PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An alumnus of the Atlantic Coast Academy hockey program is generating a lot of buzz heading into next week's National Hockey League entry draft.

 

And that attention can only help build the profile of the program Mike Taylor founded in 2022.

 

"The talent is here," Taylor said this week of ACA, which pairs hockey development and education for players from around the nation and the world. "I don't think as many people locally realize the talent we've had here. I don't think they realized we had a future NHL Draft pick playing in our home rink."

 

That prospect is Maksim Sokolovskii, who the NHL lists as the No. 40 North American skater in the June 26 draft.

 

Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7 left-shot defenseman, scored 34 goals and collected 50 assists in 65 games playing for ACA in the 2024-25 season.

 

This year, he is playing for the London Knights of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, one of the top leagues of its kind in North America.

 

"Sokolovskii is a massive and highly athletic defenseman," analyst Corey Pronmon wrote this month for The Athletic. "He's a strong, mobile player who's very physical and projects to make a ton of stops."