Philadelphia Defenseman Belleson makes NCAA Commitment

The Philadelphia Rebels of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that defenseman Drew Belleson has committed to play NCAA hockey for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the WIAC.

The 6-foot-1 blueliner from the State of Hockey, Belleson, will join the Falcons in the fall. The ‘05 skater is a third-year veteran of the NAHL. He started his junior campaign in his home state with the St. Cloud Norsemen. Belleson was drafted by St. Cloud in the 2023 NAHL Entry Draft in the 1st round, 17th overall. He played in seven games with the Norsemen before being acquired by the Lone Star Brahmas. He laced up in six games for Lone Star before finding his junior hockey home with the Philadelphia Rebels. In his rookie season, the Dayton, Minnesota, skater played in 29 games for the East Division team. He featured three assists in his debut junior season.

Moving into his second season, Belleson played in 58 games for the Rebels. He scored three goals while making eight assists in that span. The blueliner featured his first game-winning tally during his 2024-25 campaign. Heading into his age-out season, the 6-foot-1 skater hit the ice in 44 games for Philadelphia, scoring eight points in the span. He scored two goals while notching six assists in the span.

In his junior hockey career, Belleson played in 144 games over the three seasons. The 21-year-old registered 23 points during his time in the League of Opportunity.

Belleson will join more than 20 NAHL alumni currently on the roster at UW-River Falls.

UW-River Falls, located just 30 minutes from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, competes in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and is a 19-time WIAC champion. The three-time NCAA national champions play their home games at the brand-new, $65 million W.H. Hunt Arena, located directly on campus.

Belleson is one of 10 members of the Philadelphia Rebels to make a college ice hockey commitment.

Click here for an updated NAHL to NCAA commitment list