Off-season 2025

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

College Puck NXTs first, second, and third all-CCHA teams, a familiar name on each:

First Team


Second Team


Third Team

[mbenecke]

CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll is out:

1. St. Thomas (3)
2. Minnesota State (4)
3. Michigan Tech (2)
4. Augustana
5. Bowling Green
6. Bemidji State
7. Lake Superior State
8. Ferris State
9. Northern Michigan

Dominik Rymon from BG is the co-rookie of the year. Nobody on the all-CCHA team.

Bulletin board material, if you ask me.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

There's only one vote separating us from Tech/Augustana so it's basically 4-for-2 when you throw Bemidji in.

I think the Minnesota State thing is silliness. While they are rock solid in goal and on defense, they return only one guy up front from last year and aside from maaaayyyyybbbbeeeee Zetterberg the rest of their transfers are Nacho, B1G, ECAC rejects. 17 new faces on the roster including 11 of 12 forwards. Yeah. Whatever.

Surprised that with all the potential in our freshmen class this year that they picked Rymon for ROY. I didn't see that one coming.

Edit: The coaches basically have 4 tiers:

Rico's/Mavs
Tech/Augie/BG/Bemidji
Lakers/Ferris
Northern

[pdt1081]

CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll is out:

1. St. Thomas (3)
2. Minnesota State (4)
3. Michigan Tech (2)
4. Augustana
5. Bowling Green
6. Bemidji State
7. Lake Superior State
8. Ferris State
9. Northern Michigan

Dominik Rymon from BG is the co-rookie of the year. Nobody on the all-CCHA team.

Bulletin board material, if you ask me.

Media poll should be interesting. Gotta think there are some coaches not exactly happy with the way recruiting/portal went, and some that just don't give a sh!t about these things and throw something on paper. I'd be surprised if Willy even addresses the poll with the players.

[mbenecke]

Media has:
1. Minnesota State (8)
2. St. Thomas (2)
3. Bowling Green (4)
4. Michigan Tech
5. Augustana
6. Bemidji State
7. Ferris State
8. Lake Superior State
9. Northern Michigan

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Media has:
1. Minnesota State (8)
2. St. Thomas (2)
3. Bowling Green (4)
4. Michigan Tech
5. Augustana
6. Bemidji State
7. Ferris State
8. Lake Superior State
9. Northern Michigan

Here's the same poll with the number of votes. Some of the first place votes for us came from the Tech Hockey Guide guys. I also included the POYs. Waters is first team all-CCHA.

2025-26 CCHA Preseason Media Poll
Minnesota State – 127 (8 first-place votes)
St. Thomas – 115 (2)
Bowling Green – 108 (4)
Michigan Tech – 100
Augustana – 95
Bemidji State – 75
Ferris State – 54
Lake Superior State – 49
Northern Michigan – 33

2025-26 Preseason Media Players of the Year
Alex Tracy, MSU

2025-26 Preseason Media Co-Rookie of the Year
Max Hildenbrand, BSU
Max Vig, BSU

2025-26 Preseason Media All-CCHA Team
Stiven Sardarian, MTU
Lucas Wahlin, UST
Brody Waters, BGSU
Evan Murr, MSU*
Isa Parekh, BSU
Alex Tracy, MSU*

[jpfalcon09]

Media poll makes more sense. Still don't get the Mavs love given all they have to replace up front. Could take awhile for all of them to gel. 3rd is where I'd have BG. Top four will probably all be fighting it out for most of the season.

[mbenecke]

My preseason expectation is home ice for a playoff series and advancing to at least the semifinals. I think it's possible we start slow with the new guys, but I think if they're getting it together and peaking down the stretch, our ceiling is as high as anyone's. Hard to predict what happens in 1 game scenarios in the semis or the championship game, but I think this group will be dreaming about that kind of thing as the calendar turns to March.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

I think Willy set up the perfect schedule to get these CHL kids acclimated. Start with an exhibition to see what's what, then a road trip to a crappy AHA team where we should get our feet wet, then another exhibition to tune things up even further, then an opening league series against a team picked in the bottom 3. By the time Bemidji rolls into town he should have a pretty good idea on what's working and what isn't.

That Bemidji series will be huge. They'll be in the hunt for home playoff ice and taking 4+ points at home will be critical.

[jpfalcon09]

I think Willy set up the perfect schedule to get these CHL kids acclimated. Start with an exhibition to see what's what, then a road trip to a crappy AHA team where we should get our feet wet, then another exhibition to tune things up even further, then an opening league series against a team picked in the bottom 3. By the time Bemidji rolls into town he should have a pretty good idea on what's working and what isn't.

That Bemidji series will be huge. They'll be in the hunt for home playoff ice and taking 4+ points at home will be critical.

Speaking of Willy, because the band's halftime show went long at Homecoming the kickers and punters had to practice sideline to sideline in the north end zone. He almost got taken out by a punt that landed about six inches to his right. Would've been a helluva story.

[pdt1081]

I think Willy set up the perfect schedule to get these CHL kids acclimated. Start with an exhibition to see what's what, then a road trip to a crappy AHA team where we should get our feet wet, then another exhibition to tune things up even further, then an opening league series against a team picked in the bottom 3. By the time Bemidji rolls into town he should have a pretty good idea on what's working and what isn't.

That Bemidji series will be huge. They'll be in the hunt for home playoff ice and taking 4+ points at home will be critical.

He set a potential trap schedule. Score 40-50 goals through those 6 games (very possible) and that Bemidji series will be a brutal gut check wake up call.