Across hockey, one of the bigger stories over the past year has been the NCAA changing their eligibility requirements for incoming players. For the first time, we’ve seen players from Canadian major junior hockey become eligible to play in college, and it’s led to a lot of player movement.

One Calgary Flames prospect who’s taken the option to head to college is centre Luke Misa, who’s headed to Penn State University. A fifth-round selection by the Flames from the 2024 NHL Draft, Misa is a really unique player. In particular, he’s someone who entered major junior as a 15-year-old, suiting up for the first time for the Ontario Hockey League’s then-Mississauga Steelheads a couple months ahead of his 16th birthday.

Flash forward to today, and Misa has played four full seasons in the OHL. He’s progressed from a rookie with 26 points into an NHL-drafted prospect with 85 points. Simply put: Misa’s played a ton of really good hockey in the OHL but perhaps he was running out of challenges at that level.

If nothing else, the NCAA is a new challenge and a much different environment for Misa to continue his development.

“Well, I think for college, they don’t play as many games,” said Misa during Flames development camp. “So there’s a lot of an opportunity to get stronger in the gym. You know, just being able to put on weight, get a lot stronger, I think is the biggest thing. And it’s a good next step. You know, you’re playing against older guys, and I think it’s just a good step for me to develop, continue my development. And then, you know, there were a few schools that I visited. You know, I just felt like Penn State, you know, their coaches are so good. They have great facilities, great guys on the team as well, and it just felt like the right fit for me.”

If Penn State’s name is ringing a bell for Flames fans, it’s because they had a breakthrough season as a program in 2024-25, reaching the Frozen Four for the first time in their program’s history. A big reason for their second-half push to the national semi-final was the strong play of netminder Arsenii Sergeev, a Flames draftee who signed his entry-level deal after the college post-season.

“I was just talking to him actually right before this, just about his time there,” said Misa. “You know, he was there for a year, and he just told me it was the best year of his life, and he had such a good time, and they had a great team there. You know, they went on a good run. But he really liked it and was just telling me all about it. It’s exciting, man.”

In terms of goals for his freshman year at Penn State, Misa is focused primarily on making an adjustment to the NCAA environment and finding his game in college hockey.

“Well, I think just settling in,” said Misa. “You know, there’s always a bit of an adjustment when you’re coming into a new league. So, I think adjusting as quick as I can, you know, getting comfortable with playing with the guys on the team and at this new NCAA level, I’m sure it’s going to be good hockey as well, really good hockey. So, you know, I haven’t really, you know, there’s no specific goals. I think just being able to get adjusted and, you know, play my game and get going right away.”

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