Denver claimed the 2023 Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions (photo: Denver Athletics).
The NCHC on Tuesday unveiled its 2023-24 preseason media poll, with Denver being selected to win the Penrose Cup for a third straight year.
This marks the second straight season the Pioneers were picked atop the poll.
Denver totaled 199 points in this year’s poll, while picking up 11 of a possible 28 first-place votes. North Dakota came in second in the poll with 175 points, despite garnering one more first-place vote than DU (12).
A total of 28 ballots were submitted by local media members from each school, as well as select national media. Points were awarded on a descending scale with a first-place vote worth eight points, a second-place vote worth seven points, and so on.
2023 NCHC Preseason Media Poll
1. Denver – 199 points (11 first-place votes)
2. North Dakota – 175 (12)
3. St. Cloud State – 155 (2)
4. Western Michigan – 126 (2)
5. Minnesota Duluth – 123 (1)
6. Omaha – 113
7. Colorado College – 89
8. Miami – 28
Caroline Harvey celebrates a goal during her freshman season a year ago for the Badgers (photo: Meg Kelly).
Defending national champion Wisconsin and defending league champion Ohio State are the picks among league head coaches to win the WCHA’s 2023-24 regular-season title in the annual coaches poll.
Each team received four first-place votes and totaled 46 points in preseason polling among the WCHA’s eight coaches.
2023-24 WCHA Coaches Poll (Coaches could not vote for their own team. First-place votes are in parentheses)
1. Wisconsin (4) 46 points
1. Ohio State (4) 46
3. Minnesota 35
4. Minnesota Duluth 33
5. St. Cloud State 27
6. Minnesota State 17
6. St. Thomas 17
8. Bemidji State 7
In addition, individual players were recognized.
Preseason WCHA Player of the Year
Caroline Harvey, So., D, Wisconsin (7 votes)
Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year
Joy Dunne, F, Ohio State (5 votes)
Hockey East announced Tuesday that Eric Haugen has been named the recipient of the 2023 Joe Concannon Award.
Haugen accepted his award as part of the league’s media day, held at TD Garden.
The prestigious honor, named in 2001 in memory of beloved Boston Globe sportswriter Joe Concannon, is presented to an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding body of work in covering and/or promoting the interests of Hockey East.
A Minnesota native who graduated from Princeton, Haugen currently serves as senior director, multi-platform programming at NESN. His duties include day-to-day oversight of scheduling for all NESN-affiliated networks, rights acquisition across NESN platforms, and relationship management with NESN’s college and minor pro partners. He also contributes to the planning for NESN’s Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins shoulder programming and oversees coverage of the network’s non-pro live events.
Since joining NESN in 2010, Haugen has expanded the network’s relationship with Hockey East through innovations like flex scheduling, the creation of new telecast windows beyond the league’s traditional Friday night presence, and the integration of Hockey East content into NESN’s Bruins coverage.
Before joining NESN, Haugen spent four years in programming at the NHL league office and did a two-year stint at NFL Films/NFL Network. He began his career at ESPN, where he rose quickly through the ranks before spending two years as a producer on “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight.”
Jackson Blake compiled 16 goals and 42 points last season for North Dakota (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).
Four teams are represented on the 2023-24 NCHC preseason all-conference team selected by media members.
Denver and North Dakota each placed two players on the six-man team, while St. Cloud State and Colorado College each have one student-athlete on the squad.
2023-24 NCHC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM (out of 27 ballots)
F – Jackson Blake, North Dakota – 25 votes
F – Massimo Rizzo, Denver – 24 votes
F – Riese Gaber, North Dakota – 17 votes
D – Jack Peart, St. Cloud State – 23 votes
D – Sean Behrens, Denver – 19 votes
G – Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College – 23 votes
Media members voted for three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender on their ballot with each vote worth one point. The top three vote-getters at forward, top two defensemen and highest vote-getting goaltender made up the preseason all-conference team. A total of 27 ballots were submitted by media members covering each team, as well as select national college hockey media.
