Three MSU Spartans Turn Pro

Michigan State will have to do without three key contributors going forward, all of whom recently signed NHL contracts.

Freshman right wing Porter Martone was the first to go, signing on Sunday with the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him sixth overall last year. Martone, 19, paced the Spartans this past year with 25 goals and 50 points in his only NCAA campaign, after skating three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. The Peterborough, Ont. native, who played in two IIHF World Junior Championships for Canada, made his NHL debut on March 31 at Washington, and picked up his first pro point with an assist against Detroit tonight. 

Junior goaltender Trey Augustine has signed with the Detroit Red Wings, who selected him 41st overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and has been assigned to Detroit's top minor-league affiliate in Grand Rapids (AHL). Augustine, 21, from South Lyon, Mich. fashioned a 24-9-1 record in 34 games this past season, with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, while earning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year accolades. In three years with the Spartans, he went 66-25-7 with a 2.40 GAA over 99 career outings while notching nine shutouts and backstopping MSU to three consecutive Big Ten conference regular-season titles and two tournament crowns. He also won two gold medals with the U.S. at the WJCs, after prepping with the U.S. National Junior Team Development Program, and is a finalist this year for both the Mike Richter Award (top NCAA goalie) and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award (top NCAA player). 

Junior defenseman Maxim Strbak has signed with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him 45th overall in 2023, and has been assigned to Rochester (AHL). Strbak, 20, from Kosice, Slovakia, notched three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in 37 games this past season with MSU, and in three years in East Lansing collected 8-38—46 points over 102 appearances. A product of Sioux Falls (USHL), he also participated in four consecutive WJCs for Slovakia. 

MSU's 2025-26 campaign ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Big Ten rival Wisconsin in the NCAA Worcester (Mass.) Regional final on March 29, one game short of the Frozen Four. 

Mercyhurst Dropping Men's Ice Hockey

Mercyhurst University, which has iced a varsity men's hockey team since 1987-88, is apparently putting that program on ice. The university administration announced last week that it will discontinue men's ice hockey at the conclusion of the current academic year.

The Lakers have competed at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels since their inception. After spending their first five years in Division III, they elevated to Division II in 1992-93, one year after moving into the on-campus Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pa. They made the jump to Division I in 1999-2000 with the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), winning two conference titles and making two NCAA tournaments, before moving to Atlantic Hockey (now Atlantic Hockey America) in 2003-04, winning the conference playoff title and earning an NCAA tournament bid the following season.

Head coach Rick Gotkin, who retired following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, had led the Lakers since 1988-89, fashioning a record of 617-579-114 overall. He also compiled 23 winning seasons, the last coming in 2017-18 when the Lakers claimed their second of two Atlantic Hockey regular-season championships. Although men's hockey moved up to the NCAA Division I level in 2003, the entire university athletic program did not did so until 2024. The Mercyhurst women's hockey team, which began play in 1999-2000, will continue to play on.

Mercyhurst becomes the third Atlantic Hockey America men's program to leave Division I in the last several years. AIC dropped back down to Division II following the 2024-25 campaign, and did not compete this past season. Robert Morris eliminated its men's and women's programs in 2021, but both were reinstated in 2023-24.

UWRF Completes NCAA Hat Trick

For the third season in a row, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls is the NCAA Division III women's hockey national champion. The Falcons completed the trifecta with a 4-0 win over Nazareth in the NCAA title game on March 29 at UWRF's W.H. Hunt Arena.

Sophia Hess tallied two goals for the Falcons (30-1-0 overall), including an empty-net tally late in regulation, while Brooklyn Riley and Madison Kadrlik also scored, and MaKenna Aure recorded two assists. Jordan O'Kane stopped all 22 shots she faced for UWRF, while Mia Gonsalves made 40 saves for the visiting Golden Flyers (27-2-1). UWRF outshot Nazareth, 44-22, and also won 44 of 70 faceoffs while going 1-for-4 on the power play.

The Falcons also finished the 2025-26 campaign on a 26-game winning streak that dated back to Nov. 25.

Hamilton Wins Men's D3 Hockey Title

Curtiss Sturgeon connected just under 17 minutes into overtime to lift Hamilton College to its first-ever NCAA Division III men's hockey national title on Sunday, a 2-1 victory over Hobart in Utica.

Kahlil Fontana gave Hobart a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal midway through the first period, before Luke Tchor tied the game for the Continentals early in the second stanza. The score remained unchanged until Sturgeon finished off a 2-on-1 in the extra session with just his second goal of the season.

Aksel Reid made 39 saves in goal for sixth-ranked Hamilton (23-5-2), while Damon Beaver made 23 stops for No. 1 Hobart (30-1-0), which was seeking its fourth straight NCAA title along with an undefeated season. The Statemen outshot the Continentals, 40-25, and also won 42 of 81 faceoffs.

 

2026 Regionals Done, Frozen Four Set

The regional finals from the 2026 NCAA Division I men's hockey championship are finished. Results from Saturday and Sunday are as follows:

Worcester, Mass. Regional (March 28) 

Wisconsin 4, Michigan State 3 (OT)

Sioux Falls, S.D. Regional (March 28) 

North Dakota 5, Quinnipiac 0

Albany, N.Y. Regional (March 29)  

Michigan 4, Minnesota-Duluth 3

Loveland, Col. Regional (March 29)  

Denver 6, Western Michigan 2

The 2026 NCAA Frozen Four field is now set. Wisconsin will face off with North Dakota in the first national semifinal in Las Vegas on April 9 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN 2), while Michigan will take on Denver in the second semifinal (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The winners will meet in the national championship game on April 11 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

 

Day 2 of Regionals Completed

The second day of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's hockey championship is complete. Results from Friday are as follows:

Albany, N.Y. Regional 

• Michigan 5, Bentley 1
• Minnesota-Duluth 3, Penn State 1

Loveland, Col. Regional 

• Western Michigan 3, Minnesota State 1
• Denver 5, Cornell 0

Michigan will take on Minnesota Duluth in the Albany regional final on Sunday, while Western Michigan will face defending national champion Denver in the Loveland regional final later that same day.

The Worcester and Sioux Falls regional finals will be held on Saturday, with those two winners advancing to the NCAA Frozen Four in two weeks.

