Wisconsin-Stevens Point men’s hockey assistant coach Bryan Kromm has been named assistant coach and director of player development for the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters.
Kromm comes to Trail after spending the last three seasons with the Pointers. During that span, the team posted a record of 62-18-7 and qualified for the NCAA tournament twice.
Prior to coaching, Bryan played four seasons with the University of Jamestown (ACHA). He also has ties to the Smoke Eaters history as his father, Rich, was born in Trail and is currently a pro scout with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. His grandfather, Bobby Kromm, was part of the Trail Smoke Eaters’ 1961 World Championship team as a player-coach and played for the Smoke Eaters in the WIHL for six seasons.
“I’m thankful for my time in Stevens Point and the amazing people I’ve been able to work with,” said Kromm in a statement. “Coach Krueger and countless others have given me the experience and support I’ve needed to make it to the next level. I’m excited for the opportunity in Trail and look forward to working with young rising stars in such a prestigious league. While developing these young men, I also hope to make an impact in the community and contribute to the already rich history of hockey in Trail.”
Kromm starts his new position in Trail on July 16.
Steve Wiedler runs a practice at Vermont during the 2023-24 season (photo: Vermont Athletics).
Now in its 78th year of serving amateur hockey, the American Hockey Coaches Association begins the 2024-25 season under new leadership.
Vermont men’s head coach Steve Wiedler, formerly the AHCA’s VP for outreach, succeeds Grant Potulny as AHCA president. Potulny recently resigned as head coach at Northern Michigan to take a position as head coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack. Wiedler begins a three-year term as AHCA president.
“I want to thank Forrest Karr, Brett Petersen, Joe Bertagna, and the rest of the AHCA membership for this opportunity,” said Wiedler in a news release. “The AHCA has played a major role in shaping countless coaching careers as well as molding the landscape of hockey in the United States. I’m honored to play a role within that eco system and excited to aid in the growth of our game.”
Also beginning new duties is Forrest Karr. The director of athletics at Minnesota Duluth, Karr starts his tenure as AHCA executive director, becoming just the second person to hold the title since 1991. Joe Bertagna, who served as executive director for the past 33 years, begins a new job today as AHCA media director.
“Thank you to Joe Bertagna for ensuring a smooth transition and to the AHCA officers, governors and members for such a warm welcome over the last few months,” said Karr. “I look forward to helping the women’s and men’s coaches take the association in the direction they choose to go and continuing to advocate for the sport.”
Providing some continuity for the AHCA will be secretary-treasurer Brett Petersen of Gustavus Adolphus. A longtime AHCA officer, Petersen returns for his third year in this position. He completed a 24-year coaching career at Gustavus last year and now serves as director of club sports.
2024-25 AHCA Officers, Governors and Staff
President: Steve Wiedler, Vermont
VP, Men’s Issues: Andy Slaggert, Notre Dame
VP, Women’s Issues: Grant Kimball, Yale
VP, Convention Planning: Zach McKelvie, Army West Point
VP, Membership: Ann Ninnemann, UW-Stevens Point
VP, Outreach: Maura Crowell, Dartmouth
VP, Sponsorships: Rico Blasi, St. Thomas
Past-President: Casey Jones, Cornell
2024-25 AHCA Governors
Mare MacDougall-Bari, St. Lawrence
Max Gavin, Boston College
Jeff Giesen, Minnesota State
Roger Grillo, USA Hockey
Sean Hogan, College Hockey Inc.
Sadie Lundqust, College Hockey Inc.
Drew Michals, Holy Cross
Eric Sorenson, UMass Lowell
Chris Schultz, Geneseo
Holley Tyng, Colby
Sean Walsh, Southern New Hampshire
2024-25 AHCA Staff
Executive Director: Forrest Karr, Minnesota Duluth
Secretary-Treasurer: Brett Petersen, Gustavus Adolphus
Media Director: Joe Bertagna
Membership Administrator: Kathy Bertagna
Elmira has announced the addition of Jimmy Poreda as an assistant coach for the women’s hockey coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Poreda joins the team after playing in Finland, the SPHL, ECHL and AHL the last four years.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Jimmy to Elmira,” said Elmira head coach Greg Haney in a statement. “Jimmy’s loyalty and ability to build relationships, coupled with his knowledge of the game makes him a perfect fit for our program and campus-community.”
A goaltender in his playing career, Poreda makes the transition to coaching after appearing in 77 games over his four-year professional career. Poreda spent the majority of his pro career playing in Orlando in the ECHL and Knoxville and Macon in the SPHL.
“I am very honored to join Coach Haney behind the bench at Elmira College,” said Poreda. “The passion and excitement around this program is undeniable. I look forward to continuing to build on the winning tradition here at Elmira.”
Prior to his time in the professional ranks, Poreda spent four seasons at Plattsburgh (2017-21), where he was a three-time AHCA All-American scholar.
His senior season was spent playing professional hockey in Finland due COVID-19 cancelling the SUNYAC season.
Neil Mulcahy, a 1987 Plattsburgh State graduate and former men’s hockey player, has been hired as the new assistant men’s hockey coach for the Cardinals.
