DANBURY, Conn. – ECAC men’s and women’s All-Academic teams were announced on Wednesday afternoon. Twenty-two men’s student-athletes and 16 women’s student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.
Of the 314 men’s honorees, Andrew Takacs was the only student-athlete to earn his fifth consecutive honor. Individuals previously named to the team are designated with an asterisk (*), signifying the number of years previously honored.
Players are eligible for the All-Academic team if they earn a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, or have a GPA of 3.00 or more the past three semesters. Additionally, Avery Pickering and Luke Malbouef (bolded) were named to the Commissioner’s List, showcasing each program’s top scholar from the 2024-25 season.
Colgate men’s hockey is pleased to announce the addition of C.J. Eick as an assistant coach.
Eick brings over 15 years of coaching and playing experience with him to Hamilton.
“We are super excited to welcome C.J. and his family to ours,” head coach Mike Harder said. “C.J.’s vast experience will help us develop all our players with focus on our defensemen and special teams.”
Prior to joining the Raiders, Eick spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL. During his tenure, the Black Hawks earned two winning seasons and a trip to the Clark Cup Final.
Eick began his coaching career as an instructor for the Michigan Tech Hockey School during his time at Michigan Tech as a student-athlete. He then went on to serve as an assistant coach at Trinity College during the 2022-23 season.
His playing career began with the Green Bay Gamblers where he played two seasons. Eick then played four seasons at Michigan Tech, where he made 145 college appearances and logged 14 goals and 38 assists. After graduation, Eick played seven years in the ECHL. He played for the Utah Grizzlies, Kansas City Mavericks, and Indy Fuel from 2016-2022. He logged over 380 career games in the ECHL and posted 42 goals and 56 assists. Eick played one final game for the Kalamazoo Wings in the 2023-24 season.
Latham, NY– The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Inc. (NYSPHSAA) is proud to announce its 2025-2026 Schools of Distinction and Schools of Excellence, recognizing member schools that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to academic achievement throughout the 2025-2026 school year.
The purpose of the School of Distinction and School of Excellence Awards is to unite athletic departments in challenging every varsity team to achieve statewide academic recognition through the NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete program.
For the 2025-2026 school year, 118 schools earned the School of Distinction Award, while 237 schools earned the School of Excellence Award. This compares to 110 Schools of Distinction and 221 Schools of Excellence during the 2024-2025 school year.
Section VI schools named Schools of Distinction include Alden, Allegheny-Limestone, Chautauqua Lake, Lancaster, Clarence, Maryvale, Portville, Randolph, Williamsville North, Williamsvill South and Wilson.
Recognized as Schools of Excellence were Barker, Cassadagua Valley, Depew, East Aurora, Eden, Falconer Middle, Grand Island Senior, Hamburg, Iroquois, Kenmore East, Kenmore West, Lakeshore, Leonardo Da Vinci, Lewiston-Porter, Lockport, Newfane, Niagara Falls, Niagara-Wheatfield, North Tonawanda, Olean, Orchard Park, Panama, Pioneer, Royalton-Hartland, Sherman, Springville Griffith Institute, Starpoint Central, Sweethome, West Seneca East and West Seneca West.
“The commitment demonstrated by our member schools to academic excellence continues to be one of the greatest strengths of educational-based athletics,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “These awards recognize entire school communities that value success in the classroom as much as success in competition.”
Schools qualify for the School of Distinction Award by having 100 percent of their varsity teams earn NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team recognition during their respective sports seasons. To earn the School of Excellence Award, 75 percent or more of a school’s varsity teams must achieve Scholar-Athlete Team status.
The complete list of 2025-2026 award recipients can be viewed using the links below.
Applications for the School of Distinction and School of Excellence Awards are submitted annually by member schools following the conclusion of the spring sports season. Commemorative awards are presented during each Section’s Athletic Director Workshop in the fall.
How Emma Pais is shaping the future of women’s hockey
By Dylan Rippe, Colgate Sports Information Office
All photos courtesy of Colgate
While most student-athletes spend the offseason recharging and preparing for the upcoming season, Emma Pais is helping shape what the future of women’s hockey looks like.
As the only Division I student-athlete selected to sit on the NCAA Women’s Hockey Rules Committee, Pais spent her offseason helping rewrite the national rulebook. It is quite the evolution for a player who, just a few years ago, was joining a lineup full of dominant upperclassmen. Now, as she enters her final year in Hamilton, her fingerprints are all over the future of the sport.
The path to the NCAA Women’s Hockey Rules Committee wasn’t something Pais expected or even lobbied for. In fact, it started with a completely unexpected text message from Colgate women’s hockey head coach, Stefan Decosse.
“He reached out to me and said, ‘I nominated you for the rules committee for the NCAA,'” Pais recalls. The committee reserves exactly one seat for a current student-athlete to ensure the players have representation alongside conference officials and administrators.
