Penn State goalie Arsenii Sergeev has the ability to steal games on his own (photo: Penn State Athletics).
Penn State junior goaltender Arsenii Sergeev has signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
The Flames originally chose Sergeev in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
“We are extremely happy for Arsi signing a well-deserved NHL contract with Calgary,” said Nittany Lions coach Guy Gadowsky in a statenent. “He was a great player on the ice, but made an even greater impact to our program and our locker room off the ice. Arsenii is such a fun lovable competitive teammate, and he will surely be missed, but he has a home at Penn State forever.”
Sergeev backstopped Penn State to its first-ever Frozen Four while becoming the first Nittany Lion goaltender to earn a spot on either the all-B1G first or second team after landing second team honors back in March.
The Yaroslavl, Russia, native turned in one of the best goaltending seasons in Penn State history posting a 19-9-4 record with a .919 save percentage and a 2.54 goals-against average and four shutouts.
Sergeev’s 19 wins this season tied for the top spot in the Big Ten and are tied for the second-most in a single-season by a Nittany Lion netminder with his save percentage and goals-against average each ranking third-best while his four shutouts are a new Penn State single-season record as well as tied for the career standard and also paced the Big Ten and ranked tied for fourth nationally.
Seegeev leaves Hockey Valley as the program’s all-time leader in save percentage (.919), goals-against average (2.54), winning percentage (.679) and is tied for the lead in shutouts (4) while his 19 wins are good for fifth all-time.
He played from 2022 to 2024 at UConn before transferring to Penn State.
Sergeev was also named Big Ten first star of the week on three separate occasions becoming the lone Nittany Lion to earn three or more guest star recognitions in the same season.
“Before I got to Penn State, I was nervous about what it would be like, but, now, I’ve made memories, friendships, and a second family that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” said Sergeev. “The coaching staff here and my teammates have made me a better player on the ice and a better person off the ice and I am forever grateful for my time in Hockey Valley.”
Ryan Greene donned the ‘C’ in 2024-25 for BU (photo: Mike Last).
The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks have announced that the team has agreed to terms with Boston University forward Ryan Greene on a three-year, entry-level contract that runs through the 2026-27 season.
Greene recorded 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 40 games during his junior season with BU in 2024-25, helping the team reach the national championship game. Named team captain at the start of the season, Greene finished the campaign ranking third on the team in assists and points and fourth in goals, establishing new collegiate career highs in each category.
Hailing from St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Greene skated in 118 career games with the Terriers from 2022 to 2025, totaling 104 points (34 goals, 70 assists). During his freshman campaign in 2022-23, Greene was named to the Hockey East all-rookie team and helped the Terriers to Hockey East regular-season and tournament championships.
Greene was originally selected by the Blackhawks in the second round (57th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
BU knocked off Penn State in a national semifinal last Thursday in St. Louis (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of March 24 fared in games since that time.
No. 1 Michigan State (26-7-4)
03/27/2025 – No. 16 Cornell 4 vs No. 1 Michigan State 3 (NCAA Toledo Regional Semifinal)
No. 2 Boston College (27-8-2)
03/28/2025 – No. 20 Bentley 1 vs No. 2 Boston College 3 (NCAA Manchester Regional Semifinal)
03/30/2025 – No. 6 Denver 3 vs No. 2 Boston College 1 (NCAA Manchester Regional Championship)
No. 3 Western Michigan (34-7-1)
003/27/2025 – No. 14 Minnesota State 1 vs No. 3 Western Michigan 2 (2OT, NCAA Fargo Regional Semifinal)
03/29/2025 – No. 13 Massachusetts 1 vs No. 3 Western Michigan 2 (NCAA Fargo Regional Championship)
04/10/2025 – No. 6 Denver 2 vs No. 3 Western Michigan 3 (2OT, NCAA National Semifinal (St. Louis, MO))
04/12/2025 – No. 8 Boston University 2 vs No. 3 Western Michigan 6 (NCAA National Championship (St. Louis, MO))
No. 4 Maine (24-8-6)
03/28/2025 – No. 12 Penn State 5 vs No. 4 Maine 1 (NCAA Allentown Regional Semifinal)
No. 6 Denver (31-12-1)
03/28/2025 – No. 6 Denver 5 vs No. 10 Providence 1 (NCAA Manchester Regional Semifinal)
03/30/2025 – No. 6 Denver 3 vs No. 2 Boston College 1 (NCAA Manchester Regional Championship)
04/10/2025 – No. 6 Denver 2 vs No. 3 Western Michigan 3 (2OT, NCAA National Semifinal (St. Louis, MO))
No. 7 Connecticut (23-12-4)
03/28/2025 – No. 11 Quinnipiac 1 vs No. 7 Connecticut 4 (NCAA Allentown Regional Semifinal)
03/30/2025 – No. 12 Penn State 3 vs No. 7 Connecticut 2 (OT, NCAA Allentown Regional Championship)
No. 8 Boston University (24-14-2)
03/27/2025 – No. 9 Ohio State 3 vs No. 8 Boston University 8 (NCAA Toledo Regional Semifinal)
03/29/2025 – No. 16 Cornell 2 vs No. 8 Boston University 3 (OT, NCAA Toledo Regional Championship)
04/10/2025 – No. 12 Penn State 1 vs No. 8 Boston University 3 (NCAA National Semifinal (St. Louis, MO))
04/12/2025 – No. 8 Boston University 2 vs No. 3 Western Michigan 6 (NCAA National Championship (St. Louis, MO))
No. 9 Ohio State (24-14-2)
03/27/2025 – No. 9 Ohio State 3 vs No. 8 Boston University 8 (NCAA Toledo Regional Semifinal)
No. 10 Providence (21-11-5)
03/28/2025 – No. 6 Denver 5 vs No. 10 Providence 1 (NCAA Manchester Regional Semifinal)
No. 12 Penn State (22-14-4)
03/28/2025 – No. 12 Penn State 5 vs No. 4 Maine 1 (NCAA Allentown Regional Semifinal)
03/30/2025 – No. 12 Penn State 3 vs No. 7 Connecticut 2 (OT, NCAA Allentown Regional Championship)
04/10/2025 – No. 12 Penn State 1 vs No. 8 Boston University 3 (NCAA National Semifinal (St. Louis, MO))
Denver’s Zeev Buium was named 2024-25 NCHC player of the year (photo: Martin Gonzalez).
Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium has signed a three-year, entry-level contract beginning this season with the Minnesota Wild.
Buium is expected to make his NHL debut on Tuesday night in the Wild’s regular-season finale against the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The DU sophomore was named the NCHC player of the year during the 2024-25 season, and he led all NCAA defensemen in scoring with 48 points while ranking second among all skaters with 35 assists — only teammate Jack Devine had more helpers in the country (44). A unanimous selection on the NCHC all-conference first team for the second consecutive campaign, Buium recorded a career-high 13 goals and registered multiple points 13 times. He picked up points in 30 of 41 games he played and tallied 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in the final 31 outings.
A Hobey Baker Award hat trick finalist — Denver’s first since Bobby Brink in 2022 — Buium finished third overall in scoring and blocked shots (50), second in penalty minutes (44), and his plus-17 rating was tied for the fourth highest on the squad. He was also named a first team all-American for the second straight season, becoming one of 14 repeat all-Americans in Denver’s history and joined Devine as the school’s first repeat first-team members since Henrik Borgstrom in 2017 and 2018.
Buium garnered NCAA Northeast Regional most outstanding player honors this postseason after combining for five points on two goals and three assists in victories against No. 2-seed Providence and No. 1 Boston College on March 28-30 to help Denver secure its second straight Frozen Four berth and its sixth trip to the final weekend in the last nine seasons. The rearguard tallied in both outings of regionals to stretch his goal streak to a personal-best three games, and he picked up his fifth three-point outing of 2024-25 with a goal and two assists against the Friars in the regional semifinals.
The San Diego, Calif., native began the campaign with three assists on Oct. 5 at Alaska Anchorage and scored three goals on Nov. 15 at North Dakota to become the first Pioneer defenseman to record a hat trick since Ryan Caldwell on Feb. 14, 2004 versus Minnesota State. It was the 10th hat trick by a D-man in school history and was just the third three-goal outing by a rearguard in the NCHC — Western Michigan’s Ronnie Attard had the previous two on Oct. 19, 2021 at Colgate and Feb. 4, 2022 at Colorado College. Buium also recorded a trio of points on Nov. 9 vs. Lindenwood (three assists) and Jan. 10 vs. Miami (goal, two assists) and owns 10 such three-point contests in his collegiate career.
He was named NCHC defenseman of the week three times this past year and six times in his career, including earning the honor following a four-point weekend (goal, three assists) against Miami on Jan. 10-11. Those were his first games back at Denver after helping the United States win its second straight gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. The defenseman served as an alternate captain on Team USA, averaged the second-most ice time among all players at the tournament (25:13) and had assists on both the game-tying and overtime-winning goals in the championship final against Finland.
A repeat winner of the NCHC offensive defenseman of the year award in 2024-25, Buium finishes his career ranked 10th all-time in scoring by a DU rearguard with 98 career points (24 goals, 74 assists). It was the most points by a Pioneer blueliner in their first two seasons since Greg Woods had a pair of 52-point campaigns as a freshman and sophomore in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
Buium reached the half-century mark in his freshman campaign at Denver in 2023-24, recording his 50th point on an assist in the Frozen Four national championship game against No. 1 Boston College to help the Pioneers capture its NCAA-record 10th national title. He finished the year with 11 goals and 39 assists in 42 games.
He ranked second on the Pioneers in scoring behind Devine last campaign, and it was the first 50-point season by a Denver freshman since 1983-84 (John McMillan, 57; Dwight Mathiasen, 51). Overall, it was just the sixth time a Denver rookie reached the mark and the third instance by a Pioneer blueliner, with him joining Craig Redmond (54) in 1982-83 and Greg Woods (52) in 1975-76. The Californian was recognized as the NCHC rookie of the year and was a finalist for the Tim Taylor Award as the national rookie of the year.
Making his collegiate debut on Oct. 7, 2023 at Alaska, Buium recorded his first point on Oct. 8 at UAF with a goal and also added an assist for his first of 25 career multi-point contests. Buium went on a personal-long 12-game point streak (four goals, 17 assists) from Nov. 3-Dec. 9, 2023 for the longest by a freshman defenseman in the NCAA in the last 21 years (online databases presently don’t go back any further than 2002), surpassing Boston University’s Lane Hutson’s previous long of 11 games in a row from Dec. 11, 2022-Feb. 6, 2023. It was also the longest streak ever by a defenseman in NCHC history.
Buium registered a career high in points with four assists on Nov. 25, 2023 against Yale, tied for the most helpers in a game during the season by a Pioneer and the most by a DU freshman defenseman since at least 2002. The performance also marked just the third such instance since 2016 by a rookie D-man in the NCAA (Boston University’s Lane Hutson, Feb. 3, 2023 vs. Maine; Minnesota’s Brock Faber, 5, March 27, 2021 vs. Omaha). Overall, it was just the 14th time that a Denver defenseman recorded at least four helpers in a game and marked just the fifth occurrence since 2004-05. He went on to tie his career high in points with one goal and three assists on Jan. 20, 2024 at Omaha.
Overall, Buium registered 12 multi-point games and tallied three or more points on five occasions as a freshman. He tied for the team lead with his brother, Shai, and ranked fourth in the NCAA with a plus-33 rating — the highest ever by a Pioneer since the statistic first began being tracked in 2005-06. He tied for second on DU in power-play scoring with 14 points (goal, 13 assists) and ranked third on the squad with 41 blocked shots.
