Penrose Award finalists announced

Finalists for the 2026 Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the Division I Men’s Hockey Coach of the Year, were announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The nominees consist of those named coach of the year by their respective leagues, and those whose teams qualified for the Frozen Four. Brandon Naurato of Michigan, Mike … Read more

Defending champion UMass Lowell returning to 2025 Adirondack Winter Invitational, joining Alaska, Clarkson, St. Lawrence in tournament field Nov. 28-29

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority has announced the third annual Adirondack Winter Invitational Division I men’s hockey tournament taking place Thanksgiving weekend – Friday, Nov. 28 and Saturday, Nov. 29 – in the Olympic Center’s 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. UMass Lowell returns as the defending champion while North Country stalwarts Clarkson and … Read more

After four seasons in USHL, former Alaska Anchorage coach Curley tapped as new associate head coach for Alaska

Alaska has announced the hiring of Matt Curley as the team’s new associate head coach. Curley joins the Nanooks after four seasons as general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. “We’re incredibly excited to welcome Matt Curley to the Alaska Nanooks as our associate head coach,” said Alaska head coach Erik … Read more

Alaska’s Mignone, Army West Point’s Ward leave respective benches for jobs with USHL champion Lumberjacks

Two assistant coaches from the NCAA men’s hockey ranks have joined the USHL Clark Cup champion Muskegon Lumberjacks as associate coaches. Casey Mignone comes to Muskegon from Alaska and Taylor Ward from Army West Point. Mignone spent the last two seasons at UAF as an assistant coach for the Nanooks. “Having the opportunity to coach … Read more

NCAA Division I independent men’s hockey teams to compete for inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup in March 2026

The Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri, will host the United Collegiate Hockey Cup from March 5-7, 2026, bringing together five NCAA Division I men’s hockey programs for a postseason showdown. The event will feature Lindenwood, Alaska, Alaska Anchorage, Long Island and Stonehill. The five-team tournament will include a play-in game, with all … Read more

After one season at Alaska, North Dakota, blueliner MacDonald inks NHL contract with Blue Jackets

The NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets have signed North Dakota sophomore defenseman Caleb MacDonald to a two-year, entry level contract beginning with the 2025-26 season. MacDonald recorded three goals and seven assists for 10 points with 42 penalty minutes, 68 blocked shots, 51 shots on goal and a plus-7 plus/minus rating in 35 appearances during his … Read more

Gagnon (Lindenwood), Kebreau (Alaska Anchorage), Grabko (Alaska), Bartoszkiewicz (Lindenwood) highlight October honors for NCAA D-I men’s hockey independent schools

The 2024-25 season got off to a strong start for the NCAA’s five men’s Division I hockey programs and four players have earned monthly honors from NCAA Division I Independent Hockey. All five schools enjoyed impressive road wins, eight cumulatively, with those victories coming at Notre Dame (2), Wisconsin, Merrimack, Lake Superior State, Miami, Northern … Read more

Former Minnesota, Colorado College, Alaska coach, current CCHA commissioner Lucia named 2024 Hobey Baker ‘Legend of College Hockey’ recipient

Don Lucia has been announced as the 2024 Hobey Baker “Legend of College Hockey” recipient. In 31 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Lucia compiled a 736-403-102 record, and is Minnesota’s all-time winningest coach with 457 wins for the Gophers from 1999 to 2018. He is one of 10 coaches to record more than 600 … Read more

Alaska, UConn, Ferris State, defending champ Wisconsin announced as field for 2024 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off men’s college hockey tournament

The fourth annual Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off men’s college hockey tournament returns to Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum on Dec. 28-29, featuring No. 5 Wisconsin, UConn, Alaska and Ferris State. Single-day tickets at Ticketmaster.com. Semifinal play will take place on Saturday, Dec. 28, with the championship and third-place games on Sunday, Dec. 29. Matchups and times will … Read more

Alaska adds former NAHL coach Mignone as Nanooks men’s hockey team’s new assistant coach

Alaska has announced the addition of Casey Mignone to the Nanooks bench as an assistant coach. Mignone becomes the third member of the Alaska bench behind head coach Erik Largen and associate head coach Chris Brown. “We are excited to welcome Coach Mignone to the University of Alaska and Nanook Nation,” said Largen in a … Read more

Sitting on PairWise bubble, Alaska aiming for at-large bid to NCAA tournament as Nanooks ‘starting to see that we can play with anyone in the country’

Fans can (and do!) argue endlessly about which team has the country’s toughest schedule. And while the Pairwise, RPI and KRACH have largely rendered these discussions moot (there’s math involved!) what’s not up for dispute of this: No team in college hockey has it tougher travel-wise than the Alaska Nanooks. Just take a gander at … Read more