BLUE PAINT TO BLUELINE

Keaton Verhoeff got a late start as a defenseman, which makes his standing as one of the top prospects for the 2026 NHL draft all the more impressive

BY RYAN KENNEDY

KEATON VERHOEFF has all the attributes an NHL team would want in a blueliner, including the fact he’s a right-handed shot. But if it weren’t for inline hockey, Verhoeff wouldn’t have become a highly coveted defenseman at all – in fact, he might still be a goaltender. Verhoeff got rid of the pads and mask less than six years ago, and it all came down to impacting the game. “I was still playing goalie on my spring hockey team, but I was playing inline as a player,” he said. “So, that helped my momentum in becoming a player. I’ve been a defenseman for five-and-a-half years now. The reason I switched was that if there was a 2-on-0 and I let in the goal as a goalie, there was nothing else I…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, Future Watch 2025

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