The Arizona State hockey program has come a long ways from the 2015-16 season, which was the debut season for the program at the Division one level.
The program spent several seasons struggling, including a 5-22-2 mark in the aforementioned season, 10-19-3 the season after, and three more losing seasons succeding the 2016-17 campaign.
The losing has eventually paid off, and Sun Devil hockey has enjoyed several successful seasons and have proved themselves against some of the best across the country over recent years.
Sunday afternoon, the Sun Devils landed a commitment from 2026 recruit Jimmy Egan.
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"The ‘08 born forward from Mahtomedi, MN had 46 points in 26 GP for the Sioux Falls Power."
The Sun Devils and longtime head coach Greg Powers wrapped up the 2024-25 season with a 21-14-2 record and a trip to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament semifinals, where the team fell to Denver.
This has been a meteoric rise to prominence in the hockey world, as the majority of powers in the college game are located in the midwest or on the east coast.
The program has become an unexpectedly attractive place for rising hockey players to consider playing at over the years - factors such as location, stability, and potential to carve one's own path are key motivators.
The commitment from Egan signifies a paradigm shift across the college hockey landscape, as Arizona State is now on the radar when it comes to prospective players actively seeking a playing future in Tempe out - traditional powers such as Boston and Minnesota Duluth now have serious non-traditional power competition.
The Arizona State hockey program has ultimately received consistent fan support over the years as well - as Mullett arena no longer hosts the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Yeti) - it is up to the Sun Devils to fill the 5,000 seat capacity within the arena.
The program is set to begin the 2025-26 season at home against the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 3.
As for other athletic programs, read more about the culture that Kenny Dillingham is currently building within the football team here, and the leadership that star quarterback Sam Leavitt has displayed during his time in Tempe here.
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