The Big Ten is chock full of marquee players, the guys whose names show up on stats sheets and in game stories, the talent everyone talks about. Because of the quality of player development in B1G Hockey, fans often follow some of their favorite collegians long into their pro days, too.
Not every guy who plays NCAA hockey, though, earns awards or accolades. There are players on every team who contribute in ways that go unnoticed, or players who are overshadowed sometimes on teams where half the roster appears to be NHL bound.
Who are these guys who make a difference without making the biggest noise? These seven Big Ten players always show up, help their teams tick, and deserve a little spotlight of their own.
Nic Chin-DeGraves, Penn State
“Analytics can’t really quantify who’s hell to play against. If there were, he would be 100 percent.”
That is how Guy Gadowsky describes Nic Chin-DeGraves, the sophomore forward from Edmonton, Alberta whose assets may not be readily apparent to casual observers. With two goals in 12 games this season to add to the four from his freshman year, Chin-DeGraves is less flashy than force of nature. It’s how he’s built, said Gadowsky.
“All he cares about is winning and could not care less about a personal stat and he is going to prove it every shift,” said Gadowsky. “There is no other way for him. It’s nonnegotiable.
“He’s not a pest. He’s a bull. He’s just awful to play against.”
Penn State captain Dane Dowiak said that Chin-DeGraves has a work ethic that is contagious among his teammates. Then there’s the way Chin-DeGraves plays. “He’ll knock you off the puck, he’ll get to the dirty areas in front of the net, he’ll hit everything he sees.”
Gadowsky said that one of the reasons Chin-DeGraves caught the attention of Penn State in recruiting was the way he captained the 2023-24 Brooks Bandits (BCHL) to a 58-6-1 season and an Alberta Cup championship. Dowiak said he sees Chin-DeGraves drawing from that experience for the Nittany Lions.
“All he does is want to win for this team and win for Penn State,” said Dowiak. “He’s going to be a very good leader these next couple years here.”
Josh Eernisse, Michigan
There’s something admirable about a player who comes into his own as a senior, a guy whose work behind the scenes is finally getting a little notice. For Michigan, that player is Josh Eernisse.
In his third season with the Wolverines, Eernisse spent his freshman year at St. Thomas, a half-hour drive from his hometown of Apple Valley, Minn. Eernisse had 14 goals in 36 games for the Tommies. Through 77 games in his first two seasons at Michigan, though, Eernisse totaled nine goals, including a single marker in his junior campaign.
This season, Eernisse’s play tells a very different story. His nine goals in 20 games this year puts him tied for third among Michigan’s goal scorers – something as rewarding for his teammates to witness as it is for the Wolverines’ nationally best offense.
“This year, he’s off to such a good start,” said Michigan captain T.J. Hughes, who’s also Eernisse’s housemate. “All of his work is paying off.”
Hughes said that while Eernisse may not have scored goals last season, he still had a great year for the Wolverines in so many ways, including being hard to play against. “He’s super fast,” said Hughes. “He’s like the best forechecker on our team. He’s a guy that’s really predictable, too, so you can rely on him as a linemate. You know he’s going to bring it every night and play hard. He’s a really good all-around player.”
Hughes said that Eernisse’s success is the result of hard work and a deliberate way of living. “He’s a pro, and what I mean by that is the way he goes about his day, the way he structures his day and plans around it. It’s very strategic to set himself up to have the best day and best weeks possible.
“His daily habits in every area of his life – hockey and the school habits – are elite and they’re some of the best I’ve seen.”
Another quality that Eernisse brings to the Wolverines, said Hughes, is that he’s thoughtful. “As a teammate, he’s super reliable, a guy you can count on to do the right thing, show up on time, and just be a leader. He’s a really nice person, too.”
John Mittelstadt, Minnesota
Only in Minnesota can a guy named Mittelstadt be someone who flies under the radar. It helps, too, when your older brother plays for the Boston Bruins and your younger brother is the Minnesota team captain.
John Mittelstadt, the senior forward from Eden Prairie, Minn. – brother of NHLer Casey and Golden Gopher Luke – isn’t eclipsed by his siblings in any ways that matter.
