Freshman Focus: Clarkson University
· Yahoo Sports
Former captain of the program and now head coach Jean-François Houle is heading into his third year as the team’s coach, and he’s put together a large freshman class that includes 11 players, all of whom played in Canada last season.
With another ECAC title in mind, who are the freshmen heading onto campus this fall, and what do they bring to the table for the upcoming 2026-27 season?
Visit mchezo.life for more information.
All entry years are from CollegeHockeyNews and are subject to change. Players are listed alphabetically by last name.
Darian Anderson – Right Winger, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
A sixth-round pick by the New York Rangers this year. At six-foot-three, he brings a heavy approach to the game while still being able to contribute in the offensive zone, and he showed that this past season.
In 60 games last year for the Firebirds, Anderson put up 20 goals and 45 points in that span.
Luciano Bruno – Right Winger, Toronto Patriots (OJHL)
Bruno is coming into this season as a champion. Bruno, along with his Toronto Patriots squad, won the entirety of the OJHL.
Bruno was by far the best player in the playoffs, finishing with 37 points in 20 games; the next closest player was still 10 points away.
At five-foot-nine, Bruno will likely have to adjust to the college game, but the Golden Knights are getting a player who has shown up in the big moments.
Rafael Cloutier – Left Winger, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
Cloutier is another big winger, standing at six-foot-three, 198 pounds. He finished his season in junior with Rimouski, where in 27 games, he had 12 points. Cloutier is another 2007 birth year, which is a common trend throughout this recruiting class.
He played under 100 games while in the QMJHL, so there is still a lot of gas left in the tank.
Axel Dufresne – Defenseman, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
What Dufresne doesn’t bring in championships, he brings in playoff experience and leadership. He played 48 playoff games over four years, and after three seasons of not being a part of their captaincy group, Dufresne had the honour of being named the team’s captain for his final season. In the final year, he posted a career-high in points with 28 and playoff games played with 17.
Dufresne is somebody who has experience in big games and has been trusted in a leadership position very recently. He will be 21 years old for the entirety of this season.
Oliver Duhamel – Defenseman, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Duhamel is the youngest player on the roster for this upcoming season; he won’t turn 19 years old until the end of November. He played 58 games in Saint John, where he put up 26 points on a struggling Sea Dogs team that went 23-36-5.
Duhamel brings youth and puck-moving ability to a program that is seeming to be leaning in that direction going forward.
Ben Gaudreau – Goalie,Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL)
Gaudreau has the most interesting path out of this group. Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the 2021 draft, he has already played 77 pro games between the ECHL and the AHL.
Gaudreau had a .897 SP in the ECHL this past season in his 29 games played, and brings a different type of experience to the locker room.
Sebastian Gervais – Center, North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Gervais is a part of a large hockey family; his brother Julien is at the University of Guelph, his dad, Andre, played a couple games in the CHL, and his uncles Stephane and Gabe have had long careers overseas, with Gabe playing as recently as last season.
Gervais split time with the North Bay Battalion and the Saginaw Spirit; in his time with the Spirit, he put up three points in the team's route to their eventual Memorial Cup victory.
Cristian Giancola – Center, Haliburton County Huskies (OJHL)
Giancola is another 2007 birth year, and he hasn’t played a whole lot of hockey the last few years. In his three seasons of junior hockey, he played a total of 88 games, which included last season’s 14 regular-season games where he put up five points.
He and Bruno crossed paths briefly in Giancola’s last season with the Toronto Patriots
Alex Pharand – Center, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Unlike Giancola, Pharand has played a lot of junior hockey these past few years. The Chicago Blackhawks’ fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft has played 323 games in major junior and brings a six-foot-three frame that can play up and down the lineup.
Pharand was also an assistant captain during his last two seasons in Sudbury.
Hayden Reid – Center, Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL)
After playing 66 games in the USHL for the Sioux Falls Stampede, he then played a season for the Flint Firebirds. But his breakout season came when he joined the Ice Dogs; he collected 42 points in 68 games.
Reid was also a point-per-game player in his final playoff run in Niagara, where, in his five games, he had exactly five points.
Vann Williamson – Defenseman, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Last but not least, Williamson was an assistant captain for the Frontenacs this past season. In 68 games, he put up 37 points, with 34 of those being assists.
At six-foot-one, 187 pounds, Williamson will be looked at as a solid all-around player who can move the puck and generate chances from the blueline.