There’s going from strength to strength, and then there’s the NCHC’s situation heading into the new season.
For the first time in the conference’s 12-year history, the NCHC has seen eight teams picked in the USCHO.com Top 20 Preseason Poll. Defending national champion Denver is at the top almost by default, getting 42 of 50 first-place votes, and Arizona State, a brand-new NCHC member and the conference’s first newcomer since the league came into existence, is tied for 20th.
This time last year, the conference was fresh off what was largely considered a down year, with zero representation at the Frozen Four. Last season, the NCHC reverted toward its mean. Four of its teams made the NCAA tournament, and although three lost in the first round in one-goal games, Denver went on to win its second national title in three years.
“I thought the league was competitive,” Pioneers coach David Carle said. “I do think the league as a whole will be better this year than last year and the year before. We feel like our league pushed us really well for the NCAA tournament, and playing in our league played a big factor in why we won a championship again. Top to bottom, this year, it’s as good as it’s been in a few years, and that’s exciting. We’re looking forward to the challenge we’re playing in it.
“(Arizona State) has a lot of value that they add to the conference. The other eight teams are really good, and adding a ninth really good team makes the league better. We’re looking forward to having them in the conference. They help in a lot of ways, and we expect them to be very competitive and push for NCAA tournament berths and all of that. (ASU coach) Greg (Powers) has done an excellent job of recruiting and bringing in good people, and he has put a lot of time and effort into getting into the conference with their program.”
The Sun Devils boast an impressive pedigree for a program that has spent nine years as an independent since jumping up to varsity status. Powers, an ASU alum who previously led the university’s ACHA program, has helped the varsity Sun Devils to four seasons of .500 hockey or better. ASU reached the NCAA tournament in 2019 and would have again in 2020 if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. Last season, the Sun Devils’ 24-8-6 mark saw them finish narrowly outside of the tournament picture.
“We had a great year,” Powers said. “It was a really good team, and 24 wins is hard to do in college hockey. The strength of schedule, being an independent, sometimes you can’t control the way things go from a PairWise (Rankings) standpoint, but in a lot of years, 24 wins will get you in. The two years we got in, we won 21 and 22. If we can come close to matching that this year, with our strength of schedule, we’ll definitely be in.
“Preseason this year is going well. We like our team, and we’re excited for the challenge. It’s different preparing for a season in a league, and we’ve only done the rigors of an independent schedule, and it’s nice knowing we have something to play for. Getting 24 games handed to you makes the job easier, but the best thing is knowing you’re always in the hunt for something, whether it be playoffs or winning a trophy, all that stuff.”
Those extra incentives that come with belonging to a conference have boosted what was already an impressive stream of hockey talent heading to the desert.
“We have to recruit players who can compete in this league on a night-in, night-out basis, and since the announcement (that ASU was joining the NCHC), recruiting has definitely taken an uptick,” Powers said.
“Kids want to play for a trophy, so this gives us access to players we’ve kind of never had access to before, because kids want to play for a league title. We were very fortunate that a lot of good players wanted to come here to help us build a program as an independent, but the amount of players that decided they didn’t want to, because they wanted to play in a league, was a lot.”
With so many high-caliber teams, predicting who will finish where in the NCHC might be tougher now than it has ever been. One thing is for sure, though: Denver has provided the blueprint for how to make the most of playing in this meat-grinder of a league, and although five former Pioneers left early over the summer to take NHL deals, the defending national champs look ready to go again.
“There’s a lot of excitement and hunger for some of these guys to leave a bigger mark on a season and on the program,” Carle said. “We’re doing a good job through camp here of creating our own identity and turning the page from a year ago. We understand better this go-round that every team is going to be really different, and that this team will have its own challenges, strengths, weaknesses, all of that which we’ll have to adjust and take as we go here throughout the season.
“It feels like we’re at a stage where we’re getting people and families who come into our program who relish that challenge. They want to play at Denver to add to the history, add to the legacy and leave their own mark on the program, and they understand that it comes with a high level of responsibility, and a target. We were the first program to get to 10 (national) titles, and we’re embracing that challenge that we’re going to get everybody’s best, and it’ll only make us better.”