A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Buium helped Team USA to gold medals in each of the last three seasons: 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship and both the 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships that were also coached by DU’s David Carle.
A communications major at Denver, Buium has also given back to the local Jewish community. He met with young and aspiring Jewish hockey players from Aish of the Rockies several times over the past two years, and he joined teammate Sam Harris in hosting a “stick and puck” session with those players at DU on Oct. 8, 2024.
Buium was selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Wild in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Pioneer was the first American chosen at last year’s event and is the second-highest draft pick in program history (Craig Redmond, 1984, No. 6 overall, Los Angeles Kings).
He won a pair of championships with the Pioneers in 2023-24 at the Wild’s home arena, Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, earning the NCAA title on April 13, 2024 and the NCHC Frozen Faceoff tournament on March 23, 2024. Buium was named to both the NCAA Frozen Four and the Frozen Faceoff all-tournament teams that year, and he tallied twice, including his first overtime-winning goal, in the conference semifinals versus St. Cloud State on March 22, 2024.
Aidan Thompson was an offensive juggernaut this season for DU (photo: Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography).
Denver junior forward Aidan Thompson has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Thompson will report to Chicago’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, on a professional tryout for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. His NHL deal will start with the 2025-26 season.
Thompson recorded career highs during his junior season with the Pioneers by registering 21 goals and 34 assists while playing in all 44 games. He finished second in the NCAA in scoring with 55 points, trailing only teammate Jack Devine (57). He was one of 19 skaters in college hockey to record at least 20 markers this year and his 34 helpers were third-most in the country, with only fellow DU players Devine (44) and Zeev Buium (35) having more.
The Fort Collins, Colo., native played on the top scoring line in the country with Devine and Carter King and finished top 10 among all players in shots (164), finished with a plus-16 plus-minus rating, won 68.5% of his faceoffs and recorded personal bests with seven power-play goals and three game winners, including an overtime marker and his second tally of the night on Feb. 7 at Arizona State.
Named to the NCHC all-conference second team and a member of the NCAA Northeast Regional all-tournament team, Thompson became the third Pioneer to reach the 20-goal threshold after scoring on March 28 against Providence in the regional semifinals in Manchester, N.H. He registered 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his final nine games and had eight goals and 17 assists in his final 19 contests, including scoring in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals against Western Michigan on Thursday in St. Louis.
The DU alternate captain began this season by registering a point in each of the first 14 games, a career-long point streak from Oct. 5-Nov. 23 that featured 10 goals and 12 assists and was the third-longest overall in the NCAA during the year. The forward’s run was the longest season-opening point streak by a Pioneer in the last 10 years (since 2015-16), surpassing Henrik Borgstrom’s 11-game run to begin the 2017-18 campaign. The 14-game streak was also tied with Bobby Brink for the second-longest by a Pioneer in the last two decades (Dec. 31, 2021-Feb. 19, 2022), with only Danton Heinen’s run of 18 straight contests from Jan. 22-March 27, 2016 being longer. Thompson also registered a personal-best seven-game assist streak from Oct. 18-Nov. 8.
He had 16 multi-point games during the campaign, including setting a career high for assists and points in a game with four helpers on Oct. 19 versus Northeastern—tied for the most in a contest by a Pioneer during the season. He recorded a three-point outing two weeks later with an assist and his second of three multi-goal efforts on Nov. 2 at Yale. He finished the two-game series at Yale with four points (two goals, two assists) and earned his first career forward of the week honor from the conference on Nov. 4.
A Hobey Baker Award nominee, Thompson led the NCHC in scoring during the month of November with 11 points (six goals, five assists) and was named the league’s player of the month, his first such honor of his collegiate career. Overall, he recorded a point in 36 of the 44 outings and never went more than two contests without registering a point.
He appeared in his 100th career game on Jan. 25 at Minnesota Duluth and became the 104th member of the Pioneers’ 100-point club after recording an assist on Feb. 21 at Miami. Thompson finished his Denver tenure with 42 goals and 75 assists for 117 points, ranking tied for 62nd on the program’s all-time scoring list. After missing the first eight games of his career with a lower-body injury suffered at the 2022 World Junior Summer Showcase with USA Hockey, Thompson never missed another outing and played in all 120 contests at Denver.
Thompson made his DU debut on Nov. 4, 2022 versus St. Cloud State and recorded his first point the next night with an assist. He tallied his first goal and added an assist for a multi-point performance on Nov. 11, 2022 at North Dakota and recorded a second goal the next day against the Fighting Hawks in Grand Forks, helping him earn NCHC rookie of the week honors on Nov. 14, 2022.
Finishing his rookie campaign in 2022-23 with 10 goals and 22 assists, Thompson was named the team’s recipient of the Barry Sharp Freshman of the Year award. As a sophomore in 2023-24, he helped Denver win its NCAA-record 10th national championship and registered 11 goals and 19 assists while skating in all 44 contests during the campaign.
Thompson was selected by the Blackhawks in the third round (90th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He attended the team’s prospect development camp in each of the past three summers.
Western Michigan captured the 2025 NCAA Men’s Division I ice hockey national championship with a 6-2 victory over Boston University in St. Louis (photo: Jim Rosvold)
ST. LOUIS — Western Michigan captured its first national championship on Saturday with a 6-2 victory over Boston University at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
The USCHO Weekend Review team breaks down the game and talks about what Western Michigan did so well to give the Terriers such difficulty.
Western Michigan and its fans celebrate winning the 2025 NCAA championship (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — All week, Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler has told anyone who would listen that his team was the underdog at the Frozen Four.
Well, now he can tell people that his Broncos are national champions.
Western Michigan played a fast, physical brand of hockey from the opening faceoff, jumped out to an early lead and closed out a close game late to capture the program’s first national title 6-2 over Boston University on Saturday at Enterprise Center.
“I’m so proud of this team,” Ferschweiler said. “They stuck together and believed in themselves. Not just this season, but in this game.”