From left, Brian Burke, Katie King Crowley, Brian Murphy.
College hockey alumni Brian Burke (Providence), Katie King Crowley (Brown, Boston College) and Brian Murphy (Hockey East) will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as members of the class of 2023.
They are joined by Dustin Brown and Jamie Langenbrunner.
“It’s an amazing class and a group that truly reflects extraordinary,” said Mike Trimboli, president of USA Hockey, in a statement. “Their accomplishments are varied and far-reaching, and the positive impact they’ve had on the game — and will continue to have — will no doubt benefit generations to come.”
Burke was born in Providence but grew up in Minnesota and attended Edina High School where he was a standout on the hockey team. He returned to the East Coast and played college hockey for Providence where he served as captain his senior season. Burke then played one full season in the AHL with the Maine Mariners, helping the team to a Calder Cup championship, before hanging up his skates and attending Harvard Law School, where he graduated in 1981.
He went on work as an NHL player agent before joining the Vancouver Canucks front office in 1987 for a five-year stint as director of hockey operations. Burke briefly served as general manager of the Hartford Whalers before joining the NHL office as executive vice president and director of hockey operations, where he worked for six seasons.
Burke’s next stop was as general manager for the Vancouver Canucks, notably acquiring Hockey Hall of Fame players Daniel and Henrik Sedin during his tenure. He then moved on to serve as executive vice president of hockey operations and general manager of the Anaheim Ducks, where he oversaw the franchise winning its first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2007.
Burke was tabbed as president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2010 before being hired three years later by the Calgary Flames as president of hockey operations, a role he also held for parts of three seasons (2020-23) with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Today, he serves as the first-ever executive director of the Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association.
While his work in the NHL has been at the forefront, Burke has supported U.S. efforts on the international stage and was a driver in USA Hockey establishing the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group in 2007 to assist with the selection of players and staff for top international events. Burke was an original member of the group and served with other U.S. general managers for nearly a decade.
As general manager of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, Burke was the lead architect in building a team that earned the silver medal. He also served as director of player personnel for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and had management roles for U.S. Men’s National Teams for the 2009 and 2010 IIHF Men’s World Championships and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Burke has also worked in broadcasting during his career, including as an analyst for both Rogers and Sportsnet.
A strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, Burke established the You Can Play project that targets homophobia and promoting safety and inclusion in sports, in honor of his late son, Brendan.
A three-time Olympic medalist, King Crowley, from Salem, N.H., was one of the most dynamic scorers in the world during her nine-year (1997-2006) playing career with the U.S. Women’s National Team. Today, she continues to be an important contributor to the growth and development of the game, including through her role as the head coach of the Boston College women’s ice hockey team.
King Crowley, with eight points (four goals, four assists) in six games, helped the U.S. capture the very first gold medal awarded in women’s hockey at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. She went on to also earn an Olympic silver medal in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy. King Crowley has 14 total Olympic goals, which put her tied for first in the U.S. record books, and her 23 Olympic points (14 goals, nine assists) are fourth best.
King Crowley also donned the stars and stripes at six IIHF Women’s World Championships where she helped the U.S. to its first-ever gold medal in 2005 and silver-medal finishes in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004.
King Crowley competed in 223 career games with the U.S. Women’s National Team and ranks third all-time with 278 points (153 goals, 125 assists).
She attended Brown where she was a standout athlete in both hockey and softball. She is a three-time Ivy League player of the year in hockey (1995, 1996, 1997) and was also named ECAC player of the year in 1997. She is the Bears’ all-time leader in points with 206 (123 goals, 83 assists) in 100 career games. King Crowley was also the Ivy League player of the year (1996) and Ivy League pitcher of the year (1997) in softball.
