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

NCHC reveals two all-conference squads for 2023-24 college hockey season, one team of honorable mention players

The NCHC has announced its 2023-24 all-conference teams. Four teams are represented on the first team, led by two each from Colorado College and Denver. The Pioneers placed four players on the two all-conference squads to pace all teams. 2023-24 First Team All-NCHC F: Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota – 45 points (15 first-team votes) … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Confident Minnesota Duluth squad facing Denver in NCHC playoffs, looking to ‘go grind it out like we always do’

Looking back through our 2023-24 NCHC season preview, I wrote the following about Minnesota Duluth, before picking the Bulldogs to finish fifth in the league: “There are only four freshmen, and I like the level of continuity this squad has now, only a year after there was a lot to replace. The issue is that, … Read more

HCA hands out February men’s national awards to Boston College teammates Gauthier, Leonard, Colorado College goalie Mbereko

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced its national men’s players of the month for February. Boston College sophomore Cutter Gauthier is player of the month, BC freshman forward Ryan Leonard is rookie of the month, and Colorado College sophomore Kaidan Mbereko is the goaltender of the month. Gauthier led the NCAA goals (10), points (16), … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Penrose Cup champs for 2024, North Dakota aims to keep winning as Fighting Hawks ‘want to keep moving forward here with the momentum that we’ve got’

Third-ranked North Dakota’s 3-0 home win Saturday over No. 12 Western Michigan saw the Fighting Hawks capture their fourth Penrose Cup title in five years, as the NCHC’s regular-season champion. That kind of regular success always looks a little bit different from one year to the next, and this season has been no exception. Seven … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Omaha coach Gabinet reflects on Kemp’s retirement announcement, says, ‘We wouldn’t have what we have today without his time and dedication to hockey in Omaha’

It’s been half his life since Omaha coach Mike Gabinet played for the Mavericks under current UNO executive associate athletic director Mike Kemp. The dynamics of their relationship have changed over the resulting couple of decades, but Gabinet’s respect for Kemp has only grown. This Tuesday, after it was announced last week that Kemp will … Read more

‘I will always be a Maverick:’ Longtime Omaha coach, administrator Kemp retiring in May 2024 after 48 years in college athletics

Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame coach and longtime administrator Mike Kemp has announced his retirement from the department effective this May. Kemp arrived at the University of Nebraska Omaha as its first head hockey coach on July 1, 1996. He was elevated to the position of associate athletic director in May 2009 after serving as … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After sweeping then-No. 2 North Dakota, Colorado College starting to ‘believe more and more and more’

Colorado College this week jumped up five spots to No. 10 in the latest USCHO.com Division I Men’s Hockey Poll, the highest spot the Tigers have held in 12 years. Two blowout home wins last weekend against then-No. 2 North Dakota helped explain the Tigers’ big rise. More to the point, CC swept its four-game … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: North Dakota netminder Persson says return to Miami last weekend ‘was really fun to be out there, for sure’

Throughout his time in junior and high school-age hockey, North Dakota senior goaltender Ludvig Persson had never suited up against one of his former teams. So when he faced Miami last weekend on the road, the Swedish former RedHawk got maybe his biggest taste of culture shock since he began playing in the United States … Read more

Hockey Commissioners Association announces 33-player watch list for 2023-24 Tim Taylor Award as men’s college hockey national rookie of the year

A watch list of 33 first-year NCAA men’s hockey players was announced Thursday by the Hockey Commissioners Association. One of these talented rookies will likely receive the Tim Taylor Award as national rookie of the year as voted by the nation’s assistant coaches. At season’s end, a ballot consisting of each Division I conference’s Rookie … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Colorado College netminder Mbereko keeps winning for Tigers, knows ‘always an opportunity to get better’

Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko was named Monday as the NCHC goaltender of the week, and it’s never a surprise when the Tigers sophomore receives that recognition. Sixty-one saves over two 2-1 overtime wins last weekend at then-No. 12 Western Michigan gave Mbereko the conference’s weekly goalie award for the fourth time this season. Also last … Read more

Minnesota Duluth AD Karr set to succeed Bertagna, will take over as American Hockey Coaches Association executive director July 1

Minnesota Duluth athletic director Forrest Karr is set to become the next executive director of the American Hockey Coaches Association. Karr has been chosen to succeed Joe Bertagna, the AHCA’s first and only executive director, who ends his 32-year tenure on June 30. Karr, who is in his 19th year overall as a director of … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: St. Cloud State looking to give special teams a boost moving forward as Huskies aiming for NCAA tournament berth

We’re not saying polls and standings lie, but it’s hard not to notice that while St. Cloud State is tied for first place in the NCHC, the Huskies are listed 15th in the latest USCHO Men’s Division I Poll, behind three teams from their own conference. Huskies coach Brett Larson doesn’t believe his team came … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: Omaha’s road split with powerhouse North Dakota ‘feeds the belief that we’re right on the cusp’

Fresh off earning a road split against sixth-ranked North Dakota, Omaha this week re-entered the USCHO.com Men’s Division I Poll at No. 19. But for as competitive as the Mavericks were in Grand Forks, being ranked isn’t just about what you did over the previous week. This UNO team is as battle-tested as most anyone … Read more

Watch list of 32 goalies announced for 2024 Mike Richter Award, given annually to college hockey’s top men’s goaltender

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced a watch list of 32 goalies who will compete for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014. The 32 goalies come from the United States (19), Canada (7), and Sweden (5) and Slovakia (1). Of the U.S. goalies, … Read more

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After strong first half of ’23-24 season, Western Michigan figuring out ‘a great recipe for long-term success’

Tenth-ranked Western Michigan’s road sweep last weekend against Lindenwood was a trip down memory lane of sorts for coach Pat Ferschweiler, while watching his Broncos start the second half of the season how they mean to continue. Friday’s come-from-behind 3-2 win and a relatively easy 6-1 victory Saturday at the Centene Community Ice Center saw … Read more