2026 NHL Draft notebook: Morozov making case as one of top 17-year-olds 

The 2026 NHL Draft will be held in June at a site to be determined. NHL.com will take a closer look at some of the draft-eligible players to watch. This week, a profile on center Ilia Morozov of Miami (Ohio) University of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

Ilia Morozov, the youngest player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey, is ascending the 2026 NHL Draft-eligible ladder a lot quicker than many expected this season.

Morozov (6-foot-2, 197 pounds), who doesn't turn 18 until Aug. 3, is tied for the team lead in goals (six) and tied for second in points (11) in 10 games as a freshman for Miami (Ohio) University of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) this season.

He was one of two players boosted to an A rating on NHL Central Scouting's November Players to Watch list during the bureau's most recent update Wednesday. He was listed as a B rated skater or potential second- or third-round pick in the initial October preliminary release.

Despite being one of only five 17-year-olds playing NCAA men's ice hockey this season, he hasn't gotten the attention two other skaters -- forward Gavin McKenna (Penn State) and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota) have received. Morozov said he wants to be in the conversation.

"I follow [McKenna and Verhoeff]; I follow their stats," Morozov said. "I think they're both doing a good job, having success. Those are two pretty good guys.

"I have my own goals, you know. I don't want to accept that I'm like a second- or third-round draft pick because I really want to try to get into the first round. I know it'll take a lot of hard work."

Morozov, born in Moscow, hasn't had to take a back seat to anyone, particularly considering what he has gone through to get to where he is at this point in his career.

He graduated early from high school, returning from a postseason trip back home to Russia in the summer to take one last course before settling at Miami. He had 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 59 games for Tri-City of the United States Hockey League as a 16-year-old in 2024-25.

"Actually, nobody from my family played a professional sport but I always liked to skate," Morozov said, "and I really got into hockey after watching the 2014 Sochi Winter Games in Russia at a time when hockey was popular and everyone put their kids in hockey. I would say that (Miami) Coach (Anthony) Noreen has given me an incredible opportunity to play college hockey, and also all the coaches. I think they really are trying to develop me."

Noreen was coaching at Tri-City when he tendered Morozov for 2024-25, something USHL clubs do to lock up a player before the draft by forfeiting draft picks. Noreen never got the opportunity to coach Morozov, however, after taking over at Miami that season.

"He's just taking monumental steps," Noreen said. "He's big and strong and he's got skill but it's the way that he works at it, and the way that he approaches it. He's showing really well on the ice and that's going to be great if you're an NHL scout and you know what you're looking for. When you see that, you're like, 'OK, that's different, that's special.'

"But wait until they sit down and have an interview with him, get to know the person and his background and what he's about and his values and his morals and how he interacts with his teammates and how he interacts with anybody. That to us is the main separator. It's that mindset and approach and it's who he is as a person.

"He's the type of kid who is going to maximize every resource and everything possible to chase his goals and dreams, and he's inspiring to all of us."

Noreen has been involved with USA Hockey for nearly a decade, most recently as coach of the U.S. Under-18 team for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also led the 2018 U.S. Junior Select Team to a gold medal in the World Junior A Challenge.

Miami (7-3-0) is ranked 24th in the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI), the official system for selecting and seeding teams for the NCAA Tournament. It replaced the Pairwise system this season.

Morozov is doing his best to earn the trust of the Miami coaching staff, including offensive coach Troy Thibodeau.

"We're working on using my body a little bit more," Morozov said. "So in the corners, in the battles, for example, when I roll up in the offensive zone, he wants me to drive the middle more, so I create more space for myself.

"I've always been a big fan of (center) Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers), but he's injured right now so I've been watching a lot of (center) Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers). I like those big, skilled, players."

PROSPECT ON THE RADAR

Viggo Bjorck, C, Djurgardens (SWE): The 17-year-old (5-9, 177) was the only other player promoted to an A rating on Central Scouting's PTW on Wednesday.

"Since the beginning of the season, we knew that Viggo is a first-round pick if we evaluate his hockey IQ, technical skills, passing, and his ability to execute on the power play," NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "After playing in Allsvenskan (one goal in one game) last year, we wanted to see how he would survive in the Swedish Hockey League given his size, power and pace."

He has done well, with six points (two goals, four assists) and averaging 12:14 of ice time in 17 games for Djurgardens in his first season in the SHL, the top professional men's league in Sweden.

"It is now clear that he has focused on his skating and power, especially leg strength, to make the most of his excellent skills," Vuorinen said. "Therefore, an A rating was obvious."

Bjorck, who won't turn 18 until March 12, had 74 points (27 goals, 47 assists) in 42 games for Djurgardens Junior last season, setting the record in the J-20 Nationell. He had eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games for Sweden at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and could represent Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship later next month.