2025-26 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[nascar99]

23 minutes ago, .357 said:

So what's your educated guess as to where UND will get most of their needed forwards for next year if, as you say, most of the older CHLers are already committed? Will UND need to go on a raiding party into the AHA for a bunch of Carter Wilke clones?

The best uncommitted, not under pro contract 2004 in the Dub is Kenta Isogai of the Victoria Royals, who was once committed to Ohio State before he signed his Standard Player Agreement in the Dub (before the CHL-NCAA eligibility rules changed). Not sure if he still wants to go to university, but he's an option.

I expect them to be heavily after some talented 2006s like Carter Bear and Roger McQueen, and some 2007s like Ben Kindel, Jackson Smith, Gavin McKenna, Cole Reschny, but unsure if those guys will be willing to pivot from major junior to NCAA right now if at all (depends on who drafts them & what those NHL teams want, McKenna is the exception being 2026 Draft) as well as how many are that interested in North Dakota right now given the coaching change and relative mediocrity that this program is in right now.

If you go younger, you get far greater talent, but more youthful immaturity and mistake prone play that fans will complain about. You saw that this year. Really depends on how Jackson runs his systems, hopefully it is more modern, offensive driven, with steady defensive principles still a primary focus.

[SIOUXELEVENS]

When did we become a place that players don’t even consider? Western picks up players , Denver gets their pick and no one talks about UND, it’s really sad. 

[RhettRingers]

Just now, SIOUXELEVENS said:

When did we become a place that players don’t even consider? Western picks up players , Denver gets their pick and no one talks about UND, it’s really sad. 

When we stopped winning

[SIOUXELEVENS]

1 minute ago, RhettRingers said:

When we stopped winning

Looks like Jackson has a pretty big hole to dig us out of, anxious to hear what he has to say tomorrow. 

[TNF]

1 hour ago, nascar99 said:

If you go younger, you get far greater talent, but more youthful immaturity and mistake prone play that fans will complain about. You saw that this year. 

I believe most fans on here (in normal circumstances) understand mistakes are part of the maturation process of young players especially in the first half of the year.  In fact, many were advocating putting our most talented younger players in key moments even if that meant mistakes.

The issue with the last several years has been the lack of improvement throughout the season. The same mistakes in game 1, were the same mistakes at the end of the year with the season on the line. Then add the fact that it was our “senior” class making those mistakes, not the young guns, and you get a mutiny. 

In the current world of NIL, the challenge is that we have to get better as a team. If we keep producing one or two young studs a year while the team continues to struggle; then we simply become a farm system and the rich get richer. WMU is showing us the path to relevance.  Build a team that plays the right way with hard working players then hope we can poach a few chippaz that will want to stick around. 

[Oxbow6]

8 minutes ago, RhettRingers said:

When we stopped winning

#butPenrose

[AJS]

Laziness with recruiting / NIL, imo has put this program in this situation. Beyond frustrating how completely avoidable this was. Even the NIL piece, is it too late for this cycle? I'll reserve a lot of judgement until Jackson's press conference. He better hammer both those talking points.

[nascar99]

30 minutes ago, AJS said:

Laziness with recruiting / NIL, imo has put this program in this situation. Beyond frustrating how completely avoidable this was. Even the NIL piece, is it too late for this cycle? I'll reserve a lot of judgement until Jackson's press conference. He better hammer both those talking points.

Wonder who actually has been doing most of the recruiting in recent years. How much was Berry doing? How about Jackson, Goehring, even Simpson over the past year? Feels like they haven't been aggressive enough to go hard after guys & get them, and have simply been getting the easier local/regional recruits, even resting on their laurels.

The CHL opening up is a get out of jail free card for the program, considering North Dakota's history with Western Canadians and all of the UND connections across Canada. Just not sure if the staff will work hard, tooth & nail, 24/7 to recruit the elite talents & talented physical grinders.

[RhettRingers]

6 minutes ago, nascar99 said:

Wonder who actually has been doing most of the recruiting in recent years. How much was Berry doing? How about Jackson, Goehring, even Simpson over the past year? Feels like they haven't been aggressive enough to go hard after guys & get them, and have simply been getting the easier local/regional recruits, even resting on their laurels.

The CHL opening up is a get out of jail free card for the program, considering North Dakota's history with Western Canadians and all of the UND connections across Canada. Just not sure if the staff will work hard, tooth & nail, 24/7 to recruit the elite talents & talented physical grinders.

 

[WiSioux]

Has anyone collected schedule rumors yet and pieced it together? I don't want to search through 20 pages...

[Langster019]

24 minutes ago, nascar99 said:

Wonder who actually has been doing most of the recruiting in recent years. How much was Berry doing? How about Jackson, Goehring, even Simpson over the past year? Feels like they haven't been aggressive enough to go hard after guys & get them, and have simply been getting the easier local/regional recruits, even resting on their laurels.

The CHL opening up is a get out of jail free card for the program, considering North Dakota's history with Western Canadians and all of the UND connections across Canada. Just not sure if the staff will work hard, tooth & nail, 24/7 to recruit the elite talents & talented physical grinders.

It’s eye opening they’re not getting more talent even when you had the “Nodak Sens” just a few years ago. Both D and Forward palyers that were injected into their lineup almost immediately upon getting there. Why wouldn’t more kids see that and want that? Maybe that was an anomaly and the guys with nhl logos on the lineup card this year were more like a Collin Adams type. Can play D1 but won’t make it to the show. Kawaguchi was a recent surprise for me. He could change a game seemingly at will in college but never made it out of the AHL. 