Most recently, Mulcahy worked with the EHL’s American Hockey Academy and the Boston Jr. Terriers, serving as the team’s assistant GM and the associate head coach during the 2023-24 season. He held a variety of administrative duties with the team while also helping with the evaluation and development of the athletes.
“We are really excited to bring Neil back to Cardinal Country and add him to the coaching staff,” said Plattsburgh head coach Steve Moffat in a statement. “He bleeds Cardinal red. He is a terrific coach that understands the modern game and knows what it takes to be successful. He is outstanding with individual and team video. Neil has been involved with player development throughout his career and our team and players will benefit from his knowledge and experience.”
Prior to the EHL, he was the assistant hockey coach, recruiter and operations at Southern New Hampshire for the men’s hockey program, where he served as the recruit coordinator for prospective student-athletes and presented video analysis breakdown and data analytics to team and individuals.
After working for Verizon as a customer service specialist in the Boston area of for nearly 25 years, Mulcahy returned to hockey as the Middlesex Black Bears Jr. Prep head coach for their men’s hockey team in 2016. As the head coach, he managed successful recruitment efforts, attracting top talent to the program while also promoting academic success among student-athletes with study halls, tutoring, and progress monitoring.
Mulcahy graduated from Plattsburgh in 1987 with of a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He was also a member of the men’s hockey team, serving as a captain of 1986-87 team that advanced to the NCAA championship, accumulating 109 points from 1983 to 1987.
Miko Matikka had a stellar season for DU (photo: Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography).
Denver forward Miko Matikka, who completed his freshman season with a national championship in April, has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club.
Matikka, 20, helped the Pioneers win their NCAA-record 10th national championship last season while ranking second on the team and fourth among all freshmen in the nation with 20 goals. He was the first DU rookie to reach the 20-goal threshold since fellow countryman Henrik Borgstrom in 2016-17.
The Helsinki, Finland, native added 13 assists to finish seventh on Denver with 33 points during the 2023-24 campaign. He also placed second on the squad in power-play goals (6) and shots (111) and was third with 41 penalty minutes while concluding the year with a plus-15 rating.
Matikka totaled nine multi-goal outings during the season and scored multiple times in four games, including against St. Cloud State on March 22 in the team’s overtime win in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. He went on to score again in the conference championship game the next day, earning all-tournament team honors. He later tallied the game-tying goal against Cornell in the NCAA Northeast Regional final on March 30 to wrap up a stretch of four goals in four games and had an assist in Denver’s OT win over Boston University in the Frozen Four semifinals on April 11 at Xcel Energy Center.
After making his NCAA debut on Oct. 7 at Alaska, Matikka recorded his first collegiate point with an assist on Nov. 3 versus Colorado College and scored his first goal the next day on Nov. 4 at CC. Those contests were the start of an 11-game point stretch (11 goals, four assists), the second-longest of the season by a Pioneer, and a six-game goal streak, the longest run by a Denver player since Dylan Gambrell had a seven-game goal stretch from Feb. 13-March 5, 2016 (eight goals, 14 assists). Overall, he scored 14 goals in a 14-game period from Nov. 4 to Jan. 13.
Matikka was recognized as the NCHC rookie of the week four times, including picking up consecutive awards on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 to become the first Denver player to repeat as a weekly conference winner since Magnus Chrona as goaltender of the week on Jan. 17 and 24, 2022. He was also selected as the NCHC rookie of the month for November after leading all conference freshmen with seven goals and ranking second among rookies with 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in eight games.
A unanimous selection on the NCHC all-rookie team, his 20 goals led all league freshmen and tied for sixth overall in the conference. Matikka was also a member of the NCAA Northeast Regional all-tournament team and was named to the watch list for the Tim Taylor Award as the national rookie of the year.
Matikka was drafted in 2022 by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round (67th overall). He had his rights moved to the Utah Hockey Club after the hockey assets of the Coyotes were officially transferred to the new franchise on June 13. He previously attended Arizona’s summer development camps in 2022 and 2023.
Michigan State defenseman Patrick Geary was the second of two players with NCAA experience selected on the second day of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday. Michigan Tech’s Chase Pietila went in the fourth round. (photo: MSU Athletic Communications).
Twenty-six NCAA schools had at least one player selected in the 2024 NHL Draft, which concluded Saturday in Las Vegas with 46 committed recruits and two college players selected in rounds two through seven.
With nine players or recruits picked in Friday’s first round, the total of selections was 57, down 12 from the 2023 total.
Michigan recruit Gabriel Eliasson was the first college-connected pick in Saturday’s seventh round. The defenseman went to Ottawa with the 39th overall selection.
The Wolverines had three recruits chosen in the two-day draft, two behind leader Boston University.
The Terriers, who also had 2024 Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini selected No. 1 overall by San Jose on Friday, had four commits picked on Saturday. Defenseman Cole Hutson of the U.S. Under-18 Team was the first, at No. 43 overall in the second round.
Denver’s total of five players — defenseman Zeev Buium was picked 12th in the first round Friday by Minnesota — was second behind Boston University. The Pioneers had four recruits selected, all of them in rounds four through seven, led by forward Jake Fisher.
