How Verhoeff went from goalie to NHL hopeful

Keaton Verhoeff’s rise to the top of this year’s NHL draft discussion is built on a story that starts in unexpected places: a childhood switch from playing goalie to becoming a top-tier defender—fast. From a jaw-dropping old photo to a breakout junior season,

When Keaton Verhoeff’s former coach James Patrick finally saw the photo, it took his breath for a second—then turned into laughter. “I was shocked,” Patrick says now. “I can still see that picture in my mind, and it’s such an amusing memory for me.”

The image shows an AAA team based in Edmonton, with boys Patrick guessed were 11 or 12. Verhoeff is hard to miss: he’s “looking like a giant compared to these other kids,” Patrick says. At that age, the details were even stranger. Verhoeff was already tall—6-foot-2 when he made his WHL debut with the Royals at age 15—and Patrick remembers him looking like “a skier.” But the moment that truly dropped his jaw was what Verhoeff was doing in the photo: sitting in the front row wearing goalie pads.

Patrick admits he had “no knowledge of this.” “No idea,” he says.

The kid he’d watched for months with the Victoria Royals had already established himself as one of the Royals’ top four defenders in his junior debut as an under-ager. He played with poise beyond his years and, at times, was Victoria’s best player. But it had all been on the blueline, not between the pipes. And yet, in that Edmonton picture, Verhoeff is the one surrounded by goalkeeping gear.

After Patrick spotted the photo, he started asking questions. He credits the discovery to the family home of Royals forward Nolan Stewart, who’d played with Verhoeff growing up. The biggest question Patrick asked was simple: “When did you switch?”

Verhoeff’s answer was just as direct. “I think I was 12,” he replied.

In three seasons. Verhoeff—who today is 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds at age 18—had gone from playing goalie to becoming one of the best defenders in his age group. It’s the kind of leap that still catches people off guard now, even with his draft-stock rising. “I still run into the odd person who doesn’t know my story and their face kind of explodes when you tell them that I played goalie that long. ” Verhoeff says.

That reaction isn’t just about curiosity. Verhoeff’s current momentum has come quickly. At 16, he posted the second-most goals scored by a WHL blueliner. He captained Canada at the 2026 U-18 world championship. Most recently. he helped lead the University of North Dakota to the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal in his first college season. In a scouting-style description of his game. Verhoeff calls himself a “two-way defenceman. ” someone who can contribute offensively while taking “a lot of pride in defending.”.

“I’m someone that the coach can trust and put out for important moments, to shut down or go out and try to help on the offensive side,” he says. “That’s a big thing for me is being trusted by my coaches and teammates.”

The trust didn’t appear out of nowhere. For years, goalies have been the family language. Verhoeff says his dad. one of his grandpas. and two of his uncles were all goalies. which is why he became the fifth Verhoeff to play goal. “It was a bit in my blood,” he says. He also dreamed of suiting up between the pipes in the NHL like his idol. Carey Price. and he played baseball and lacrosse at a high level.

But the path took a sharp turn in the summer he turned 12. That year. Verhoeff was the last cut to participate in the Brick Hockey Invitational Tournament. a premiere event for Canada’s best young male players. That setback didn’t end the story—it redirected it. He started playing defence in inline hockey and made the switch on the ice as well. “also because he wanted to be more involved in the action.”.

The family didn’t try to steer him back. “None of the other goalies in the family tried to persuade him to remain in the position,” the story goes, and one uncle even told him: “You aren’t weird enough to be a goalie.”

The switch wasn’t entirely unfamiliar because the foundation had already been laid on outdoor rinks. Verhoeff describes showing up early after school for daily shinny. saying he’d be there “at 3:45. right after school. and be there playing till 8:30 or 9 at night.” That kind of routine made learning defence feel like a continuation. not a reinvention.

Once he committed to playing defence, Verhoeff threw himself into what it takes to do it well. He says being on the ice and in the gym “has never been a job for me. and never been something that pains me or makes me mad to go do.” Instead. it became the work he wanted. “It’s something I love to do; to work on myself, to get better.”.

He played on the RINK Hockey Academy U-15 prep team in Kelowna, B.C. There he was coached by Jarome Iginla and also billeted with the Iginla family. Verhoeff credits Calgary Flames legend Iginla directly for teaching him the smaller parts of the game. “He taught me how to control the game. how to play based off the time and the score. little things that you don’t learn from guys that haven’t played 1. 500 games in the NHL. that aren’t Hall of Famers.”.

