Story Summary
Joey Cullen, 16 and the son of three-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Cullen, is beginning to write his own chapter in a well-known hockey family. After a standout high school season and a goal in the United States’ 6-4 opening win over Czechia at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Cullen will join the U. S. National Under-17 Team in the USHL.
His path differs from those of older brothers Wyatt and Brooks, offering a clear example of how individual development choices can diverge inside the same hockey household. Cullen’s move to the USNTDP U17 programme signals a focus on physical growth and skating against older opponents rather than following the precise steps his brothers took.
Key Facts
- Joey Cullen is 16 years old and scored in the first period of the United States’ 6-4 victory over Czechia at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, played in Edmonton’s Rogers Place.
- He is the first member of the Cullen family to compete at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
- Joey helped Moorhead High School win the Minnesota State Championship, recording 19 goals and 40 points in 18 games during that campaign.
- Following the Hlinka tournament, Cullen will join the U. S. National Under-17 Team in the USHL, where he expects to become stronger physically and improve his skating against older competition.
- His older brother Wyatt Cullen was selected 10th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2026 NHL Draft and did not play at the Hlinka during his draft-eligible years.
- Another brother, Brooks Cullen, developed with the Fargo Force. Joey will be the first in the family to skate for the U. S. National Under-17 Team; Wyatt played with the USNTDP Juniors.
- Joey has spoken publicly about the family’s role in his development: “Everything I do is for my dad and for my brothers. It is so nice to have them to look to for tips, for advice, for everything. I’m just so blessed and grateful to have them as my family.”
IHM Discussion
Family pedigree is an easy headline. The deeper story is how two apparently similar developmental choices can produce very different routes even inside one household. Wyatt’s path culminated in a top-10 draft selection after time with the USNTDP Juniors and other junior experiences. Joey, by contrast, closed out an outstanding high school season, took a prominent role at Hlinka, and is now moving to the USNTDP U17 programme and the USHL.
Those differences matter because they highlight a modern truth in North American development: there is no single ladder to the NHL. Programs, tournament exposure and timing interact with a player’s physical and skating timeline. Joey’s decision to spend an extra season in a structured U17 environment suggests a deliberate emphasis on measurable, on-ice growth rather than quick elevation to draft-visibility settings.
On the ice, the Hlinka appearance is a useful footprint. It placed Cullen in a tournament known for high-tempo under-18 competition and put him on international ice against elite peers. Scoring the opening goal of the U. S. campaign is more than a highlight; it signals a player ready to contribute in pressure moments, the sort of evidence scouts and development coaches track when weighing projection against performance.
Beyond raw outcomes, the Cullen story exposes a practical coaching choice: preserve a player’s confidence and physical trajectory by choosing environments that match current needs. For Joey, that meant finishing a dominant high school run, sampling international play at Hlinka, then joining the U17 national programme where the workload, strength training and calendar are aligned to accelerate physical maturation and skating mechanics.
IHM Tactical Outlook
From a tactical and development standpoint, the move to the U17 NTDP carries clear goals. The USNTDP U17 schedule places players against older, often stronger opposition and offers daily, high-intensity practices with coaching that focuses on speed, edge work and situational play. For a 16-year-old whose high school numbers already show scoring ability, the next step must be translating those chances into consistent execution under tighter defensive pressure.
That translation typically involves three measurable improvements: faster reaction tempo, cleaner edges through one-on-one situations, and quicker puck retrieval under contact. The U17 environment is designed to create repeatable stressors in those areas – more video review, higher practice velocity and a calendar that simulates a junior season. How quickly Cullen converts those practice gains into game reads and sustained physical play will shape his projection into the 2028 draft conversation.
Why It Matters
This is more than a feel-good family narrative. Top prospects are judged not only by flashes but by the coherence of their pathway. Joey Cullen’s choices show a player and support system prioritising developmental fit over rigidly copying a sibling’s blueprint. That matters for scouts, clubs and coaches because projects that match environment to need tend to yield steadier progress and fewer late bloom surprises.
For the Cullen family, there is also a cultural consequence. Matt Cullen’s presence and the success of Joey’s brothers provide resources and experience, but they also create a benchmark that can skew expectations. Taking a different route reduces the pressure to mirror another player’s timeline and keeps the focus on incremental gains – skating, strength and decision-making – that are harder to quantify in a single highlight but crucial across a pro career.
At the programme level, Joey’s Hlinka showing followed by a USNTDP U17 commitment reinforces the tournament’s role as a staging ground rather than a final exam. The Hlinka gives prospects a high-visibility moment; the work that follows – where players grind through development cycles – determines whether that moment becomes a lasting step forward.
Fan Pulse
Does a family name help or hinder a young prospect’s development? Is joining the USNTDP U17 the smarter route for a high-scoring high-school standout than moving directly into higher-profile junior leagues?
Mini Q& A
Why is Joey’s Hlinka goal significant? It demonstrated he can produce early in a high-pressure international setting and earn the trust to play in key moments against elite under-18 peers.
How does Joey’s path differ from Wyatt’s? Wyatt did not play at Hlinka and progressed through different junior channels before being drafted. Joey finished a dominant high-school season, played at Hlinka, then committed to the USNTDP U17 programme.
What does joining the U. S. U17 programme aim to improve? Cullen expects to become stronger physically and improve his skating against older competition; the programme offers structured practice, strength work and higher-tempo games to target those areas.
Does a strong high school season still matter for prospects? Yes. High school performance can showcase scoring instincts and leadership. It also provides a development window where players can dominate competition and build confidence before stepping up to tougher environments.
Coach Mark Comment
From a coaching perspective, the key is matching challenge to readiness. A young forward who has shown scoring ability in high school needs opponents who force him to use footwork, body positioning and reads every possession. The USNTDP U17 environment typically increases practice intensity and situational reps, which are the exact ingredients for improving skating under pressure and competing in the dirty areas of the ice.
Coaches often see two common mistakes in family-driven pathways: either rushing a player into a higher tier because of lineage or overprotecting them inside a familiar setting. Joey’s route – finishing a championship high-school season, testing himself at Hlinka, then joining a national U17 programme – balances competitive exposure with a clear physical-development phase. For players at this stage, the practical homework is simple: add weight without losing mobility, sharpen edges so you can create time at full speed, and practise reads that let you make the simple play under pressure.
That last point matters most in daily routines. A player can improve strength and speed, but if he habitually telegraphs his next move or hesitates under contact, higher-level defences will eliminate his scoring chances. Repetition under realistic, game-like stress is the only reliable way to turn raw talent into consistent production. The U17 setting is constructed to create those repetitions, and Cullen’s challenge will be to make each rep count.
IHM Final View
Joey Cullen’s story is a reminder that pedigree opens doors but does not prescribe development. Scoring at Hlinka and winning a state title are necessary signals of talent; the decisive work starts now, at the intersection of physical growth and sharper skating. By choosing the USNTDP U17 route, Cullen is prioritising steady, measurable development over immediate spotlight. For scouts and coaches, the more interesting question is not whether the Cullen name recurs at higher levels, but whether this particular sequence of experiences transforms a promising teenager into a consistently dominant player against older, stronger competition. That will tell us far more about his projection than any single highlight ever could.