Michigan State had the most players with college experience selected. Defenseman Patrick Geary went to Buffalo in the sixth round after defenseman Artyom Levshunov was the No. 2 overall pick by Chicago. The Spartans also had two recruits, forwards Lucas Van Vliet (Vegas) and Austin Baker (Detroit) picked in the seventh round.
Minnesota and North Dakota also had four total picks, all recruits.
Michigan Tech defenseman Chase Pietila was the first player with NCAA experience picked Saturday. He went in the fourth round, No. 111 overall, to Pittsburgh.
The other NCAA teams that had recruits selected were:
• Boston College, Harvard, Providence and St. Cloud State with three apiece.
• Clarkson, Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin with two each.
• Colorado College, Minnesota State, Niagara, Northeastern, Northern Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Omaha, Quinnipiac, St. Thomas, UMass and Western Michigan with one each.
Josh Sciba spent eight seasons with the Union women’s hockey team (photo: Union Athletics).
After eight years leading the Union women’s hockey program, Josh Sciba has resigned his head coaching position to accept a spot on the coaching staff of PWHL New York.
The position reunites Sciba with new PWHL New York head coach and former Colgate head coach Greg Fargo, under whom Sciba served as an assistant for four years in Hamilton from 2012 to 2016 before making the move to Schenectady.
“I want to thank Josh for his dedication to our student-athletes over the last eight years and the work that he put into our women’s hockey program. The opportunity to coach at the professional level does not come around often, and so we wish Josh well in his new position,” said Union director of athletics Jim McLaughlin in a statement. “We look forward to finding the next leader of our women’s hockey team and seeing the continued strides forward that this program will take in the future.”
“I want to thank my student-athletes, president David Harris, Jim McLaughlin, my coaching staff, and the entire Union College community for embracing my family and I over the last eight years,” added Sciba. “I’m so grateful for this experience and everything that I’ve learned throughout it. I wouldn’t be the coach that I am today without Union College. With the talented women in our locker room, a new facility, scholarships, and a very distinguished degree, I know the best years of Union women’s hockey are yet to come. Union College will always hold a special place in my heart.”
The winningest coach in Union women’s hockey history, Sciba and the program have taken steps forward in both wins and level of competitiveness over the last two seasons. The team won 11 games and earned its first-ever win over a nationally ranked team during the 2022-23 season, and the team’s 19 victories over the last two seasons are the most in a two-year span in the program’s Division I era. The last two seasons have also seen three new entries in both the team’s single-season goals and points record books, as well as three of the program’s nine hat tricks as a D-I program.
In addition, Sciba recruited and guided student-athletes to success off the ice as well. Union players merited 125 ECAC Hockey all-academic team selections over the last eight seasons as well as four College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, and two recent graduates (Meredith Killian ’24 and Allison Smith ’24) were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. The team also continued its long history of community engagement and support through multiple initiatives both in and out of the rink.
With the recent addition of athletic scholarships and a new hockey rink on the horizon for 2025, the future is bright for the Union women’s hockey program.
A national search for the program’s next head coach will begin immediately.
Tracy Dill presents the WCHA championship trophy to Wisconsin’s Britta Curl after the Badgers won this season’s WCHA playoff championship (photo: Matt Krohn).
Tracy Dill has announced that he will step down as the commissioner of the WCHA for personal reasons, effective June 30, 2024.
“I want to express my appreciation to the WCHA membership for allowing me the opportunity to serve as the league commissioner for the past two years. The strength of the WCHA is the outstanding people including the WCHA league staff, student-athletes, coaches, athletic administrators and faculty representatives. I want to thank each of them and wish them nothing but the best for the WCHA,” Dill said in a statement
Dill joined the WCHA office in July 2022 and served as the conference’s interim commissioner over the past two seasons.
“We appreciate the steadfast dedication and effort Tracy has committed to our league in providing us with an outstanding level of leadership these past two years. The WCHA has established an operational standard others aspire to attain and Tracy was able to raise the bar even further,” said Minnesota State director of athletics Kevin Busiman, who also serves as the chair of the WCHA’s Advisory Council and Management Committee.
“He leaves our league even more well-positioned as the leader in collegiate women’s hockey. Tracy brought a wealth of experience and passion for the sport that made him extremely effective in this role and he has set the table for someone to step into that position and continue to move us forward. We are grateful for his service and we wish Tracy and his family much joy and happiness as he steps away and transitions further into this next phase of retirement.”
Under the leadership of Dill over the past two seasons, WCHA teams have won two NCAA championships in 2023 and 2024. The nation’s premier NCAA Division I women’s hockey conference, the WCHA has now won 21 national championships since league play began in 1999-2000.
In the past two seasons, WCHA players earned All-American honors 10 times along with Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques receiving the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award in 2023 and Wisconsin’s Casey O’Brien and Kirsten Simms being selected as Kazmaier Award top-three finalists in 2024.
Dill has helped grow the WCHA’s corporate partnership base during his tenure, which included sponsorship of the league’s annual Final Faceoff tournament with Kwik Trip along with partnerships with Cub Foods, Two Men and A Truck, Krampade, Howies Hockey Tape, Game One, Sterling Trophy & Awards, Print Labs and JLG Ice.