Day One of 2026 NCAA Regionals Done

The first day of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's hockey championship is the books. Results from Thursday are as follows:

Sioux Falls, S.D. Regional 

• North Dakota 3, Merrimack 0 
• Quinnipiac 5, Providence 2

Worcester, Mass. Regional 

• Michigan State 2, Connecticut 1
• Wisconsin 5, Dartmouth 1

Michigan State will take on Wisconsin in the Worcester regional final on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ESPN 2), while North Dakota will face Quinnipiac in the Sioux Falls regional final later that same day (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).

The Albany, N.Y. and Loveland, Co. regionals get underway on Friday.

Minnesota Hires New Head Coaches

The University of Minnesota has found its new hockey head coaches. 

On the men's side, the Golden Gophers have hired Brett Larson, a Minnesota-Duluth alumnus who had helmed St. Cloud State since 2018-19. In eight seasons, he went 153-116-23 overall and led the Huskies to two NCHC titles and four NCAA tournament berths, including a national-runner-up finish in 2021. He began his coaching career as a player-coach with San Diego (WCHL) in 1999-2000, and later served as an assistant coach at his alma mater and as associate head coach at Ohio State before returning to UMD for three years prior to taking the reins at SCSU. Larson, 53, who hails from Duluth, and who has also worked as GM/head coach with Sioux City (USHL), is the 15th men's head coach ever at Minnesota, which finished 11-22-3 overall this past season.

Greg May has been tabbed as the third-ever head coach of the Golden Gophers women's program. An Augsburg College alumnus, May served as associate head coach at Minnesota the past three seasons, with the Gophers finishing 18-9-1 and skating in the NCAA tournament this past season. Prior to that, the Burnsville, Minn. native had served as men's head coach at his alma mater, going 41-15-2 overall in two seasons and making two NCAA Division III tournaments with the Auggies after a stint as director of hockey operations with the Gophers. May, 40, began his career as an assistant coach at Burnsville High School, before serving as head coach at both Farmington High School and the Blake School.

2026 Richter Award Finalists Named

The three finalists for the 2026 Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey were named last week. Player are listed by last name with their class, school, record, goals-against average and save percentage this season:

• Trey Augustine, Jr., Michigan State (23-8-1, 2.08, .929) 
• Michael Hrabal, Jr., UMass (19-9-1, 1.95, .937)
• Josh Kotai, Jr., Augustana (20-11-4,  1.99, .938)

Augustine is the only repeat Richter finalist this year, and is also a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He and Hrabal have led their teams to this year's NCAA tournament, while Kotai just signed an entry-level professional contract with the NHL's New York Islanders. 

The winner of this year's Richter Award will be announced during the Frozen Four in Las Vegas next month.

Wisconsin Wins 2026 NCAA Women's Title

Claire Enright scored the tiebreaking goal with just over six minutes remaining in regulation, and the University of Wisconsin won its second straight NCAA Division I women's hockey national title with a 3-2 victory over archrival Ohio State University on Sunday in State College, Pa. It was the fourth straight meeting in the national title game between Wisconsin and OSU, with the Badgers now having won three of those.

Kelly Gorbatenko and Laney Potter staked Wisconsin to a 2-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old, with Adéla Šapovalivová assisting on both goals for the Badgers. The score remained unchanged until Kassidy Carmichael and Joceyln Amos tallied just over two minutes apart early in the third period for the Buckeyes, setting the stage for Enright's heroics with the final goal of her college career.

Ava McNaughton stopped 34 shots for the Badgers (35-4-2 overall), whose top-ranked power play went scoreless in six opportunities. Hailey MacLeod made 31 saves for the Buckeyes (36-5-0), who won 43 of 71 faceoffs overall but saw their 10-game winning streak dating back to Feb. 13 snapped.

It is the ninth national title overall for Wisconsin, all since 2006 with head coach and Badger alumnus Mark Johnson at the helm, and the most among NCAA schools all-time since the NCAA women's Division I tournament began in 2001. OSU, which won this year's WCHA title game over Wisconsin, was seeking its second national crown in three years, and third overall.

Also for Wisconsin, senior blueliner Caroline Harvey took home the Patty Kazmaier Award earlier in the week as the top NCAA Division I women's hockey player this season. The New Hampshire native, who helped the U.S. to a gold medal at last month's 2026 Olympic Winter Games, finished her final collegiate campaign with 18 goals and 46 assists for 64 points in just 33 games. She is the seventh Badger to win the Kazmaier Award, the most of any school, since its inception in 1998.

2026 NCAA Men's D-1 Hockey Field Set

The field for the 2026 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship is set. The matchups, times and TV outlets, per collegehockeynews.com:

Albany Regional (Friday, March 27)

1. Michigan vs. 4. Bentley, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN-U

2. Minnesota Duluth vs. 3. Penn State, 9 p.m. ET ESPN2

Loveland Regional (Friday, March 27)

1. Western Michigan vs. 4. Minnesota State, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN-U

2. Denver vs. 3. Cornell, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Sioux Falls Regional (Thursday, March 26)

1. North Dakota vs. 4. Merrimack, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

2. Providence vs. 3. Quinnipiac, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Worcester Regional (Thursday, March 26)

1. Michigan State vs. 4. Connecticut, 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

2. Dartmouth vs. 3. Wisconsin, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN-U

The top four overall seeds in order are Michigan, North Dakota, Michigan State, and defending national champion Western Michigan. Michigan, Bentley, Minnesota State, Denver, Dartmouth and Merrimack all advanced to this year's NCAAs by winning their respective conference championships, while the other 10 schools earned at-large berths.

The four regional winners will advance to the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas on April 9 (5/8:30 p.m., ESPN 2), with the Albany champion playing the Loveland champion, and the Sioux Falls winner facing the Worcester winner. The national championship game will be contested two days later (5:30 p.m., ESPN).

2026 Conference Tournaments Continue

Friday's games moved NCAA Division I men's hockey closer to filling out its 2026 NCAA tournament field, with three conference semifinal rounds and one conference final taking place, while the national title tilt for women's hockey is all set.

