2025-26 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[brianvf]

1 hour ago, beastandco said:

Mac was always going to be a 4 year guy. Hes too small to leave college early for the NHL. 

I think Mac will follow the Kawaguchi progression in college.  Both came in after great junior careers.
Both struggled at times their FR seasons, but put up very similar numbers (Mac 2-16--18 & Kawaguchi 5-14--19).  Jordan developed into one of the best forwards in college hockey by the time his JR/SR seasons rolled around.  I could see Mac doing something similar.

38 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

The Goofs lost a lot of players from 2024-2025. They'll be figuring it out like we will.

So did ASU.  ASU lost 7 of their top 10 scorers (including their entire top 5) as well as both of their starting goalies.
NCHC could be anyone's guess next season with all the teams that lost significant players.

[.357]

48 minutes ago, nascar99 said:

Get consistent goaltending and there's no reason why the team shouldn't be in the 7-10 range in the Pairwise

That sounds like a good estimation, then add a guy who can give you 20g, 20a (at least) & you're very solidly in that range & probably higher. Going to hang my hat on the premise that a high scorer is what this team needs to be a legitimate contender next year. A guy who can be a difference-maker & flip close games in UND's favor.

 

[siouxfan512]

3 hours ago, beastandco said:

Money, relationships, roles on the team, advisors, and so much more. 
 

I cannot imagine the hurdles the Bryn and the staff have to deal with 

Even just location. Depending on where a kid is from, he may prefer the options of a big school or city rather than Grand Forks. A town which has charm for some of us who lived there, but isn't necessarily what some kids want, they may prefer a Minneapolis, Denver, Boston, Tempe, Etc.

You have to be solid coach/recruiter to really sell the program positives to outweigh things that may not be as appealing to a kid (and their advisors). I think Dane and Bryn are doing all they can and have to work against the decline we saw over the past 8 years. Recent program success IS NOT a factor we can sell at the moment. Hopefully in the next year or two that trajectory changes.

Then there is the money factor, and there is only so much that can be done there.

I think we would all love to see some stud players come in, even if it was only for a year or two. I think back to getting to watch Oshie and Toews on the same line ... and then that other kid that won the Hobey! Having the star players doesn't always translate to a Natty, but you're still going to bring them in if you can.

I'll just sit back and watch and see what the staff can accomplish over the next few seasons. Hopefully it is a more entertaining product that we have been getting used to.

[brianvf]

47 minutes ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

Zellers is a more versatile goal scorer than Boisvert IMO.

I would agree with this.
Boisvert probably has a higher ceiling at the NHL level, but he's not someone that drives the offense consistently.  He has an elite shot, no question.  But I only remember him having one goal off a rush that he created, and that was the ASU OT goal when it was 3x3 with more open ice.

[tnt]

50 minutes ago, brianvf said:

I think Mac will follow the Kawaguchi progression in college.  Both came in after great junior careers.
Both struggled at times their FR seasons, but put up very similar numbers (Mac 2-16--18 & Kawaguchi 5-14--19).  Jordan developed into one of the best forwards in college hockey by the time his JR/SR seasons rolled around.  I could see Mac doing something similar.

So did ASU.  ASU lost 7 of their top 10 scorers (including their entire top 5) as well as both of their starting goalies.
NCHC could be anyone's guess next season with all the teams that lost significant players.

This is as of April 2022 according to Schlossman.  The fact that Swanson came in smaller and pretty young certainly made it a tougher adjustment for him, as Kawaguchi had more junior seasons under his belt.  It just goes to show that even older players have quite an adjustment. 

Age as of Oct. 1 of their rookie season

1. Jonathan Toews 17 years, 5 months, 3 days (CHI, 1st round)
2. Drake Caggiula 18 years, 3 months, 11 days
— if Cole Spicer came this fall —
3. David Toews 18 years, 3 months, 24 days (NYI, 3rd)
4. Brad Malone 18 years, 4 months, 11 days (COL, 4th)
5. Michael Forney 18 years, 4 months, 17 days (ATL, 3rd)
6. Gavin Hain 18 years, 5 months, 28 days (PHI, 6th)
7. Judd Caulfield 18 years, 6 months, 12 days (PIT, 5th)
8. Tyson Jost 18 years, 6 months, 17 days (COL, 1st)
9. Harrison Blaisdell 18 years, 6 months, 13 days (WPG, 5th)
10. Brock Boeser 18 years, 7 months, 6 days (VAN, 1st)
11. Nick Schmaltz 18 years, 7 months, 8 days (CHI, 1st)
12. Grant Mismash 18 years, 7 months, 12 days (NSH, 2nd)
13. Austin Poganski 18 years, 7 months, 15 days (STL, 4th)
14. Rocco Grimaldi 18 years, 7 months, 23 days (FLA, 2nd)
15. T.J. Oshie 18 years, 9 months, 8 days (STL, 1st)
16. Matt Watkins 18 years, 10 months, 19 days (DAL, 5th)
17. Shane Pinto 18 years, 10 months, 19 days (OTT, 2nd)
18. Brock Nelson 18 years, 11 months, 16 days (NYI, 1st)
19. Dylan James 18 years, 11 months, 19 days (draft eligible)**