Initially, Pais was skeptical. “To be honest, when he texted me, I was kind of like, ‘Okay, there’s one student-athlete, I’m probably not going to be picked.’ I was under the impression that every team nominated someone.”
A month later, an official email arrived from the NCAA. Pais hadn’t just been nominated; she had been selected as the sole voice of the players for the entire sport.
Pais’ influence extends well beyond Hamilton. The NCAA rules committee reviews the rulebook every two years and decides what needs to be changed and what remains the same.
“We all came together at the conference in Indianapolis and created the new rulebook for the next two years. This year was a rule-change year, so they were allowed to change any of the rules within the rulebook. For three days, we just went through the entire book and talked about what we wanted to change and what was proposed to be changed by the coaches for the next year.”
Women’s hockey and its future have never been brighter. Not only is college hockey growing, the student-athletes are competing for the next step in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
The PWHL continues to expand, recently announcing franchises in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose, bringing the league total to 12 teams. The continued growth of the next level impacts the landscape of women’s hockey as a whole.
“Every time a rule was proposed, it was talked about whether it mirrored where the game was going at the PWHL level, because obviously a lot of people in the NCAA’s goal is to play there,” Pais recalled. “So definitely, the NCAA’s main focus is trying to mirror the PWHL, but at the same time, also making rules that make sense for the age group at the NCAA and for college athletes who are also in school.”
Balancing the NCAA and PWHL rules gave Pais an insight into the details of the rulebook. As a team captain, it is important to be able to clearly communicate with coaches, teammates, and referees. With a deeper understanding of the rules, Pais is already one step ahead.
“I obviously know the basic rules of hockey and everything like that, but having the opportunity to really see all the rules laid out and understand why certain rules are being put into place and why they’re not, it was really impressive to me. The committee really thought about every angle.”
The juggling act of Colgate’s rigorous academics, playing Division I hockey, and adding the challenge of serving on the NCAA rules committee can sound daunting. However, as the only student among administrators and coaches, Pais’ voice was eager to be heard, and the workload was surprisingly manageable.
“It was really nice because, being the only student-athlete, they really understand the student-athlete experience,” Pais said. “So they weren’t expecting a crazy time commitment from me. Most of it was looking at the clips before our call, and then it was only a call once a month for an hour.”
The opportunity stands in stark contrast to where Pais was when she first arrived on campus.
“Coming in as a first-year at the end of that COVID year…my only real focus was trying to do whatever I could to help the team win.”
Now, as she prepares to lead Colgate into her final season, she isn’t just trying to find her place in a lineup. She is leaving an unforgettable mark on the sport itself. Long after she plays her final shift in a Raiders uniform, Pais’ influence will be felt not only in Hamilton, but across the country.
“Looking at this year, having a bigger role from an NCAA level is just something that I definitely never thought would happen.”
Both the men’s and women’s hockey programs have released their 2026-27 regular season schedules on Monday.Each team is slated to play a 34-game regular season which includes 22 ECAC Hockey games. The men’s team will host 17 home contests while the women’s team will take home ice for 15 games. Men’s Hockey 2026-27 ScheduleColgate starts on the road to take on Stonehill on Oct. 9-10 before its home opener against New Hampshire set for Oct. 16-17. After a trip to Maine (Oct. 23-24), the Raiders begin a four-game homestand with two games against UMass Lowell (Oct. 30-31) before their ECAC opener against Princeton (Nov. 6) and Quinnipiac (Nov. 7). Four more ECAC contests take place in November against Yale (Nov. 13), Brown (Nov. 14), Clarkson (Nov. 20), and St. Lawrence (Nov. 21) before Colgate heads over the pond for the Friendship Four hosted in Belfast, Ireland. The Raiders will take on UConn on Nov. 27 and then match up with either Providence or Minnesota Duluth depending on results. Closing out 2026, Colgate hosts RIT and Boston U. on Dec. 4-5.After the break, the Raiders return with a full ECAC slate in 2027. Colgate starts with four road games to begin the new year against RPI (Jan. 8), Union (Jan. 9), Quinnipiac (Jan. 15), and Princeton (Jan. 16). The maroon-and-white welcome Dartmouth and Harvard to Hamilton from Jan. 22-23 before the home-and-home with Cornell Jan. 29 and 30. Closing out the regular season, Colgate has home contests against Brown and Yale on Feb. 12-13 along with Union and RPI on Feb. 26-27. Women’s Hockey 2026-27 ScheduleThe Raiders begin their 2026-27 campaign with a home-and-home series with RIT, starting on the road on Oct. 2 and returning home on Oct. 3. Following a home series against St. Cloud (Oct. 9-10), the team embarks on a four-game road swing to Boston U. (Oct. 16-17) and Ohio State (Oct. 23-24). ECAC Hockey play kicks off at home against RPI and Union on Oct. 30-31, leading into a November road trip to Princeton (Nov. 6) and Quinnipiac (Nov. 7). The team then hosts Dartmouth and Harvard (Nov. 13-14), visits Syracuse for a mid-week game (Nov. 17), and battles Cornell in a home-and-home series (Nov. 20-21). The first half of the season wraps up with a road trip to St. Lawrence and Clarkson on Dec. 4-5.The new year launches with a non-conference road series at Mercyhurst on Jan. 1-2, followed by a home matchup against Syracuse on Jan. 5. From there, it is strictly ECAC action down the stretch, beginning with a road trip to Harvard and Dartmouth on Jan. 8-9. The team then returns for a four-game homestand, welcoming Yale and Brown (Jan. 15-16) followed by Clarkson and St. Lawrence (Jan. 22-23). After hitting the road to face Union and RPI on Jan. 29-30, the regular-season home finale takes place on Feb. 5-6 against Quinnipiac and Princeton. The schedule officially wraps up on the road at Brown and Yale on Feb. 12-13.
