Minot native Zach Nehring, a freshman forward for the Western Michigan University Broncos and a third-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets, is set to compete in the NCAA Division I men’s hockey tournament, when the No. 4 overall seed Broncos take on Minnesota State in Fargo on Thursday, March 27, at 5 p.m.

Western Michigan automatically qualified for the tournament after defeating the University of Denver in the championship game of the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff. The Broncos previously defeated the University of North Dakota in the semifinals.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound freshman has 13 goals and 13 assists and is sixth on the team with 28 points so far in the 2024-25 season. He earned NCHC Rookie of the Week honors after a strong stretch that included a game-winning assist against Michigan Tech and two goals and two assists in a victory over Anchorage in January.

Prior to starting college, Nehring was drafted in the third-round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Jets, after a successful season with the USHL team Sioux Falls Stampede. Nehring recorded nine goals and five assists in 44 games, including two hat tricks. He also had two assists in three playoff games.

Before joining the Stampede, Nehring attended Shattuck St. Mary’s School in Minnesota, where he tallied 39 goals and 46 assists in 54 games during the 2022-23 season. He graduated in 2023, the same year his sister graduated from Minot High School.

Nehring also has a prior connection to the Jets organization, having participated in a Junior Jets League with the Manitoba Jets as a child.