WMU Tops 2025-26 Preseason Polls

Defending national champion Western Michigan University tops the 2025-26 preseason NCAA Division I men's hockey polls at both USCHO.com and collegehockeynews.com. 

USCHO's top ten is rounded out by Boston University, Michigan State, Denver, Penn State, Boston College, Maine, Minnesota, Providence and UConn, all of whom made the NCAA tournament last spring. As for CHN, it's top 10 behind WMU is comprised of Michigan State, BU, Penn State, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota, Quinnipiac, Denver and Arizona State.

WMU, which is seeking to become the first repeat NCAA Division I men's hockey national champion since Minnesota-Duluth did so in 2018 and 2019, officially opens its 2025-26 slate on Oct. 9-10 with a home-and-home series against in-state rival Ferris State.

Mark Bavis: 24 Years Later

 

Almost a quarter-century since my friend Mark Bavis was lost on 9/11. He skated for Boston University and was a scout for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings at the time of his passing on United 175. Still hard to believe all this time later. Rest in peace, Mark.

Ken Dryden 1947-2025

One of the greatest goaltenders in the history of hockey, Ken Dryden (Cornell), passed away late last week at the age of 78 following a longtime bout with cancer. He was a six-time Stanley Cup champion, a Hockey Hall of Famer, and an author, attorney, executive, and politician following his playing days.

A 1967 graduate of Cornell University, he fashioned a 76-4-1 career record with the Big Red to go with 13 shutouts, a 1.59 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. A three-time First All-America selection, he still holds the program record for career victories. He also backstopped Cornell to the 1967 NCAA title and three ECAC tournament crowns, and since 1996 the Ken Dryden Award has been awarded to the best goaltender in ECAC Hockey as voted by the league's coaches.

Following his scholastic career, Dryden played eight years in the National Hockey League, all with the Montreal Canadiens. He led them to six Stanley Cup championships in that time, including four straight titles from 1976 to 1979.  

In 397 career regular-season NHL appearances, Dryden complied a 258-57-74 record with a 2.24 GAA, .922 save percentage, and 46 shutouts, winning both the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and the Hart Trophy as Player of the Year in 1972. He also earned five Vezina trophies as the top NHL goaltender in the regular season in his tenure. 

In postseason play, he finished 80-32 in 112 Stanley Cup playoff contests (2.41, .915, 10 ShO), and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as NHL playoff MVP in 1971 as rookie. He played briefly for the Montréal Voyageurs (AHL) prior to joining the Canadiens, and also represented Canada at the 1969 World Championship and the 1972 Summit Series, before retiring in 1979. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984, and his No. 1 sweater at Cornell and No. 29 with Montreal have both been retired.

During his playing career, Dryden, who hailed from Hamilton, Ont., earned his law degree from McGill University, before later serving in Canadian government as a parliamentarian. He was also president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997 to 2003, and a published author whose best-known work was his best-selling 1983 treatise on hockey, "The Game." He also advocated for the prevention of concussions, and was the color commentator on ABC-TV in 1980 for "The Miracle on Ice" game in Lake Placid.

Dryden was predeceased by his older brother, Dave, who also served as an NHL goaltender with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers.

Three Chosen for U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Three former NCAA players have been chosen as part of the Class of 2025 for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Tara Mounsey (Brown), Zach Parise (North Dakota) and Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin) will all be inducted into the hall in Eveleth, Minn. on Dec. 10. 

Mounsey, a member of the 1998 United States national team that won the first-ever gold medal in Olympic women's hockey, patrolled the blueline at Brown University from 1996 to 2000, notching 14 goals and 10 assists for 24 points in her third and final collegiate campaign, and tallied 48-22—70 points overall in her college career. A three-time All-Ivy First Time selection, and a two-time All-America and First Team All-ECAC choice, she also helped the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and two silvers at the IIHF Women's World Championship. Brown's Best Defensive Player Award, which she co-earned in 2000, has been renamed for her. Mounsey also played two years of field hockey at Brown, where she finished as the program’s all-time leader with 36 goals and 87 points.

Parise collected 434-455—889 points in 19 National Hockey League campaigns as a forward with New Jersey, Minnesota the New York Islanders and Colorado. He also collected 39-44—83 points in 122 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, and helped New Jersey, which drafted him 17th overall in 2003, to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. In two years at the University of North Dakota, he registered 49-67—116 points in 76 NCAA outings and was a two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist, plus a First Team All-America selection as a sophomore. He also represented the U.S. on numerous international occasions, earning gold at the 2002 IIHF U-18 Under World Junior Championship and the 2004 IIHF World Junior Championship, and silver at the 2010 Olympics.   

Pavelski tallied 476 goals and 592 assists for 1,068 points over 18 NHL seasons at forward with San Jose and Dallas. He also added 74-69—143 points in 201 Stanley Cup Playoff outings, establishing a postseason record for the most career goals scored by an American, while also playing in two Stanley Cup Finals. Drafted in the 7th round (205th overall) by San Jose in 2004, he skated two NCAA seasons with the University of Wisconsin, recording 39-62—101 points overall in 84 contests while leading the Badgers to the 2006 national title. In international play, he skated in two Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal with the U.S. in 2010, while serving as captain of Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Penn State to Host Outdoor Games in January

Outdoor hockey is coming to Hockey Valley early next year.

NCAA hockey will move outside for a doubleheader on Jan. 31, 2026 at historic Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. The Penn State University men's team will entertain Big Ten rival Michigan State, while the Nittany Lions women's team will face Atlantic Hockey America opponent Robert Morris. Game times will be announced at a future date.

The PSU men's team went 22-14-4 overall last season, won the Allentown regional, and advanced to its first-ever NCAA Frozen Four. The PSU women went 31-6-1 last year, claimed their third straight AHA title, and also made the NCAAs for the third consecutive campaign.