The Cornell men’s hockey team will return to New York City this Thanksgiving weekend for the seventh edition of the biennial Frozen Apple series, where it will play Maine on Saturday, Nov. 28, at Madison Square Garden, it was jointly announced Monday afternoon (July 20) by Cornell, Maine, and Madison Square Garden.
Since the inaugural Red Hot Hockey game against Boston University in 2007, Cornell will take to the ice at Madison Square Garden for the first time in the afternoon slot to accommodate a New York Rangers game in the evening, with puck drop between the Black Bears and Big Red set for noon EST. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The meeting between Cornell and Maine will mark the second time in three years that the Big Red and Black Bears will face each other, following Cornell’s 2-1 win over Maine in the regional semifinals of the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship in Springfield, Mass. All eight previous meetings between the programs have been held at neutral sites.
“The Frozen Apple is more than a hockey game — it’s a celebration of Cornell, our alumni, and the traditions that bring the Big Red community together,” said Dr. Nicki Moore, Cornell’s Meakem & Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education. “There’s no more fitting place to gather than New York City and Madison Square Garden, where generations of Cornellians have come together to cheer on the Big Red. We’re excited to welcome our alumni, fans, and friends for a Thanksgiving weekend matinee while showcasing one of college hockey’s premier programs against an outstanding opponent in Maine on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”
“We are thrilled to bring Cornell back to Madison Square Garden on Thanksgiving Weekend,” added Casey Jones ’90, the Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey. “Playing at MSG has become one of the premier events in college hockey, and facing Maine in that environment will be a tremendous opportunity for our program. There is nothing quite like competing at The World’s Most Famous Arena in front of our alumni and the Lynah Faithful — it energizes our players and connects our community in a truly special way. We expect Maine to bring a tough, physical brand of hockey, and we look forward to the challenge.”
Tickets for the contest will go on sale Wednesday, July 22, at noon EDT through bigredtix.com. Fans will be able to select their preferred section, with specific seats assigned by the Cornell Athletics Ticketing Office based on availability at the time of purchase. Additional ticket options will be available through Madison Square Garden and Ticketmaster at a later date.
“Madison Square Garden has a proud tradition of hosting college hockey at the highest level, and we are thrilled to welcome Cornell back to The Garden on Nov. 28 as they face Maine, who will be making their Garden debut,” said Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President, Marquee Events and Operations, MSG Entertainment. “The Big Red faithful have packed MSG time and again, and we look forward to once again opening our doors to their enthusiastic fans and delivering a world-class experience for everyone in attendance.”
Cornell will play at Madison Square Garden for the 31st time in program history and the 23rd time at the venue’s current location. The Big Red has fared well at the venue of late, posting an 8-3-2 record in their last 13 games on the storied ice in Manhattan.
The Frozen Apple series began in 2012, when Cornell defeated Michigan, 5-1. The Big Red also defeated Penn State, 3-1, in 2014; New Hampshire, 3-1, in 2016; and UConn, 6-0, in 2022. Cornell’s only setback in the series was a 4-1 loss to Harvard in 2018. In the most recent Frozen Apple game in 2024, Cornell claimed a shootout victory over Quinnipiac after the teams tied 3-3.
Maine, which will play at Madison Square Garden for the first time in program history, is coming off an 18-14-3 campaign in 2025-26, going 12-11-1 in Hockey East play. The Black Bears fell to Boston College, 5-0, in the 2026 Hockey East Championship quarterfinals.
“This is one of those college hockey experiences that is really special,” said Maine head coach Ben Barr. “We are thrilled to play a great team in a great venue in a great city.”
“We are excited for the opportunity to play Cornell at an iconic venue like Madison Square Garden,” said Maine vice president and director of athletics Jude Killy. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Black Bear Nation and the University of Maine to come together and share their enthusiasm for Maine’s only Division I athletics program and our men’s ice hockey team in New York.”
The rest of Cornell’s non-conference schedule will be announced at a later date.
Buffalo did not have a second or third round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft trading them in earlier trades with Winnipeg and the New York Rangers but added three new prospects on Day Two.
In the fourth round 124th overall, the Sabres selected Latvian center Olivers Murnieks, who has played the last two seasons in North American with Sioux City in the USHL and Saint John in the QMJHL.
