Calgary Flames defence prospect Bode Laylin
announced Thursday that he has committed to attend the University of Minnesota starting in the 2027-28 season.
Laylin, 18, collected 11 goals and 38 points in 55 games with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm during the 2025-26 season, adding a goal and an assist in two playoff contests. The Flames subsequently selected the 5’11” right-shot defender in the sixth round (No. 164 overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft.
The WHL’s Everett Silvertips
announced back in May that Laylin would join them for the 2026-27 season before heading to the NCAA the following year. That timeline does not appear to have changed, but the final destination certainly has; Laylin had previously committed to attend the University of St. Thomas before shifting to the Gophers.
Laylin’s change in commitment comes after his father, Cory, made a similar transition earlier this year. Cory Laylin previously served as an assistant coach at St. Thomas for five seasons; now, starting in 2026-27, he’ll serve in the same capacity at Minnesota, where he played college hockey from 1988 to 1992.
The St. Thomas hockey program previously featured three members of the Laylin family. Cory coached Bode’s two other brothers, Casy and Luc, at St. Thomas in recent seasons, but both brothers left the school after 2025-26: Casy, for Western Michigan, and Luc, to play professionally in Germany.
Laylin is slated to begin his only WHL season as a member of the Silvertips on Sept. 19, when Everett plays host to the Portland Winterhawks at Angel of the Winds Arena. He took part in Everett’s “Green vs. Grey”
exhibition game this past weekend.
The Flames selected just two defencemen as part of their 2026 draft class, using only their first and last picks to bolster their blue line. Both Laylin and first-round pick Carson Carels attended the Flames’ annual prospect development camp at the WinSport facility in Calgary earlier in the offseason.
A product of St. Michael, Minn., Laylin spent two seasons at the Northstar Christian Academy in nearby Alexandria before joining the Storm late in 2023-24. He subsequently spent two full seasons with Tri-City before being drafted by Calgary; in 123 career USHL games, Laylin has collected 13 goals and 57 points.
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