The Broncos are the 24th team all-time to win a Division I men’s national championship and the sixth first-time champion in the last 12 years.
They did so riding the back of rookie goaltender Hampton Slukynsky, who on Saturday made 26 saves including a stunner on BU’s Cole Eiserman to maintain his team’s one-goal lead in the third period.
It took almost no time for the Broncos to grab the lead, in fact scoring on their first shot. Iiro Hakkarainen threw a puck toward the net that Wyatt Schingoethe redirected over Mikhail Yegorov’s shoulder for a 1-0 lead at 1:38.
Western Michigan kept the pressure but couldn’t extend the lead and at 7:12, Boston University found the equalizer.
Devin Kaplan drove the net, creating a chaotic situation in front of Slukynsky. Cole Eiserman, known more for his quick release, kept banging at the loose puck until it went in.
The Broncos regained the lead at 15:01 of the first when Cole Crusberg-Roseen fired a hard wrister from the right point through traffic, handing Western back the lead at 2-1.
The period ended with Western Michigan holding a slight 9-8 lead in shots on goal.
In the second, the Broncos extended the lead on a center-ice faceoff play. After making a play at the blue line, Tristan Lemyre, who dressed as the extra skater on Saturday, drove the net and fed Ty Henricks, who fired a shot high over Yegorov.
Boston University had a response to pull the Terriers within a goal. When Brian Kramer was whistled for holding, the Terriers scored 15 seconds into the power play as captain Shane Lachance poked a rebound through Slukynsky’s legs as the netminder fell at 10:42.
Western Michigan challenged unsuccessfully for goaltender interference, thus losing its timeout.
The Terriers had the equalizer on the stick of their best goal scorer — Eiserman — at 5:05 of the third but Slukynsky’s anticipation robbed the BU rookie.
And just about two minutes later at 7:16, Owen Michaels — the double-overtime hero on Thursday in a win that propelled the Broncos to the finals — delivered the dagger, a rip to the far side while skating 2-on-1.
“We talk about skating the puck out of scrums, and that’s what Owen Michaels did,” said Ferschweiler. “There’s a flurry around [our] net and most people want to whack the puck out of there and it’s hard to skate.
“Now, he skates down the ice and buries it at the other end. It’s a winning hockey play.”
Michaels finished the Frozen Four with four goals in two games and was named tournament Most Outstanding Player.
With 8:04 remaining, it appeared Boston University had scored to get within a goal but the referee ruled he lost sight of the puck, something confirmed on an unsuccessful BU challenge.
Hakkarainen scored late and Michaels added an empty-net goal to seal the victory.
The win was the sixth for a member of the NCHC, which has won seven titles since 2016.
For Boston University, it was a difficult loss: It has reached three Frozen Fours in a row and come away empty. But coach Jay Pandolfo said these building blocks hopefully will lead to future success.
“You’re proud to get here, but you want to finish the job. So it hurts,” said Pandolfo. “I want to see those guys experience that. That’s my goal is for me to see our players and our program experience that again. That’s what I want to see.
“And we’re going to keep knocking at the door here.”
Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Owen Michaels (34) scored twice in Western Michigan’s win over Boston University on Saturday (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — Owen Michaels didn’t make much of an offensive splash his freshman year at Western Michigan, scoring two goals and logging five assists in 38 games.
But his coach Pat Ferschweiler had no doubt that the 2025 NCAA tournament’s most outstanding player had the makings of a great offensive right winger.
“His quality of play was higher than his points,” said Ferschweiler.
Potential is one thing. Working to get there takes effort.
“I definitely went into the summer trying to take that next step,” Michaels said after Thursday’s semifinal. “And I had a big summer in the gym and on the ice.”
Michaels’ four goals led scoring for the Frozen Four. Two of them are destined to become legendary at Western Michigan, if they haven’t already achieved that status.
“On the biggest stage, the big players show up and that’s what he did,” said Western Michigan captain Tim Washe. “He came up huge for us this weekend.”
In Thursday’s defeat of Denver, Michaels scored the game winner just 26 seconds into the second overtime as he took a pass in the high slot through traffic and roofed it to advance the Broncos to Saturday’s championship game. He also scored in the second period to give WMU a 2-0 lead.
Michaels’ first goal in the championship game may have been the backbreaker for Boston University. After a scramble in front of the Western Michigan net, he rushed up ice 2-on-1 with Matteo Constantini. Michaels kept the puck, sending past BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov’s blocker side to give the Broncos a 4-2 lead.
“We’re a calm group, so nothing’s gonna faze us,” said Ferschweiler. “We talk about having to skate out of scrums and that’s exactly what Owen Michaels did. There’s a flurry around the net and a lot of people want to whack the puck out of there. And he skates all the way down the ice and then buries it at the other end.”
Michaels added an empty-net goal to cement the game for the Broncos and jumped on a pile of teammates in front of the Broncos bench to celebrate.
“I’m not too sure what I was screaming, but that was just a ton of emotions and that goal was not about me one bit,” Michaels said. “It was about this team and this group and doing something.”
Michaels ended his sophomore season with 18 goals and 18 assists.
“We knew he had offense in him, but we also know he’s a warrior,” Ferschweiler said.
“And the funny thing about warriors is they always show up at the biggest moments. He showed up at the biggest moment and there was no doubt in our mind.”
Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky stopped 24 shots in the championship game against Boston University (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — Before the start of this season, the freshman goalies who started for Western Michigan and Boston University weren’t expected to play for their teams much less start in the national championship game.
Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky and Boston University’s Mikhail Yegorov entered Saturday’s contest with just a combined 41 games between them. Yegorov was playing in just his 18th NCAA game, the lowest number in a championship game since at least 2000. Slukynsky’s 24 games were fourth behind Yegorov, Miami’s Cody Reichard (20 in 2009), and Denver’s Peter Mannino (23 in 2004-05).