6’1” and 192 lb. Murnieks also was part of Team Latvia at the World Juniors this past December-January. He scored seven goals with 13 assists in 31 games last season, missing almost two months with a concussion.
“Any organization that drafted me was getting a good player so I’m very proud to be drafted by the Buffalo Sabres because the fans and the city seems amazing the last couple of days here so I can’t wait to play here,” Murnieks said in his post draft press conference.
“I would say I’m a two-way player who can do everything and a reliable player the coaches can trust me in any situation.
As to why he chose to come overseas to play two years ago, “For my development I thought coming here would be better and also get more exposure for this moment, but since coming ere I’ve made a lot of improvements in my game.”
Murnieks said in his press conference that he is unsure where he will play in 2026-27 but is committed to Boston College in 2027. Assistant General Manager Jerry Forton said he is supposed to join Boston College this fall, so something to keep tabs on.
In the fifth round the Sabres took their third center of the draft in Hungarian Doman Szongoth, who has played his junior hockey in Finland and competed four times for Team Hungary in international competition.
He becomes just the fourth player in NHL Draft history from Hungary to be selected and he will attempt to become the first to play in an NHL game.
This past season he accumulated 28 points in 44 games playing with KooKoo U-20 while adding 31 points over 44 international contests.
“Very competitive player (and) another player who has a good two-way game, we think he needs to work on his skating a little bit, we’ll have a long path with him obviously but there are some intangibles there that we really like and he gets to the inside of the game and gets to the net and still takes care of his own end,” Forton said.
With their final selection in the sixth-round Buffalo selected 6’0”, 167 lb. right wing Dyan Dumont. He played last with Drummondville in the QMJHL where he scored 23 fewer points in 20 more games than the season prior while skating with Saint-Hyacinthe albeit in a higher league.
“During the course of the year progressed in Drummondville; very much a player who gets to the inside of the game almost a mini-power forward approach to his style of play,” Forton said. “Until two years ago was 140-145 pounds and up to 170-plus pounds right now and apparently in the last few months has put on another ten or twelve pounds.
“Very young for the draft with an August birthday so we’re betting on some more physical development upside and the ability just to inside already at his size will only get better and he gets bigger and stronger.”
By Warren Kozireski, Photos by Warren Kozierski and Janet Schultz
Despite rumors of trading the fourth overall pick acquired from Chicago in the Bowen Byram trade earlier in the week, Buffalo held on to the selection and added to their growing stable of young defenseman taking Daxon Rudolph from Prince Albert in the Western Hockey League.
A finalist for Defenseman of the Year in the WHL last season, after being the top overall selection in the WHL Draft two seasons ago Rudolph led the Raiders this past year in scoring with 78 points (28-50) in 68 regular season games. He also led the team in playoff scoring with nine goals and 18 assists in 27 games. He also broke Josh Morrissey’s franchise record of powerplay goals in a season by a defenseman.
“It’s an incredible feeling being drafted by Buffalo in Buffalo; it means a lot and just hearing the applause was a really cool moment,” Rudolph said.
“I watched a lot of them (Buffalo’s defense) this year during the playoffs and the way those guys play the game is fun to watch and…I’m just excited to join them.”
Stading 6’2” and 202 lb., the right shot is heading to the University of Denver this fall. The Sabres did not meet with Rudolph during the NHL Draft Combine held in Buffalo, so did call him over the offices the morning of the first round.
After moving up seven spots in the trade of Michael Kesselring, the Sabres selected 6’3”, 201 lb. center Ilia Morozov. The youngest player in Division I hockey last season at 17 years old, Morozov netted eight goals with 20 points in 36 games with the University of Miami (OH) Redhawks.
To learn the North American style of game, the language and culture, he first came to the U.S. from Russia to play U-15 with Windy City before joining Tri-City in the USHL in 2024-25.
“You watch the testing and it’s pretty impressive; the results are there for the work that’s he’s done so far and he’s just getting started so we’re really, really excited about him,” Buffalo General Manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said about Morozov.
Morozov finished sixth among all invites to the Combine in Isokinetic Squat with 3.32, seventh in Force Plate No Arm Jump with 19.9, ninth in Force Plate – Vertical Jump with 22.1, tied for third in Right Hand Grip with 181 and second in Pull-ups with 17.
Rounds 2-7 begin Saturday at 11am with the Sabres having three more selections barring a trade in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.
