Jul. 29—GRAND FORKS — A new recruiting window opens Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.

Players entering their junior years of high school will be eligible to receive scholarship offers and begin making NCAA men’s hockey commitments on that date.

Schools have been permitted to speak to these players since Jan. 1.

This is the first year Canadian Hockey League players have been eligible for college hockey in decades. Considering that, the Herald is separating its annual players to watch list into three — Americans, Canadians and Europeans.

We’ll start with the Americans.

This list is not meant to be a strict ranking from 1-30.

It is a mix of the top college-eligible American players with a bias toward traditional UND and National Collegiate Hockey Conference recruiting grounds.

1. Nolan Fitzhenry, F, Andover, Minn.: The Herald’s top American in this class is Fitzhenry, who played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s last season and will move to the U.S. Under-17 Team. The winger is an elite goal-scorer with high-end competitiveness and impressive off-the-ice attributes.

2. Carter Meyer, F, Winchester, Mass.: Meyer is the Herald’s top player from the East in this class. His blend of scoring, skill and power make him a high-end prospect who is headed to the U.S. Under-17 Team. Meyer’s father, Freddy, played at Boston University and in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers.

3. Wyatt Cullen, F, Moorhead: Wyatt, the second son of longtime NHL forward Matt Cullen, tallied 31 points in 55 games for the U.S. Under-17 Team last season. He’s smart, creative and an elite playmaker. Wyatt’s dad played for St. Cloud State. His older brother, Brooks, committed to Michigan State last season. His younger brother, Joey, will be on this list next year.

4. Diego Gutierrez, D, McAllen, Texas: The Shattuck-St. Mary’s product is a top-end offensive defenseman. Gutierrez can move pucks, walk the blue line to open room, shoot and run a power play. Gutierrez will play for the U.S. Under-17 Team.

5. Freddie Schneider, F, Edina: Schneider is an elite skater who can make plays. He finished third in scoring for Edina High last year, tallying 44 points in 31 games as a sophomore. He’s headed to the U.S. Under-17 Team this season.

6. Rocco Pelosi, F, Sewell, N.J.: Pelosi is an all-around player who impacts the game on both sides. His brother, Christopher, is a standout at Quinnipiac. Scouts believe Rocco is ahead of where his brother was at a similar age. Pelosi played at Mount St. Charles and is headed to the U.S. Under-17 Team.

7. Trevor Daley, F, Fort Myers, Fla.: Daley is powerful, plays hard, has great touch and hockey IQ. Daley is will play for the U.S. Under-17 Team. His father, Trevor, won two Stanley Cups during a 16-year NHL career that included stops with the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.

8. Gavin Burcar, F, Coto de Caza, Calif.: Burcar is a 6-foot-2 center who can fly. He’s not a natural offensive finisher, but he’s difficult to play against and could develop into a prototypical pro. Burcar will play for the Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League.

9. Gunnar Conboy, F, Lakeville, Minn.: Conboy is a blend of size, power and skill. Conboy, who tendered with the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League, is the son of former St. Cloud State standout Tim Conboy.

10. Easton Johnson, D, Luverne, Minn.: Technically, Johnson won’t be an Aug. 1 guy. But he’s expected to accelerate his education this year and become eligible at some point before next summer. Johnson has played for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Power program the last four years and will move to the U.S. Under-17 Team this season.

11. Broden McArthur, D, Dallas: McArthur averaged a point and a half per game from the back end last season with Dallas Stars 16U. He’s headed to play for the U.S. Under-17 Team this season.

12. Eli Winters, G, Muskegon, Mich.: Goalie projection can be tricky, but Winters is the best of the bunch at this point. Winters will play for the U.S. Under-17 Team this season.

13. Ben Geiger, D, Northfield, Minn.: With Geiger, the question is not where he is now, it’s where he’s going to be in a few years. Geiger is a big, rangy 6-foot-3 defenseman who is headed to the U.S. Under-17 Team. Geiger is still raw and has a longer runway, but teams are projecting his ceiling to be extremely high.

14. Kane Barch, F, Plano, Texas: Barch provides a strong two-way game. The hard-working forward will play for the U.S. Under-18 Team this season.