The visibility of the league continued to match the excellence of its teams as 15 WCHA games were televised live on FOX9+ in the Twin Cities in 2023-24, which also included coverage in Duluth, Minn., Madison, Wis., and Columbus, Ohio. In 2024, the St. Cloud State vs. Ohio State game was included as part of Bally Sports Hockey Day Minnesota coverage and two league games were featured on the Big Ten Network.
The WCHA’s online presence has also grown as B1G+ has offered live streaming of all home WCHA games over the past two seasons along with consistent growth of followers on the league social media platforms and usage of the league’s website, WCHA.com
Dill has been involved in college athletics as a player, coach, and administrator for more than 40 years. Prior to his time with the WCHA, Dill spent nine years at Bemidji State as that school’s director of intercollegiate athletics. Prior to his tenure at Bemidji State, Dill was at St. Cloud State for 28 years in various capacities, including coaching and administration.
The WCHA will begin the process of finding a replacement for Dill immediately.
Macklin Celebrini won the 2024 Hobey Baker Award at Boston University (photo: Matt Woolverton).
NCAA players went in the first two picks of the 2024 NHL Draft for only the third time, led by Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini of Boston University at No. 1.
The San Jose Sharks selected Celebrini to kick off the draft Friday in Las Vegas, with Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov going to the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 2.
Celebrini was third nationally in scoring with 64 points for the Terriers as a freshman forward in 2023-24. He was the fifth NCAA player to be the top pick; the others were Michigan State’s Joe Murphy in 1986, Boston University’s Rick DiPietro in 2000, Minnesota’s Erik Johnson in 2006 and Michigan’s Owen Power in 2021.
Levshunov had 35 points in 38 games to help the Spartans to their first Big Ten championship.
They joined Power and teammate Matty Beniers in 2021 and DiPietro and Wisconsin’s Dany Heatley in 2000 as the only college duos to be selected with the first two picks.
In all, nine players who either played college hockey last season or are expected to in the coming seasons were selected Friday, the same as in 2023. The only years with more were 2007 and 2016, both of which had 11 NCAA first-round selections.
A third player who was a freshman last season, defenseman Zeev Buium of national champion Denver, was picked later in the first round. The Minnesota Wild chose him with the 12th pick.
Four NCAA recruits went in picks 18 through 21: North Dakota forward Sacha Boisvert to Chicago, Providence forward Trevor Connelly to Vegas, Boston University forward Cole Eiserman to the New York Islanders and Michigan forward Michael Hage to Montreal.
Boston chose Boston College commit Dean Letourneau, a forward, at No. 25 and the New York Rangers grabbed incoming North Dakota defenseman EJ Emery at No. 30.
Forward Matvei Gridin, who committed to Michigan but reportedly is headed to major juniors instead, was selected by Calgary at No. 28.
The final six rounds of the draft are scheduled for Saturday.
Josh Hauge has been behind the Union bench since the 2022-23 season (photo: Michael Mason).
Union has extended the contract of head men’s hockey coach Josh Hauge through the 2028-29 season.
The seventh head coach in the program’s Division I era, Hauge has won 30 games in his first two seasons and started the process of returning Union to the top of ECAC Hockey. Last season, Union clinched a top-six seed in the ECAC Hockey tournament for the first time since 2018.
“We are very excited to see Josh continue his efforts to develop championship-caliber student-athletes on and off the ice,” Union director of athletics Jim McLaughlin said in a news release. “The men’s hockey team has made great strides over the last two seasons, and Josh’s commitment to our program and its student-athletes is evident on a daily basis. We look forward to having Josh behind the bench as the leader of our hockey program for years to come.”
“First off, I would like to thank president David Harris, vice president Annette Diorio and athletic director Jim McLaughlin for their belief in me and the future of the program as we work to develop these young men both on and off the ice,” Hauge added. “This is a commitment both from me and from Union College on the future success of Union men’s hockey. This is where my family and I want to be and we are grateful to continue to call the Capital Region home. I’m very excited about the roster we’ve built for this upcoming year as well as the overall direction of the program. I’m grateful for the trust placed in me and the opportunity to continue to lead the team for years to come.”
Minnesota alumni Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl have been selected as 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees (photo: Minnesota Athletics).
Minnesota women’s hockey alumni Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl have been selected as 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees.
The pair of former Gophers will join Colin Campbell, Pavel Datsyuk, David Poile, Jeremy Roenick and Shea Weber to make up the 2024 class.
Darwitz played at the ‘U’ for three years (2002-05). In that span, she helped the Gophers win back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005 and was named 2005 Frozen Four most outstanding player. In the 2005 season, Darwitz tallied 42 goals and 72 assists for 114 points, breaking the NCAA record for points in a single season and earning Bob Allen women’s player of the year honors. In just 99 career games, the three-time All-American currently ranks first in program history in points per game (2.48) and assists per game (1.45).
Like Darwitz, Wendell-Pohl also donned the Maroon and Gold for three years (2002-05). During her time with the Gophers, Wendell-Pohl helped Minnesota win back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005 and was named the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner. She ranks second in program history in points-per-game (2.35), goals-per-game (1.05) and assists-per-game (1.30). The three-time All-American and two-time WCHA player of the year was named Bob Allen women’s player of the year in 2001.