It’s the first time a pair of freshmen started an NCAA title game since BU’s Kieran Millan bested Reichard in Washington in 2009.
Slukynsky had initially committed to Northern Michigan but switched to Western Michigan after a coaching change at Northern, joining his brother Grant at WMU.
At Christmas, Yegorov was in the USHL playing for Omaha but left at the semester break to join BU early.
“We wanted to strengthen the goaltender position in the first half,” said Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo. “We just felt we needed some help there. And we thought he could come in and compete for the starting job. And we gave him an opportunity and he never looked back.”
Yegorov posted an 11-5-1 record and a .934 save percentage to help the Terriers reach the title game but took the loss as BU fell to Western Michigan 6-2.
“It was hard to imagine something like that happening to me in it at the beginning of the season,” said Yegorov. “I wasn’t here at the beginning of the year but the guys made me feel part of the team right away.”
“It’s been a crazy last year for sure,” said Slukynsky. “ (I was) originally planning to go to Northern this year. With all three coaches leaving there we were able to open up our recruitment. (Grant and I) were open to going anywhere, trying to find the best spot for both of us. We were lucky that the best spot was at the same spot.
“We knew right after the Zoom call with the coaches we were going to come here. With the history of the last three years making the tournament, we knew we’d have a chance to win. It’s just really special to share this with him. We were just fortunate to be a part of this team.”
For Yegorov, it wasn’t the ending he hoped for, but he’s grateful for the opportunity and hoped to share a national championship with his teammates.
“Right now, it’s super disappointing that I wasn’t the best in the most important game of the season,” said Yegorov. “Those guys deserved it a lot, and I’m glad that I was able to go through this journey with them.
“I wasn’t here at the beginning of the year, but they were awesome for me, and right now, just very disappointing.”
With three years of eligibility for each of them, Yegorov and Slukynsky could meet again down the road.
Owen Michaels’ gloves from Saturday’s game are headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto (photo: Todd D. Milewski).
ST. LOUIS — The Hockey Hall of Fame has a new set of gloves coming.
Specifically, ones that Owen Michaels wore to score four goals over two games in the Frozen Four, leading Western Michigan to its first NCAA championship.
Michaels, the Most Outstanding Player, scored two goals, including the winner, in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win over Denver. Then he added two more in Saturday’s 6-2 victory against Boston University in the championship game.
All eight goal pucks from Saturday’s final also are going to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
ST. LOUIS — It was jubilation for Western Michigan and a large contingent of fans at Enterprise Center on Saturday after a 6-2 victory over Boston University gave the Broncos their first NCAA championship. Here’s how it looked.
Western Michigan celebrates the 2025 NCAA championship
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12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
Western Michigan’s Tim Washe (16) reacts after teammate Wyatt Schingoethe scored in the first period against Boston University goalie Mikhail Yegorov on Saturday (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — Here are five numbers to know from Western Michigan’s 6-2 victory against Boston University in Saturday’s NCAA championship game at Enterprise Center.
9
Western Michigan’s two first-period goal-scorers combined for 27 characters in their last names but their combined goal total increased to just nine in 147 collegiate games. Senior forward Wyatt Schingoethe scored his sixth goal in his 83rd game and sophomore defenseman Cole Crusberg-Roseen netted his third in his 64th game. Crusberg-Roseen also became the player with the longest surname to score in a national championship game.
11
Teams killed 11 straight power plays in NCAA championship games before Shane Lachance scored for Boston University in the second period Saturday. The last power-play goal in a title game before that was scored by Minnesota State’s Sam Morton against Denver in the first period in 2022.
98
It took just 98 seconds after the opening faceoff for Schingoethe to give the Broncos the lead. That was the earliest goal in a championship game since Patrice Tardif scored for Maine 28 seconds into the 1993 final against Lake Superior State.
24
Western Michigan is the 24th team to win an NCAA Division I men’s hockey title in 77 tournaments, a group that has added three new names in the last five seasons (also Quinnipiac in 2023 and UMass in 2021).
8
Eight goals was the most in a national championship game since Union defeated Minnesota 7-4 in 2014. The six goals scored by the Broncos came from five different players.
ST. LOUIS — Western Michigan broke open a one-goal game with three third-period goals for a 6-2 win over Boston University on Saturday in the NCAA championship game at Enterprise Center. Here are the photos from the pregame entrances and the game.
Western Michigan vs. Boston University in NCAA championship game
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12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
Western Michigan players get hyped prior to the national title game last Saturday night against BU (photo: Jim Rosvold).
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
12 Apr 25: The Western Michigan University Broncos play against the Boston University Terriers in the National Championship game of the 2025 Division I Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO.
Boston University and Western Michigan will square off on Saturday night for the national championship. Watch the USCHO Live! at the Frozen Four preview show now (photo: Jim Rosvold)
Watch as the USCHO Weekend Review team of Ed Trefzger, Jim Connelly and Derek Schooley along with Arizona State coach Greg Powers take an in-depth look at Saturday’s national championship game between Boston University and Western Michigan.
Check back post game for most video coverage of the 2025 national championship game.
Boston University’s Jack Harvey is on camera viewfinders during a news conference Friday in St. Louis (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — The final game of the 2024-25 NCAA men’s hockey season is Saturday as the Frozen Four concludes with Western Michigan playing Boston University.
The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT at Enterprise Center.
The game is on ESPN2 and ESPN+ for subscribers, with John Buccigross, Colby Cohen and Quint Kessenich on the call.
Westwood One has rights to radio broadcasts; Brian Tripp, Dave Starman and Shireen Saski are the voices. The broadcasts are on SiriusXM Channel 84.
Hobart will retain the Mariano Trophy symbolic of their final NEHC championship as 2025-26 will bring re-alignment to the D-III hockey landscape again (Photo by Kevin Colton – HWS Athletics)
After an incredible regular season and sensational NCAA tournament with Hobart winning their third consecutive national championship, it was time for the annual USCHO awards. Now after further time to digest the season that was and begin to look ahead to the 2025-26 campaign, here are some thoughts on what was, what will be different and what to look forward to as we wrap-up the coverage for the season.
