Minnesota prospect Nash Roed commits to Gophers, joins NTDP U18

Nash Roed’s path to Minnesota took another step when the White Bear Lake forward committed to the Gophers and was set to skate for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 team. The 2009-born prospect announced his college pledge on Instagram in early August 2026, adding another local name to a Minnesota recruiting board that has leaned heavily on homegrown talent.

Roed was already on the NTDP track before the commitment surfaced. USA Hockey added him on July 9, 2026, to the 2026-27 U.S. National Under-18 Team alongside defensemen Charlie Mineman and Jake Prunty. The NTDP, based in Plymouth, Michigan, bills itself as USA Hockey’s premier amateur development program, and its U18 team plays a USHL schedule that gives prospects a long look against junior competition before they move on to college hockey.

The White Bear Lake product is listed at 6-foot and 181 pounds, shoots left and was born Sept. 25, 2009. His rise has come quickly. One recruiting note said he produced 31 goals and 72 points in 55 games across two seasons at White Bear Lake High School, while another local report said he had 47 points in 28 games as a sophomore, including 20 goals and 27 assists. Either line underscores the same point: Roed has already shown the kind of scoring touch and consistency that pushes a Minnesota-born forward into the highest levels of the U.S. development pipeline.

For the Gophers, the commitment fits a familiar pattern. Minnesota has continued to build around in-state players, and Roed gives the program another White Bear Lake connection to pair with its long-standing emphasis on local recruiting. The move also keeps him on a route that has become common for top Minnesota prospects, from high school hockey to the NTDP and then on to college, with the NHL Draft later in view.

Roed’s next season will come with a tougher weekly grind in Plymouth, where the U18 schedule offers USHL-level competition and constant evaluation. For USHL watchers, that makes his NTDP year the clearest test of how far his game can go before he arrives in Dinkytown.