In Hockey East, UConn defeated Boston College in overtime, 4-3, while Merrimack edged UMass, 2-0. In ECAC Hockey, Princeton outlasted two-time champion Cornell, 3-2, while Dartmouth blanked Clarkson, 4-0. In the CCHA, Minnesota State topped St. Thomas, 2-1, to win its fourth league playoff crown in five years.

Saturday will be championship night, as Merrimack will meet UConn to decide Hockey East, Princeton and Cornell will face off in ECAC Hockey, Sacred Heart will take on Bentley for the Atlantic Hockey America championship, Michigan will host Ohio State for Big Ten accolades, and Denver will skate against Minnesota-Duluth for NCHC honors. As with Minnesota State, the championship game winners will earn their respective conference's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. Boston College, UMass, Clarkson, and St. Thomas have all been eliminated from NCAA consideration. 

On the NCAA Division I women's side, Wisconsin and Ohio State will meet on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, ESPNU) in State College, Pa. to decide the national champion in a rematch of the past three NCAA title games. Ohio State punched its ticket with a 5-0 shutout of Northeastern on Friday, while defending national champion Wisconsin upended host Penn State, 4-3, in OT.

ADDENDUM: Dartmouth Denver, Merrimack, Bentley, and Michigan all won their respective men's conference championships and earned automatic berths to the 2026 NCAA tournament. The NCAA selection show will be televised on Sunday (3 p.m., ET, ESPNU).

Top 10 Hobey Baker Award Finalists Named

The top 10 finalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey have been announced (listed by last name with class, position, and 2025-26 stats to date): 

Trey Augustine, Jr., G, Michigan State (23-8-1, 2.09 GAA)

James Hagens, So., F, Boston College (23g-22a—45 pts.)

T.J. Hughes, Sr., F, Michigan (19-31—50)

Gavin McKenna, Fr. F, Penn State (15-36—51)

Max Plante, So., F, Minnesota Duluth (23-25—48)

Erik Pohlkamp, Jr., D, Denver (17-20—37)

Hayden Stavroff, So., F, Dartmouth (28-19—47)

Charlie Stramel, Sr., F, Michigan State (19-25—44)

Felix Trudeau, Sr., F, Sacred Heart (25-22—47)

Ethan Wyttenbach, Fr. F, Quinnipiac (24-34—58)

Wyttenbach leads the nation in points, while Stavroff is first in goals scored and McKenna is second in assists. Five of the finalist have already been drafted by National Hockey League teams, while McKenna is expected to go in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. 

This year's Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced next month during the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Minnesota Hockey Seeking New Head Coaches

The University of Minnesota is now looking for two new hockey head coaches.

The men's program has parted ways with Bob Motzko after eight seasons. The Austin, Minn, native had guided the Golden Gophers since 2018-19 after 13 seasons at the helm of his alma mater, St. Cloud State. Motzko, 65, complied a record of 172-104-24 while at Minnesota, including three Big Ten regular season titles, one Big Ten tournament crown, and five NCAA tournament berths, including a national runner-up finish in 2023. Minnesota finished 11-22-3 this past season, falling in the Big Ten tournament to Penn State. For his NCAA Division I career, Motzko has put together an overall head coaching mark of 448-296-73, including 13 trips to the NCAAs.

On the women's side, Brad Frost was not retained after 19 seasons at the Minnesota helm, following five years as an assistant and one as an associate/interim head coach. A Bethel College product and former men's team captain, the Burlington, Ont. native fashioned a 554-133-43 mark with the Golden Gophers, including 17 NCAA tournament appearances, eight WCHA regular-season titles, five WCHA tournament crowns, and four national championships since he took over in 2007-08. Frost, 52, led Minnesota to a 26-12-1 overall record this past season, which ended with a loss to Northeastern in the NCAAs.

Princeton Takes One Game Lead on Union

Jake Manfre scored two goals as Princeton University raced out to a four-goal lead en route to a 5-2 win over No. 20 Union College tonight at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers now lead the best-of three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series, one game to none. It was Princeton's first home playoff game since 2018, and fifth consecutive home playoff victory dating back to 2017.

Despite being outshot, 31-24, overall and only winning 32 of 75 total faceoffs. Princeton nevertheless dominated a Union team that had shutout its opposition for over 66 minutes entering the game, and which had also been connecting at nearly 25 percent with a man advantage. The Tigers killed off all six Union power plays on the night, and also limited a Garnet Chargers team that had been averaging over five goals per game since Feb. 1 to just two late scores after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

"They're a tremendous team, with a ton of firepower," said Princeton head coach Ben Syer about Union. "I thought we did a really nice job tonight–but they force you to play honest, and I wasn't comfortable until the final buzzer."

Joshua Karnish opened the scoring for Princeton just over six minutes into the first period, his fourth goal of the season and fourth in as many games. Tyler Rubin and Manfre then scored four minutes apart in the second stanza to put the Tigers up by three, before Manfre notched his second goal of the night and 14th of the season just 23 seconds into the final frame. Princeton captain David Jacobs finished with a game-high two assists.

"It helps to get production from our depth, and they played well," said Syer.

Union's Ethan Benz and Parker Lindauer then sandwiched goals around an empty-net tally by Princeton's Jaxson Ezman over the final five minutes for the final margin.

Princeton goaltender Arthur Smith stopped 29 shots, earning his ninth win of the campaign and the 21st of his college career.

"He was solid, and we needed him to be solid," said Syer.

The Tigers also blocked 20 shots on the night, with Rubin recording a team-high four blocks. 

"We all trust each other," said Smith. "We have lot of seniors on the back end, and when you trust each other to do the job, you do well."

Cameron Korpi had 14 saves on 18 shots for the Garnet Chargers before being relieved early in the third period by Brayden Gillespie (five saves). Union skaters blocked just eight shots in all.

Game Two is Saturday at Baker Rink at 7 p.m. A win would send the Tigers on to the ECAC Hockey semifinals in Lake Placid, while a Union victory would force a deciding Game Three on Sunday at 4 p.m.

"It's a long series, and tomorrow will be a grind," said Syer.

"I think we'll be ready," said Smith. "I don't think we'll carry the win into tomorrow, and we'll approach it the same way." 

