“Noah has had a great week here during our prospect development camp,” said Francis. “He is big, he can skate and he can move the puck. Noah fits the mold for the type of player and person we want in a Hurricanes uniform.”

Hanifin, 18, completed his freshman season at Boston College in 2014-15, notching five goals and earning 18 assists (23 points) in 37 games played. The Boston, MA, native became the youngest player to ever skate with the Eagles when he played his first collegiate game at age 17 in October 2014. He finished the 2014-15 season ranked third in scoring among all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) freshmen defensemen, and was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star. Hanifin also was a unanimous selection to the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team, and represented Boston College as a Division I New England All-Star.

Prior to joining Boston College, Hanifin (6’3”, 206 lbs.) played the 2013-14 season with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Under-17 team. He recorded 33 points (8g, 25a) in 45 games with the U-17 team, and also earned 13 points (2g, 11a) in 14 games with the U-18 team. Internationally, Hanifin captained Team USA to gold at the 2014 World Under-17 Challenge, and finished tied for second among tournament defenseman as the United States won gold at the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) U-18 World Championship.