Joey Cullen, 2028 NHL Draft Prospect, Commits To Minnesota

Joey Cullen, the No. 1 2010-born recruit from the U.S., has committed to the University of Minnesota, he announced on his Instagram. His brother, Wyatt Cullen, played for Team USA at the World Junior Summer Showcase. Additionally, he’s likely to play with Wyatt with the Golden Gophers, assuming his older brother plays into his sophomore campaign.

The 16-year-old scored 40 points in 18 games at the Minnesota High School Hockey level, 6th on his Moorhead team this season, winning the AA State Championship for the Spuds. He also spent this past year in 15U Triple-A with Honeybaked, scoring 52 points in 21 games.

The Moorhead, MN native is set to join the Gophers in the 2027-28 season, after this year, where he’ll play for the U.S. NTDP at their U17 level. Cullen was recently given the honor of being the first U17 player to be named to a Team USA Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster. He is also a prospect of the Victoria Royals, who selected him 20th overall in the 2025 WHL U.S. Prospect Draft.

Cullen joins a growing list of prospects preparing to suit up for the Golden Gophers. The University of Minnesota already has seven commits for the 2027-28 season, and that number is expected to grow as they look to rebound in a hotly contested Big Ten Conference.