Denver’s Brink named HCA men’s player of month; Minnesota’s Pitlick earns top rookie, Minnesota State’s McKay grabs goalie honors

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the men’s players of the month for Feb. 2022. Denver’s Bobby Brink takes home player of the month honors, while Minnesota’s Rhett Pitlick is rookie of the month and Minnesota State netminder Dryden McKay has been named goalie of the month. Brink put up strong numbers against a strong … Read more

NCHC starts search for next full-time commissioner to run ‘the premier conference in men’s college hockey’

The NCHC announced Thursday that the conference has begun the search for its next commissioner, contracting with Parker Executive Search, who will facilitate the process to find the conference’s third full-time commissioner since being founded in 2011. The NCHC search committee consists of representatives from all eight member institutions. It is co-chaired by North Dakota … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Despite COVID-19 interruptions, Denver finding way near top of conference standings

After COVID-19 conditions last season saw Denver split its players into cohorts in three different locker rooms, David Carle now feels more like a regular hockey coach. His fourth season with the Pioneers hasn’t been normal, though. Another reminder of that arrived last Wednesday afternoon, when Denver learned it wouldn’t be hosting St. Cloud State … Read more

NCHC suspends Denver’s Caponi one game for unpenalized head contact incident against Omaha Jan. 15

The NCHC has issued a one-game suspension to Denver sophomore forward Connor Caponi, stemming from an illegal hit during the Pioneers’ game against Omaha Jan. 15 at DU’s Magness Arena. During Saturday night’s game, Caponi committed an illegal hit to the head at the 5:47 mark of the third period that was unobserved by the … Read more

NCHC announces slew of schedule changes for Jan. 14-15, makeup dates for rescheduled games

In addition to the Omaha at North Dakota series postponed earlier today, the NCHC has announced this weekend’s series between Western Michigan and Colorado College at CC’s Ed Robson Arena and the St. Cloud State at Denver series at DU’s Magness Arena, both slated for this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 14-15, have been postponed. In … Read more

Denver’s Stapley, Wisconsin’s Ceulemans, Minnesota State’s McKay garner December HCA national men’s college hockey honors

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its men’s college hockey national players of the month for December. Denver’s Brett Stapley is the player of the month, followed by Wisconsin’s Corson Ceulemans as the national rookie of the month and Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay the top goaltender. Stapley went for five goals and nine points in … Read more

Upcoming Denver-Omaha men’s hockey series postponed, Ohio State-Wisconsin series canceled due to COVID-19 protocols

A pair of men’s college hockey series scheduled for this weekend have been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. This weekend’s NCHC series between Denver and Omaha, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Jan. 7-8, at Omaha’s Baxter Arena has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Omaha hockey program. This series has been rescheduled for … Read more

Air Force, Denver to co-host 2022 Ice Breaker Tournament; event to feature two host schools for first time in history

Air Force and Denver will co-host the Ice Breaker Tournament, slated for Oct. 7-8, 2022, at the Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado Springs and Magness Arena in Denver. The Ice Breaker Tournament, the traditional start to the college hockey season, will also include Maine and Notre Dame. The Ice Breaker Tournament, which began in 1997 … Read more

NCHC commissioner Fenton leaving conference at end of ’21-22 season for similar role with Summit League

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After more than eight years at the helm, NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton is stepping down from his role following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Fenton has been hired as the commissioner of the Summit League and will officially begin that role on April 11, 2022. Fenton will start his transition as a special consultant … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Minnesota Duluth leaning on ‘Swiss Army knife’ Laderoute to fill multiple roles this season

Minnesota Duluth is the No. 4 team in the county and has reached the last four Frozen Fours, winning two of them. Seldom do the Bulldogs see scoring as a huge chore. Neither do other teams of that caliber, so what sets them apart from the rest are players who can do a bit of … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Getting bounces, Miami earns split at Omaha as RedHawks developing winning mentality

Miami coach Chris Bergeron on Tuesday approached the dais at his weekly press conference appearing to have a point to make to his team. The good news for the RedHawks out of last weekend’s series at No. 9 Omaha was that Miami (2-5-1) earned a road split against a top-10 team. Still, Bergeron wasn’t exactly … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Western Michigan recognizing campus land sitting on Indigenous grounds

Fans of several NHL teams may have been noticing the creation of land acknowledgements, in which teams publicly recognize that their facilities sit on land stewarded by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. Western Michigan is one of a growing list of universities also participating in this practice. In September 2019, the university’s trustees approved an … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: North Dakota off to neutral-site game Saturday in Nashville, finding ways to navigate around COVID logistics

For Ralph Engelstad Arena general manager Jody Hodgson, looking back three years to North Dakota’s last destination game sometimes feels like it happened a decade ago. The world has changed immensely since the COVID-19 pandemic started, let alone since UND beat Minnesota 3-1 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game three years ago this … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After false positive during 2021 NCAA tournament, St. Cloud State doing ‘everything we possibly could to make sure we can play’ this season

Plenty of talk surrounded Michigan and St. Lawrence earlier this year, when COVID-19 cases saw those teams withdraw from the 2021 NCAA tournament before it began. Those moves soon became public information. What wasn’t public at the time of the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, though, was that St. Cloud State briefly worried over a false … Read more

NCHC 2021-22 Season Preview: With ‘hopefully a normal season to come,’ conference seeing balance throughout teams

October is basically hockey’s spring. Hope abounds for each new season, and this time around, that extends to what’s going on amid a pandemic that has affected all of us for a year and a half. NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton knows all about that. Lucky guy. When the conference began play eight years ago, he … Read more

Culhane leaves director of hockey operations job at Colorado College for same role at Denver

Denver has named Travis Culhane its director of hockey operations. “We are excited to welcome Travis Culhane and his fiancé Michelle to the Pioneer hockey family,” DU coach Davis Carle said in a statement. “Travis brings an elite ability to connect with people, great organizational skills and a vast knowledge base to execute the hockey … Read more