Northeastern added some more firepower to its forward group for the near-future with the verbal commitment of Dawson Sharkey, a forward from the Newfoundland Regiment of the QMJHL. The Huskies reportedly beat out another Hockey East team for Sharkey’s commitment.
Sharkey is a 6-foot-1, 190 pound right shot right winger. He hails from Souris, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and he was a sixth round selection by the Dallas Stars in the 2025 NHL Draft, taken 190th overall as an overager. He recently completed his first season with Newfoundland, putting up 62 points (33 goals) in 60 games, and adding another 11 points (6 goals) in the playoffs. Prior to Newfoundland, he played for Acadie-Bathurst for two seasons, scoring 17 points (8 goals) in 41 games as a rookie and 39 points (22 goals) in his second season. Always a bit of an underdog in his hockey career, Sharkey was a 14th-round selection of the Quebec Remparts in 2022, but didn’t latch on to the team, instead debuting in 2023 with Acadie-Bathurst. Passed over his initial draft year, he’s talked in the past with gratitude that the Titan staff gave him a chance, and he has continued to develop each year since that QMJHL debut.
One black mark when looking at his Elite Prospects profile is penalties; Sharkey has led the QMJHL in penalty minutes each of the last two seasons, with 128 PIM this season and 124 last season. Certainly something he will need to reign in as he acclimates to college hockey’s less forgiving officials and tries to become a pro after Northeastern.
When asked about his game, Sharkey acknowledged embracing and enjoying the physical side of hockey as a power forward style: ““I like to get in on the forecheck and I love to get my hits in and I love to score, too….I like to get around the net and I got a good shot, and I love playing gritty.” And as he’s now one of the older players on his team, he has started to be seen as more of a leader. Regiment general manager and head coach Gordie Dwyer quipped ““Obviously, Dawson’s a big part of our hockey team…We see him as a leader for our hockey team, and he continues to mature as a player.” In the same article, Sharkey adds “All the boys are leaders, but I just want to bring my leadership to show the younger guys what it’s like and build them up…then, also on the ice, just playing hard. Showing the boys what it’s like hitting, scoring, and all the good stuff.”
Between the production on the ice, the impact he’s had on his teammates, and the growth he’s seen in his player, Dwyer added with pride: “He does things the right way. Plays hard. He plays physically,” said Dwyer. “He’s always a threat to score on the ice. He’s really well respected amongst his teammates and from his coaches, and he’s earned that.”
Sharkey’s PuckPreps card, driven by InStat even strength data, point to a scorer who is a threat every time he has the puck on his stick. He’s ready, willing, and able to shoot the puck wherever he finds it, evidenced by finishing 8th in the QMJHL this season in shots on goal with 253 (4.22 shots on goal per game). Being a physical power forward than embraces contact, naturally Sharkey’s hits percentile will be higher as well, but our eyes were also drawn to him winning 79% of puck battles, something we know is prioritized by Jerry Keefe’s system. Sharkey may not be the player to break the puck out of the defensive zone or into the offensive zone but once he has possession with a chance to score, he’s a weapon, and Northeastern certainly can use finishers on this team as they strive to find more offense.
With Sharkey’s enrollment for Fall 2026, Northeastern has an embarrassment of riches on their wings. We currently project that Sharkey will start in the middle six of the lineup, potentially the third line as he gets acclimated to the speed, physicality, and officiating in the college game. He’s someone that we can foresee being a valuable depth scorer for the Huskies this season as a freshman, potentially getting some second powerplay unit time, and whose physicality will be a welcome addition to the team’s tenacious forechecking and board play. He will enter college with four years of NCAA eligibility.
Congratulations on Dawson on committing to Northeastern.
As always, go Huskies!