UNH Commits Niko Tournas & Pavel Martinu: 2026 NHL Draft Players to Watch
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NHL Central Scouting Names 2 UNH Commits
"ranks prospects for the NHL Entry Draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the professional game in the National Hockey League"Early in the NHL season, Central Scouting identifies several hundred prospects with potential to be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft when the season ends. The 2025-26 Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2026 Draft was announced on October 20th. Nearly 500 North American and European players were categorized as candidates for the 1st Round of the draft ('A' players), 2nd/3rd Rounds ('B'), 4th/5th Rounds ('C'), or 6th/7th Rounds ('W').
Two players committed to UNH men's hockey in future seasons - Niko Tournas and Pavel Martinu - earned a 'C' Rating from NHL Central Scouting. Both are considered candidates for selection in the 4th or 5th Round of the 2026 Draft.
Niko Tournas
"There’s no question Tournas can shoot the puck and score, but what this kid has done in a very short time in Moncton is truly outstanding. He’s lost close to 10 pounds and has worked incredibly hard on skating which just might see him get drafted as a 2006 in the NHL." Neutral Zone NHL Scouting, QMJHL Game Report, October 15, 2025
 | Niko Tournas
Right Wing, 6'2", 198 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Redding, Connecticut DOB: February 17, 2006; 19 years, 8 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars 2025-26 Team: Moncton Wildcats (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) Regular Season: 16 Games, 12 Goals, 8 Assists, 20 Points, 8 PIM, -1 2025 QMJHL Draft: Selected in 10th Round (#182 Overall) by Moncton Wildcats 2025 USHL Draft: Selected in 1st Round (#12 Overall) by Sioux Falls Stampede NHL CSS Preliminary Players to Watch: 'C' Rating - Indicates a 4th/5th round candidate Tournas verbally committed to the University of New Hampshire in September, 2022. This is the link to an interview I had with him at that time. |
In his first season in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League, Niko Tournas is excelling. He's played 16 games with the Moncton Wildcats, scored 12 goals (including 3 PPG) and 8 assists (4 PPA) for 20 points. He's tied for 5th in most QMJHL goals and power play goals. Overall, Tournas is tied for 9th in total scoring and 12th in points per game (1.25 Pt/Gm).
Fall 2025 Highlight Reel
This highlight reel features 7 of Tournas' goals. The variety of shots and situations - wrister, snap, chip, slapper and one-timers - demonstrate some of his goal-scoring arsenal.
In 2024-25, Tournas' second season of junior hockey, he played 56 games with the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks and was a First Team All-Star in the North American Hockey League. He scored 39 goals (including 9 PPG) and 35 assists (7 PPA) for 74 points. Tournas was the 2nd leading goal-scorer in the NAHL and tied for 3rd in power play goals. On total he tied for 5th in total scoring and points per game (1.32 Pt/Gm).
Interestingly, in October, 2023, NHL Central Scouting identified Tournas on their 2023-24 Preliminary Players to Watch List. They considered him a candidate for selection in the 6th or 7th Round of the 2024 Draft. Tournas was playing his first season of junior hockey with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He went on to score 2 goals and 3 assists in 41 regular season games. Central Scouting did not include Tournas on their Midterm or Final Rankings and he was not selected in the 2024 NHL Draft. In the 2024-25 season NHL Central Scouting did not identify Niko Tournas and he was not drafted in 2025.
Now Tournas is in his 3rd year of NHL draft eligibility and his impressive progress has been recognized by NHL Central Scouting. That's due in part to his high-scoring pace in the QMJHL, considered one of the elite junior hockey leagues in North America. Scouting staffs on NHL teams will likely be evaluating Tournas more closely in the coming months. The next formal ranking by NHL Central Scouting will be the Midterm Rankings in January, 2026.
Neutral Zone NHL Scouting
QMJHL Game Report, October 15, 2025
"As soon as the (Moncton) Wildcats announced Tournas as a pick it seemed a touch odd given the fact he was a 2006 born player, but obviously he was in high demand across the Q so that’s why they drafted and signed him almost instantly. There’s no question Tournas can shoot the puck and score, but what this kid has done in a very short time in Moncton is truly outstanding. He’s lost close to 10 pounds and has worked incredibly hard on skating which just might see him get drafted as 2006 in the NHL.
