2025-26 Hockey East Season Preview: UMass Amherst Minutemen

How's this for an opening act? When the University of Massachusetts Amherst men's hockey team opened the season last Friday night, the Minutemen were credited with 70 shots net, the most in a regulation game during the NCAA's modern history. If that wasn't enough to get everyone's attention in college hockey, they came back from a third-period deficit to defeat Northern Michigan 5-3 at the Mullins Center.

For an encore, they took 46 shots in the 4-1 win to get the series sweep.

It doesn't seem right that the Hockey East coaches picked UMass to finish in the middle of the 11-team conference at sixth, which says a lot about how tough the league is again this year, but this group of Minutemen could definitely be in the mix for the conference crown.

While some players have left the program, the majority of the core remains from the previous season and these players are ready to continue where they left off. Their record would lead one to believe they weren’t very good, very average. However, a closer look shows otherwise.

In 2024-25, the Minutemen scored 133 goals, the second most in the league all while surrendering 97, the fourth fewest. They had the second-most efficient power play at 23.7 percent, scoring 27 goals on the man advantage. They posted the third-best save percentage at .922 percent. The penalty-killing unit was fourth at 81.7 percent. of them ending without consequence. UMass even finished with the most faceoff wins in the league with 1,241 draws going in its favor.

The Minutemen didn't just have potential, but promise, drive, and the means to do it with their leadership. Head Coach Greg Carvel selected senior defense Owen Murray and Lucas Olvestad to be the team captains for the season. 

“Owen and Lucas were instrumental pieces of our success last season,” Carvel said. “I believe that their qualified leadership will play a big role in our success this year. Both young men play the game with passion and selflessness, both are vocal leaders on the ice and supportive teammates off the ice. They play the game to the UMass standard, and I am personally looking forward to working closely with them."

The captains, who scored a combined nine goals and 24 assists, will be responsible with maintaining the standard set from last year and building upon it. They will have to get the incoming class up to speed, and fast in order to not fall behind the top dogs.

Speaking of the incoming class, this season, there will be eight freshmen, who include Coleson Hanrahan, Jack Galanek, Vaclav Nestrasil, Lukas Klecka, Landon Nycz, A.J. Lacroix, Justin Kerr and Elias Zimmerman. Klecka hails from Slovakia and Nestrasil is one of two players from Czechia.

In terms of incoming transfers, there are three, who include junior Owen Mehlenbacher from Wisconsin, sophomore Mikey DeAngelo coming from Michigan State and junior Matthew Wilde from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Out of these 11 players, two stand out. Both on the stat sheet and in person. 

Forward Elias Zimmerman is certainly an eye-catching player, considering he is 6-foot-6, 216 pound. He doesn't exactly have the build fans have in mind when they think of offensive skaters, but the coaches have a vision with Zimmerman.

"Standing at 6-6, he is a big man and can use his size to win puck battles and create offense from down low and around the net,” Carvel said. “He is a very good faceoff center who wins a high percentage of his draws when playing down the middle. His size and skill set combined will be something our fans will enjoy watching over the years."

Zimmerman, a member of the Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League last season, scored nine goals and nine assists over 59 games, something to watch as the pace of play gets faster for the big man. He obviously has really good reach as well.

Moving on a guy who explodes off the stat sheet is freshman forward Lukas Klecka. In three seasons with Södertälje SK a club based in Sweden, where his last season was particularly impressive. He was able to score 13 goals and connected on 22 assists in 42 games, while playing against some of the best players in Europe. 

"He will bring a lot of pace, skill and compete to our team next season, Carvel said. 

Another area of strength should be between the pipes, where UMass has junior Jackson Irving, junior Michael Hrabal and sophomore James Norton.

The nod at first will likely go to Hrabal, who hails from Prague. He was the main starter last season, playing in 35 games and posting a .924 save percentage, tallying1,000 saves, two shutouts and earning 19 victories as a sophomore.

That isn’t to say it was a one-man show, Irving was quite spectacular during his comparable small playing time. In 10 games, Irving posted a .943 percent save percentage, including 116 saves, one shutout and two victories,

The 2025-26 season is one that poses way too many questions for the UMass Minutemen. Can they be the top dog they should be this season, will they regress to mid-table contenders, will the captains be able to maintain the standard set last season, will the incoming class fit in and find their role, will the goalies be able to grow and develop?

At least we know they can shoot the puck.

SEE ALSO: 2025-26 Hockey East Season Preview: UMass Lowell River Hawks