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Apr. 3—PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Landon Knott is Michigan-bound.
The Bemidji High School boys hockey team's sophomore defenseman is headed to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP) in Plymouth, Michigan, to play for the Under-17 Team for the 2026-27 season.
Knott was one of 23 American-born players selected from the 2010 birth year invited to join the NTDP. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound, left-shot defenseman had five goals and 10 assists in 26 games for the Lumberjacks this season. He primarily served in a defensive defenseman role.
"The March evaluation camp highlighted the outstanding depth in the 2010 birth year," said Rod Braceful, director of player personnel for the NTDP, in a release. "Making final selections was a challenge given the level of talent. We extend our appreciation to all the youth organizations and coaches across the country for their contribution and development of these players. We are excited and couldn't be happier that this group of 23 will be the next NTDP class as we head into our 30th season."
The NTDP is a two-year residency program for high-performance hockey players, located at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. The Under-17 Team plays in the United States Hockey League, the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States, as well as against select competition in the North American Hockey League and Minnesota Elite League.
Also, each season, the U17 Team competes in three international tournaments, both in North America and across Europe.
Knott is one of seven Minnesotans selected, with two of them coming from Section 8AA. Moorhead forward Joey Cullen, who is presumed to be one of the top picks in the 2028 NHL Draft, will also depart. Alexandria native and forward Henry Buttweiler, who played for Detroit Honeybaked 15O, was also selected.
Forest Lake's Maverick McKinnon (played for St. Thomas Academy in 2025-26), Minnetonka's Dean Stevens, Eden Prairie's RJ Thompson and Minnetrista's Mason Schemenauer (played for Minnetonka) also got the nod. Brooks Suter, son of 20-year NHL veteran Ryan Suter, was also selected.
Over 100 NTDP alumni played in the NHL this season, with 17 of them winning the gold medal for the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The NTDP has produced 432 NHL draft picks, with 103 of them coming in the first round.
Continue reading...
The Bemidji High School boys hockey team's sophomore defenseman is headed to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP) in Plymouth, Michigan, to play for the Under-17 Team for the 2026-27 season.
Knott was one of 23 American-born players selected from the 2010 birth year invited to join the NTDP. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound, left-shot defenseman had five goals and 10 assists in 26 games for the Lumberjacks this season. He primarily served in a defensive defenseman role.
"The March evaluation camp highlighted the outstanding depth in the 2010 birth year," said Rod Braceful, director of player personnel for the NTDP, in a release. "Making final selections was a challenge given the level of talent. We extend our appreciation to all the youth organizations and coaches across the country for their contribution and development of these players. We are excited and couldn't be happier that this group of 23 will be the next NTDP class as we head into our 30th season."
The NTDP is a two-year residency program for high-performance hockey players, located at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. The Under-17 Team plays in the United States Hockey League, the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States, as well as against select competition in the North American Hockey League and Minnesota Elite League.
Also, each season, the U17 Team competes in three international tournaments, both in North America and across Europe.
Knott is one of seven Minnesotans selected, with two of them coming from Section 8AA. Moorhead forward Joey Cullen, who is presumed to be one of the top picks in the 2028 NHL Draft, will also depart. Alexandria native and forward Henry Buttweiler, who played for Detroit Honeybaked 15O, was also selected.
Forest Lake's Maverick McKinnon (played for St. Thomas Academy in 2025-26), Minnetonka's Dean Stevens, Eden Prairie's RJ Thompson and Minnetrista's Mason Schemenauer (played for Minnetonka) also got the nod. Brooks Suter, son of 20-year NHL veteran Ryan Suter, was also selected.
Over 100 NTDP alumni played in the NHL this season, with 17 of them winning the gold medal for the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The NTDP has produced 432 NHL draft picks, with 103 of them coming in the first round.
Continue reading...