ADDENDUM: Manfre continued his scoring streak with another goal, Smith made 32 saves, and Kai Daniells notched a hat trick as Princeton ousted Union with a 5-2 triumph in Game Two. Princeton (17-12-3 overall) moves on to the ECAC semifinals against Cornell, while Union (22-12-3) saw its season come to end.

Several Schools See Seasons End

Several NCAA Division I men's hockey teams saw their 2025-26 seasons come to a close with losses on Wednesday night.

Vermont, UMass Lowell, New Hampshire, Notre Dame, and Minnesota were all eliminated from their respective conference tournaments with single-elimination defeats. Each would have had to win their tournament to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

Conference playoffs continue this Friday and Saturday, and Sunday if necessary.

Troy Murray 1962-2026

 

Long-time NHL veteran Troy Murray (North Dakota) passed away last week at the age of 63 after battling cancer the last five years.

A 100-point scorer in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Murray played two seasons at North Dakota, tallying 55 goals and 120 points in 80 games, while also leading the then-Fighting Sioux to the 1982 NCAA title. He also captained Team Canada to the gold medal at the 1982 World Junior Championship. 

Drafted 57th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1980, the Calgary native went on to a 16-year NHL career with Chicago, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Colorado, where he collected 230 goals and 354 assists for 584 points to go with 875 penalty minutes in 914 career NHL regular-season outings, including a 45-goal, 99-point season with Chicago in 1985-86 He also added 17-26—43 points and 145 PIM in 113 career Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, and won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996.

Murray, who was awarded the Selke Trophy in 1985-86 with Chicago as the NHL's best defensive forward, retired following the 1996-97 campaign where he registered 21-29—50 points in 81 games with the IHL's Chicago Wolves. He went on to be a longtime studio analyst and color commentator with the Blackhawks on both radio and TV, and called Chicago's three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. 

UAF Wins First United Collegiate Hockey Cup

Senior captain Chase Dafoe scored 24 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime to lift top-seeded Alaska Fairbanks to a 4-3 victory over second-seeded Lindenwood in the championship game of the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup on Saturday in Missouri.

Michael Citara and Peyton Platter each recorded a goal and an assist for the victorious Nanooks (15-15-3 overall), who also got 39 saves from senior goaltender Lassi Lehti in his final appearance in a UAF uniform. Jacob Fletcher scored one goal and set up another for the host Lions (15-15-0), including the tying goal with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Liam Beerman stopped 18 shots for Lindenwood, which outshot UAF, 42-22, at the Centene Community Ice Center. The Nanooks won 32 out of 58 total faceoffs.

Citara, defenseman Nathan Rickey and Lehti were all named to the UCHC All-Tournament team, while Lehti was also named MVP. Lehti also backstopped UAF to the Adirondack Winter Invitational championship in Lake Placid back in November. 

Long Island defeated Stonehill, 4-3, in the consolation game of the tournament, which featured all five NCAA Division I independent men's hockey programs. UAF, which had a first-round bye as the top seed, defeated Stonehill in a shootout on Friday to advance to the title game, while Lindenwood topped LIU on Thursday to earn its championship contest berth. Alaska Anchorage finished in fifth place after falling to Stonehill and LIU.

NCAA Skaters Moved at 2026 NHL Deadline

Some of the transactions involving former NCAA players during Friday's NHL trading deadline (players listed by last name):

Player, Position (School)            Old Team     New Team

Wyatt Bongiovanni, C (Quinnipiac)    Ottawa      Washington

Bobby Brink, F (Denver)         Philadelphia  Minnesota

Jacob Bryson, D (Providence)         Buffalo       Winnipeg

Justin Faulk, D (MN-Duluth)         St. Louis     Detroit

Warren Foegele, F (New Hampshire)    Los Angeles   Ottawa

Vinny Hinostroza, C (Notre Dame)     Florida       Minnesota

Bobby McMann, C (Colgate)            Toronto       Seattle

Massimo Rizzo, C (Denver)            Philadelphia  Boston

Aidan Thompson, C (Denver)           Chicago       NY Rangers

MSU Wins Third Straight Big Ten Title

Michigan State has won its third consecutive Big Ten Conference regular-season title following last night's 7-1 win at Minnesota. The Spartans are the first Big Ten school to turn the trifecta since the conference began play in 2013.

It is also the first time MSU has won three consecutive regular-season conference titles, although the Spartans did win back-to-back regular-season crowns during their time in the original central Collegiate Hockey Association.

MSU (25-7-1 overall, 16-6-1 Big Ten) will close out its 2025-26 regular season tonight at Minnesota, and will have a first-round bye in the Big Ten championship, which it has claimed the last two years.

Maryville to Join NCAA Division I Hockey

Maryville University is expected to be the next school to ice an NCAA Division I men's hockey team, according to online sources. A private Catholic institution in St. Louis, Maryville will be the first school to join the NCAA Division I men's hockey ranks since Lindenwood did so in 2022-23.

The Saints are expected to play a hybrid schedule in 2026-27, against both NCAA and American Collegiate Hockey Association club opponents, and will then transition to a full NCAA schedule the following season. They play their home games at the Maryville University Hockey Center in Chesterfield, Mo., which is slated to undergo an expansion.

Maryville currently fields three men's American Collegiate Hockey Association teams, and two ACHA women's teams. The ACHA Division I men's team played three exhibition games this season against NCAA Division I competition, two at Long Island University and one at Alaska Anchorage. The 14th-ranked Saints have qualified for this year's ACHA Division I men's national championship, and will face No. 19 John Carroll in the preliminary round.

Upton to Take Over at Brown

Brown University has named Tom Upton as its new men's ice hockey head coach. A native of Austin, TX, he succeeds Brendan Whittet, who resigned earlier this year for family medical reasons. Whittet coached his last game on Feb. 14, a 4-3 win over Dartmouth, as the Bears are being led by assistant coach Jason Smith for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

Upton, 41, played defense at Wisconsin Stevens-Point from 2006 to 2010, notching two goals and 11 assists for 13 points to go with 183 penalty minutes in 89 career games. A three-year veteran of the North American Hockey League at the junior level, he later played briefly in the Southern Professional Hockey League before turning to coaching.

