Carson Soucy isn't done yet.
The Minnesota-Duluth product signed a professional tryout contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 13, giving the veteran defenseman a live shot at cracking an NHL roster heading into the 2026-27 season. General manager Don Waddell and the Blue Jackets made the announcement official, adding Soucy to a Columbus blue line that figures to be competitive heading into camp.
Soucy, who most recently played for the New York Islanders, has also suited up for the New York Rangers during his NHL career. A PTO is exactly what it sounds like — no guaranteed contract, just an invitation to prove yourself in training camp — but for a physical, experienced blueliner like Soucy, it's a meaningful opportunity. Columbus gets a low-risk depth option with NHL pedigree; Soucy gets a stage.
The move keeps alive a pro career that traces back to Duluth, where Soucy developed into the kind of shutdown defender NHL organizations value for depth and leadership. He's one of more than a dozen UMD alumni currently active across the league, a testament to the Bulldogs' sustained pipeline to professional hockey.
That pipeline runs wide right now. Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg, and Alex Iafallo are all on the Jets' roster, making Winnipeg something of an unofficial UMD alumni chapter. Justin Faulk holds down the left side in Detroit, Scott Perunovich and Michael Anderson are pushing for ice time in Los Angeles, and Wyatt Kaiser and Dominic Toninato give the Blackhawks a pair of Duluth products. Noah Cates is in Philadelphia, Ben Steeves and Andy Welinski are with New Jersey, Hunter Shepard is competing for a crease in Ottawa, and Joseph Anderson is also in Chicago.
Soucy's tryout is the storyline of the week, but the sheer breadth of UMD talent across the league heading into 2026-27 camp is its own headline. Few programs outside the traditional big names can claim this kind of active footprint in the NHL.
For now, all eyes are on Columbus. Soucy has a camp to win.
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