[rochsioux]

13 minutes ago, WiSioux said:

Has anyone collected schedule rumors yet and pieced it together? I don't want to search through 20 pages...

Here’s what Schlossman has:

Tentative 2025-26 nonconference opponents

vs. Manitoba, Oct. 4 (exhibition)

vs. St. Thomas, Oct. 10-11 (changes TBD)

vs. Minnesota, Oct. 17-18

at Clarkson, Oct. 24-25

at Bemidji State, Nov. 28; vs. Bemidji State, Nov. 29

vs. Mercyhurst, Jan. 2-3

NCHC
Road: UND doesn't go to Miami or Denver.
Home: Colorado College and Western Michigan don't come to Grand Forks.

 

[nascar99]

9 minutes ago, Langster019 said:

It’s eye opening they’re not getting more talent even when you had the “Nodak Sens” just a few years ago. Both D and Forward palyers that were injected into their lineup almost immediately upon getting there. Why wouldn’t more kids see that and want that? Maybe that was an anomaly and the guys with nhl logos on the lineup card this year were more like a Collin Adams type. Can play D1 but won’t make it to the show. Kawaguchi was a recent surprise for me. He could change a game seemingly at will in college but never made it out of the AHL. 

Kawaguchi was never a surprise to me, simply based on statistics and age. He didn't enter the NCAA until his 20 year old season, and his 20 year old freshman production at UND was just fine. Same with his 21 year old sophomore season, just decent, so he didn't take off until his 22 year old season. If you don't produce very well at higher levels at younger ages, it's harder to make it to the NHL, unless you also have an elite trait or fit the bottom 6 work your ass off mold like Cole Smith. IIRC, Kawaguchi wasn't an elite skater.

Zellers is producing at a super elite level in a defensive junior league (USHL) in his 18 year old season. He will come in as a 19 year old freshman and I expect him to be an elite sniper from Day 1 as long as this staff doesn't screw him up.

What frustrated me most about 2024-25 was not seeing enough of the elite skill of Mac Swanson, some of which is certainly on him, but also most definitely on the coaches for the systems they ran that didn't fit Swanson's play style. Hope he makes a significant jump in year 2.

[MGsioux]

46 minutes ago, RhettRingers said:

 

Rhett, I know you are sharing information with a HIGH level of accuracy but fingers crossed you are 100% right on this one.  

[nascar99]

Is Ashton Schultz really going to decommit if they don't bring him in for 2025-26? He hasn't truly dominated junior yet, but he's been on a pretty bad Chicago Steel team to be fair. Unsure of his readiness to be a Day 1 contributor this fall.

[nodakgirl93]

43 minutes ago, rochsioux said:

Here’s what Schlossman has:

Tentative 2025-26 nonconference opponents

vs. Manitoba, Oct. 4 (exhibition)

vs. St. Thomas, Oct. 10-11 (changes TBD)

vs. Minnesota, Oct. 17-18

at Clarkson, Oct. 24-25

at Bemidji State, Nov. 28; vs. Bemidji State, Nov. 29

vs. Mercyhurst, Jan. 2-3

NCHC
Road: UND doesn't go to Miami or Denver.
Home: Colorado College and Western Michigan don't come to Grand Forks.

 

Very weak non conference schedule. Lose those games good luck making the tourney

[dustnyou]

Throw the whole bag at Gavin McKenna. Get him here for next season. UND then gets to have (probably) the #1 overall pick in the draft. That would do wonders to boost the program back up at a national level to attract more high end recruits going forward. So much press will surround this kid if he goes NCAA for one year. 

[nascar99]

10 minutes ago, nodakgirl93 said:

Very weak non conference schedule. Lose those games good luck making the tourney

Wish they'd play Wisconsin & Michigan every year or every other year. At least the Goofers are on the schedule

[ChetSteadman]

4 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

Throw the whole bag at Gavin McKenna. Get him here for next season. UND then gets to have (probably) the #1 overall pick in the draft. That would do wonders to boost the program back up at a national level to attract more high end recruits going forward. So much press will surround this kid if he goes NCAA for one year. 

What bag?

[dustnyou]

2 minutes ago, ChetSteadman said:

What bag?

There’s a bag

[RhettRingers]

17 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

Throw the whole bag at Gavin McKenna. Get him here for next season. UND then gets to have (probably) the #1 overall pick in the draft. That would do wonders to boost the program back up at a national level to attract more high end recruits going forward. So much press will surround this kid if he goes NCAA for one year. 

Would rather do what Nightingale does and give everyone the same amount. Zero egos in the locker room. Get kids that want to play for the program and not a check. You earn that when you get to the National League.

[nascar99]

So is UND going to sit on their hands this whole time because of the new coaching hire? No big moves until Jackson settles in? Or waiting until the CHL Playoffs & Memorial Cup are done to finally get some more CHL recruits?

[ChetSteadman]

12 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

There’s a bag

Of all you can eat tacos.

[gfhockey]

21 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

Throw the whole bag at Gavin McKenna. Get him here for next season. UND then gets to have (probably) the #1 overall pick in the draft. That would do wonders to boost the program back up at a national level to attract more high end recruits going forward. So much press will surround this kid if he goes NCAA for one year. 

Agreed

 

we need some good press

[Blackheart]

22 minutes ago, ChetSteadman said:

What bag?

Dot's Pretzels?