UNH Commits Update 4-9-2026: Kole Hyles (RW) & Wyatt Kennedy (D) Added to UNH 2026-27 Freshman Class
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Additions to 2026-27 Freshman Class
Also this week, right-shot defenseman Wyatt Kennedy became the fourth Canadian Hockey League player to commit to UNH for the 2026-27 season. He will join fellow Ontario Hockey League players Parker Von Richter (D) and Mason Zebeski (LW) as well as Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League player Niko Tournas (RW).
Here are the player profiles for Hyles and Kennedy. Their statistics for 2025-26 are included in the Stats Sheet at end of this post.
 | Kole Hyles
Right Wing, 6'1", 190 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Newsfield, New Hampshire DOB: January 16, 2006; 20 years, 3 months 2025-26 USHL Team: Omaha Lancers (Alternative Captain) ~Lead team in goals (23) & scoring (42) Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75★ |
"Hyles is a skilled right winger who possesses a strong shooting ability, particularly from the flanks during power play situations. He effectively uses his agility to slip into open spaces and release powerful shots that can create scoring opportunities regardless of traffic in front. In addition to his shot, Hyles also displays a gritty, physical presence on the ice, using his strength and endurance to maintain possession and battle for space in tight areas."
"This combination of skill and determination makes him a formidable force in the offensive zone. He brings an ideal blend of size, skill, and grit, making him a reliable, high-impact player in all three zones and a trusted option on both the power play and penalty kill"
 | Wyatt Kennedy
Defenseman, 6'5", 212 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada DOB: May 27, 2005; 20 years, 11 months 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League Team: Windsor Spitfires ~Had 4th best +/- rating among OHL defenseman (+37) Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75★ |
"Wyatt Kennedy is a big, veteran defenseman who brings size, physicality, and reliable defensive play to the blue line. His 6-foot-5 frame has an immediate impact in the defensive zone, where he uses his reach and strength to box out opponents and limit space in high-danger areas."
"While he isn’t an overly flashy player, he can still move pucks efficiently up the ice with strong first passes-something that was evident on his overtime assist. He blocks shots, handles the small defensive details well, and plays a simple, effective game. Any offensive production he provides is an added bonus to his overall value."
2025-26 Stats Sheet for All 19 UNH Commits
| Player | Neutral Zone★'s |
Team | League | GP | Goals | Asst | Pts | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected 2026 Freshman Class | |||||||||
| Nicky Romeo* 5/2/05 (LW) |
3.75 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | USHL | 62 | 28 | 28 | 56 | 2 | +21 |
| Playoffs | |||||||||
| Wyatt Kennedy 5/27/05 (D) | 3.75 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 66 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 44 | +37 |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | |||
| Mason Zebeski* 10/4/05 (LW) | 3.75 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 29 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 28 | +4 |
| Playoffs | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | +9 | |||
| Brampton Steelheeds | OHL | 38 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 37 | -4 | ||
| Kole Hyles* 1/16/06 (F) |
3.75 | Omaha Lancers | USHL | 58 | 23 | 19 | 42 | 36 | +6 |
| Niko Tournas* 2/17/06 (RW) | 4.0 | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | 64 | 43 | 31 | 74 | 44 | +22 |
| Playoffs | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | +8 | |||
| Parker Von Richter* 5/17/06 (D) | 4.0 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 28 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 15 | +23 |
| Playoffs | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | +4 | |||
| Brampton Steelheeds | OHL | 38 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 26 | +2 | ||
| 2026 or '27 Commits | |||||||||
| Leo Henriquez 4/29/07 (G) |
4.0 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 37 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 2.22 | .921 |
| Playoffs | |||||||||
| Price Grimes* 1/28/06 (D) |
3.5 | Aberdeen Wings | NAHL | 56 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 120 | +6 |
| 2027 or '28 Commits | |||||||||
| Ryan Grout* 8/15/07 (G) |
3.75 | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 30 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 3.99 | .879 |
| Pavel Martinu 12/20/07 (F) |
3.75 | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | 53 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 59 | -12 |
| Playoffs | |||||||||
| Cash Koch 3/31/07 (F) |
3.75 | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 41 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 84 | -6 |
| Jayden Connors 2/26/07 (D) |
3.75 | Truro Bearcats | MHL | 32 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 12 | - |
| Playoffs | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Sudbury Wolves | OHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | ||
| 2028 or '29 Commits | |||||||||
| Cole Sabourin 1/23/08 (F) |
3.5 | Mount St. Charles Academy | 18U AAA | 48 | 25 | 35 | 60 | - | - |
| Prep Hockey Conference | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 18 | - | |||
| USA NTDP Juniors | USHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -5 | ||
| New England District | USA Selects 17 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | - | ||
| Blake Cash 5/9/08 (F) |
3.75 | Cushing Academy | NE Prep | 30 | 15 | 12 | 27 | - | - |
| Playoffs | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | - | |||
| Xavier Cormier 12/18/08 (D) |
3.75 | Drummondville Voltigeurs | QMJHL | 42 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 10 | +16 |
| Playoffs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2029 or '30 Commits | |||||||||
| Evan Sercerchi 2/18/09 (F) |
4.0 | Val-d'Or Foreurs | QMJHL | 43 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -11 |
| Playoffs | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Cody Costello 4/22/09 (D) |
3.75 | Washington Township HS | USHS-NJ | 14 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 18 | - |
| Woodbridge Wolfpack 16U | Tier 1 16U | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 16 | - | ||
| Beast 16U | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Playoffs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | |||
| NEPACK 16U | 15 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 20 | - | |||
| USA 16U Nationals | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | - | |||
| Bastien Michaud 5/2/09 (D) |
4.0 | Bishop's College School Varsity | Overall | 39 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 45 | - |
| CSSHLE U18 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 13 | - | |||
| Playoffs | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | - | |||
| Canadian Prep | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | - | |||
| Quebec Ramparts | QMJHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Caine Bickel 8/13/09 (F) |
3.75 | Seacoast Performance Academy 16U | 16U AAA | 61 | 80 | 70 | 150 | - | - |
| * = Signed NCAA Financial Aid Agreement | |||||||||
| ★'s = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating |
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Statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, I project the "2026 Freshman Class" will begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2026.
My projections are based on the following factors:
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
~ Number of incoming transfer players and the position they play.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Number of years in junior hockey and remaining years of junior eligibility.
~ Junior Leagues played in.
~ If a NCAA Financial Aid Agreement has been signed.
posted by Mike Lowry at 10:00 AM
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