All games from Boys and Girls Camps to stream on USAHockeyTV.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The 2026 USA Hockey National Player Development Camps begin tomorrow (June 25) and will continue throughout the summer, focusing on player development while also serving as evaluation camps for various international teams.All games from the 2026 USA Hockey National Player Development Camps will be streamed live on USAHockeyTV.com.A schedule, along with rosters, stats and results, are available here. 2026 USA HOCKEY BOYS NATIONAL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMPS BOYS NATIONAL 16 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMP – June 25-July 1USA Hockey Boys National 16 Player Development Camp will take place June 25-July 1 in Amherst, N.Y. at The Northtown Center and Daemen University, featuring players born in 2010. The camp will be utilized to evaluate and select players for the U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team that will compete in the 2026 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in Chomutov, Czechia, from August 15-19. BOYS NATIONAL 17 FESTIVAL – July 7-13The USA Hockey Boys National 17 Festival will be held July 7-13 in Amherst. The camp features a 12-team district-based tournament format representing the best players born in 2009 from each USA Hockey district in the country.Players from the USA Hockey Boys National 17 Festival will be evaluated and chosen to attend the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Selection Camp, set for July 23-27 in Saint Paul, Minn. The U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team will be chosen from the selection camp to compete in the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set to take place August 3-8 in Edmonton, Alberta. BOYS NATIONAL 15 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMP – July 15-21The USA Hockey Boys National 15 Player Development Camp will take place in Amherst July 15-21, preceded by the Boys 15 Goalie Camp, July 13-15. The Boys 15 camp is comprised of players from the 2011 birth year.
2026 USA HOCKEY GIRLS NATIONAL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMPS GIRLS NATIONAL U19 TRAINING CAMP, driven by AAA – July 13-16The Girls National U19 Training Camp, driven by AAA, is an evaluation and development camp featuring players from the 2007 and 2008 birth years. The camp will take place in Oxford, Ohio, July 13-16 on the campus of Miami University. Players were selected for this camp by USA Hockey based on national scouting during in-season competition. GIRLS NATIONAL 16/17 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMP, driven by AAA – July 13-18The USA Hockey Girls National 16/17 Player Development Camp, driven by AAA, will take place July 13-18 in Oxford, and include players from the 2009 and 2010 birth years. Select players from the camp will advance to take part in the USA Hockey Under-18 Women’s National Festival.GIRLS NATIONAL 15 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMP, driven by AAA – July 19-24The USA Hockey Girls National 15 Player Development Camp, driven by AAA, is set for July 19-24 in Oxford and includes players born in 2011. The Girls National 15 Goalie Camp will take place July 17-19 in Oxford.USA HOCKEY UNDER-18 WOMEN’S NATIONAL FESTIVAL – August 2-9The USA Hockey Under-18 Women’s National Festival will be held at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., August 2-9. Players from the 2009, 2010, and 2011 birth years are eligible for advancement to this camp.This camp is an evaluation-based camp to determine which players will be invited to the U.S. Under-18 Women’s Select Team, slated to play Canada in a three-game series in mid-August.
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Following back-to-back State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, the Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team has announced its 2026-27 schedule as the Cardinals prepare for another run at conference and national success.
Head coach Kevin Houle enters his 24th season behind the bench after leading the Cardinals to back-to-back SUNYAC championships. Houle has guided Plattsburgh State to seven NCAA Division III national championships and 14 conference championships during his tenure and will look to add to that total in 2026-27.
The Cardinals’ 25-game regular-season schedule is set, as they open the season with a home exhibition against VTSU-Castleton on Oct. 17. Plattsburgh State then travels to Canton for a second exhibition contest on Oct. 24 before officially opening the regular season at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena against Norwich on Oct. 31.
Plattsburgh State remains at home for a matchup with Worcester State on Nov. 7 before beginning SUNYAC play with back-to-back conference games against Morrisville on Nov. 13 and Cortland on Nov. 14. The Cardinals then hit the road for their first SUNYAC road trip of the season, visiting Canton on Nov. 20 and Oswego State on Nov. 21.
The Cardinals return to tournament action over Thanksgiving weekend, opening play in the Panther/Cardinal Classic against Nazareth on Nov. 28. The second day of the tournament on Nov. 29 will feature either Endicott or host Middlebury. Plattsburgh State then closes out the fall semester with a road contest at Williams on Dec. 4 and a home contest against the University of New England on Dec. 6.
After the holiday break, the Cardinals travel to the Norwich East-West Hockey Classic beginning Jan. 3 against Wilkes. The two-day event concludes on Jan. 4 with either Norwich or Trinity awaiting in the consolation or championship game. Plattsburgh State wraps up the trip with a home matchup against Trinity on Jan. 9.
The Cardinals remain home for a non-conference matchup on Jan. 16 against Potsdam before travelling to take on William Smith and Buffalo State in SUNYAC contests on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23. Plattsburgh State then travels to Potsdam for a SUNYAC matchup on Jan. 29 before returning to the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena to host the Bears on Jan. 30.
February begins with a pair of SUNYAC home games as the Cardinals take on Oswego State on Feb. 5 and Canton on Feb. 6. The team continues home conference play the following weekend against Buffalo State on Feb. 12 and William Smith on Feb. 13 before closing out its non-conference schedule with a home matchup against Middlebury on Feb. 16.
Plattsburgh State concludes the regular season on the road with SUNYAC contests against Cortland on Feb. 19 and Morrisville on Feb. 20.