ARIZONA STATE
HEAD COACH: Greg Powers (entering 15th season at ASU)
LAST SEASON: 24-8-6 (competing as an independent)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Lukas Sillinger (Gr., 11-37-48); F Charlie Schoen (Jr., 8-16-24); G Gibson Homer (Jr., 8-3-2, 2.03 GAA, .931 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Matthew Kopperud (23-13-36); D Brandon Tabakin (2-8-10); G TJ Semptimphelter (16-5-4, 2.52 GAA, .908 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Cruz Lucius (Wisconsin transfer); F Cullen Potter (USNTDP); D Noah Beck (Clarkson transfer)
2024-25 PREDICTION: It almost feels strange predicting that Arizona State will finish this low, when the Sun Devils are fresh off their winningest season as a NCAA program. There is a fair amount of turnover, and last season, ASU didn’t face the toughest schedule in the history of the world. Playing in a conference now will help the Sun Devils going forward, though, and a good first season in the NCHC would help drive recruitment further and take the program even higher than it has been. I’m not terribly confident about this pick. Watch ASU finish higher than this.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Eighth
COLORADO COLLEGE
HEAD COACH: Kris Mayotte (entering his fourth season at CC)
LAST SEASON: 21-13-3 (14-8-2, fourth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Noah Laba (Jr., 20-17-37); D Max Burkholder (So., 7-9-16); G Kaidan Mbereko (Jr., 21-13-3, 2.39 GAA, .913 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Evan Werner (6-13-19); F Logan Will (7-11-18); D Nicklas Andrews (3-14-17)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Owen Beckner (Tri-City, USHL); D Brady Cleveland (Wisconsin transfer); D Ty Gallagher (Boston University transfer)
2024-25 PREDICTION: I won’t lie: It feels weird picking Colorado College to finish this high. That’s not a knock on Mayotte and the Tigers. On the contrary; this is my 18th season with USCHO, and over the majority of that time, I became conditioned to not taking CC very high in either my WCHA or now NCHC predictions. But Mayotte has a good thing going at CC, and having been relatively unscathed by offseason moves, there’s every reason the Tigers should build on their first 20-win season in over a decade.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Third
DENVER
HEAD COACH: David Carle (entering his seventh season at DU)
LAST SEASON: 32-9-3 (15-7-2, second in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Jack Devine (Sr., 27-29-56); Zeev Buium (So., 11-39-50); Matt Davis (Sr., 23-5-3, 2.34 GAA, .917 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Massimo Rizzo (10-34-44); F Tristan Broz (16-24-40); D Shai Buium (7-29-36)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Jake Fisher (Fargo, USHL); F Hagen Burrows (Minnetonka HS, Minn., and Sioux City, USHL); D Tory Pitner (Youngstown, USHL)
2024-25 PREDICTION: I’m not sure how you wouldn’t take Denver first here. Two national championships in the last three years speak volumes, and the Pioneers bring back loads of firepower from last season. They were even better last year than I had expected, and there’s little wonder why they’ve picked up the vast majority of first-place points in conference and national preseason polls.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: First
MIAMI
HEAD COACH: Anthony Noreen (entering first season at Miami)
LAST SEASON: 7-26-3 (1-21-2, eighth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Johnny Waldron (Jr., 9-13-22); F Raimonds Vitolins (Sr., 6-11-17); G Bruno Bruveris (So., 1-12-1, 4.15 GAA, .866 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Matthew Barbolini (11-14-25); F PJ Fletcher (11-12-23); G Logan Neaton (6-14-2, 3.23 GAA, .894 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Casper Nassen (Frölunda, Sweden); F Colby Ambrosio (Boston College transfer); F Christophe Fillion (Quinnipiac transfer)
2024-25 PREDICTION: Miami never hit the 10-win mark in five seasons under the RedHawks’ most recent head coach, and it’s been a decade since they last finished above .500. Noreen faces a tough order in turning this program around, but presuming Miami gets going in the right direction this season, it’s still a steep uphill climb.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Ninth
MINNESOTA DULUTH
HEAD COACH: Scott Sandelin (entering his 25th season at UMD)
LAST SEASON: 12-20-5 (8-14-2, seventh in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: D Owen Gallatin (Sr., 7-23-30); D Aaron Pionk (So., 3-17-20), Kyle Bettens (Jr., 6-12-18)
KEY LOSSES: F Ben Steeves (24-10-34); F Connor McMenamin (6-15-21); G Zach Stejskal (8-9-3, 2.99 GAA, .898 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Max Plante (USNTDP); D Adam Kleber (Lincoln, USHL); G Adam Gajan (Green Bay, USHL)