15. Levi Harper, D, Tampa, Fla.: Harper, who shoots right-handed, put up similar numbers to Gutierrez last season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. He is headed to play for Saginaw in the Ontario Hockey League this season.

16. Carson Scott, D, Dayton, Minn.: The 6-foot-3 defenseman played for Hill-Murray last season and will suit up for the U.S. Under-17 Team this fall.

17. Logan Anderson, F, Fort Myers, Fla.: Anderson tendered with the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL ahead of this season. He’s smart and plays hard. His father, Keith, played at Thief River Falls in the 1990s and went on to play for St. Cloud State.

18. Braiden Scuderi, F, Medford, N.J.: Scuderi isn’t the biggest player at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds, which could keep him from going high in the NHL Draft. That also could mean he’s an exceptional four-year NCAA player. Scuderi has tendered with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL.

19. Kalder Varga, F, Geneva, Ill.: Varga jumped to the WHL last season and tallied 24 points in 58 games for Kelowna. Varga’s father, John, played seven years in the minors. His grandfather, Lou, was the longtime equipment manager for the Chicago Blackhawks. He was on the bench for 25 years.

20. Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, F, Salt Lake City: Like Varga, Gordon-Carroll debuted in the WHL last season and helped Medicine Hat reach the Memorial Cup championship game. Gordon-Carroll scored six goals and had 25 points in 55 games.

21. Jake Boguniecki, D, Orange, Conn.: Boguniecki is a throwback defenseman, capable of physically punishing opponents. His father, Eric, captained New Hampshire and played in the NHL for the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders.

22. Finnegan Sears, F, Medford, Mass.: When Sears is on his game, he’s as electric as anyone on the list. If he raises his consistency, he could be one of the top offensive producers of the class.

23. Michael Tang, F, New York City: Tang is long, skilled, cerebral and a pure goal-scorer. The dual U.S.-Canadian citizen has tendered to play for Madison in the USHL.

24. Luca Jarvis, F, Stillwater, Minn.: Jarvis was a dynamic threat for a Stillwater team that made the Minnesota prep state tournament. The Youngstown Phantoms draft pick scored 24 goals and tallied 48 points as a sophomore.

25. Thaddeus McMahon, D, Wilmette, Ill.: McMahon was the No. 1 overall pick in the USHL Phase I Draft by the Omaha Lancers this spring. The 6-foot blue liner is skilled and smart.

26. Colin Grubb, F, Burlington, N.D.: The top prospect in North Dakota is Grubb, who played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s last season. Grubb is a smaller, cerebral player. He might not blow scouts away with his skillset or speed, but he has high-end hockey sense and overachieves.

27. Caden Zasada, F, Cottage Grove, Minn.: When Zasada scores, he scores in bunches. He had 21 goals and 30 points in 28 games last season for Hill-Murray. The Fargo Force selected him in the second round of the USHL Phase I Draft.

28. Brooks DeMars, F, Hugo, Minn.: DeMars played for the Long Island Gulls last season and the 6-foot-1, 174-pound forward will head to play for the Penticton Vees, who have been sending high-end prospects to the NCAA for years.

29. Caleb Deanovich, D, Fond du Lac, Wis.: The 6-foot right-shot defenseman was a top producer for the Chicago Reapers last season. He’s an elite skater and a first-round pick of the Waterloo BlackHawks in the USHL.

30. Zac Zimmerman, F, Moorhead: Zimmerman was the highest point-scoring sophomore in Minnesota high school hockey last season, scoring 32 goals and tallying 78 points in 31 games for the state-champion Moorhead Spuds.

Honorable mention: Oliver McKinney, F, Chicago; Gerry DiCunzolo, F, New York City; Zaide Penner, D, Fargo; Spencer Anderson, F, Thief River Falls; Teddy Lechner, D, Bloomington, Minn., Ryland Rooney, F, Dellwood, Minn., Braden Horton, F, Souderton, Pa.; Jake Prunty, D, Kinnelon, N.J., Nate Chizik, G, Warrington, Pa.; Mark Pape, F, Chicago; Finn Spehar, F, Minnetonka, Minn., Ty Bergeron, F, Flat Rock, Mich.