“I think one of the things that we noticed with the CHL guys was, even just after our first week of practice, we played so many competitive games, small-area games, and a lot of physical confrontation-type box-out drills and stuff,” Jackson said. “The guys, after week one, they came to us and said hey, is this is this normal? Is this a regular practice week? They were ready for the games, obviously, but I think the intensity and severity, the length of practice, it was an adjustment for them.”

He adjusted well enough that he earned a spot with Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. Despite not playing the first two games, he had four assists in 11:10 of ice time in five games, including one assist in 12:08 of ice time in a 6-3 win against Finland in the bronze-medal game.

That gave him some confidence that carried through the rest of the season, and helped him play a significant role in North Dakota reaching the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016.

“His size and skill jump off the page right away obviously,” Central Scouting’s Pat Cullen said. “I saw him early and then in the second half. He likes to get involved offensively but he definitely made progress with his decision making, when to push the offense or make the simple, conservative play, which showed a lot of growth and maturity.”

Verhoeff finished his season with four assists in five games as Canada’s captain at the 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. The team finished in sixth place, but Verhoeff made an impression on coach Drew Bannister.

“I think he’s going to be a shutdown guy that’s hard to play against,” Bannister said. “He’s got a very good physical aspect to his game. Outstanding human being. Quality person, quality leadership skills. I could see him being a captain of a team down the road.”

Scouts have compared Verhoeff’s game to Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers, but Jackson said Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators could provide the right road map to the NHL.

Sanderson spent two seasons at North Dakota after the Senators chose him with the No. 5 pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. After leaving school, he stepped right into Ottawa’s lineup at the start of the 2022-23 season.

“The defense position is so hard and so much more nuanced in your reads and the experience you have,” Jackson said. “I see in young defensemen, play a little bit longer at lower levels is, I think, usually a benefit because it is such a hard position to play at the NHL. I think Keaton is aware of that, and I think he is cognizant that playing another year would probably lessen the learning curve that he would have when he makes that jump to the NHL.”

North Dakota

David and Roxann Kary Hagen, doing business as R&D Trucking, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Julie K. Dupree, Grafton, Chapter 7

Bryan Ray Bellon and Adriana Lorene Hoskins, Mandan, Chapter 13

Shane Carlton Heck, doing business as Heck Farms, Cavalier, Chapter 12

Dale McPherson, Grafton, Chapter 7

Kortney Noel Benjamin, also known as Kortney Turbin, West Fargo, Chapter 7

Judilee Gica Solis, Killdeer, Chapter 7

Drake Allen Pauley, Williston, Chapter 13

Kathy Sue Snobl, Grand Forks, Chapter 13

Briana Lynn Claire Eklund, Fargo, Chapter 7

Chad Richard and Rebecca Lynn Forderer, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Nicole Marie Unruh, Mandan, Chapter 7

Brianna Marie Kunz, Fargo, Chapter 7

Robert John Floer, Fargo, Chapter 7

Cory Dean Matson, Horace, Chapter 13

Sarah Lynn and Nicolas Blaise Griffin, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Samantha Rose Cedillo, also known as Samantha Ulshafer, and Sammy Joe Cedillo, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Jonathon R. Lakoduk, Minot, Chapter 7

Cleone Colett Gackle, also known as Cleone Mcalpin, Fargo, Chapter 7

Jose Alfredo Salinas, Grafton, Chapter 7

Shania Mae Emin, formerly known as Shania Olson and Shania Alto, and Brandon Lee Emin, Fargo, Chapter 7

Elisabeth Marie Wickum, Minot, Chapter 7

Trista Lyn Blake, West Fargo, Chapter 7

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

Joseph W. and Anicia L. Topp, Detroit Lakes, Chapter 7

Zachary John and Tara Marie Otto, Moorhead, Chapter 13

Abigail Marie Yliniemi, Moorhead, Chapter 7

Marshall Lee Johnson, Audubon, Chapter 7

Stephanie Mitchell, formerly known as Stephanie Weyer and Stephanie Hanson, and Christopher Randell Mitchell, Fergus Falls, Chapter 7

Cassandra Ann Feldt, Detroit Lakes, Chapter 13

Jessica Ann Guzman, also known as Jessica Werness, East Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.