2024-25 PREDICTION: This should be a season to remember for Minnesota Duluth, as it comes up on a quarter-century with the same head coach who has delivered three national championships. This UMD team, however, is one of the conference’s lesser-known quantities. Four of the Bulldogs’ top five point-producers from last season are gone, and UMD will have a new starting goaltender. To me, this pick feels a bit similar to what I have for Arizona State. Duluth could finish significantly higher, but seventh feels safe for now.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Seventh
NORTH DAKOTA
HEAD COACH: Brad Berry (entering his 10th season at UND)
LAST SEASON: 26-12-2 (15-8-1, first in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Owen McLaughlin (Jr., 13-26-39); F Cameron Berg (17-20-37); D Jake Livanavage (So., 5-24-29)
KEY LOSSES: F Jackson Blake (22-38-60); F Riese Gaber (18-16-34); (G Ludvig Persson (21-11-2, 2.52 GAA, .904 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Sacha Boisvert (Muskegon, USHL); D EJ Emery (US Under-18 Team); G TJ Semptimphelter (Arizona State transfer)
2024-25 PREDICTION: Last season saw North Dakota bounce back in a big way following the Fighting Hawks’ 18-15-6 finish a year earlier. UND has now reached the NCAA tournament in three of the last four years, after not qualifying in back-to-back years and joining everyone else in not playing in it in 2020. A lot of high-end talent that has since departed needs replacing, but Berry’s latest crop is just as big on quality. This season should provide more of the same that we saw last winter.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Second
OMAHA
HEAD COACH: Mike Gabinet (entering his eighth season at UNO)
LAST SEASON: 23-13-4 (13-8-3, fifth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Tanner Ludtke (11-17-28); D Griffin Ludtke (Jr., 4-23-27); G Simon Latkoczy (Jr., 19-12-3, 2.68 GAA, .913 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Jack Randl (13-13-26); F Ty Mueller (11-15-26); D Joaquim Lemay (5-13-18)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Brady Risk (Alaska transfer); F Sam Stange (Wisconsin transfer); D Aiden Gallacher (Northern Michigan transfer)
2024-25 PREDICTION: Omaha is fresh off one of its best seasons in program history, and with the Mavericks having gotten out of the first round of the NCHC playoffs for the first time. Gabinet does have some key pieces to replace, but the Ludtke brothers and Co. will be eager to provide a heck of an encore. I wouldn’t put it past them to make waves again.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Fifth
ST. CLOUD STATE
HEAD COACH: Brett Larson (entering his seventh season at SCSU)
LAST SEASON: 17-16-5 (11-9-4, third in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Adam Ingram (Jr., 10-28-38); F Verner Miettinen (So., 4-19-23); D Josh Luedtke (Sr., 4-13-17)
KEY LOSSES: F Veeti Miettinen (20-15-35); D Dylan Anhorn (6-27-33); G Dominic Basse (12-10-2, 2.75 GAA, .896 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Austin Burnevik (USNTDP); D Colin Ralph (Shattuck St. Mary’s HS, Minn.) G Gavin Enright (Bemidji State transfer)
2024-25 PREDICTION: Same as in the season prior, St. Cloud State finished last time around where we thought the Huskies would. Fourth place seems to make sense this time around, given the key pieces that Larson will have to find successors for. SCSU missed out on the NCAA tournament last year after getting there three years in a row. Will they make it back this time? Don’t be surprised if they do.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Fourth
WESTERN MICHIGAN
HEAD COACH: Pat Ferschweiler (entering his fourth season at WMU)
LAST SEASON: 21-16-1 (11-13-0, sixth in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Alex Bump (So., 14-22-36); D Samuel Sjolund (Jr., 3-15-18); G Cameron Rowe (Gr., 21-16-1, 2.46 GAA, .903 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Luke Grainger (14-34-48); F Dylan Wendt (24-19-43); D Zak Galambos (9-12-21)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Zach Nehring (Sioux Falls, USHL); D Joona Vaisanen (Dubuque, USHL); G Hampton Slukynsky (Fargo, USHL)
2024-25 PREDICTION: Three years of WMU hockey with Ferschweiler at the helm, three trips to the NCAA tournament. The Broncos might have to punch a bit above their weight to make it there again, depending on how many NCHC teams get in this time, but there’s a lot to like about this Western team. Rowe returns after playing in literally every game last year, and Nehring has the makings of a NCHC all-rookie candidate. I was tempted to take WMU a spot or two higher here and might come to regret not doing so.
2024-25 PREDICTED FINISH: Sixth