Upton coached as an assistant at his alma mater from 2010 to 2013 before spending one year with the USHL's Cedar Rapids Roughriders, also as an assistant, and two seasons as head coach of the NAHL's Minnesota Magicians. He then served three years as an assistant at Mercyhurst College, before returning to the USHL for one season where he guided the Madison Capitols to the 2022 Clark Cup Finals. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant with the University of Massachusetts.

Brown (5-21-2 overall, 4-14-2 ECAC Hockey) closes out its regular season this weekend at home against Rensselaer and Union.

U.S. Men Claim 2026 Olympic Gold Medal

The Miracle on Ice finally got some company.

Exactly 46 years to the day that the Americans defeated the Russians at Lake Placid, the U.S. men's hockey team won its third goal medal ever with a 2-1 victory over Canada in overtime in the championship game Sunday at the XXV Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy.

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils scored less than two minutes into the 3-on-3 overtime, assisted by Zach Werenski (Michigan), to give the U.S. the win and its first Olympic men's hockey title since 1980. Cale Makar (Massachusetts) had tied the game in the second period for Canada, which was seeking its first Olympic men's gold since 2014, the last time that NHL players participated in the Olympics. Matt Boldy (Boston College) scored Team USA's first goal of the day in the first period, assisted by Quinn Hughes (Michigan), on the Americans' first shot on goal.

Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) stopped 41 shots for the Americans, including a point-blank save on Devon Toews (Quinnipiac) in the second stanza. Toews later posted the lone assist on the goal by Makar, his teammate with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. Canada outshot the U.S., 42-28, overall but went 0-for-3 on the power play, including a two-man advantage in the second period, while the U.S. finished 0-for-2.

It was America's first Olympic men's hockey gold medal won outside the United States, as the first came in California in 1960. The U.S. won both Olympic hockey gold medals this year, with the American women also defeating Canada, 2-1 in OT, on Thursday.

UAF Claims 15th Straight Governor's Cup

For the 15th straight time, the Alaska Airlines Governors Cup belongs to the University of (Alaska) Fairbanks.

The Nanooks sewed up their annual in-state rivalry with Alaska Anchorage with a pair of wins in southeastern Alaska this weekend, defeating the host Seawolves by 4-3 and 6-2 scores. UAF has won four of its six meetings with UAA this season, while also recording a tie.

On Friday at Sullivan Arena, Braden Birnie scored with three seconds remaining in regulation to lift UAF to the win. On Saturday, Birnie supplied a goal and two assists, while Chase Dafoe and Alexander Malinowski both scored twice. 

Lassi Lehti stopped 26 of 31 shots for the Nanooks over both games, which drew over 3,000 spectators each night to Sullivan Arena. Tyler Krivtsov stopped 51 of 60 shots in all for UAA, which got goals from five different skaters over the weekend.

The Nanooks (12-15-2 overall) and Seawolves (5-23-1) will close out their 2025-26 NCAA independent season series on Feb. 27-28 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.

Princeton Ties with Colgate

Princeton and Colgate skated to a 1-1 deadlock on Friday night at Hobey Baker Rink in ECAC Hockey men's play. The game will officially go into the NCAA's books as a tie, although visiting Colgate won the ensuing shootout, two to one, to earn an extra point in the conference standings.

Following a scoreless first period, Max Nagel put Colgate on top, 1-0, midway through the second period with his 10th goal of the season. The score remained unchanged until more than 11 minutes into the final frame, when Princeton defenseman Tyler Rubin knocked home a rebound to tie the contest for the Tigers.

In the shootout, Brendan Gorman scored for Princeton (14-11-2 overall, 10-8-1 ECAC Hockey), while Nagel and Jack Brandt connected for Colgate (11-16-4, 8-8-3).  The Raiders are now unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Princeton.

Arthur Smith finished with 25 saves in regulation for the Tigers, while Reid Dyck made 47 stops for the visiting Raiders. Both teams finished 0-for-1 on the power play and also won 26 of 52 faceoffs overall, while Princeton outshot Colgate on the night, 42-26, before 1,811 spectators.

U.S. Women Win 2026 Olympic Gold

For the second time in three Olympic Winter Games, the United States has won gold in women's ice hockey.

Megan Keller (Boston College) slipped home a backhander just over four minutes into the 3-on-3 overtime to lift Team USA to a 2-1 victory over Canada in today's women's ice hockey gold medal game in Milan, Italy. The U.S. last won women's hockey gold in 2018 in Pyeongchang, with Canada winning four years ago in Beijing. It is the third gold medal all-time for the American women.

Keller's game-winner came after Team USA tied the game with just over two minutes remaining in regulation on an extra-attacker goal. Team captain Hilary Knight (Wisconsin), playing in her fifth and final Olympics, tipped home a shot by rookie Laila Edwards (Wisconsin) to push the contest into the extra session. For Knight, it was her 15th career Olympic goal, tops among American women all-time. Keller also assisted on Knight's goal, after Kristin O'Neill (Cornell) had put Canada ahead, 1-0, early in the second period on a shorthanded goal.

Aerin Frankel (Northeastern) stopped 30 shots for the Americans, while Ann-Renee Desbiens (Wisconsin) made 31 saves for the Canadians. The two rivals combined to go 0-for-4 on the power play before 11,171 on-lookers at Milano Santagiulia Arena. The U.S. finished the tournament 6-0-0, while Canada's only two loses came to the Americans.  

Team USA's Caroline Harvey was named Olympic MVP and Best Defender after tallying two goals and seven assists for a tournament-high nine points in her second Olympics. She helped the U.S. to a silver medal four years ago as rookie.

Switzerland defeated Sweden, 2-1, in OT in this year's bronze medal game, with Alina Muller  (Northeastern) notching the game-winning goal. It was the first Olympic medal for the Swiss women since they also won bronze in 2014 in Sochi.

U.S. Men Edge Sweden to Reach Semis

Two former Michigan Wolverines made it Team USA's night.

Dylan Larkin (Michigan) scored the first goal of the game in the second period, and Quinn Hughes (Michigan) wristed home a shot early in overtime to lift the United States over Sweden, 2-1, in a men's ice hockey quarterfinal matchup at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy.