The top six teams in the final regular-season conference standings will qualify for the SUNYAC Tournament. First-round games are scheduled for Feb. 24, followed by the semifinals on Feb. 27 and the championship game on March 6.
Boston Fleet player photos shot by Jess Deeks for the 2025-2026 season
By Janet Schultz
The Professional Women’s Hockey League has announced their Season Awards for 2026.
Rookie of the Year Honors presented by Ally Financial went to Rochester native Haley Winn of the Boston Fleet. Winn is the first to receive the honor after recording 19 points in 30 games.
Boston Fleet player photos shot by Jess Deeks for the 2025-2026 season
Named Goaltender of the Year and recipient of the Billie Jean King MVP Award is Boston Fleet Goaltender and a native of Chappaqua New York, Aerin Frankel. Frankel logged 19 wins in 26 starts, had eight shut-outs and 18 games where she allowed 1 or less goals.
Forward of the Year: Kelley Pannek of the Minnesota Frost. Pannek is also the Points Leder and Top Goal Scorer with 33 points in 33 games and served as Alternative Captain of the team.
Defender of the Year: Megan Keller of the Boston Fleet. She tied the PWHL single-season record with 22 points in 30 games.
Boston Fleet Head Coach Kris Sparre was named Coach of the Year after leading the Fleet to second place with a 16-5-4-5 record.
The Hockey For All Award by Scotiabank went to Rebecca Leslie of Ottawa. Leslie volunteers with the Ottawa Senators Foundation; Children’s Hospital of East Ontario and the PWHL Mentorship Program and the Do It For Daron Program. The award is presented to the player who made the greatest impact on the community during the regular season.
Named to First All Star Team for 2026 were Forwards Taylor Heise (Min), Brianne Jenner (Ott), Kelly Pannek (Min); Defense: Sophie Jaques (Van) and Megan Keller (BOS) and Goaltender Frankel (Bos).
Second All Star Team: Forwards Britta Curl-Salemme (Min), Rebecca Leslie (Ott) and Laura Stacey (Mtl); Defenders Nicole Gosling (Mtl) and Haley Winn (Bos) and Goaltender Ann-Renee Desbien (Mtl).
All Rookie Team: Forwards Kristyna Kaltounkova (NY), Abby Newhook (Bos) and Casey O’Brien (NY). Defenders Nicole Gosling (Mtl) and Haley Winn (Bos) and Goaltender Hanna Murphy (Sea).
The Impact Award went to Minnesota’s Marlene Boissonnault, Montreal’s Shiann Darkangelo, Toronto’s Emma Woods and Vancouver’s Ashton Bell.
(With the expansion of the PWHL, a process for selecting players was put into action prior to the 2026 PWHL Draft. This story attempts to share how that process worked and also shares who was drafted with a New York connection. With the expansion to Hamilton, Ontario, NYHOL will attempt to cover them as a “home” team along with the New York Sirens.)
By Janet Schultz
The Professional Women’s Hockey League has expanded once again, this time with four more teams. Welcome the cities of Detroit, Michigan; Hamilton, Ontario; Las Vegas, Nevada and San Jose, California to the 2026-27 season.
Last season Vancouver and Seattle were added.
To facilitate the expansion the League held an Expansion Roster Distribution period, prior to the 2026 Draft. These rules were copied from the PWHL manual and details can be found at https://www.thepwhl.com/en/2026-expansion-player-distribution-process
Phase 1 (Existing Team Foundational Signings/Protections) was held May 28-June 3
General Rules: • Existing teams will protect three (3) players who are under contract with their team or have their rights held for the 2026-2027 season. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 season must receive a qualifying offer in order to be protected in Phase 1. A qualifying offer must provide a 3% increase on the Player’s 2025-2026 salary on a one-year contract for the 20262027 season. • Players on expiring contracts who appear on the Phase 1 Master Negotiation List* are eligible to sign with any Existing team during Phase 1, any Player signed to a new contract in Phase 1 will automatically count as one of the signing team’s three (3) Phase 1 protections. • Existing teams can lose a maximum of one (1) player on an expiring contract in Phase 1. • Players on expiring contracts who appear on the Phase 1 Master Negotiation List* can: (a) sign with any existing team
Phase 2 (Expansion Team Foundational Signing Period) was held June 4-8
General Rules: • Expansion teams will sign five (5) players by the conclusion of Phase 2. • All players who were on a 2025-2026 PWHL roster to end the season and were not protected in Phase 1 are eligible to be signed by Expansion teams. This includes both players under contract for the 2026-2027 season and players on expiring contracts. • Existing teams can lose a maximum of three (3) players who are under contract for the 2026-2027 season in Phase 2. There is no limit on the number of players on expiring contracts lost from an existing team’s 2025-2026 end of season roster. • If an Expansion team(s) has not signed five (5) players by the conclusion of the Phase 2 Signing Period, team(s) will select enough players in a post-signing period selection process to ensure that they complete Phase 2 with a total of five (5) players on their roster. • Only players under contract for the 2026-2027 season are eligible for selection.
