TEMPE – Sun Devil Hockey has announced the signing of seven highly touted freshmen for the 2026-27 season, with the addition of five forwards and two defenseman.
Sun Devil Signing Class
Michael Barron
Freshman | Forward | Dubuque (USHL)
Canton, Michigan, native Michael Barron spent three seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) as a key piece to the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Barron served as an alternate captain in the 2025-26 season, where he enjoyed a career year with a team-leading 68 points (18G, 50A) in 62 games.
Barron and fellow signee Teddy Merrill were the driving force in Dubuque’s top-ranked power play across the USHL in 2025-26, as the unit converted at a 27.8 percent clip on the man advantage.
Barron finished his Fighting Saints career finishing second all-time in points (148) and third all-time in goals (55), assists (93) and games played (191) while also helping Dubuque to a Clark Cup Championship appearance in 2023-24.
Nathan Behm
Freshman | Forward | Kamloops (WHL)
The Chicago Blackhawks drafted forward Nathan Behm in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft with the 66th pick. Behm, a 6-2, 210-lb. winger from Calgary, Alberta, is fresh off a career year in 2025-26, where he racked up a career-best 86 points (36G, 48A) in his final season of major juniors to round out a career that included 183 points (81G, 102A) as a member of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Kamloops Blazers.
Landon Hafele
Freshman | Forward | Green Bay (USHL)
Hafele enters this summer's NHL Draft as the No. 64-ranked North American skater per the NHL Central Scouting final rankings, in addition to being named a B-rated skater. The Fairbanks, Alaska, native is a two-time USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) alumnus, before finishing his junior career with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL).
In his time with the USNTDP, he competed in four international tournaments, where he was a member of the 2024 U17 Five Nations Tournament gold medal-winning squad. Hafele was also a key component of the 2025 U.S. junior select team’s World Junior A Challenge championship-winning team and skated in an additional 106 games for both the U-17 and U-18 National Teams.
He spent the final season of his junior career with the Green Bay Gamblers, tallying 42 points (15G, 27A) and was named to the 2026 Chipotle All-American game, a contest that featured the top NHL draft-eligible players from the U.S. Under-18 National Team.
Teddy Merrill
Freshman | Forward | Dubuque (USHL)
Scottsdale native Teddy Merrill is headed home to the desert fresh off the best season of his junior career, notching a point-per-game clip with a statline that reads 60 points, 30 goals and 30 assists over 60 games.
The former Dubuque captain was awarded the Curt Hammer Award for the 2025-26 season. The Curt Hammer Award has annually recognized the player who distinguishes himself both on and off the ice by demonstrating outstanding performance skills, pride and determination.
Merrill’s 60 points finished as the second most on the Fighting Saints, right behind fellow signee Michael Barron. Merrill’s three-year USHL career finished with a total of 99 points (43G, 56A) and three consecutive playoff berths, including a Clark Cup Championship appearance in 2023-24.
Lukas Sawchyn
Freshman | Forward | Edmonton (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings leading scorer Lukas Sawchyn finished eighth in the WHL with 87 points (27G, 60A) in 68 games during the 2025-26 season. The 5-10, 180-lb. Calgary, Alberta, native finished his WHL career with 143 points (42G, 101A) in 134 games, all with the Oil Kings.
Sawchyn is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, coming in as the No. 151-ranked North American skater per NHL Central Scouting. He skated in three games during the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship for Team Canada, while previously spending one season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel in 2023-24.
Jack Willson
Freshman | Defenseman | Youngstown (USHL)
Reigning USHL defenseman of the year Jack Willson finished second in scoring league-wide among defenseman with 12 goals and 35 assists through 57 games while serving as an alternate captain for the Youngstown Phantoms. He scored 27 of his points on the power play while the Northville, Michigan, product finished at a +6 overall. His USHL career began with the Omaha Lancers, skating in three games in 2022-23.
His four-year career with the Phantoms saw four-straight playoff appearances as the team finished first in the 2025-26 regular season with 91 points. Willson’s tenure included over 200 games on the blue line, totaling 82 points (22G, 60A) while finishing a +15 overall in his junior career.
Jonas Woo
Freshman | Defenseman | Medicine Hat (WHL)
Defenseman Jonas Woo set the Medicine Hat single-season franchise record for points by a defenseman with 86 (29G, 57A) in just 56 games across 2025-26. He also finished second league-wide among all defensemen in goals (29) and points (86).
The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native earned WHL Second All-Star team honors and was named as the player of the month in December 2025 after recording 11 goals and nine assists over a 12-game span. Woo served as an alternate captain for the Tigers and notched 129 points (40G, 89A) in his two-year tenure.
Prior to his time with Medicine Hat, Woo began his WHL career as a member of the Winnipeg Ice in 2022-23, where the team took home a conference championship. Woo continued his WHL career with the Wenatchee Wild in 2023-24, guiding the team to a playoff berth and totaling 34 points. He comes in as the No. 179-ranked North American skater in this summer's NHL Draft per NHL Central Scouting.
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