On the international stage, Darwitz and Wendell-Pohl have combined for five Olympic medals and 14 IIHF women’s world championship medals with team USA. Both are members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the ‘M’ Club Hall of Fame.
The 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Nov. 11 in Toronto.
Melissa Samoskevich spent the 2023-24 season behind the bench at Princeton (photo: Princeton Athletics).
Melissa Samoskevich is joining the Delaware hockey program as an assistant coach for the women’s hockey team.
Samoskevich will assume the role on July 3.
“I am beyond excited for the addition of Melissa to the Blue Hen family,” Delaware head coach Allison Coomey said in a statement. “Melissa brings a wealth of experience to the University of Delaware. She has excelled as a player at the college, international, and professional levels. As a coach, she is knowledgeable, hardworking, and cares deeply about the student-athlete experience. She has worked for top programs and knows what it takes to win at this level. Having worked together previously, I know she is the perfect fit for this program. Melissa is a proven winner, and I am excited for her to bring that experience here. I look forward to learning from her and working with her as we strive to build a winning program here at UD.”
Samoskevich arrives in Newark after spending the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at Princeton. She aided the Tigers to a 14-12-6 record and an appearance in the ECAC championship quarterfinals. With the Tigers, she assisted with video analysis, practice planning, drill implementation, special teams, and game management.
“I am so excited and honored to have this opportunity to assist Allison Coomey in leading the University of Delaware’s inaugural program,” Samoskevich said. “I am forever grateful to Allison Coomey, Chrissi Rawak, and the administration team at UD for allowing this milestone in the women’s ice hockey game to take place. I look forward to helping Allison establish a strong foundation of excellence that this program can thrive upon. I’m looking forward to being a member of the Blue Hen family.”
In the 2022-23 season, Samoskevich finished her third year on a collegiate staff, serving as the director of player development and operations at her alma mater, Quinnipiac. The Bobcats went 30-10 in Samoskevich’s season on the bench, making the ECAC Hockey semifinals and earning an at-large NCAA tournament bid on the way to making the regional final.
Samoskevich spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons at Penn State with Coomey, helping the Nittany Lions to an overall record of 34-13-7 and 24-5-5 in College Hockey America over those two years.
Following her final season at Quinnipiac, Samoskevich was named to the U.S. team for the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Finland, playing in all seven games as the Americans put together an undefeated run to win the gold medal for the fifth-consecutive tournament. Samoskevich had two goals during the pool-play round, one each against Finland and Russia.
The 2019 IIHF Worlds were just the most recent time Samoskevich was called to wear the red, white, and blue, having represented Team USA at a pair of U18 Women’s World Championships. In 2014 in Hungary, Samoskevich had a pair of helpers during the pool-play round as the U.S. won silver, and in 2015 in Buffalo, the U.S. won gold with Samoskevich having a six-goal tournament including a hat trick against Russia to close an unbeaten run through pool play and two goals in a semifinal win over the Czech Republic.
After graduating from Quinnipiac in 2019 with a history degree, Samoskevich began her professional career by playing part of the 2019-20 season professionally in Sweden with Brynäs IF. Later that season, she returned to the U.S. to play first with the PWHPA’s New England team and then with her home-state Connecticut Whale in the NWHL/PHF. Samoskevich has continued her tenure with the Whale through the team’s most recent season, which wrapped in March 2023.
During her undergraduate career at Quinnipiac, Samoskevich scored 54 goals, good enough to graduate third in program history, and 55 assists, for fifth on the Bobcats’ list, for 109 points, fourth-most in program history. Samoskevich was an ECAC Hockey all-rookie team honoree in 2016 while helping the Bobcats to the ECAC tournament title.
A Sandy Hook, Conn., native, Samoskevich, who prepped at Shattuck-St. Mary’s before playing at Quinnipiac, is the oldest of three hockey-playing siblings. Sister Maddy is in the Quinnipiac hockey class of 2024 and brother Mackie, selected in the first round (24th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers, helped Michigan to the Frozen Four in 2022 and 2023 before beginning his professional career in the Panthers organization in the spring of 2023.
Dave Shyiak has more than 20 years’ experience in the college hockey coaching game (USCHO.com file photo).
Former Northern Michigan hockey player Dave Shyiak has been named his alma mater’s fourth head hockey coach.
Shyiak takes over for Grant Potulny, who stepped down earlier this month.
“I’m thrilled that Dave Shyiak will be returning to campus to lead our hockey program,” Northern Michigan AD Rick Comley said in a statement. “Dave was a part of our national championship team and helped keep our program at an extremely high level as an assistant coach for many years.
“Dave is the right person, at the right time, in the right place to lead Northern Michigan back to a national level of success.”
A 1991 graduate of NMU, Shyiak played four seasons with the Wildcats (1987-91), where he helped captain the 1991 national championship team and was a member of both the 1989 and 1991 WCHA playoff championship teams. Shyiak returned to Northern to begin his coaching career as an assistant (1995-2002) under Comley before being promoted to associate head coach for three seasons (2002-05).
After his time at Northern, Shyiak took over as the head coach at Alaska Anchorage for eight years, then went on to experience success at Western Michigan and St. Cloud State.
He has 25-plus years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, where he has been behind the bench for over 1,000 NCAA games, along with an appearance in the NCAA national championship game and five NCAA tournament appearances.