Phase 3, June 10-12 was the Preliminary Open Signing Period.
General Rules: • Expansion teams will sign up to three (3) Players on expiring contracts. • If an Expansion team(s) does not sign three (3) Players prior to the conclusion of the Phase 3 Signing Period, that Expansion team is eligible to sign additional Player(s) in the Phase 4 Expansion Signing Period to ensure that they complete the Expansion Phases (Phases 1-4) with ten (10) total players. • Existing teams will protect three (3) players who are under contract with their team or have their rights held for the 2026-2027 season. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 must receive a qualifying offer in order to be protected in Phase 3. A qualifying offer must provide a 3% increase on the Player’s 2025-2026 salary on a one-year contract for the 2026-2027 season. • Players on expiring contracts are eligible to sign with any team during Phase 3, any Player signed to a new contract by an Existing team in Phase 3 will automatically count as one of the signing team’s three (3) Phase 3 protections. • Players who received an FPO must sign with any team in Phase 3 for an AAV greater than or equal to $73,125 (90% of the FPO Baseline Terms). • Players appearing on an Expansion team’s ENTL are eligible to sign with the listing Expansion team no later than Phase 3.
Phase 4 was held June 14 and 15 as the Expansion Team Signing Period
General Rules: • Expansion teams will sign players until they reach a total of ten (10) players on their roster by the conclusion of Phase 4 (minimum of two (2) players in Phase 4). • All players who were on a 2025-2026 PWHL roster to end the season and were not protected or signed in Phases 1-3 are eligible to be signed by Expansion teams. This includes both players under contract for the 2026-2027 season and players on expiring contracts. • Players on expiring contracts who appeared on an Expansion team’s ENTL are ineligible to sign with that Expansion team in Phase 4. • If an Expansion team(s) has not reached a total of ten (10) players on their roster by the conclusion of the Phase 4 Signing Period, team(s) will select enough players in a post-signing period selection process to ensure that they complete Phase 4 with a total of ten (10) players on their roster. • Only players under contract for the 2026-2027 season are eligible for selection.
Phase 5 was conducted June 15 and 16 as the Existing Team Exclusive Team Re-Signing
General Rules: • Existing teams are permitted to negotiate with and sign any remaining un-signed players on expiring contracts who were on their 2025-2026 roster and did not receive an FPO in Phase 2 during this Phase. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 must receive a qualifying offer during either Phase 5 Signing Period #1 or Phase 5 Signing Period #2 in order to remain on their current team’s roster beyond the start of the Phase 6 Open Signing Period on June 19, 2026 at 12pm ET. Players who do not receive a qualifying offer will be eligible to sign with all 12 teams at the start of the Open Signing Period. A qualifying offer must provide a 3% increase on the Player’s 2025-2026 salary on a one-year contract for the 2026-2027 season.
Phase 6 was the Open Signing Period held on June 19.
General Rules: • The following Players are eligible to sign with any of the 12 PWHL teams beginning on June 19, 2026 at 12pm ET: • Players on expiring contracts who were not signed and/or protected in Phases 1-5, and did not receive an FPO in Phase 2. • Players on expiring contracts who appeared on an Expansion team’s ENTL* are ineligible to sign with that Expansion team in Phase 6. • Players whose rights are held for the 2026-2027 season that did not receive a qualifying offer by the end of Phase 5. • 2026 Draft Eligible Players who were not drafted during the 2026 Entry Draft. • Players with prior playing experience in the PWHL who did not finish the 20252026 season on a PWHL roster. • Players who were draft eligible for a prior PWHL Entry Draft. After completion of the five phases the PWHL held their 2026 Draft.
Players drafted from the Western New York area included Buffalo’s Lara Beecher drafted 69th overall by Minnesota, and Buffalo’s Tory Mariano, 47th overall going to Ottawa.
Other New York affiliated players included Cornell University’s Alyssa Regalado, 68th overall going to Toronto; Grace Dwyer, Cornell, 10th pick overall and first found pick for Boston Fleet. Colgate University’s Casey Borgiel went to Detroit, Elyssa Brederman to Hamilton, Alexis Petford to Las Vegas and Neena Brick to Ottawa.
The New York Sirens draftees included Emma Peschel, defense from Ohio State; Elisa Holopoinen, forward, from Finland; Carina DiAntonio, forward, Yale University; Katelyn Roberts, forward, Penn State; Grace Wolfe, defense, St. Cloud State and Naomi Boucher, forward, Yale University.
Hamilton draftees include first pick Nelli Laitinen, defense, University of Minnesota; Jade Iginia, forward, Brown University; Elyssa Biederman, forward, Colgate; Megan Woodworth, forward, University of Connecticut; Emma-Sofie Nordstrom, goaltender, St. Lawrence University and Mya Vaslet, forward, Penn State University.
Tommy Bleyl had a season to remember in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with Moncton becoming just the second defenseman in league history to win both the Defenseman of the Year and Best Defensive Rookie in the same season.
