The UConn men’s hockey team has added forward Nate Hanley to the 2021 freshman class. The player had formerly committed to Northeastern University as a member of their 2021 class, along with 14 other forwards.
Hanley is ranked by Neutral Zone as a four-star prospect, and he had a very successful 2019-20 season in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Nate was drafted to the Cedar Rapids Roughriders in 2018 and spent two seasons with the team. For his draft season he played 27 games, including four playoff games, where he scored two goals. His second season with the Roughriders was much more successful, with him scoring 10 goals and getting 15 assists over a 46-game season. For the 2020-21 season, Hanley is going to be playing on the Youngstown Phantoms, also of the USHL.
There are four other players committed for the 2021 freshman class (Mark D’Agostino, Tabor Heaslip, Brandon Santa Juana and Jack Pascucci), building up a solid core for the Huskies. To round out that year’s recruiting class, the team should look to add three more players and a top-tier goaltender. With the buildup of offensive talent, the biggest hole in the Ice Bus roster is inside the crease.