Following her retirement as a player in 2006, King Cowley joined the Boston College women’s team as an assistant coach before assuming the head coaching position in 2007. In 16 seasons behind the Eagles’ bench, King Crowley has guided BC to six NCAA Frozen Fours (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017), 11 NCAA tournaments (2009, 2011-2019, 2021), five Hockey East regular-season titles (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18), three Hockey East tournament championships (2011, 2016, 2017) and six Beanpot crowns (2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018).
Additionally, King Crowley served as an assistant coach for two U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Teams at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, helping Team USA to gold in 2009 and silver in 2010.
Murphy, a Dover, N.H., native, is one of two Americans and just eight individuals all time to officiate over 2,000 NHL regular-season games. During his 32-year career (1988-2020), Murphy officiated nine Stanley Cup Finals and 304 playoff games, as well as other high-profile NHL events like the 1999 NHL All-Star Game in Tampa, Fla., and the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston.
Murphy also boasts an accomplished international officiating resume, including working the 2004 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.
Murphy served as the president of the NHL Officials Association from 2008 to 2015 and was also on the organization’s executive board from 1994 to 1999.
Murphy made his NHL debut in 1988 in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals and was promoted to a full-time NHL linesman for the 1990 season. As an official during the NHL’s transition period to the two-referee system, Murphy is one of a few officials to work as both a referee and a linesman.
Having played hockey throughout high school, Murphy began officiating as a student while attending New Hampshire in 1983 and worked his way up from youth and adult games to New Hampshire high school games. Murphy made the switch to linesman when he began officiating Hockey East games during the 1986-87 NCAA season and went on to officiate the 1988 Beanpot, Hockey East and NCAA Frozen Four championship games.
Murphy, who for three decades has been an instructor at USA Hockey officiating development camps, worked the 1986 and 1987 U.S Olympic Festivals where he caught the eye of NHL officiating scouts.
Murphy currently serves as the supervisor of men’s officials for Hockey East.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction celebration, which will feature the formal enshrinement of the class of 2023 and also include the presentation of the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy, will be held Dec. 6 in Boston. Additional details will be provided later this month.
St. Cloud State men’s and women’s hockey head coaches Brett Larson and Brian Idalski have jointly announced the addition of Lenny Hofmann to their coaching staffs where he will serve as the director of operations and video coordinator for both teams.
Hofmann joins St. Cloud State after 14 seasons at numerous stops across collegiate and junior hockey, including the past three seasons with Alaska as an assistant coach.
“We are very excited to add Lenny to our coaching staffs for both the men’s and women’s team,” said Larson in a statement. “In addition to his elite resume and skillset for the position, his passion for hockey and his pursuit to help student- athletes succeed at the collegiate level will make him a wonderful addition for St. Cloud State hockey. We are honored to welcome Lenny to the Husky family.”
“We’re extremely excited to add Lenny to the hockey staff,” added Idalski. “His knowledge of the game, passion for the sport and experience in a variety of roles adds immense value to our programs. I’m super excited to have him on board.”
Last season at Alaska, Hoffmann he helped the Nanooks win 22 games in 2022-23, its most victories in a single season since 2001-02. Prior to his time in Fairbanks, Hofmann spent 10 seasons in the USHL as an assistant coach with the Tri-City Storm (2010-13) and as the director of scouting with the Green Bay Gamblers (2014-19). He also spent the 2013-14 season with the USHL as its manager of player development, where he coordinated all USHL combines and directed central scouting and scouting reports.
Following his graduation from Saint Mary’s with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations in 2004, Hofmann started his coaching career with his alma mater where he assisted in video and pre-game preparations as well as recruiting and academic advising. After three seasons with the Cardinals, Hofmann moved over to St. Scholastica, where he spent two seasons (2008-10) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
Hofmann played four seasons for Saint Mary’s, recording 97 points (36 goals, 61 assists) in 98 games. He earned All-MIAC honors in his senior season, where he had 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 2003-04.
Mercyhurst has hired Emily Ach as an assistant coach with the Lakers women’s hockey team.
