We’ve looked at the new goaltender and went through the seven new defensemen for the Northeastern hockey team in 2026-27. We end our New to Northeastern series as we always do with the men up front who will be charged to help the offensive attack for the Huskies. Northeastern brings only four new players in at forward after losing Dylan Hryckowian to the Dallas Stars, and rising juniors Griffin Erdman, James Fisher, and Ethan Fredericks to the transfer portal.
The Transfers
#13 Charlie Pardue– Our first transfer comes to Boston after one season playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Big Ten. Pardue, a native of Illinois, played in one game for the Irish, and will retain his full four years of eligibility at NU. He was a Designated Student Athlete at Notre Dame, a designation created after the roster cap of 26 was instituted as a consequence of opting into the House settlement revenue sharing allowances. Designated Student Athletes do not count against the 26 player cap, a legal move to benefit the players who may have otherwise lost their roster spot and/or scholarship due to the roster limits.
Prior to enrolling to Notre Dame, Pardue played for the US National Team Development Program for 2 seasons, then split a third juniors season between the Chicago Steel and Tri-City Storm of the USHL. Elite Prospects classified Pardue as a “checking line player” and “energy forward,” stating “Pardue’s two best elements are his motor and shot. He’s physical, but disciplined.” We expect Pardue to play a role identical to what Marc Lund, another designated student athlete on the roster, has fulfilled the last two years as a depth forward.
#88 Miguel Marques– The second transfer up front comes from intra-conference foe Maine, after an up-and-down season that saw Marques score 23 points (10 goals) in 33 games for the Black Bears. He was a third round selection by the Nashville Predators in the 2024 NHL Draft. With his first shift will become the highest-selected transfer forward to play for Northeastern since Alex Campbell (2023-24). Prior to Maine, Marques played for Lethbridge in the WHL, making him the first WHL alum to play for the Huskies since CHL players became eligible. In his final two seasons in the WHL, he scored a staggering 112 points (42 goals) in just 96 games, and added 17 points (4 goals) in 16 playoff games in 2025 after coming back from injury.
Marques is a forward with basically every offensive skill you could think of in his toolbox. He can dangle, he can pass off his forehand or backhand, he can shoot, and he has the speed to keep up a high-motor, high-intensity pace of play even if he isn’t the fastest skater when he’s on the ice. He played high up the lineup at Maine and we expect that he will slide right into the open top six winger role vacated by Dylan Hryckowian’s signing, and seeing him start as RW1 opening night would not be a surprise in the least. He has four years left of eligibility if he does not sign professionally before exhausting them all.
The Freshmen
#10 Trey Jefferis– Coming to Northeastern after three years with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL, Jefferis saw his production grow from 8 points to 33 points to 51 points over his tenure as a Musketeer. The 5-foot-10, 190 pound left shot winger finished 30th in the USHL in scoring, his 27 goals tied for the 13th-most in the league last year. He also added 4 points in the 6 playoff games he played. Jefferis was known in Sioux City as the “shorthanded assassin,” tying for the league lead with 4 shorthanded goals in 2025-26 and leading the league with 9 shorthanded points (5 goals) in 2024-25.
Given his scoring prowess on the penalty kill in juniors, we could see Jefferis start off as a key part of the shorthanded rotation for Northeastern. We have him projected to start on the fourth line to start his career given the depth the Huskies have at the wings. He’s someone that has the potential to be an incredibly valuable long term piece for the Huskies as he develops. He will have four years of collegiate eligibility.
#23 Dawson Sharkey– While the defenseman corps has four players coming from the QMJHL and the lone new goalie is from the same league, Sharkey is the only freshman forward to come from north of the border. The former 6th round selection of the Dallas Stars in 2025 played with defenseman Noah Laberge for the Newfoundland Regiment last season, where he put up 62 points (33 goals) in 60 games while wearing an A as an assistant captain. He saw his point production improve from 17 to 39 to 62 points in his QMJHL career. In the 2026 playoffs he had 11 points (6 goals) in 10 games. His 33 goals was 12th-best in the league. A power forward with snarl and sandpaper in his game, Sharkey was no stranger to the penalty box, leading the league in penalty minutes each of the last two seasons (128 minutes last season; 124 minutes in 2024-25).
A right winger, Sharkey is arguably one of the biggest X-factors for the success of the Huskies’ offensive attack this season in our opinion. While offensive contributions from Marques, Connor, Martino, Mathieu, and Hajibi can be expected, Northeastern will desperately need goal scoring depth outside of those known quantities. His goal scoring ability and his pedigree is evident with how last season went and his draft status; the key for Sharkey will be both adjusting to the speed and officiating of both college hockey and Hockey East specifically. Finding the balance between playing his game as an agitator but also not ending up in the sin bin will be critical to maximize his contributions to Northeastern. We have him projected to start in the RW2 slot, potentially RW3 if they choose to load up the top two lines with returnees as Sharkey gets used to college hockey.
And there you have it folks. Eleven new Huskies added to the program for 2026-27. The students are all moved in and practice has started. Systems are being integrated. Schedule is locked in. We are under one month away from the return of Husky Hockey on October 10th against Bentley.
We will look to have our season preview article by the end of the month, hopefully with our annual interview with Coach Keefe as he looks ahead to his sixth season as the Northeastern bench boss. Stay tuned for all updates and articles related to Northeastern hockey as we go full steam ahead into the 95th season in program history.
As always, go Huskies!