That was after the 6’0”, 170 lb. right shot blueliner led all QMJHL skaters in assists with 66 and all defensemen in points (81).
Those are numbers or a pace he has never come close to in his career even going back to his teenage years with the Mid-Fairfield Rangers program or high school with Burnt Hills/Ballston Spa or the Albany Academy.
“I wouldn’t say it was a surprise; I went into the season with a lot of expectations for myself and I certainly exceeded those expectations,” Bleyl said after his physical testing at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo where he interviewed with 30 of the 32 teams.
“I guess it was a little unexpected, but with the help my teammates and my coaches anything was really possible.
“I would say I’m a two-way defenseman; I have pretty good feet and pretty good hockey IQ and move pucks with my feet.
“In the D-zone I’m pretty physical and competitive but not overly physical but feisty and competitive and in the O-zone I’m pretty good laterally and get pucks through on net.
Now he has seen his NHL Central Scouting draft ranking rise from 35th among North American skaters at midterm to 17th in the final rankings.
He said he models his game after Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadians and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers.
“I would say (a strength) is my competitiveness in the D-zone. It’s been a work in progress with my positioning and everything, but being competitive is something I’ve always needed to be as a small guy growing up.”
Bleyl is committed to Michigan State University, but not until the 2027-28 season.
Expansion team rosters are up to a maximum of eight players each and existing teams have now protected six players as process moves to Phase 4
NEW YORK AND TORONTO (June 12, 2026) — The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has completed Phase 3 of the Expansion Player Distribution Process with today’s signing deadline of 3 p.m. ET and protection list deadline of 5 p.m. ET.
During Phase 3, expansion teams could sign up to three players on expiring contracts to bring their roster size to a maximum of eight players, and existing teams were able to protect three players under contract for the 2026-27 season, and/or players on expiring contracts signed during this phase, to bring their total protected lists to six players.
The process will move into Phase 4 with an Expansion Signing Period beginning Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. ET, during which each expansion team will build its roster to 10 players.
PHASE 3 EXISTING TEAM PROTECTIONS(Position/Contract Length) Boston Fleet: Shay Maloney (F/2026-27), **Abby Newhook (F), *Susanna Tapani (F/2027-28)Minnesota Frost: Sidney Morin (D/2026-27), Lee Stecklein (D/2027-28), Grace Zumwinkle (F/2028-29) Montréal Victoire: *Maggie Flaherty (D/2027-28), Lina Ljungblom (F/2026-27), Kati Tabin (D/2026-27) New York Sirens: Jaime Bourbonnais (D/2026-27), Maja Nylén Persson (D/2027-28), Micah Zandee-Hart (D/2026-27) Ottawa Charge: Gabbie Hughes (F/2026-27), Fanuza Kadirova (F), Sarah Wozniewicz (F) Seattle Torrent: *Julia Gosling (F/2027-28), Mikyla Grant-Mentis (F/2026-27), Danielle Serdachny (F/2026-27) Toronto Sceptres: *Kali Flanagan (D/2028-29), Emma Gentry (F/2026-27), Natalie Spooner (F/2026-27) Vancouver Goldeneyes: Izzy Daniel (F/2027-28), Jenn Gardiner (F/2028-29), Hannah Miller (F/2027-28)*Signed new contract during Phase 3 and protected** Received qualifying offer during Phase 3 and rights are protected
PHASE 3 EXPANSION SIGNINGS(Previous Team/Position/Contract Length) Detroit: Sydney Bard (VAN/D/2027-28), Taylor Girard (NY/F/2027-28) Hamilton: Zoe Boyd (BOS/D/2027-28) Las Vegas: Megan Carter (SEA/D/2027-28), Nicole Hensley (MIN/G/2027-28), Maureen Murphy (MTL/F/2026-27) San Jose: Maggie Connors (TOR/F/2027-28), Hadley Hartmetz (BOS/D/2027-28), Mariah Keopple (SEA/D/2027-28)
UP NEXT — PHASE 4: EXPANSION SIGNING PERIOD – JUNE 14 (12 P.M. ET) TO JUNE 15 (3 P.M. ET)Phase 4 of the Expansion Player Distribution Process takes place June 14-15 to allow expansion teams to build their rosters to 10 players through signings and, if necessary, a player selection process. Eligible players are those not signed or protected in Phases 1-3, including players on expiring contracts and players under contract for 2026-27. Existing teams can lose a maximum of four players who are under contract for the 2026-27 season in Phases 1-4.PWHL Hamilton will be required to add four players in Phase 4, PWHL Detroit must add three players, and both PWHL Las Vegas and PWHL San Jose will add two additional players each so that all expansion rosters are at 10 total players by the completion of the phase.
A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official PWHL Transactions Page. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts ahead of Phase 4, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.Click here for a summary of Phase 1, which includes each existing team’s first three protected players, and here for summary of the Phase 2 expansion foundational signings.
