Northeastern continued to bolster its defensive pipeline with the verbal commitment of Eddy Doyle, a defenseman currently playing for Halifax in the QMJHL.
Doyle is a 6-foot-3, 195 pound left-shot defenseman who hails from Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He just completed his second full season with Halifax, where he played in 59 games and doubled his point production from 9 points as a rookie to 18 points this year (2 goals). His first career QMJHL goal was an overtime winner that only took 9 seconds, setting a new Halifax record for fastest overtime goal. Discipline is a huge part of his game, as he only took eight minor penalties all year, and this is after taking only three as a rookie in 54 games. Doyle partook in the 2025 QMJHL Top Prospects Game, and is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, and finished the season ranked 108th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He reached as high as 66th in these rankings at the midterms.
A QMJHL scout that we spoke to called him “rock solid defensively” and that he was “one of the best pick retrievers in the Q,” which is one of those unseen, under-appreciated skills in the game of hockey that make such a huge difference in a team’s success. A different QMJHL evaluator added the adjective “unsolvable” to a report earlier this year about Doyle on retrievals, blending power and poise. The first scout added a positive remark about Doyle’s physicality, which you would expect given his pro-ready frame.
In a 2024 article about then-rookie Doyle, Halifax associate head coach Brad MacKenzie quoted “He has good size, good skating ability and intelligence to make the right play…He’s an Islander through and through… he comes to work every day with a smile on his face; he’s a team-first guy.” A year later, Doyle was interviewed by the same outlet and he talked about the progress he made after his rookie year, saying ““I had a big off-season…I gained a couple of pounds and with that, I also gained more confidence. I just feel better about myself out there,” which reflected in his breakout season. MacKenzie was once again interviewed and added “He’s kind of acquired the nickname ‘Steady Eddy’ and that’s for a good reason. He’s that steady shutdown (defenceman) and you know what you’re getting with him – a very good responsible defenceman, who can also move the puck and contribute a little bit offensively just by putting pucks on net and all aspects of the offensive side.”
Doyle projects as someone who we could see making a long career at Northeastern on the second pair, with the upside to become a shutdown type defender in the top four. His profile could pair well in time with more offensive-minded players in the pipeline like fellow CHLers Jordan Tourigny, Marcus Kearsey, and Noah Laberge. He is currently projected to enroll in 2027 to maximize his collegiate eligibility, the parameters for which will likely be finalized by the NCAA later this spring or summer. Whatever is decided, expect Doyle to have his name called at the NHL Draft later this summer and make an impact when he arrives to Northeastern after a little more seasoning in the QMJHL.
Congratulations Eddy on his commitment to Northeastern!
As always, go Huskies!