Three-time champions
Not since the Middlebury juggernaut of 2004-2006 have we seen a team like the Hobart Statesmen at the D-III level. The three consecutive national titles is rarified air for any program but consider over the last three seasons, Hobart has a record of 86-5-2, a .935 winning percentage that also included a record win streak and current home active win streak. Hobart has simply been dominant.
That said it hasn’t been all remote control for head coach Mark Taylor who has managed the incredible talent well including some challenging decisions in the NCAA tournament.
“I’ve been blessed this year with two outstanding goaltenders [Damon Beaver and Mavrick Goyer] and their individual numbers and our accomplishments [just 32 goals-against in 31 games played in the 2024-25 season] as a team reflect that,” said Taylor. “We lost one game in overtime and had a zero-zero tie and those guys split games every weekend. I had my toughest goalie decision ever going into the playoffs. “Beavs” had some pretty good playoff credit that I used.”
The Statesmen lose a bunch of talented players and leaders including Austin Mourar, Cooper Swift, and Luke Aquaro but the cupboard is far from bare in Geneva and oh yeah, Beaver and Goyer are back for next season.
League Re-alignment – Part I
This past season saw the birth of the MAC conference and the demise of the NEHC conference as Hobart won the final Mariano trophy to be competed for in the NEHC tournament. Shifts in the SUNYAC, UCHC, CNE, and MASCAC all reflected temporary competition conditions for the 2024-2025 season. Geneseo won its first UCHC title in its inaugural season in the conference while Stevenson captured the first MAC title that included an auto-bid. The only independent team was the new NCAA Keene State program who finished with a solid 13-10-1 record as prep to their joining the brand new Little East conference next year.
Parity Re-imagined
For years many coaches have referenced the Parity that exists across the D-III landscape and this past season may have represented it at its highest level yet. No longer were there upsets but rather a favorite losing to a team that out-worked or out-played them.
Top to bottom no conference showed the parity more than NESCAC where up until the final weekend of the regular season, every single team in the conference was still eligible for the playoffs and ten teams fighting for eight spots and scoreboard watching for final scores, positions and seeding that translated directly into the playoffs where No. 7 Middlebury knocked off No. 2 Trinity and took top-seeded and eventual champion Hamilton to double-overtime in the semifinals.
In the MASCAC No. 8 MCLA knocked off both the No.1 seed Plymouth State and No. 2 seed Anna Maria by 2-1 scores to advance to the conference championship game where they lost to Fitchburg State, 3-1.
Re-tooling through the portal
No team took as much advantage of the portal at the semester break as the Utica Pioneers. Utica brought in goaltender Ryan Piros from Dubuque along with forwards Tio D’Addario from Plattsburgh and Collin Patterson from Massachusetts-Dartmouth to help stabilize their lineup which turned into a solid second half and NCAA tournament bid despite losing the conference championship game. The Pioneers improved on the 2023-24 Frozen Four appearance by downing top-seed Curry in double overtime, 2-1, before losing in the national championship game to Hobart in overtime by the same 2-1 score.
Just a thought but who would object to seeing those two teams play in the final again but this time in The Aud where next year’s D-III Frozen Four is scheduled to be hosted.
The dreaded two-goal lead
There were perhaps more two goal and three goal leads in the third period surrendered this season than any other in recent memory. Maybe this does harken back to the previous reflection on parity but probably more so the challenge of playing a complete sixty-minute game and the implications of mistakes and penalties at this level that can be significant factors in determining the outcome of a hockey game.
No better spot to highlight this than the conference tournaments and teams like Plattsburgh that rallied from late deficits to advance all the way to the SUNYAC title game against Oswego or a better example of the NCAA quarterfinal round.
Curry was the only team in the quarterfinals that maintained the lead after establishing a 2-0 advantage on Hamilton and closing out a hard-fought 4-1 win over the Continentals to punch their ticket to the Frozen Four. In the other three quarterfinal matchups that featured east v. west games, Hobart, Utica, and Geneseo all rallied from two and three goal deficits in the third period to claim victory in their matchups with Trine, St. Norbert and Aurora respectively. Hobart needed overtime to get past the Thunder but scored twice in the final twenty minutes of play to send the game to the extra session.
NE-10 not adding AIC in 2025-2026
Let’s start with the D-II changes that won’t be felt or seen in the 2025-26 season. AIC announced during the season that they would be leveling the athletic program at the D-II level moving forward which eliminated their highly successful hockey program in Atlantic Hockey built by head coach Eric Lang (announced this week as the new head coach at RPI in the ECAC). It was assumed that a re-vamped hockey team would join the current six team NE-10 conference where AIC is a member in all other sports. Plans were being made for the 2025-26 season but the current teams in the league were notified that AIC would not join until the 2026-2027 season.
Re-alignment – Part II
Get ready for another big shift in conference alignment next year as the dissolution of the NEHC and creation of the Little East along with several new teams will change the landscape significantly for next season.
The Little East will begin play as a ten-team league comprised of Babson, Keene State, Norwich, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Massachusetts-Boston, VSU-Castleton, New England College and Western Connecticut. Western Connecticut will be playing their first season as an NCAA program.
The SUNYAC will add defending national champion Hobart and fellow NEHC competitor Skidmore to become a ten-team league next season with Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Buffalo State, Fredonia, SUNY-Canton, Morrisville, and Cortland.
The UCHC will see significant changes for next season as the team shifts from a six-team league to a nine-team league with the additions of Elmira, Albertus Magnus and newcomer, St. John Fisher University. The Soaring Eagles return to the league where they were a charter member while the Falcons join from their one-year affiliation with the NEHC.
