17 Team in Plymouth, Michigan.

That's four Massachusetts 2010s already accounted for before the draft even starts. The question now: who gets picked tonight?

The Massachusetts 2010 class produced 577 combined points across 23 prep schools last season. Thirty-two players advanced to the Boys Festival. The talent is deep, and USHL scouts have been watching. Players like Carter Felt (34 pts), Sam Fishbone (29 pts), Drew Gallucci (27 pts), Drew Short (26 pts), Nicholas Ware (25 pts), and Michael Barrett (23 pts) are all realistic draft candidates.

Phase I Draft — Tonight, 6:00 PM ET

16 teams. 15 rounds. 240 picks. All 2010 birth year.

State of Hockey will be tracking every Massachusetts selection. Check back tonight for the full results.

What this means for prep hockey: Being drafted by a USHL team doesn't necessarily mean a player leaves prep school immediately. Many drafted players return for another season of prep hockey before reporting. But it does mean a Tier I junior team now owns their USHL rights — and that's a significant step on the path from prep school to college hockey to the NHL.

How to watch: The draft will be live-streamed on USHL social and digital platforms starting at 5:00 PM ET with pre-draft coverage. The first pick goes at 6:00 PM ET.

Stay tuned.