Ach comes to Erie after having spent the past couple of years as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State. While there, she also spent time on the national stage, working for USA Hockey as a director of hockey operations for the under-22 team. Prior to that, she worked as an administrative assistant, coach, and girls development director for Dark Horse Athletics with MAP Hockey.
“I am extremely excited to start this new journey at Mercyhurst University,” Ach said in a news release. “I can’t thank Coach (Mike) Sisti enough for giving me the opportunity to coach with and learn from an incredible staff with years of experience. The women’s hockey program has a strong tradition of success that stems from community and culture, and I am grateful that I get the opportunity to contribute to such tradition and progress the winning standard. I am looking forward to the season ahead with the staff, players, and fans.”
Ach earned her bachelor’s degree in middle elementary education, and mathematics from Augsburg, before attending St. Cloud State where she played while working towards her master’s degree in sports management.
“It is awesome to add Emily to our staff,” Sisti said. “She has plenty of experience and a great passion for the game. Emily has a very impressive work ethic, and she should be able to hit the ground running with our program. We are happy to welcome her to Mercyhurst University and I am looking forward to working with her this season.”
Brockport and Geneseo men’s hockey programs are set to join the UCHC for the 2024-25 season, setting the men’s hockey membership at eight teams for that season.
“We are honored to add Geneseo and Brockport, two teams that have a rich history of competing at a high level and doing things the right way under great leadership” said UCHC commissioner Chuck Mitrano in a statement. “They enhance our competitive profile nationally and fit perfectly geographically. The future is very bright for the UCHC.”
Brockport sponsors 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports with a total roster of 650 student-athletes and is celebrating its 50th hockey season at the varsity level in 2023-24.
“We are thrilled and honored by the acceptance of our hockey program into the United Collegiate Hockey Conference,” said Brockport athletic director Erick Hart. “This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to excellence. Joining this prestigious conference will not only elevate the level of competition we face but also provide our student-athletes with incredible opportunities to showcase their talents on a larger stage. We look forward to making our mark in the UCHC and continuing to uphold the proud traditions of SUNY Brockport hockey.”
The Golden Eagles play at Wegmans Ice Arena on campus, which seats 2,000 fans.
“We’re honored and excited that SUNY Brockport hockey has been accepted into the United Collegiate Hockey Conference,” said Brockport coach Brian Dickinson. “This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players, coaching staff, and the entire Brockport community. We look forward to competing at the highest level and representing our school with pride and passion on the ice. The future is bright, and we can’t wait to make our mark in the UCHC.”
Geneseo competes in 21 varsity sports and has finished in the top 25 in the Division III Learfield Sports/NACDA Directors Cup standings each of the last six completed years of competition.
The Geneseo’s men’s hockey program has become a perennial Division III championship contender. Overall, the Ice Knights have made nine NCAA tournament appearances, including six since the 2013-14 season, highlighted by a trip to the national championship game in 2022. Geneseo has also won five of the last seven SUNYAC championships and have won eight conference titles in program history.
“We are so grateful for the opportunity to join the UCHC,” said Geneseo athletic director Dani Drews. “Geneseo’s hockey program is such a source of pride for our entire community. We are excited for the Ice Knights to represent the UCHC and continue their quest for an NCAA championship.”
The Ice Knights play at the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena, located in the Merritt Athletic Center on campus, which holds 1,600 fans.
“Division III hockey is rapidly evolving, and our new journey begins in the UCHC,” said Geneseo coach Chris Schultz. “We are looking forward to competing in a newly aligned conference that focuses on the student-athlete experience and a competitive sportsmanship that will take the conference to new heights. I would like to personally thank President Battles, vice president for student and campus life, Michael Taberski, director of athletics, Dani Drews, and our new commissioner, Chuck Mitrano, for their guidance in this new endeavor. We are confident that the Geneseo hockey tradition will continue to be a beacon at the national level.”
Both Brockport and Geneseo will begin multi-sport play in the Empire 8 conference in 2024-25.