Hughes helped set up Larkin's deflection goal midway through regulation to open the scoring. After Sweden tied the contest on an extra attacker goal with less than 90 seconds remaining in regulation, Hughes won it just over three minutes into the 3-on-3 extra session with a shot from the slot after taking a pass from Matt Boldy (Boston College). Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) finished with 28 saves in the American net.

The U.S. now moves on to face Slovakia in one semifinal on Friday, while Finland will take on Canada in the other one. Canada outlasted Czechia, 4-3, in OT in the quarterfinals thanks to a goal and two assists from Macklin Celebrini (Boston University).

ADDENDUM: Team USA routed Slovakia, 6-2, and will face Canada, a 3-2 winner over Finland, in Sunday's gold medal game.

2026 Richter Award Top 10 Announced

A list of the 10 semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is annually awarded to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey, was released last week, according to collegehockeynews.com:

Trey Augustine, Michigan State (Jr. – South Lyon, Mich.)

Alexis Cournoyer, Cornell (Fr. - Trois-Rivières, Que.)

Emmett Croteau, Dartmouth (Jr. – Bonnyville, Alb.)

Michael Hrabal, Massachusetts (Jr. – Prague, Czechia)

Jack Ivankovic, Michigan (Fr. - Mississauga, Ont.)

Josh Kotai, Augustana (Jr. - Abbotsford, B.C.)

Tyler Muszelik, Connecticut (Sr. - Long Valley, N.J.)

Jan Spunar, North Dakota (Fr. - Olomouc, Czechia)

Alex Tracy, Minnesota State (Sr. - Chicago, Ill.)

Lawton Zacher, Northeastern (Jr. - Buffalo, N.Y.)

Augustine is currently third among Division I men's netminders with 20 victories so far this season, while Ivankovic is fourth with 18 wins, and Tracy is first with five ties. Kotai is second with 1,080 minutes played, while Tracy is fourth with 1,755 minutes. Tracy is fourth with a 1.91 goals-against average, while Augustine is fifth (1.96) and Kotai is 10th (2.06). Kotai and Zacher are tied for the national lead with four shutouts, while Kotai ranks first overall with 890 saves made, and is also tied with Muszelik for second overall with a .935 save percentage.

The 2026 Mike Richter Award winner will be announced on April 10 at the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Quinnipiac Tops Princeton, 4-1, for Sweep

Ethan Wyttenbach and Matthew McGroarty each scored one goal and set up another as fifth-ranked Quinnipiac topped host Princeton, 4-1, this afternoon at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink before 2,230 on-lookers. The Bobcats thus completed a two-steep sweep in ECAC Hockey play, having bested the visiting Tigers by the same score on Saturday evening in Hamden, Conn.

McGroarty opened the scoring on Sunday, wristing a shot from the right circle into the far side of the Princeton net just over three minutes into the second period. David Ma responded for Princeton on a power play just under two minutes later, before Quinnipiac's Alex Power put the Bobcats ahead for good less than 90 seconds later off a deflection in front for his first goal of the season.

Antoni Verreault made it a two-goal game with a shot from the right circle on a power play nine minutes into the final frame, before Wyttenbach closed out the scoring on an empty-netter from center ice with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.

Dylan Silverstein finished with 21 saves in goal for Quinnipiac (24-5-3 overall, 15-2-1 ECAC Hockey), while Arthur Smith made 21 stops for Princeton (14-11-1, 10-8-0). The Bobcats outshot the Tigers, 25-22, and also won 40 of 70 faceoffs in all. Both teams finished 1-for-4 on the power play.

Quinnipiac remains in first place in ECAC Hockey, while Princeton falls to fifth. 

Hockey East Stars Shine for USA Men

Hockey East alumni supplied four goals and more than 20 saves as the United States men's hockey team defeated Denmark, 6-3, on Valentine's Day at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. 

Matt Boldy (Boston College) scored the first goal for Team USA, while Noah Hanifin (Boston College) converted his own rebound for the eventual game-winning goal. Jack Eichel (Boston University) and Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) also tallied for the Red, White and Blue, which got 21 saves in goal from Jeremy Swayman (Maine). Eight different U.S. skaters also notched assists on the day. 

The Americans, who twice battled back from one-goal deficits to defeat the Danes, improved to 2-0-0 in the tournament so far, and will complete the round-robin portion of their schedule with a game against Germany on Sunday.

ADDENDUM: Jake Sanderson (North Dakota) set up two goals and Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) made 24 stops as Team USA upended Germany, 5-1.

U.S. Men Top Latvia in Olympic Opener

Brock Nelson (North Dakota) scored two goals, including the game winner, as the U.S. men's hockey team opened its 2026 Olympic Winter Games with a 5-1 win over Latvia on Thursday in Milan, Italy.

Jack Eichel (Boston University) and Quinn Hughes (Michigan) set up two goals apiece for the Americans, who also got their opening goal from Brady Tkachuk (Boston University). Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) made 17 saves in net for Team USA.

In other Olympic men's hockey action, Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) scored a goal off an assist from Cale Makar (UMass), and Canada went on to blank Czechia, 5-0. Canada takes on Switzerland today, while the U.S. will face Denmark on Saturday.

Michigan State Men's Hockey Back to No. 1

Michigan State has regained the top spot in both the USCHO.com and USAHockey.com NCAA Division I men's college hockey polls this week after splitting with archrival Michigan, the former No. 1, last weekend. 

MSU garnered 30 of 50 first-place votes in the Feb. 9 USCHO.com poll, and 18 of 34 first-place votes in the corresponding USA Hockey poll. Rounding out the top five in both rankings were Michigan, North Dakota, Western Michigan and Quinnipiac.

MSU fell, 4-3 in overtime, at Michigan last Friday, but rebounded to earn its third consecutive "Duel in the D" trophy with a 6-2 victory the next night in Detroit. The Spartans (22-6-0 overall) return to Big Ten action this weekend against Notre Dame.

BC Wins First Men's Beanpot Since 2016

Boston College shook off an early deficit and rebounded for a 6-2 victory over Boston University last night in the 2026 Beanpot Tournament championship game at TD Garden in Boston. It was BC's 21st Beanpot men's crown all-time, in the 300th meeting overall between the two Commonwealth Avenue rivals, and first Beanpot championship since it also defeated BU in the title tilt in 2016.

