GRAND FORKS — Brock Boeser has played 554 regular-season games as a pro.
All have come with the Vancouver Canucks.
That run is about to come to an end.
Boeser, 28, will become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, July 1, for the first time in his career.
The former UND star forward is expected to choose a new team for the next stage of his career.
Boeser leads UND’s class of NHL free agents this summer and will be one of the most prominent in all of the NHL.
Vancouver selected Boeser in the first round, No. 23 overall, in the 2015 NHL Draft.
The Burnsville, Minn., product then played two seasons at UND. He tallied 60 points as a freshman in helping UND win the 2016 NCAA national championship. Boeser had four points in the title game, a 5-1 win over Quinnipiac.
After losing in the NCAA Fargo Regional as a sophomore, he signed with Vancouver and made his debut against the Minnesota Wild the following day.
The right wing scored 204 goals and 434 points with the Canucks.
Boeser scored 40 goals in 2023-24 and backed it up with a 25-goal season in 2024-25.
Five other UND players will become unrestricted free agents — forward Rhett Gardner, forward Tyson Jost, defenseman Matt Kiersted, defenseman Christian Wolanin and defenseman Colton Poolman of East Grand Forks.
Jost played 39 games with the Carolina Hurricanes this season, tallying nine points. Jost is five NHL games away from hitting the 500 mark for his career.
Jost, 27, previously has played for the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Buffalo Sabres.
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Kiersted, 27, cracked the NHL for two regular-season games with the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. Kiersted wasn’t with the Panthers during the playoff push. His Charlotte Checkers were playing for the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup.
Kiersted has been with Florida’s organization since turning pro in 2021. Kiersted was an undrafted free agent who chose to sign with the Panthers after four years at UND.
Wolanin, 30, spent the entire 2024-25 season with the Abbotsford Canucks — Vancouver’s top affiliate. Wolanin helped Abbotsford win the Calder Cup. He led Abbotsford in defenseman scoring in both the regular season and playoffs.
Wolanin has played in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres and Canucks. He last played in the NHL during the 2022-23 season.
Gardner, 29, was under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers but played the entire season with AHL Lehigh Valley.
Gardner has played in the NHL for the Dallas Stars and Flyers.
Poolman, 29, was under contract with the Sabres last season but was traded to Pittsburgh. He spent all season in the AHL. Poolman as played all 223 professional games in the AHL.
Two UND players are restricted free agents — Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker and Judd Caulfield, who is with the Anaheim Ducks’ organization.
Bernard-Docker was traded from Ottawa to Buffalo last season. Caulfield has played two full seasons with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL.
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.