UCHC men’s programs will consist of Brockport, Chatham, Geneseo, Manhattanville, Nazareth, Neumann, Utica and Wilkes for the 2024-25 season.
Dave Cencer has held numerous roles at Ferris State (photo: Provided by Dave Cencer).
Longtime Ferris State staff member Dave Cencer has been named an assistant coach for the Bulldogs.
Cencer, who has served as the program’s coordinator of athletic performance, will work with the Bulldogs’ goaltenders.
“We’re excited to move Dave into this role and he’s highly deserving to be labeled as an assistant coach,” said FSU head coach Bob Daniels in a statement. “He’s been extremely important to our program for many years and will play an even greater role moving forward both in terms of on-ice coaching and recruiting.”
Beginning his 18th year as a member of the FSU coaching staff in 2023-24, Cencer has led the program’s off-ice efforts as the strength and conditioning coach during his Bulldog tenure along with serving as the program’s video coordinator. In his time with Ferris State hockey, Cencer has implemented the latest in sports science technology, using First Beat Technologies to monitor heart rate, energy expenditure and recovery.
Cencer has coordinated all on-ice and off-ice strength training and conditioning for the Bulldogs. He holds a master’s degree in exercise science along with certifications from the NSCA (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) and USA Weightlifting.
In 2016, Cencer was named to the Michigan Advisory Board of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has also been a presenter for the NSCA at both state and national conferences.
In addition to his experience at Ferris State, Cencer coached the 2009-10 season with the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks organization.
Cencer, also a competitive cyclist, earned a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University.
Ryan Massa has been a volunteer assistant for DU since 2021 (photo: Harrison Barden/Clarkson Creative Photography).
Denver has announced that Ryan Massa has been named an assistant coach for the Pioneers.
Massa first joined Denver’s staff on Aug. 1, 2021 as a volunteer assistant where he worked with the team’s goaltenders, assisted in on-ice skill development and provided scouting reports for the student-athletes. He also assisted in managing the bench during games.
“Ryan has fit into our Pioneer family since joining us as a volunteer assistant two years ago, and I’m thrilled to elevate him within our staff,” said DU coach David Carle in a statement. “His previous work with our goaltenders and assisting in skills with our other players have been a huge benefit for our team, and having his presence every day will continue to elevate our program in our push for another national championship.”
“My family and I are grateful and enthusiastic for the opportunity to stay within the Pioneer family, and I am looking forward to pursuing a historic 10th national championship with this program,” Massa added. “I love getting to work every day with our staff and players, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
Prior to joining DU, Massa spent four years training goaltenders at various levels in the state of Colorado. He also serves as the director of goaltending for Total Package Hockey.
Massa graduated from Omaha with a degree in finance and investment banking in 2015 while also playing four years for the Mavericks. He backstopped UNO to the program’s only NCAA Frozen Four appearance in 2014-15 while producing a 14-8-6 record with a 1.96 GAA and .939 save percentage.
After his time at Omaha, Massa played two seasons with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears from 2015 to 2017 before co-founding Elite Edge Athlete in the Denver area in 2018.
The Middle Atlantic Conference has announced that MAC men’s and women’s hockey will become an NCAA automatic qualifier sport beginning with the 2024-25 season.
The MAC has sponsored men’s and women’s hockey as a championship sport since 2017-18, but the MAC was not eligible for an NCAA championship automatic berth with fewer than six schools sponsoring the sports.
“This is the next logical step in the growth of ice hockey in the Middle Atlantic region,” said MAC executive director Megan Morrison in a statement. “The UCHC has been a good home for MAC institutions sponsoring ice hockey and we hope to continue that partnership through mutual scheduling arrangements to support the growth of the sport even further.”
In 2024-25, with the addition of Misericordia men’s hockey and Hood women’s hockey, under NCAA rules, the MAC will be immediately eligible for automatic berths in the NCAA Division III national tournaments.