After defending champion BU took an early 1-0, lead, BC responded with five consecutive goals, three of them on the power play. Andre Gasseau scored two goals for the 14th-ranked Eagles (16-9-1 overall), and Lukas Gustafsson notched the eventual game-winner from the point on a man advantage. Will Vote also scored twice for BC, including an empty-net insurance tally in the final two minutes of regulation, while Ryan Conmy collected four assists. 

Louka Cloutier stopped 27 shots in net for the Eagles, and also earned the Eberly Trophy as this year's top Beanpot goaltender with a .950 save percentage. BC's James Hagens took home Beanpot MVP accolades after registering two assists last night, and five points over two Beanpot contests. Mikhail Yegorov finished with 32 saves for BU (13-14-2), which got goals from Brandon Svoboda and Cole Eiserman. The Terriers and Eagles will meet again on Feb. 27-28, in a home-and-home series in Hockey East conference play.

Harvard took last night's Beanpot men's consolation contest with 4-1 victory over Northeastern. The Crimson won this year's women's Beanpot, defeating BU in overtime at TD Garden. 

 

U.S. Women Win Third Straight Olympic Game

Joy Dunne (Ohio State), Alex Carpenter (Boston College) and Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin) notched a goal and an assist each as the U.S. Women's Olympic team blanked Switzerland today, 5-0, in Group A play at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. 

Gwyneth Philips (Northeastern) earned the shutout by stopping all 20 shots she faced for the Americans, while Andrea Braendli (Ohio State) made 45 saves for the Swiss. Team USA is now 3-0-0 overall and will next face archrival Canada, which defeated Czechia, 5-1, as Julia Gosling (St. Lawrence) scored two goals and Brianne Jenner (Cornell) collected two assists.

MSU Wins Third Straight Duel in the D

For the third year in a row, the "Duel in the D" went to Michigan State. Second-ranked MSU scored the first four goals of the game en route to a 5-2 victory over No. 1 Michigan tonight before 19,515 onlookers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. MSU also avenged a 4-3 overtime loss last night in Ann Arbor to gain the series split, while also leapfrogging the Wolverines by one point for first place in the Big Ten conference.

Tiernan Shoudy and Tommi Männistö tallied a goal and an assist each for MSU (22-6-0 overall, 13-5-0 Big Ten), while Maxim Štrbák notched two assists. Trey Augustine made 25 saves for the Spartans, while Jack Ivankovic stopped 34 shots for Michigan (23-5-0, 14-4-0) in his return to action since suffering an injury in mid-January. MSU outshot Michigan, 37-27, on the night, and also killed off all three Michigan power play attempts while recording two shorthanded shots on goal.

MSU is at Notre Dame on Feb. 20-21, while Michigan will host Penn State next weekend.

U.S. Women Open 2026 Olympics with Win

The U.S. Women's Hockey Team got off to a good start at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy with a 5-1 victory over Czechia on Thursday. 

Hayley Scamurra (Northeastern) scored two goals for the Americans, while Tessa Janecke (Penn State) notched two assists and Aerin Frankel (Northeastern) made 14 saves.

Team USA takes on Finland tomorrow in its next contest.

ADDENDUM: The United States blanked Finland, 5-0, with team captain Hillary Knight scoring her 14th career Olympic goal, tying her for first among American skaters all-time. 

BC Routs Harvard in Beanpot Opener

James Hagens scored two goals, including the game winner, and set up another as No. 12 Boston College stormed into the 2026 Beanpot Tournament final with a 5-1 first-round victory over Harvard tonight at TD Garden in Boston.

Drew Fortescue, Dean Letourneau and Lukas Gustafsson also scored for the Eagles (15-8-1 overall), who built a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. Andre Gasseau and Oscar Hemming had two assists apiece for BC, which also got 30 saves in net from Louka Cloutier. Ryan Healey scored Harvard's lone goal early in the second stanza, while Ben Charette finished with 38 stops for the Crimson (12-9-1).

BC will now face rival Boston University, a 3-2 shootout winner over Northeastern in the nightcap, in next Monday's championship contest.

MSU Tops Penn State Outdoors

Charlie Stramel capped his first career collegiate hat trick with the game-winning goal in overtime as No. 2 Michigan State defeated fifth-ranked host Penn State, 5-4, before 74,575 spectators at Beaver Stadium this afternoon. MSU is now 3-2-1 in outdoor contests since the original Cold War was contested back in 2001.

Stramel scored just over three minutes into the extra session at the home of Penn State football, after the Spartans had battled back from 3-2 and 4-3 deficits in regulation. He also recorded an assist to go with his three goals, while linemates Porter Martone and Daniel Russell also finished with four points apiece. Trey Augustine made 31 saves for MSU (21-5-0 overall, 12-4-0 Big Ten), which swept its weekend Big Ten series with PSU following a 6-3 win at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday night. The Spartans have also won six straight games overall, and 10 of their last 11 outings.

Aidan Fink scored twice for Penn State (18-8-0, 10-6-0), while Dane Dowiak set up three goals for the Nittany Lions, who got 35 stops in net from Kevin Reider. MSU outshot PSU, 40-35, on the day, and also went 1-for-2 on the power play, with Stramel supplying that goal. The Spartans will now face No 1 Michigan twice next weekend, including the annual "Duel in the D" matchup in Detroit, while PSU is off until playing at Michigan on Feb. 13-14. 

BC Tops BU in First Meeting of Season

Boston College raced out to a 3-0 lead and held on for 4-1 victory at Boston University tonight in Hockey East play. It was the first of three regular-season meetings between the MBTA Green Line rivals, with a home-and-home scheduled for Feb. 27-28.

Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau and James Hagens recorded a goal and an assist apiece for the Eagles (14-8-1 overall, 10-5-0 HEA), who have won three straight games, and five of their last seven outings. Louka Cloutier finished with 33 saves for BC, which also got an empty-net insurance goal from Brady Berard late in regulation. Jack Harvey scored the lone goal for BU (12-13-1, 8-10-0), while Mikhail Yegorov made 17 stops for the Terriers.

Both BC and BU will take part in the first round of the annual Beanpot Tournament on Monday at TD Garden in Boston. BC will meet Harvard in the opening game, while defending champion BU will face Northeastern in the nightcap, with both contests to be televised on NHL Network. The consolation and championship games will take place on Feb. 9.