20. Luke Johnson 19 years, 12 days (CHI, 5th)
21. Corban Knight 19 years, 21 days (FLA, 5th)
22. Hunter Bishop 19 years, 26 days
23. Matteo Costantini 19 years, 1 month, 15 days (BUF, 5th)
24. Jackson Kunz 19 years, 1 month, 18 days (VAN, 4th)
25. Jackson Blake 19 years, 1 month, 28 days (CAR, 4th)**
26. Shane Gersich 19 years, 2 months, 21 days (WSH, 5th)
27. Chris Wilkie 19 years, 2 months, 21 days (FLA, 6th)
28. Mike Cichy 19 years, 2 months, 23 days (MTL, 7th)
29. Brendan O'Donnell 19 years, 3 months, 6 days (TBL, 6th)
30. Danny Kristo 19 years, 3 months, 13 days (MTL, 2nd)
— if Cole Spicer came in 2023 —
31. Andrew Kozek 19 years, 4 months, 5 days (ATL, 2nd)
32. Travis Zajac 19 years, 4 months, 18 days (NJD, 1st)
33. Carter Rowney 19 years, 4 months, 21 days
34. Collin Adams 19 years, 5 months, 7 days (NYI, 6th)
35. Owen McLaughlin 19 years, 6 months, 6 days (PHI, 7th)**
36. Chris VandeVelde 19 years, 6 months, 16 days (EDM, 4th)
37. Rhett Gardner 19 years, 7 months, 2 days (DAL, 4th)
38. Jason Gregoire 19 years, 7 months, 7 days (NYI, 3rd)
39. Michael Parks 19 years, 7 months, 16 days (PHI, 5th)
40. Brad Miller 19 years, 8 months
41. Mark MacMillan 19 years, 8 months, 8 days (MTL, 4th)
42. Matt Frattin 19 years, 8 months, 28 days (TOR, 4th)
43. Dane Montgomery 19 years, 9 months, 24 days
44. Colten St. Clair 18 years, 10 months, 9 days
45. Bryn Chyzyk 19 years, 10 months, 26 days
46. Wade Murphy 19 years, 11 months, 9 days (NSH, 7th)
47. Evan Trupp 19 years, 11 months, 9 days
48. Ludvig Hoff 19 years, 11 months, 15 days

49. Darcy Zajac 20 years, 8 days
50. Ryan Duncan 20 years, 2 months, 17 days
51. Derek Rodwell 20 years, 2 years, 23 days (NJD, 5th)
52. Rastislav Spirko 20 years, 3 months, 10 days
53. Mario Lamoureux 20 years, 3 months, 13 days
— if Cole Spicer came in 2024 —
54. Ben Strinden 20 years, 3 months, 27 days (draft eligible)**
55. Carson Albrecht 20 years, 4 months, 8 days
56. Jordan Kawaguchi 20 years, 4 months, 27 days
57. Jake Schmaltz 20 years, 5 months, 7 days (BOS, 7th)
58. Brett Hextall 20 years, 5 months, 29 days (PHX, 6th)
59. Rylan Kaip 20 years, 6 months, 12 days
60. Ryan Martens 20 years, 6 months, 21 days
61. Connor Gaarder 20 years, 6 months, 23 days
62. Louis Jamernik, 20 years, 7 months, 9 days
63. Joel Janatuinen 20 years, 7 months, 29 days
64. Steph Pattyn 20 years, 8 months, 4 days
65. Jasper Weatherby 20 years, 8 months, 9 days (SJS, 4th)
66. Mark Senden 20 years, 8 months, 9 days
67. Brett Bruneteau 20 years, 8 months, 29 days (WSH, 4th)
68. Zach Yon 20 years, 9 months, 1 day
69. Cole Smith 20 years, 9 months, 13 days
70. Brent Davidson 20 years, 9 months, 14 days
71. Griffin Ness 20 years, 9 months, 21 days
72. Trevor Olson 20 years, 10 months, 9 days
73. Mike Gornall 20 years, 11 months, 5 days
74. Riese Gaber 20 years, 11 months, 21 days

[scpa0305]

1 hour ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

Swanson is a pass first, undersized forward. He was destined to have a rough freshman year.

Zellers could be a defensive weak link based on what I’ve seen. He floats quite a bit. He’ll get better and better at that; I’m really really high on him. But to expect some huge frosh year may be a bit aggressive. Also, he’s not big either.

[beastandco]

Just now, scpa0305 said:

Zellers could be a defensive weak link based on what I’ve seen. He floats quite a bit. He’ll get better and better at that; I’m really really high on him. But to expect some huge frosh year may be a bit aggressive. Also, he’s not big either.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Sophmore Zellers and Junior Swanson can do with McKamey if he’s as good as advertised.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

6 minutes ago, beastandco said:

I’m looking forward to seeing what Sophmore Zellers and Junior Swanson can do with McKamey if he’s as good as advertised.

