Keaton Verhoeff

Keaton Verhoeff (born June 19, 2008) is a Canadian college ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He previously played two seasons for the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was drafted ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2026 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

Junior Verhoeff had originally started playing ice hockey as a goaltender, and switched to defence when he was 12. He was drafted by the Victoria Royals fourth overall in the 2023 Western Hockey League (WHL) draft.

On December 5, 2023, Verhoeff made his WHL debut with the Royals. He would play in 11 more games with the club, scoring two assists. He would also be held scoreless in four playoff games.

Verhoeff entered his first full WHL season with high expectations. After leaving the team early in the season to represent Canada at the 2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, Verhoeff returned and impressed. Verhoeff's play would lead to being named the WHL Rookie of the Week in mid-December 2024, as well as being named a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for the WHL's top rookie. In total, Verhoeff would finish his with 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points in 63 games, setting the franchise record for goals by a defenseman, as well as becoming the third 16-year-old defenceman in WHL history to score more than 16 goals in a season. He also added a goal and nine assists in 10 playoff games.

Collegiate After the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced in November 2024 that they would allow Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to join college ice hockey starting in 2025–26, many speculated whether Verhoeff would be one to take advantage of the new opportunity. On May 30, 2025, Verhoeff, alongside Royals teammate Cole Reschny, announced their commitment to the University of North Dakota.

In his first collegiate game against St. Thomas, Verhoeff score the game-winning goal in a 6-2 victory. In his first 10 games, he would score four goals and two assists. His first multi-point performance came a few games later, with two assists against Bemidji State. Verhoeff would help the Fighting Hawks to the top seed in the 2026 NCHC Tournament, but after defeating Omaha in two games in the first round, Verhoeff and the Fighting Hawks would be upset by Minnesota Duluth. Despite the loss, their stellar regular season performance led to an at-large bid as the top seed in the Sioux Falls Region in the NCAA tournament, and the second overall seed. Thanks in part to Verhoeff's defense, North Dakota would advance to the Frozen Four without conceding a goal. However, they would fall to Wisconsin, ending their season. At season's end, Verhoeff was named to the All-NCHC Rookie Team. He captained Canada White in 2024, and served as an alternate captain at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where Canada earned bronze.

In December 2025, he was selected to represent Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championships. During the tournament he recorded four assists in five games and won a bronze medal.

Personal life Verhoeff is also a cousin of current National Hockey League (NHL) forwards, Kirby and Colton Dach.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2023–24 Victoria Royals WHL 12 0 2 2 2 4 0 0 0 2 2024–25 Victoria Royals WHL 63 21 24 45 14 11 1 9 10 2 2025–26 University of North Dakota NCHC 36 6 14 20 29 — — — — —NCAA totals 36 6 14 20 29 — — — — —

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2024 Canada White U17 5 1 4 5 2 2025 Canada U18 5 1 4 5 2 2025 Canada HG18 5 1 3 4 0 2026 Canada WJC 5 0 4 4 0 2026 Canada U18 6th 5 0 4 4 2Junior totals 25 3 19 22 6

Awards and honours Award Year RefCollege All-NCHC Rookie Team 2026