The Royals came next. Verhoeff was drafted fourth overall by the Royals in 2023, and he made his debut that December. Patrick recalls that first stretch vividly. “He was not afraid to make a play. not afraid to play his game — it was really impressive for a 15-year-old. ” Patrick says. He notes Verhoeff handled the puck well, skated well, and “Right off the bat, he liked to go. He was very confident offensively.”.

His first full junior season came at 16. The numbers moved into place: 45 points in 63 games. Verhoeff also became key on the Royals’ power play and in big situations. Patrick says the development wasn’t just about offense. “He needed to get better at the little things. stick-on-stick or boxing out. and those are things we worked on a lot throughout the year. ” Patrick says. He adds Verhoeff’s work ethic is “elite.”.

This past season, the next chapter opened differently. Verhoeff chose the NCAA route after completing high school a year early. He’s coming off a freshman year with North Dakota that produced 20 points in 36 games.

North Dakota head coach Dane Jackson points to athleticism as Verhoeff’s most obvious edge among his blueline skills. “And he’s not just a stay-at-home, puck-mover D. He’s got a lot of offensive instincts,” Jackson says. “I think those two things, athleticism and his overall skill package, is pretty rare.”.

Jackson also describes Verhoeff’s impact inside the day-to-day demands of playing for top competition. Verhoeff was among North Dakota’s top-4 defencemen as a freshman. quarterbacked the power play. and was among the team’s top players in ice time. Jackson says it isn’t easy for a young defenceman to produce offence in their league. “He produced quite a bit of offence as a young defenceman. which is not easy to do in our league. ” Jackson says. “He’s got a really good shot. He can make high-level passes. I see him as a real strong two-way guy.”.

Verhoeff talks about the adjustment period as well. describing the college game as a step with “subtle differences.” “The biggest thing I noticed were guys’ sticks. guys breaking up passes and getting sticks on pucks. ” he says. The adjustment took time, but he focused on progress. “It took some time to adjust. but as the season goes on. I think you become a little more familiar and get more comfortable. That was the biggest thing for me was just focusing on getting better every game and taking a step each game.”.

Now his attention turns to the draft. Verhoeff will find out which NHL team picks him on Friday. He’s been soaking in the lead-up. calling it “a once in a lifetime experience. ” including the Combine and watching Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas. He also appeared on Sportsnet’s broadcast for an interview between periods.

He’ll have 42 family members and friends at the draft. Verhoeff says his mom, Jennifer McEwen, has been his biggest influence, pointing to the traits that have shaped how he lives each day. He also recalls that she shuttled him and his sister, Macy, to their activities when they were kids.

On the ice, he credits motivation from his cousins. Kirby Dach, who is 25 and plays centre for the Canadiens, and Colton Dach, who is 23 and plays centre for Edmonton, have provided constant drive. Verhoeff says he trains with them in the summers.

Jackson, meanwhile, highlights a moment from this past season that stuck with him after a tough loss. Jackson put the team through a tough practice that ended with a one-on-one drill in the centre circle. with a puck thrown in and two players going toe-to-toe. Verhoeff was one of the first to jump in and take on the team’s captain, 24-year-old Bennett Zmolek. Jackson says Verhoeff competed hard against older players and embraced the drill.

“The way he bought into the drill. played it super hard. competed against some of our biggest and older players and really embraced it. for me. was really impressive for a young guy. ” Jackson says. “It was how he handled an adverse situation and almost made it into a positive because of how hard he went and how genuinely he wanted to work at it. to get better.”.

That is the kind of response Jackson believes has defined Verhoeff’s rise. especially given how unusual his positional background still sounds. Jackson says he wasn’t aware of Verhoeff’s goaltending past until he sat down with his mom just prior to the season. and he couldn’t believe it. “I wouldn’t recommend that to many. ” he says. laughing. “but that just shows you what a great athlete he is.”.

If there’s a common thread in how people describe him, it’s how quickly he adapts and how seriously he takes improvement. Jackson says that’s why whoever calls Verhoeff’s name is getting a specific kind of player.

“I think he’s a winner,” Jackson says. “He’s an accountable guy — he looks inward often to see how he can be better. As a person and as a teammate, he is outstanding. I think that’s where you always want to start when you’re trying to build a great team is with high-level individuals. and he’s definitely that.”.

On Friday, the NHL will decide where that high-level individual lands next. For Verhoeff. the wait isn’t just about the selection—it’s about finally making sense of a story that began with goalie pads in a front row and ended. almost too quickly to believe. with a reputation as one of the draft’s most valuable defencemen.

Keaton Verhoeff NHL Draft Victoria Royals North Dakota Fighting Hawks Dane Jackson James Patrick Carey Price Jarome Iginla Nolan Stewart Jennifer McEwen Kirby Dach Colton Dach Bennett Zmolek Frozen Four