And Jr transfer Shaugabay!

[beastandco]

1 minute ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

And Jr transfer Shaugabay!

Let’s start the UMD pipeline!

[brianvf]

7 minutes ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

And Jr transfer Shaugabay!

Ha now we're talking.   

[hockeytherapy13]

9 hours ago, beastandco said:

Honestly, if our back end is as good as advertised and we get a top 6 center, what would we realistically be ranked before our first game?

I think we would be a top 10 team for sure. 

Remember that one time we were ranked 6th preseason and didn’t even make the tournament? Oh wait that was last year 

[hockeytherapy13]

9 hours ago, beastandco said:

Looking at our schedule for the first half of the season, the only weekends where we might be overmatched is the Minnesota weekend and ASU weekend.

As of now, it looks like it will be a down year for Minnesota next year. I am not impressed with their offseason

Gophers won’t be as good as they were this year but they will be as good as us if not better when we play them. Still built to make the tourney. Have a solid D returning and Phillips coming on D. Offense will have Lamb and Ziemer returning. Grabbed what appears to be a good goalie from the portal. Plus with their big 10 money they may still pull a rabbit out of their hat to snag a player. Just because they lost studs doesn’t mean they will be slim pickings 

[nascar99]

Garrett Lindberg goes 2nd overall in the 2025 USHL Phase 2 Draft to Chicago. Sign that he'll go back to junior for another year and won't be in Grand Forks for 2025-26?

 

[nascar99]

Schloss with the quick answer

 

[beastandco]

18 minutes ago, nascar99 said:

Schloss with the quick answer

 

I wonder who we will bring in now on defense. It’s good for Lindberg to have another year and step into a legitimate role next year.

Maybe snag a veteran portal defenseman as a depth piece?

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

21 hours ago, .357 said:

That sounds like a good estimation, then add a guy who can give you 20g, 20a (at least) & you're very solidly in that range & probably higher. Going to hang my hat on the premise that a high scorer is what this team needs to be a legitimate contender next year. A guy who can be a difference-maker & flip close games in UND's favor.

 

They’re not going to find that in 1 player. This is going to be a tough, deep team, not a high scoring skilled team. I would be shocked if they have a 20 goal scorer next year.

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

21 hours ago, brianvf said:

I would agree with this.
Boisvert probably has a higher ceiling at the NHL level, but he's not someone that drives the offense consistently.  He has an elite shot, no question.  But I only remember him having one goal off a rush that he created, and that was the ASU OT goal when it was 3x3 with more open ice.

I’ve seen multiple highlights of how Zellers can throw off a goaltender in close. Has a really good shot, but also really good hands to score in close.

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

20 hours ago, scpa0305 said:

Zellers could be a defensive weak link based on what I’ve seen. He floats quite a bit. He’ll get better and better at that; I’m really really high on him. But to expect some huge frosh year may be a bit aggressive. Also, he’s not big either.

Play him with James and Rickwood and it won’t matter

[burd]

2 minutes ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

They’re not going to find that in 1 player. This is going to be a tough, deep team, not a high scoring skilled team. I would be shocked if they have a 20 goal scorer next year.

And not having Blake or someone like him means they don't have players that defenses have to focus on, to the benefit of others on the ice with him.   

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

1 minute ago, burd said:

And not having Blake or someone like him means they don't have players that defenses have to focus on, to the benefit of others on the ice with him.   

Not necessarily true

[burd]

2 minutes ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

Not necessarily true

It's absolutely necessary if I'm to maintain some level of posting self confidence.  

[brianvf]

42 minutes ago, beastandco said:

I wonder who we will bring in now on defense. It’s good for Lindberg to have another year and step into a legitimate role next year.

Maybe snag a veteran portal defenseman as a depth piece?

Oops, posted the Lindberg link as well in the committed recruits thread as well.
Yes, I think this will be a decision for both him and UND.

And I'd think we'd grab a portal dman now, agreed.

[Walsh Hall]

On 5/5/2025 at 10:48 AM, .357 said:

Decent as in 1st-3rd round NHL kind of decent. Was it because the coaching staff wasn't interested or didn't have any luck? 

Thankful Western Michigan doesn't have any decent players...

[SiouxForever]

Carter Bear projected to be a 1st round pick. I think UND should still go after him minus his injury and his availability not being until 2nd semester. 

Do it! 

[brianvf]

A few notables in here about PWR being replaced and portal transfer window shrinking:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/schlossman-whats-happening-at-college-hockeys-annual-meetings

Quote

The Pairwise Rankings, which have long been used to determine the NCAA tournament field, are likely on their way out.

The Pairwise Rankings are expected to be replaced by the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI), which is used on the women's side.

Like the Pairwise, the NPI will have weights for different criteria such as winning percentage, strength of schedule, home-road bonuses, quality win bonuses and overtime wins.

Quote

Right now, there's a 45-day window to enter the transfer portal for men's hockey players in the spring.

But that could change.

The men's hockey coaching body wants to shrink it to 30 days.

The portal opening date to non-graduates would still occur after the NCAA regionals.