With six institutions sponsoring men’s and women’s hockey in 2024-25, the MAC will develop a regular-season conference schedule, institute a championship and award an NCAA automatic qualifier. MAC schools sponsoring hockey will separate from the UCHC.
Men’s hockey will include Alvernia, Arcadia, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Misericordia, and Stevenson while Alvernia, Arcadia, Hood, King’s, Lebanon Valley, and Stevenson will compete in women’s hockey.
Trinity assistant men’s hockey coach C.J. Eick has left the Bantams after one season to take a similar position with the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks.
“Throughout the process of assessing candidates, it was evident that C.J. has a tremendous ability to communicate, is extremely personable and genuine, has vast playing experience and hockey knowledge, and is passionate and driven,” said Black Hawks head coach Matt Smaby in a statement. “We think C.J.’s going to be a great addition to our organization and someone that will be a wonderful resource for all of our players.”
During a four-season stint at Michigan Tech from 2012 to 2016, Eick helped the Huskies to the 2015 NCAA tournament and scored a goal in the Huskies’ regional overtime loss to St. Cloud State. Overall, he played in 145 college games, recording 14 goals and 38 assists.
Eick graduated from MTU with a bachelor’s degree in sports and fitness management.
Tyler Walsh is starting his sixth season with Colby in 2023-24 (photo: Colby Athletics).
Colby has promoted Tyler Walsh to assistant head coach with the Mules men’s hockey team.
Walsh, beginning his sixth season with Colby, started his tenure as assistant coach for the team in the 2018-19 season.
Before Colby, the 2014 graduate of Maine was the head hockey coach and assistant athletic director at North Yarmouth since 2016. Walsh was recruiting throughout New England and Canada during his time at NYA.
He started his coaching career as a student assistant coach under then-Maine coach Tim Whitehead in the 2012-13 season and stayed in Division I hockey as the director of hockey operations at Canisius in 2013-14.
Walsh then headed to Michigan to work as an assistant with USA Hockey’s NTDP.
Chatham has announced the addition of Jordan Ott to the women’s hockey coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Ott Joins Chatham after having spent the past three seasons as head coach at King’s.
Prior to King’s, Ott was the head softball coach at Potsdam.
“I am extremely excited to have Coach Ott join our staff here at Chatham,” Chatham head coach Mike O’Grady said in a statement. “Her hockey IQ and vision for how she wants to help our program were unmatched and I know she will be a tremendous resource for our players as we look to take another step forward this season.”
Ott brings professional hockey experience to the Cougars, having played for the NWHL’s Buffalo Beauts in 2017-18.
Ott was a four-year standout for both the women’s hockey and softball teams at Potsdam. She finished her career as the program’s all-time leader in goals, points, points per game, goals per game, game-winning goals, power-play goals and short-handed goals. In 2022, Ott was inducted into the Potsdam Athletics Hall of Fame.
In the classroom, Ott graduated with a B.A in Childhood/Early Childhood Education from Potsdam in 2017 and a Master’s of Science in Education in 2019.
Tyler Helton has been involved with UConn hockey since he was a freshman in the fall of 2013 (photo: UConn Athletics).
UConn has announced that Tyler Helton has been promoted to associate head coach heading into the 2023-24 season.
Helton is entering his sixth season on the UConn coaching staff and has been a part of the program since his freshman year in 2013.
“Since he has joined our program, Tyler’s contributions to UConn hockey have been immeasurable,” said Huskies head coach Mike Cavanaugh in a statement. “He is a great young coach in the sport, I am thrilled to announce his new role and have him as a part of my staff.”
Helton has been involved in multiple facets of the program, working with the Huskies defensemen and special teams units while also assisting with all aspects of recruiting.
“I could not be more excited to continue my coaching career at the University of Connecticut,” said Helton. “I would like to thank Coach Cavanaugh and David Benedict for all the support they have given through the process and entrusting me with this responsibility. UConn has been my home since 2013 and I am glad I can continue to work at such an amazing university.”