Tournas thinks the game very well and has the innate ability to get into the quiet areas of the ice in the offensive zone and has a very heavy accurate shot, surprisingly he’s missed some quality opportunities so I’m not sure if he rushed things or perhaps was overthinking it during those sequences. He has pro release and can shoot it from anywhere and his shot is the type of shot that generates a ton of rebounds. He’s very good in traffic and makes subtle plays in traffic below the dots in the offensive zone which creates time and space for himself and his linemates.
He definitely has some nastiness and jam to his game as well, and when Desnoyers comes back to the line one would assume he might find himself up there again only if skating continues to progress, but Tournas has already become the Wildcats trigger man on their top PP unit. Again, his role might change with the return of Desnoyers, but he’s solidified himself as a bonafide top 6 forward on the Wildcats and sniper in the Q. It’s going to be very interesting to see how he handles teams keying in on him over the next 10 or 15 games because that attention is warranted given his current stat line and ability to put the puck in the back of the net."
Pavel Martinu
"Pavel Martinu is a forward who uses his size effectively and is very adept at chipping the puck around defensemen...With soft hands and a strong hockey IQ, he generates offense and plays in all situations." Neutral Zone Game Report, March 6, 2025
 | Pavel Martinu
Center/Left Wing, 6'4", 213 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: Pilsen, Czechia DOB: December 20, 2007; 17 years, 10 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars 2025-26 Team: Sioux City Musketeers (United States Hockey League) Regular Season: 17 Games, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points, 6 PIM, -11 2025 USHL Entry Draft: Selected in 18th Round (#131 Overall) by Sioux City Musketeers NHL CSS Preliminary Players to Watch: 'C' Rating - Indicates a 4th/5th round candidate Martinu verbally committed to UNH on September 11, 2024 at Age 16 years, 9 months. |
In 2023, at the age of 15, Pavel Martinu (AKA Pavel Martinů) came to New Hampshire from his home in Czechia (Czech Republic), to pursue his hockey dreams. He attended the Seacoast Performance Academy in Exeter, NH for 2 years and played for their 16U AAA (2023-24, 56 games, 55 points) and 18U AAA (2024-25, 49 games, 57 points) teams. Martinu was also called up to the Johnstown Tomahawks (NAHL) for 3 games in January, 2025.
The Sioux City Musketeers drafted Martinu in the 18th Round (#131 Overall) of the 2025 USHL Entry Draft last May. Still 17-years-old, Martinu is the 4th youngest forward on the Sioux City roster and the only one to play in all 17 games this season for the Musketeers. Primarily playing center, he has scored 2 goals, plus a shootout goal, and added 1 assist. Listed at 6'4", 213 lbs. by NHL Central Scouting, Martinu is one of the tallest forwards on their 2025-26 Preliminary Players to Watch list.
Fall 2025 Highlight Reel
This highlight reel shows all 3 of Martinu's goals and his assist. Two of the goals and the assist feature his back-hand skills and the other goal is a sharp-angle, one-timer, wrist shot.
Neutral Zone Scouting
USHL Showcase, September, 2025
"The late 2007 played a well-rounded game without much flash or flair, but with old-fashioned effort and smart hockey. The huge 6’4″ rookie clogged lanes in pursuit of the puck and intercepted passes. His reach was a factor in all three zones. Pavel played hard and physical. He used a wide cradle with the puck and could move it several feet with one move. His length and body helped to protect the puck, and he had a bullet release on his snap shot.Players Group Winter Classic 18U, January, 2025
One scout wanted him to be stronger driving the net, and the other saw that Pavel used the middle lane drive and dished out to the wing. While he was not a perimeter player, he could bully his way to the cage with the puck more often. Martinu redirected a puck from his skate to his stick without breaking stride or looking down. His first touches were muted, and Martinu was on pucks with a rangy element and good instincts to anticipate where pucks would go. He was a positive influence in the defensive zone as he was well-positioned with his reach and ability to read plays. Pavel should be a plus player with enough skill and a wicked shot to make plays that lead to goals."
"Pavel Martinu is a forward who uses his size effectively and is very adept at chipping the puck around defensemen, both when exiting his zone and entering the offensive zone. His ability to chip the puck out of the zone created several odd-man rushes for him and his linemates. With soft hands and a strong hockey IQ, he generates offense and plays in all situations. Pavel was an important piece of his team’s success, contributing significantly to their tournament win."
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