“Goals and points don’t motivate him,” said Luke, John’s classmate and captain. “What drives John is playing winning hockey and being the best teammate possible, and he does both very well.”
While he has yet to score his first goal of the season, John had first assists on two key goals in Minnesota’s 3-2 win over visiting Penn State Nov. 21, first on Axel Begley’s goal early in the second that got the Gophers on the board and the second apple on Mason Moe’s game-winning goal in the middle of the period.
“On the ice, he plays the same reliable, high-level game every night and consistently outworks the player across from him each shift,” said Luke. “He is extremely strong over pucks, wins battles, and is constantly buzzing around the ice. Much of his impact is overlooked by fans because he isn’t flashy, but he plays a style of hockey that directly helps the Gophers win games.”
The middle Mittelstadt had eight goals in 138 games in his first three seasons in Minnesota.
Jack Williams, Notre Dame
Perhaps nothing says “unsung hero” more than an NCAA goaltender who sees more time in practice than in games, the kind of guy who pushes the starters and never complains. For the Fighting Irish, that’s senior Jack Williams.
“Jack is one of the best teammates any of us have ever had,” said Notre Dame captain Michael Mastrodomenico. “He’s worked hard at Notre Dame for four years and made us all better for it.”
The total game time that Williams has played with Notre Dame adds up to less than seven full periods of hockey, but his teammates value all he does for the Fighting Irish. “His work and efforts often go unseen,” said Mastrodomenico, “but his impact has left a mark on this program.”
Williams, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was also an All-Big Ten Academic honoree in both 2024 and 2025.
Thomas Weis, Ohio State
Consistency is the hallmark of Buckeye forward Thomas Weis – or T-Bone, as he’s known in the Ohio State locker room.
“You know what you’re going to get from T-Bone every day,” said coach Steve Rohlik.
All but one of Weis’s seven career goals have come against Big Ten opponents. The junior forward from Madison, Wisc., netted his first goal this season in Ohio State’s 8-1 loss to Michigan Nov. 22, an effort that showcased his tenacity, too.
The Buckeyes were already down 8-0 when Weis found the net on the power play in the final minute of the game, spoiling Michigan’s shutout at the end of a tough series, in the middle of a rough spell for Ohio State.
“T-Bone does all the little things right,” said OSU captain Davis Burnside. “He shows up to the rink every day wanting to get better, which I think rubs off on everyone. He’s a huge part of our team and I don’t think it goes unnoticed.”
Joe Palodichuk, Wisconsin
One of the best things a captain can say about a teammate is that he’s a good leader. That’s how Wisconsin captain Ben Dexheimer describes Joe Palodichuk, a junior defenseman from Cottage Grove, Minn.
“Off the ice, he leads by example, but he’s also very vocal,” said Dexheimer. “When guys need to be put in their place, he does it in a respectful way, and he’s also picking everyone up when they need to be brought up.”
Through 13 games this season, Palodichuk has three goals – equaling his career-best total through 40 games during his freshman season. Two of Palodichuk’s three goals came in Wisconsin’s 7-4 win over Notre Dame Dec. 5, a game in which Palodichuk had the only helper on Jason Botterill’s game-winning goal.
“He just brings it every single night,” said Dexheimer. “He does the little things that people don’t notice or pick up on. He’s not always on the stat sheet, but he’s always there bringing his work every day.”
Tiernan Shoudy, Michigan State
In 16 games this season, Spartan Tiernan Shoudy has four goals, on pace to match his career-best eight from his junior season a year ago.
On a team that scores by committee, four goals is a solid contribution – but not all goals are created equal. One goal this season stands out more than others for Shoudy, the one that came at 2:21 in overtime Nov. 7 to give Michigan State a 2-1 win over visiting Penn State.
It was the third goal in two games for Shoudy and the first game-winning tally for the undrafted forward from St. Clair, Mich., since his freshman season.
After the win against Penn State, Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said that not every good hockey player gets drafted. “I think that sometimes gets lost,” said Nightingale, “right?”