Whittet Stepping Down at Brown

Brown University men's hockey head coach and 1993 graduate Brendan Whittet will step down at the end of the 2025-26 regular season for family medical reasons. He will be replaced by assistant coach Jason Smith for the remainder of the campaign, and will transition into a new role in Brown's athletics administration upon his return from leave, according to USCHO.com.

Whittet, 54, has compiled an overall record of 149-259-59 to date at the helm of his alma mater since taking over in 2009-10, including a berth in the 2013 ECAC Hockey championship game and three league semifinal appearances. Prior to that, he served 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College following two years as an assistant at Brown. A native of East Providence, R.I., he recorded two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 73 games on defense for the Bears over four seasons while helping them to the 1993 NCAA tournament as a senior, their last NCAA berth to date.

Brown is currently 4-16-0 overall (3-9-0 ECAC Hockey) and will face Colgate and Cornell at home this weekend at Meehan Auditorium in conference play. The university has already begun its search for a new head coach. 

UConn Wins Connecticut Ice Again

Jake Percival knocked home a rebound with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, and the University of Connecticut won its second straight Connecticut Ice title with a 4-2 win tonight over Quinnipiac in New Haven. It also marked the first meeting between the two schools since UConn defeated Quinnipiac in the 2025 NCAA Allentown Regional final back in March in Allentown, Pa.

UConn (15-7-3 overall), which defeated host Yale in the opening round on Friday, rebounded from a 2-1 deficit after 40 minutes with three third-period goals, capped by Joey Muldowney's empty-netter with less than two minutes left. Tabor Heaslip and Carlin Dezainde also scored for the 13th-ranked Huskies, who got 28 saves in net from Tyler Muszelik. Markus Vidicek and Chris Pelosi scored for the No. 6 Bobcats (19-5-2), which routed Sacred Heart last night. Both Quinnipiac goals tonight came in the second period, while Matej Marinov stopped 25 shots in goal.

Sacred Heart took this year's Connecticut Ice third-place game by edging Yale, 3-2. 

Michigan State Tops Wisconsin, 4-3

Charlie Stramel scored the game-winning goal in the second period, and also had an assist as fourth-ranked Michigan State edged No. 2 Wisconsin, 4-3, tonight at the Kohl Center. It was MSU's first victory against Wisconsin this season, after the Badgers swept a two-game series in East Lansing, Mich., back in November. All three games have been decided by one goal.

Ryker Lee, Gavin O'Connell and Daniel Russell also scored for the victorious Spartans (16-5-0 overall, 7-4-0 Big Ten), who got 24 saves in net from Trey Augustine. Oliver Tulk, Kyle Kukkonen and Tyson Dyck scored the host Badgers (15-4-2 8-3-0), who got 19 stops from Daniel Hauser. The Spartans outshot the Badgers, 27-23, on the evening, while the two teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play.

MSU and Wisconsin will close out their 2025-26 season series on Friday night in Madison.

ADDENDUM: MSU finished off the two-step sweep with a 4-1 victory in Game Two. 

Princeton Ranked 20th in Nation

The Princeton University men's hockey team has cracked the USCHO.com Top 20 for the first time in seven seasons.

The Tigers (10-4-0 overall, 6-2-0 ECAC Hockey) have won five consecutive games overall, and have won all eight games at home so far this season at Hobey Baker Rink, Princeton's longest home-opening win streak since the arena opened in 1923. The Tigers are also currently in first place in ECAC Hockey, and were last ranked among the national top 20 NCAA Division I men's teams during the 2018-19 campaign.

In addition, two Tigers were honored by the conference after last weekend's home sweep of Ivy League opponents Harvard and Dartmouth. Senior defenseman Tyler Rubin was named ADAPT Nutrition Defender of the Week award for the second consecutive week after recording three assists in those two outings, while junior goaltender Arthur Smith was tabbed as MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Week after stopping 58 of 64 shots and picking up two wins in his first action since November.

Princeton closes out a five-game homestand this weekend with conference contests against Rensselaer and Union. 

2026 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team Revealed

Former NCAA skaters make up the bulk of the 2026 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team that will compete in Italy next month, the first time that current NHL players will compete in the Olympic Winter Games since 2014 in Russia.

Forwards

Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild (Boston College)

Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets (Michigan)

Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights (Boston University)

Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth (Boston University)

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings (Michigan)

Brock Nelson, Colorado Avalanche (North Dakota)

Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres (UConn)

Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators (Boston University)

Defensemen

Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild (Minnesota)

Noah Hanifin Vegas Golden Knights (Boston College)

Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild (Michigan)

Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins (Boston University)

Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators (North Dakota)

Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes (Colorado College)

Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets (Michigan)

Goaltenders

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets (UMass Lowell)

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars (Boston University) 

Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins (Maine)

In addition, Canada's 2026 Olympic men's squad will boast three former NCAA skaters in forward Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) of the San Jose Sharks, and defensemen Cale Makar (UMass) and Devon Toews (Quinnipiac) of the Colorado Avalanche and Colton Parayko (Alaska Fairbanks) of the St. Louis Blues.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from Feb. 5-22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 

U.S. Ousted at 2026 World Juniors

There will be no three-peat for the United States at this year's World Junior Championship. The U.S. was ousted tonight by Finland, 4-3, in overtime in a semifinal game in St. Paul. It was the second straight loss for the Americans, who also fell to Sweden, 6-3, on New Year's Eve in their final game of group play.

Ryker Lee (Michigan State) tied the contest late in regulation after Finland had taken a 3-2 lead on back-to-back goals. Cole Eiserman (Boston University) and Cole Hutson (Boston University) scored second-period goals for Team USA, which also got two assists from James Hagens (Boston College), and 21 saves in net from Nick Kempf (Notre Dame). Heikki Ruohonen (Harvard) scored a goal for Finland, which fell to the U.S. in last year's final in OT in Ottawa.

Finland will now face Sweden in one WJC semifinal, while Canada will take on Czechia in the other, both on Sunday. The bronze and gold medal games are scheduled for Monday.

ADDENDUM: Sweden won the gold medal over Czechia, while Canada took the bronze.

Hockey New Year