“This is an incredible opportunity to return to my home away from home,” Shyiak said. “Northern Michigan and Marquette are really special to me and my family. We have remained close to a lot of our friends and fellow alums in the Upper Peninsula. To start as a student-athlete in 1987 and come full circle to lead the hockey program as head coach is something for which I will forever be grateful. I want to thank President Tessman and Rick Comley for believing in me. I feel honored and privileged, and I will do everything I can to make this university and community proud.”
Shyiak has spent the past four seasons as the associate head coach at St. Cloud State. With the Huskies, he helped lead the program to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including an NCAA runner-up finish in 2020-21.
Shyiak joined SCSU’s staff after serving as an associate head coach at Western Michigan from 2014 to 2020. Prior to his tenure at WMU, Shyiak worked as an amateur hockey scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization from 2013 to
2014.
His first collegiate head coach position was at Alaska Anchorage from 2005 to 2013. He ranks as the Seawolves all-time wins leader as a coach during the WCHA era with 80 wins and helped UAA advance to the WCHA Final Five.
An evaluator for the USA Hockey selection camps in Michigan from 2015 to 2020, Shyiak served as a coach at the USA Hockey national selection camp in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2020. He has also served as a guest coach for the Washington Capitals Development Camp in 2010 and the Swedish National U20 team camp in 2009.
Dave and his wife, Lucia – a former two-time NMU All-American volleyball standout – have three children, Kristian, Sheldon, and Isabela.
Mike Zannella has been named an assistant coach with the Union men’s hockey team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mike Zannella and his fiancé Erin to the Union hockey family,” said Union head coach Josh Hauge in a statement. “Mike is a genuine, hardworking person who is going to be a great addition to our staff. We know he’s going to jump in and begin developing our players right away.
“I am extremely grateful to Josh Hauge, [AD] Jim McLaughlin, and [assistant coach] John Ronan for this great opportunity,” added Zannella. “I am thrilled to represent Union College and begin developing our student-athletes. It’s a very exciting time for Union College and the city of Schenectady. I cannot wait to get started.”
Zannella comes to Union from the USHL’s Lincoln Stars where he served as an assistant coach the last two seasons and helped guide the team to a 62-59-6-3 record. In the 2022-23 season, Zannella coached current sophomore DJ Hart in his final year of junior hockey.
Prior to his time with the Stars, Zannella spent five years as an assistant coach with Elmira. During his time with the Soaring Eagles, the team improved year after year, culminating with the 2021 UCHC conference title and the UCHC Pat Thompson Trophy. Zannella was also instrumental in the team qualifying for the 2021-22 NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade.
A native of Ithaca, N.Y., Zannella began his coaching career at Skidmore in the 2016-17 season after playing two years of professional hockey.
Zannella played four years for Buffalo State where he served as a three-year captain of the Bengals. As a senior, he led his team to the most wins of any class and finished his collegiate career ranked 10th all-time in points.
Alaska Anchorage, Dartmouth, Northeastern, and Providence will make their way to Thompson Arena for the 35th annual Ledyard Classic.
The Ledyard Classic is one of the longest standing Division I hockey tournaments and is presented by Ledyard National Bank. This year, the tournament is set to take place on Saturday, Dec. 28 and Sunday, Dec. 29.
“We are excited to host Providence, Northeastern and Alaska Anchorage in the Ledyard Classic this year,” Dartmouth coach Reid Cashman said in a news release. “I am excited for our fans to watch the western-based Alaska along with two of the top programs in Hockey East. It sets up for a tournament that will both challenge our team as well as fill Thompson with two days of great hockey.”
While Alaska will make their way to Hanover for the first time, both Northeastern and Providence are no stranger to the Ledyard Classic. Northeastern will make its first appearance in a decade, last playing in the tournament in 2013. The Friars were also in the tournament in 2013, but have made two appearances since, most recently in 2022, winning the tournament championship with a 6-1 victory over Merrimack.
Tickets for the 35th annual Ledyard Classic will be made available at a later date.
Chris Brooks enters his third season with Clarkson (photo: Clarkson Athletics).
Chris Brooks has been promoted to associate head coach for the Clarkson men’s hockey team.
Brooks has served as an assistant coach for the Golden Knights the last two seasons under Casey Jones.
“I am excited to be able to retain Chris Brooks as an associate head coach,” said Clarkson head coach JF Houle in a statement. “Chris has a vast knowledge of the game and has a good sense of the Clarkson values . He will be able to help develop players for the next level, a proven recruiter with excellent ties to our target areas.”
Clarkson added Brooks to the staff in the summer of 2022, joining the program after six seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech.
As a head coach, Brooks won the 2016 NCAA Division III national championship with Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he coached from 2011 to 2017.
Brooks was honored for his success by being named a finalist for the Edward Jeremiah Award, given to the Division III coach of the year, in 2014, 2015, and 2016, compiling a record of 67-18-5 over those three seasons. Brooks was named the WIAC co-coach of the year in 2015-16 and the USCHO.com Division III coach of the year that same season.
Brooks got his start in coaching at Western Michigan from 1999 to 2008, where he started as an assistant, eventually being elevated to associate head coach. Brooks also played for the Broncos from 1992 to 1996.
