While every player has their own path, it is amusing when recruiting trends emerge in the hockey world. To wit: there’s almost always one or two Cornell commits on the roster of St. Andrew’s College, the prep school north of Toronto. Similarly, Notre Dame has counted on multiple graduates of Edina high school in Minnesota over the years.
But one of the most elite combinations in recent years has been from the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) to the USHL’s Chicago Steel to the University of Michigan. Owen Power did it, Adam Fantilli did it (with a year of prep school at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire sandwiched in between) and Toronto Maple Leafs pick Nicholas Moldenhauer is doing it right now. Right behind him is Montreal Canadiens first-rounder Michael Hage, who joins the Wolverines as a freshman this fall.
There’s another name going through that pipeline right now, and it’s 2026 NHL draft prospect Adam Valentini, who will be joining the Steel this fall after he ripped apart the GTHL to the tune of 52 goals and 134 points in 57 games with the Toronto Marlboros U16 team last season.
Valentini signed a tender agreement with Chicago, which meant that the Steel had to surrender their second-round draft pick and guarantee that the 16-year old suits up for at least 55 percent of the team’s games this upcoming season (the Steel had already surrendered their first-rounder when they tendered defenseman Callum Croskery earlier on).
Valentini also committed to Michigan in the summer, much to the delight of Maize and Blue fans.
“It was a hard decision as an Ontario kid with the OHL, but it suited my game and I really wanted to pursue an education,” he said. “The history there is unreal. I toured Yost (arena) twice, fell in love with it and made my decision.”
A skilled center who prides himself on his hockey IQ and ability to make plays, Valentini likes to watch NHL icons such as Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby. He still wants to get stronger and that’s a good goal, considering he’ll be playing a whole new level of talent in the USHL – where many of his opponents will be several years older than him. Nonetheless, the chance to play for a Steel organization that has become an NHL factory in recent years made the decision to leave his home country a little bit easier – but it still wasn’t an easy decision.
“It was a really hard decision to leave, but I love hockey so it wasn’t that big of a deal for me,” he said. “I think I’m ready.”
Had Valentini not shown interest in the USHL, he undoubtedly would have been one of the first selections in the OHL this year. As it was, the Brampton Steelheads (formerly Mississauga) still took a chance and nabbed his rights with the 13th pick overall. As of now, however, Chicago will be his hockey home and Valentini had a number of reasons why he signed with the Steel.
“Honestly, the same thing as Michigan: The coaches, the history of the team and they’re a development-first kind of team,” he said. “That’s what I love and the way they play suits my game.”
Should Valentini develop the way many believe he will, he’ll be a star in the 2024 NHL draft – and the latest to make that elite Toronto-Chicago-Michigan circuit.
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News Summary:
- Meet 16-Year-Old Adam Valentini and the Toronto-Chicago-Michigan Hockey Pipeline
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.