The CNE will become a nine-team conference with the addition of Roger Williams University in the 2025-2026 season. The Hawks, led by head coach Chris Hall will join the highly competitive league that features Curry, Endicott, Wentworth, Nichols, Suffolk, Johnson & Wales, University of New England and Western New England.
The MASCAC reverts to an eight-team conference with the moves of PSU and UMass-Dartmouth to the Little East. Defending champions Fitchburg State will see challenges from Anna Maria, Rivier, Worcester State, Framingham State, MCLA, Westfield State, and Salem State for next year’s title.
Only the MAC and NESCAC remain unchanged in configuration in the D-III landscape for next year.
With all the changes and additions of new teams there remains one team in the east that does not have a home for the 2025-2026 season – Salve Regina. After the one year in the NEHC after departing the then CCC, the Seahawks were unable to find an affiliation for next season with the UCHC the final conference to reject their application. Salve Regina will play an independent schedule next season as the only team in the east at the D-III level.
Pre-determined Frozen Four sites
There seems to be a lot of buzz around this topic coming from coaches and institutions everywhere. Two of the past three Frozen Fours were awarded less than a week prior to the games being played and not to the highest remaining seed (regardless of region). The pressure that puts on the institution, facilities and coaches to coordinate travel, tickets, hotels and other critical logistics only takes away from the guarantee of the best possible experience for the student-athletes that have earned their way to the season’s final weekend.
I like many others applaud the NCAA on bracketing such a terrific national tournament this year. The openness to travel for the right alignment of the bracket was well done and the fantastic east v. west matchups added great excitement to the fan base. Let’s find some suitable pre-determined sites that can host in both the east and the west so that teams can solely focus on the hockey to be played.
Coaching carousel
Already there are job openings that include Western New England and what will be a highly sought role at Norwich with the departure of Cam Ellsworth at the end of the season. The summer always finds more opportunities as coaches move on or decide on retirement so stay tuned for what will probably be an off-season with additional changes happening before next season.
Thanks for another great season
To all the coaches, players, SIDs and administrative staff that help this writer support coverage during the season I want to say a profound thanks for all the support this season. You give so much of your time and effort to the great sport we all love and the time sharing your thoughts, insights, resources and program events has made my work so much easier.
Finally, a shoutout to my western partner Brian Lester – as always, great work covering the west and while I may have won the NCAA challenge this year, there is always next year to prepare for. Afterall, the 2025-26 season is just 209 days away!
Boston University’s Cole Hutson, left, and Western Michigan’s Liam Valente will face off in Saturday’s NCAA championship game (photos: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — Winning a national championship game is exhilarating. Losing one is agonizing.
Jay Pandolfo did both as a player at Boston University, falling short against Lake Superior State in 1994 before getting the trophy against Maine a year later.
The difference? Pandolfo struggled to find words adequate to describe it.
“There’s nothing better than winning and there’s nothing worse than losing,” Pandolfo said Friday. “I’ve been on both sides of it. When you lose, you think of everything that maybe you could have done different to help find a way to win a game. When you win, you’re so excited. The feelings are so much different.”
Boston University and Western Michigan will play Saturday at Enterprise Center for the right to have the positive side of the final game of the NCAA hockey season (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2).
The Terriers (24-13-2) are in the championship game for the first time since 2015, when they lost to Providence in Boston. They’re looking for their sixth title, first since 2009 and only the second since Pandolfo helped win the 1995 crown in Providence.
He looked back fondly on the bus ride home that night.
“It was so much fun with your teammates, guys you spend so much time with day in, day out, your best friends,” Pandolfo said. “The bus ride was something I’ll never forget. That’s what you get at this level. It’s different than the pro level.”
Western Michigan (33-7-1) doesn’t have that kind of experience to reflect on heading into the championship game. It’s just starting to write its Frozen Four history.
But the Broncos can complete a sweep of conference and national championships this season. They won the NCHC regular-season and tournament titles and have set a program record for wins in a season.
“We’ve earned the right to be in this moment,” Broncos coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “We’ve earned the right to play for the championship, so we’re excited about that. We’re going to focus on being the best version of the Broncos we can and not worry about outcomes until after the game.”
Saturday will be the third NCAA championship game played in St. Louis, and a team from Michigan has won the first two: Michigan Tech against Minnesota in 1975 and Michigan State against Boston College in 2007.
The Broncos have built a solid resume through the season, ranking in the top six nationally in offense, defense, power play and penalty kill. The Terriers have the fourth-best offense but are below average in defense (33rd) and penalty kill (37th).
There’s little chance of either team playing a perfect game Saturday to skate away with the trophy but there are ways of understanding what kind of style benefits each side.
“Us playing to the best of our ability would be us just playing north,” Western Michigan forward Grant Slukynsky said. “We preach that. That’s getting the puck and going to the other end as quick as possible, not spending a ton of time in our own zone, defending quickly. Being hard on their top players.”
Slukynsky, who’s tied for second on the Broncos behind Alex Bump in scoring with 36 points, said BU’s 6-foot-5 freshman goalie Mikhail Yegorov poses a challenge that requires getting bodies in front of the net.
“In these tight playoff games, sometimes the goals aren’t the prettiest,” Slukynsky said. “I know we had some nice shots (Thursday) night. But just getting pucks to net when possible and finishing our chances.”
Boston University’s preferred style uses a quick pace bolstered by skilled skaters.
“We’re a really skilled team, a lot of fast players,” Terriers forward Ryan Greene said. “So I think when we’re able to be good in transition and we’re making plays in the offensive zone, I think that’s tough to contain and I think that’s when we’re at our best.”
The Terriers are expecting to see a heavier, structured Western Michigan team on the other side Saturday.
“So I think if we can blend that skill and speed game with a structured and physical game as well, similar to Cornell (in the regional final), I think we’ll get a good result,” Greene said.
Only one of them will get the result they’ve hoped for all season.
Michigan State’s Isaac Howard holds the 2025 Hobey Baker Award (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — “He’s a very driven kid.”