James Wisniewski has previously served as a volunteer coach with the Ohio State women’s hockey team (photo: Ohio State Athletics).
Ohio State has announced the hiring of James Wisniewski as associate head coach for the women’s hockey program.
“The biggest things I look for in a staff member is loyalty and hard work and I know that James possesses both,” OSU head coach Nadine Muzerall said in a statement. “He’s an exemplary coach because of his knowledge of the game having played at the level he did both in the pros and for Team USA. He’s not only smart about the game, but he is creative and brings unique concepts to our program. At Ohio State we have elite standards, and James fits that standard.”
Wisniewski is no stranger to Muzerall’s program, having served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes for two seasons. He joined the team during the 2019-20 season and that year helped the team win its first WCHA Final Faceoff title in program history. He was also a key part in the improvement of the Buckeyes power play.
“It was such an honor to be part of the Buckeye family four years ago and I’m excited to rejoin the program in this new role,” Wisniewski said. “It’s been incredible to see what Nadine has done to turn this program around and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to assist her, the rest of the staff and the players in continuing the Buckeyes’ dominance in women’s hockey.”
The 14-year NHL veteran was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2002 and went on to play over 500 games for the Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes. In his NHL career, Wisniewski recorded 274 points on 53 goals and 221 assists from the back end.
Internationally, Wisniewski has a gold medal with Team USA from the World Junior Championship in 2004 and another gold from the World Under-18 Championship in 2002. In 2018, Wisniewski was part of the Team USA Olympic squad that competed in PyeongChang.
A Canton, Mich., native, Wisniewski started his junior hockey career in the OHL with the Plymouth Whalers. He finished third among defensemen in overall scoring in the 2003-04 season which earned him the OHL’s 2004 Max Kaminsky Trophy as the most outstanding defenseman, as well as the Canadian Hockey League’s defenseman of the year award.
In addition to his playing career, Wisniewski served as an NHLPA representative for seven years.
Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson takes a timeout during a NCAA Midwest Regional game against St. Cloud State at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, back in March 2013 (USCHO file photo: Rachel Lewis).
A pioneer in the world of amateur hockey and a mainstay behind the Irish bench for nearly two decades, Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson has announced his plans to step down at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Current Notre Dame associate head coach and former Irish player Brock Sheahan will succeed Jackson as the next head coach of the Irish upon completion of the 2024-25 season, becoming the fifth coach in program history.
During his tenure leading the Irish, Jackson made the Irish a perennial powerhouse and will enter next season as the winningest active coach in Division I men’s hockey.
“I have decided that this coming season, my 20th at Notre Dame, will be my last,” Jackson said in a statement. “I plan to celebrate my final year at Notre Dame by doing what I love. I get to fully embrace coaching this great game at this incredible university, surrounded by a fantastic staff and good friends, for one more season. Most importantly, I feel privileged to work with some incredible student-athletes pursuing their dreams.”
“I’ve been honored to be able to work with and get to know Jeff (Jackson) during my first year at Notre Dame,” added Notre Dame VP and director of athletics Pete Bevacqua. “His knowledge of the game and love of Notre Dame have taken our hockey program to unprecedented heights over the past two decades. I look forward to supporting Jeff and the entire hockey program as they work to bring great success to South Bend next season.”
The 2024-25 season will mark Year 20 behind the Irish bench for Jackson, who elevated Notre Dame hockey to the national stage including four trips to the Frozen Four, two national championship game appearances and eight conference titles. During his time as the head coach of the Irish, his teams have made 12 NCAA tournament appearances while competing in three different conferences and earning over 400 wins. Since taking over the program in 2005-06, nine individuals have been named All-American while 28 alumni have made their NHL debuts.
A two-time Spencer Penrose Award winner during his career at Notre Dame, presented annually to the top Division I men’s hockey coach, Jackson was also named CCHA coach of the year twice with the Irish to add to his 1990-91 honor while the head coach at Lake Superior State.
Prior to Jackson’s arrival on campus in 2005, the Irish had managed just one NCAA tournament appearance in program history (2004).
In 19 seasons behind an Irish bench, Jackson has amassed a record of 407-264-73 and is the only head coach in program history to surpass 400 wins with the team. His tenure includes 12 trips to the NCAA postseason, five conference tournament championships and various national and conference awards.
Most recently, he reached his milestone 400th win with the Irish, coming in a 6-1 win over storied rival Michigan on home ice. Throughout his tenure, Jackson has brought the Irish to new heights including a record 12 NCAA tournaments and its first-ever Frozen Four in just his third season behind the bench. Raising the CCHA tournament championship trophy in his second season with the Irish, he has gone on to lead the Irish to eight conference championships and was twice named the Spencer Penrose Award winner in 2007 and 2018.
With an all-time Division I record of 589-316-98 at the end of last season, Jackson ranked as the winningest coach among all active coaches at the D-I men’s hockey level. This past season, he eclipsed 1,000 Division I games coached as the Irish rolled to a convincing 6-1 victory over Minnesota to mark the occasion.
