Jack Hextall – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

2025-26 Team: Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Date of Birth: March, 2008
Place of Birth: Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Ht: 6-foot-0 Wt: 185 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

• NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings (NA Skaters): 34th
• Orth’s Top 64 April Rankings- THW: 38th
• Forbes’ Top 96 April Rankings- THW: 24th
• Reimer’s Top 64 March Rankings- THW: 34th
• Baracchini’s Top 96 March Rankings- THW: 38th
• THN- Tony Ferrari: 20th
• Smaht Scouting: 22nd
• Dobber Prospects: 18th
• Elite Prospects: 35th

Jack Hextall is a highly competitive center out of Rolling Meadows, Illinois. He put up 58 points in 59 regular-season games with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this past season. He played in the top six all season, centering either the top or second line mostly in the second half, and can play on the wing as well. He also played in the USHL Chipotle All-American Game, skating for Team Blue.

Youngstown tendered him in 2024, which turned out to be a smart decision on their end. He averaged 0.98 points per game in his second USHL season and is heading to an elite Michigan State program in the fall. He’ll be joining a top power play there, too. Michigan State finished second in the nation this past season with a 30.2% power play, and adding Hextall will only bolster those units.

He scored six game-winning goals and nine power-play goals, and he played on the top power-play unit. He added 22 power-play assists, meaning 31 of his 58 points came on the man advantage this past season.

Hextall has a real willingness to drive to the net. He has nice hands, sets up plays, and is a legitimate power-play weapon. His elite hands on the rush allow him to enter the offensive zone with control and create chances at full speed. His wrist shot is accurate, and he’s not afraid to score in the hard or “dirty” areas.

He’s highly competitive, has a high motor, and is almost always in the right spots, a true sign of a guy who just understands how to play hockey. He also wins puck races through hard forechecking and plays with underrated vision by finding teammates when under pressure. Finally, he’s strong on faceoffs and can be trusted in most situations.

Now, the question is whether he can translate this play to the NCAA, especially in one of the best college hockey conferences (Big Ten).

NHL Draft Projection

He’s likely a second-rounder in a class that doesn’t have many centers. He isn’t as purely two-way as some of the others, but his offensive impact and competitiveness stand out. I see him going in the early to mid-second round, but it wouldn’t be surprising if a team took a chance on him late in the first given the developmental upside.

Other THW Profiles

• Ilia Morozov
• Jimmy Rieber
• Adam Valentini
• Rudolfs Berzkalns

Quotables

“Hextall broke into junior hockey as a high-finesse forward who created great lanes to the net with quick cuts and strong puckhandling in the second layer. He was a playmaker. On the other side of juniors, Hextall is emerging as a utility knife winger capable of staying high on the forecheck and plugging holes in the ship.” – Gabriel Foley

“Hextall has a keen sense for the game and knows when to turn certain things on and off. He has sneaky upside headed into a great Michigan State program, alongside a ton of talented recruits. That’s a great ramp for a potential gem in the lineup.” – Gabriel Foley

“Hextall has grown significantly more engaged, stronger, and more stable on his feet, allowing him to win battles along the boards and inside positioning around the net far more effectively than back in October. He’s always had the smarts, puck skills, and two-way intuition to build the foundation of a potentially second-line centre game, but until recently, that projection lacked cohesion. Not anymore. Look at Hextall to rise on our next board and maybe flirt with a return into our top-32.” – Sebastian High, Elite Prospects

Strengths

• Hockey IQ
• High Motor
• Lineup Versatility
• Power-Play Weapon
• Playmaking & Passing
• Accurate Wrist Shot
• Hard on Backcheck
• Winning Faceoffs

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

• Add Muscle
• Defensive Positioning at Times
• More Two-Way Ability

NHL Potential

He projects as a bottom-six center at the NHL level, with the chance to develop even more in the Big Ten at Michigan State next season. If he adds muscle and rounds out his game, he could become an everyday NHL center, given his offensive upside and faceoff ability.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 7.5/10, Defense – 6.5/10

Awards/Achievements

• Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal (2025)
• Third Team All USHL (2025-26)

Stats