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale summed up junior forward Isaac Howard that way. Howard’s drive to succeed paid off, as he was announced as the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Friday.
Howard was a key contributor to a Spartans team that captured both the Big Ten regular season and playoff titles (both for the second consecutive season), scoring 52 points (26-26) in 37 games. He won the Big Ten scoring title and was named player of the year in the conference, as well as a first-team All-American.
“Every chance this season and in my career, I’m just trying to get better,” said Howard. “Working hard, putting my nose down. I think that’s what Michigan State is all about and that’s why I love it here so much.”
So much so that Howard recently announced that he is returning to East Lansing for his senior season. A 2022 first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Howard said that coming up short in the NCAA tournament, a first-round loss to Cornell, left him with unfinished business.
“I want to win a national championship,” Howard said after winning the award. “I didn’t play this season to win a Hobey. At the end of the day, I want to win a national championship.”
“I’ve never seen him have a bad day at the rink,” said Nightingale. “He loves winning, and I think that’s a byproduct of all the work he’s done to get to a point like this to earn such a prestigious award.”
Howard gave credit to Nightingale for helping him reach this point in his career.
“I think his biggest role (in developing me) could even be outside of hockey, just how he’s made me a better guy,” said Howard. “He’s such a world-class guy and an unbelievable coach. He’s preaching stuff off the ice, just ways to kind of live life and to never take any shortcuts.”
Howard also praised his teammates and family for helping in his development. His father Tony said that while winning the Hobey was a possibility, it wasn’t something he or his son dwelled on this season.
“It’s not something we talked a lot about,” he said. “We’ve just been enjoying the ride. What an honor. There was plenty of good competition. You can make an argument for multiple people to win this. When they called (Isaac’s) name, it was a fantastic feeling.”
Howard also gave credit to the other finalists for the award, Denver’s Zeev Buium and Boston College’s Ryan Leonard.
“You just never know,” he said. “It could have gone another way. The other guys are incredible players and had unreal seasons.
“When my name was called, it was super exciting and such an incredible honor.”
Howard becomes the third Michigan State player to win the award, joining Kip Miller (1990) and Ryan Miller (2001).
The Hudson, Wis., native played at Minnesota Duluth his freshman season before finding a home at MSU, which will benefit from his return as well as goaltender Trey Augustine.
“When you find a school that you really like, you’re not necessarily in a rush (to turn pro),” said Howard. “I think being patient and having your feet on the ground where you want them is something that’s important to me.”
Another year also brings the opportunity to win this award again.
“I’m not getting ahead of myself,” said Howard. “But that would be something.”
Sarah Thompson holds the 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award (photo: Jim Rosvold).
ST. LOUIS — St. Lawrence graduate student forward Sarah Thompson was named Friday as the recipient of the 2025 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Thompson received the award during a ceremony at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis as part of the NCAA men’s Division I Frozen Four.
The award has been presented annually for 30 years by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation to college hockey’s finest citizen, recognizing a student-athlete who has made significant contributions not only to the recipient’s team, but through serving the greater community by leading as a volunteer.
While studying as an undergraduate at Syracuse University – where she played hockey all four years – Thompson founded “Sticks Together,” a program designed to offer children in disadvantaged areas the chance to learn and grow through hockey.
Driven by her belief that hockey transcends boundaries, she aimed to bridge cultural gaps and share her passion for the sport globally. That led to humanitarian trips to Argentina (2022), South Africa (2023), and the Philippines (2024).
Sticks Together provides underprivileged communities with resources to learn and play hockey, including donating recycled equipment and teaching the game to children worldwide. The organization seeks to give kids an escape from daily struggles while fostering joy and connection through a sport they might not otherwise experience.
“This is something that I’ve worked on essentially since my sophomore year,” said Thompson. “So to be able to commemorate my career, especially since I’m done with hockey now, this has been a really great way to cap it off.”
Despite being excited to learn that she had won the award, Thompson had to hold off telling others because of the confidentiality of the announcement.
“I wanted to share that excitement with all my teammates,” Thompson said, “But I couldn’t, so that was really hard because they’ve been a huge part of this as well: my coaches and teammates.”
Thompson received a check on Friday for $3,000 from the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation for Sticks Together. The next Sticks Together trip is a team visit this summer to St. Lawrence’s satellite campus in Kenya. The funds will help make that a reality.
In her acceptance speech, Thompson had encouragement for the audience.
“Be generous. Lend a helping hand to others and never take a moment or a privilege for granted,” said Thompson about what she wanted others to take away from her message. “I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve taken away from all these trips working with these kids is that they’re so grateful and so happy. And I try to take that with me wherever I go.”
Thompson is a three-time award finalist and is the 12th woman to receive the award. Other award finalists this year were: Keri Clougherty of Boston College; Kendra Fortin of Bemidji State; Hank Kempf of Cornell; and Raice Szott of Merrimack. Each finalist received a check for $500 for their designated charities.
“I read up on all the other stories and it takes a really incredibly driven person to be able to come up with these creative ideas and use their platform for such positive change,” said Thompson about the other finalists. “I’d really love to get to know these people and meet them and hear all the things that they’ve done to get to where they are because it’s truly incredible.”
Thompson encourages other student-athletes to find ways to give back.
“As student athletes, I can say we’re so lucky to have all the people you know that are there to help us and support us,” Thompson said. “I think there’s more people than you think that are willing to help you with things outside of just your sport. So use that to your advantage and think of creative ways that you can use your platform for positive change.”
For Thompson, the giving has also been receiving.
“The lessons I’ve learned from these kids are things that I’ll take with me forever,” said Thompson. “As much as we’re trying to share that culture, our culture of hockey with them, we get to learn theirs. And they’re really excited to share their culture too.
“So I think it’s that exchange that is really special. And that often just goes unnoticed. But it’s definitely one of the parts of Sticks Together that I appreciate the most.”