Jackson began his coaching career in St. Clair Shores, Mich., where he served as head coach of the NAHL’s St. Clair Falcons. He spent two years in St. Clair before moving to the state’s Upper Peninsula as an assistant coach at Lake Superior State under then-head coach Frank Anzalone. Jackson spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Lakers before being elevated to head coach for the 1990-91 season. In six seasons behind the bench in Sault Ste. Marie, Jackson’s teams won two NCAA titles in 1992 and 1994 while advancing to the finals in 1993, two CCHA regular season championships and four CCHA Mason Cup trophies as conference tournament champions.
After 10 years with the Lakers between assistant and head coach roles, and three national titles in that span, Jackson left college hockey to start a youth development program for USA Hockey. In 1996 Jackson was named the national coach and senior director of the junior national team and went on to found the U.S. National Team Development Program. In his first year putting the program in place, he served as the head coach for the United States National Junior Team that captured a silver medal at the 1997 World Junior Championship. The following year, he served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Jackson served as the director and coach of the NTDP for four seasons before entering the professional hockey realm.
In 2000, he left the U.S. program and took over as head coach of the OHL’s Guelph Storm where he quickly turned the program around with a pair of winning records. In just over two full seasons with the Storm, Jackson posted an 87-67-24-4 record before accepting the role of assistant coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders prior to returning to the collegiate ranks as the head coach at Notre Dame in 2005.
Sheahan was a member of Jackson’s original Irish team and helped lead the team to its first ever berth in the Frozen Four championship game as a senior defenseman in 2007-08. As a student-athlete at Notre Dame, Sheahan graduated with a degree in finance and served as alternate captain during his final season with the Blue and Gold.
“I could not be more excited to have Brock step in as our Catalino Family head hockey coach,” Bevacqua said. “Brock has shown at every stop in his hockey journey, including his time here as a student-athlete, to be an innovative tactician who is always one step ahead of the curve. This next year will be a great opportunity for him to continue learning from Jeff (Jackson), while preparing to take the helm full time in 2025.”
Sheahan returned to the Irish as associate head coach prior to the 2023-24 season and was instrumental in the development of the young roster. His emphasis on player development in his first season in a full-time coaching capacity at Notre Dame led five graduates to sign professional deals, including a pair of NHL signees in Landon Slaggert (Chicago) and Drew Bavaro (Boston).
“The opportunity to lead the Notre Dame Hockey program is a dream come true for me and my family,” Sheahan said. “I will be forever grateful to Father Bob Dowd, John Veihmeyer, Jack Brennan, Pete Bevacqua, and the University of Notre Dame for this responsibility.
“I am motivated to lead the program forward, with the intention of winning conference and national championships, while developing our student-athletes to the highest level, as both people and hockey players. The mentorship, influence, and friendship from Jeff Jackson, Paul Pooley, and Andy Slaggert has made me into the person and coach I am today. I am especially thankful for the support of Coach Jackson and all the guidance he has provided me over the years. He has made Notre Dame hockey what it is today, and I am excited to work with him this season to achieve our goal of bringing Notre Dame Hockey its first national championship.”
His return to the Irish program a season ago came after a stint as the head coach of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. In one season with the Wolves, he led his team to a 35-29-5 regular-season record.
Prior to his time with the Wolves, he spent four years with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. There, he was a key component in the development of 28 NHL draftees, including four first-round selections and collegiate hockey stars.
During his tenure with the Steel, Sheahan’s teams won two Anderson Cups, awarded to the league’s regular-season champions, as well as capturing the 2021 Clark Cup championship. After assuming the role of head coach partway through the 2019-20 season, Sheahan posted a 100-27-12-3 regular-season record in the USHL and added an 8-3 record in the Clark Cup Playoffs.
Sheahan returned to the collegiate ranks last season, having previously served four seasons as an assistant/associate head coach at Holy Cross following a year as a volunteer assistant coach with the Irish in 2013-14.
A defenseman for the Irish from 2004 to 2008, Sheahan skated three seasons under Jackson. Throughout his collegiate career he appeared in 161 games and tallied 33 points. He served as alternate captain his senior year and was named the team’s top defenseman in 2007-08 after helping his team to their first ever NCAA championship appearance.
“I am excited about the present and the future of Notre Dame hockey,” Jackson said. “Brock is a true Notre Dame man and a fantastic coach. He will do incredible things here. For now, the focus is on preparing for a great 2024-25 season.”
Boston College has announced the addition of Max Gavin to the women’s hockey staff as an assistant coach.
Gavin arrives at Chestnut Hill from Dartmouth, where he served as an assistant coach since 2022.
Before his stint at Dartmouth, Gavin spent the 2021-22 season as the director of hockey operations for the Vermont men’s hockey team. Gavin also served as the head coach for the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2018 to 2020.
A 2015 graduate of Adrian with a degree in communications, Gavin was a four-year player for the men’s hockey team. He also played briefly for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL after his college career. Gavin returned to his alma mater from 2015 to 2018, serving as the head coach for the ACHA D-III team and as an assistant coach for the ACHA D-I team.
Gavin holds a High Performance 1 Coaching Certification from Hockey Canada and is the co-founder of the Vermont Youth Hockey Camps.
Alaska Anchorage, Dartmouth, Northeastern, and Providence will make their way to Thompson Arena for the 35th annual Ledyard Classic.