Away from Storrs, Helton has worked with USA Hockey district camps in New England and the Atlantic regions since the fall of 2016, scouting and evaluating top players and assisting with practice planning. He worked as a coach at the Western Regional High-Performance Camp in 2017 and 2018, working with players from the western United States. He began working with USA Hockey at the national camp in the summer of 2014 and has been a part of that program every summer ever since, coaching and evaluating players and assisting with player selection for the U17 and U16 teams.
Christiano Versich has been named the next assistant coach of the Canton men’s hockey program.
Versich, a 2021 graduate of St. Thomas, also spent three seasons with Colorado College. He comes to Canton after playing professional hockey last season for Cergy-Pontoise in the France Ligue Magnus and for DEAC in the Erste Liga in Hungary.
“I am ecstatic to have Christiano part of our program and working with our players this year,” said Roos head coach Alex Boak in a statement. “I think Christiano will bring a vast knowledge of the game from his experience playing at the Division I level as well as the professional ranks overseas. Our players and I will benefit from having Christiano part of our staff and he will certainly enhance our players development and performance on the ice this season and beyond.”
During his time at Colorado College, Verisch recorded 45 points (13 goals, 32 assists) in 106 games. After transferring back closer to home to St. Thomas, he recorded five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 31 games.
“I am extremely grateful, honored and excited for the opportunity to join SUNY Canton’s coaching staff,” Versich said. “I cannot wait to get started with the team and Coach Boak. I am looking forward to assisting and continuing to build a special program that is already in place in every aspect I can.”
Prior to taking the reins at Arcadia, Vincent Pietrangelo was a volunteer assistant coach at Ferris State (USCHO file photo).
The Lake Superior State hockey team has added Vincent Pietrangelo as an assistant coach.
Pietrangelo has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of Arcadia, where he led the Knights to an 11-37-3 overall record.
“We want to welcome Vinny to Laker hockey,” said LSSU head coach Damon Whitten in a statement. “We are looking forward to his addition to our staff and program.”
Prior to his time with Arcadia, Pietrangelo served as the lead assistant coach for Canton.
Pietrangelo has also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Ferris State during the 2015-16 season, working with skill development, video breakdown, statistical analysis, and practice planning.
As a player, Pietrangelo was a defenseman at Finlandia, where he was one of only two freshmen to dress every game during the 2010-11 season.
“We’ve been fortunate to get to know Vinny, working with him the last few summers,” Whitten said. “He brings tremendous passion and energy to the game. Among his greatest strengths are his ability to relate and connect with players, allowing for maximum development, and as a former head coach, he will bring a unique perspective to our staff as well.”
Pietrangelo graduated with a bachelor of science in healthcare services administration from Ferris State in 2015, and he earned a master’s degree in sport management from Cortland in 2021.
Riley Colvard spent last season coaching with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers (photo: Des Moines Buccaneers).
Bentley has announced the hiring of Riley Colvard as an assistant coach with the men’s hockey team.
Colvard spent the previous six seasons as an assistant coach in the USHL and NAHL junior hockey ranks.
“I am thrilled to be adding Riley to our hockey program’s coaching staff,” said Bentley head coach Andy Jones in a statement. “I have known Riley for many years and have watched him grow tremendously as a coach and a leader during his time in the USHL. He has a strong work ethic, is detailed oriented, and has a passion for both player development and recruiting. We are excited to welcome Riley and his wife Mariah to the Bentley community.”
Colvard was an assistant coach with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers last season and helped the team reach the league playoffs.
Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach and director of scouting with the Sioux Falls Stampede from 2018 to 2022. He helped lead the Stampede to the 2019 Clark Cup as USHL champions.
His first stop as a coach was as an assistant with the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness during the 2017-18 season.
Colvard is a 2017 graduate of Wisconsin-Stout, where he played on the men’s hockey team for four years.
