One of the most common questions that top prospects are asked is, “Who were your hockey heroes growing up?” Popular answers often include Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Patrice Bergeron, and the list goes on. One common throughline is that it is almost always tied to the position the prospect plays.
Unless your name is Keaton Verhoeff.
“I was a goalie till I was 12 and I was a huge Carey Price fan (laughs)” said Verhoeff in an interview with RG media’s Marco D’Amico. “So, I grew up liking the Habs for a long time, cheering for Montreal.”
“When I turned 15, my friends were all Oilers fans, and so I jumped ship over to being an Oilers fan since then.”
Verhoeff wasn’t always tearing things up from the blue line, but started off his hockey playing days guarding the blue paint as a goalie. This fact helps bring some clarity to his views on the former Canadiens number #31.
“I think it helps me in some areas of the game,” Verhoeff noted, “when you watch the game from a goalie’s point of view, in the crease, it kind of gives you a bit of a different perspective on the game.”
Keaton Verhoeff’s first NCAA goal comes on a bomb in his first official NCAA game. #2026NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/xgh0jfINAP
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) October 11, 2025
Both Price and Verhoeff spent time honing their skills in the WHL. Price spent his time in the Western League locking down the net with the Tri-City Americans for four seasons. Verhoeff, the now 17-year-old defenseman from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, played 12 games with the Victoria Royals in the 2023-24 season, then erupted during the 2024-25 campaign for 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) in 63 regular-season games. He also secured 1 goal and 9 assists in 11 playoff games. In the same 2024-25 playing season, he won gold at both the U17 World Hockey Challenge and the U18 World Championship.
While the big name around the 2026 NHL draft is that of Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, who was the main focal point of taking the CHL to NCAA leap, Verhoeff is widely being viewed as the second in line. Verhoeff is having himself a great start to the season with the University of North Dakota. During 12 games with the Fighting Hawks, Verhoeff has 4 goals and 4 assists, but one of his highest numerical stats, fitting of a former goalie, is 10 blocks.
“Another thing’s probably just helping me block shots. Being able to watch a shooter and try to realize when he’s shooting,” the draft-hopeful defender explained. “Like coming down on 2 on 1 and things like that, knowing where a shooter’s stick is positioned or if he’s a passing threat or if he’s a shooting threat.”
While it’s unlikely there are any windmill saves in the top prospect’s future, the instincts he learned from his time in net and studying the game of Carey Price have clearly stuck close with Verhoeff as he’s grown in his hockey career.
And with the World Juniors quickly approaching, Verhoeff, likely making the roster, has an opportunity to follow in his childhood hero’s footsteps, helping Team Canada secure a gold medal. Going higher in the NHL Draft would be a pretty sweet cherry on top, too, if the top prospect can pull it off.
Much more than just what’s covered in these few quotes I pulled is in the full interview if you are interested in learning more about Verhoeff. I recommend checking that out HERE
