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Western Michigan Broncos pose for a photo with the national championship trophy after defeating the Boston University Terriers to win the Frozen Four college ice hockey national championship at Enterprise Center (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

Day 1 Takeaways from NCHC’s First Virtual Media Days

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Matthew Buhrmann | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 3:10 PM ET

The NCHC kicked off its first-ever virtual media days on Tuesday, with Commissioner Heather Weems and coaches from four programs meeting with the media. Day 1 offered insight into the league’s direction heading into the season, while five more teams are set to speak on Wednesday to close out the two-day event.

Weems Emphasizes NCHC’s “National” Identity

Weems opened her state of the conference by reflecting on the league’s dominance since its founding.

“When the NCHC was founded over a decade ago in response to a change in the college landscape, imagine that it’s happening again. It was built on a shared vision to provide our student athletes with a championship caliber experience highlighted by personal growth and holistic support, to foster standards within the NCHC so its members are best position to recruit, develop and retain elite hockey talent, and to serve as leaders in shaping the future of our sport. Looking back, that vision has not only been fulfilled, it has exceeded expectations,” she said.

Since its inception, NCHC teams have claimed seven of the last nine NCAA National Championships, including Western Michigan’s first title last spring. That’s not just dominance. It’s a testament to the commitment and culture of excellence embraced by our institutions. The NCHC has grown from its eight original teams to its current membership of nine, and after this season will add the University of St. Thomas as its 10th,” she continued.

She also spoke about the newly introduced secondary logo to emphasize the “national” identity of the league.

“This year, the NCHC is proud to introduce an addition to our conference identity. Yesterday, I believe you all saw it alongside the iconic NCHC shield. You will now see our secondary logo emphasizing the word national. Why? Because national isn’t just a word to us. It reflects our national championships, earned time and again on the biggest stages. Our national footprint spanning four time zones and giving our fans almost coast-to-coast engagement with some of the top teams in the country. Our role as national leaders in college hockey, setting the bar for competition, integrity, and innovation, and our development of national caliber athletes, helping students advance to their NHL and professional aspirations.”

She then turned to the new on-campus NCHC tournament format.

“As you are also aware from our announcement last year, another opportunity to put our mark on the NCHC experience is our new tournament structure. After a long history in Minneapolis and St. Paul, we’re shifting to an on-campus-based playoff format with an eight-team bracket. We’re excited to bring each round home and for our student athletes to play in packed houses and to skate in a true playoff environment. The change is about rewarding excellence. It rewards our top teams with the opportunity to play meaningful games in front of their home fans and energizes student-athlete performance. It rewards our loyal fans who now have easier access to cheer on their teams in their own communities for some of the best games of the season.”

She also reflected on how college athletics has changed dramatically in recent years.

“To be honest, it’s all of that. It feels like when I talk to people, I say, I feel like we have operated in a fight or flight mode, really since March of 2020, in terms of athletics. We obviously, and you were privy to that in the pod that was held back then, but, you know, all of the just adjustments that had to be made for those couple of years when we were advancing through COVID, and then almost immediately, we went into the house case. You know, part of it, to be honest, I think, is just people are exhausted, you know, like, it feels a little bit like we’re in quicksand and you’re always trying to keep up with what the rules are. I think one of the challenges simply is to, we need to get to a place where we have a better understanding across everybody, you know, of what the rules of the game are and how it’s being played.

And, you know, I’m not talking the game on the ice, but in terms of recruiting, in terms of what’s going on with revenue share and NIL [name, image, likeness,] I think just to be able to put some space and some understanding so that people can focus and I think that our, you know, my observations are that the coaches have really tried to move to that much more, probably in the last 12 months than they were the 12 months prior to that, where they really took on a much stronger attitude of, we’re going to control what we can control.”

When asked about streaming and TV rights, she left the door open to future partnerships for marquee matchups that would already be on NCHC.TV.

“It has been discussed, and obviously, we work with SIDEARM, the parent company of NCHC.TV to navigate those sorts of conversations. And so, yes, I think that it’s certainly a possibility. I mean, obviously, you know, from the conference office, we, with our SIDEARM deal, we retain the rights to our digital media. And then there’s the linear opportunities. We can use both, you know, many of our campuses have their own linear rights opportunities within their local regions. And then if the opportunity presents itself to it from a linear perspective, certainly we can have that conversation, and then from a digital perspective, it’s probably a negotiation in conversation with SIDEARM about the opportunities and whether there’s a way to be honest, to leverage additional exposure in some other platforms and then to look at how we can benefit, use that to maximize even our own subscriptions through NCHC.TV.”

Western Michigan Focused on the Present

The defending national champion Western Michigan Broncos opened their meeting with head coach Pat Ferschweiler.

“This is the most scoring we’ve ever returned since I’ve been head coach here. Last year, I think we returned the second fewest goals in all of college hockey. So I’m encouraged by our returners. As I talked to them last year, I talked to them all as they left, and I said the first game against Ferris State won’t know or care that we’re defending national champions. It’ll be an entirely new group. You’re going to have to come back bigger, faster, stronger, and find new ways to become a team and new ways to succeed next year. And to their credit, every guy, every returner, it is stronger. They all have great summers. They came back. They look determined, and they look ready to succeed.”

When asked about moving forward after last season’s incredible run, Ferschweiler pointed to hunger over satisfaction.

“Well, we’re not a big target on the back team, and we recognize lots of people talk like that, but we don’t. We only recognize one thing, our own expectations, and they’re exceedingly high. I know that our players want to succeed, and they want to be great. I challenge our coaching staff to come back and be ready to coach these players better than we did last year. But I believe we’ve done that. We all improved over the summer because we ask our players to improve every summer as well. Get bigger, faster, stronger. Make sure that you’re more dedicated and focused every single day. And I think we’ve done that as the staff. I think we’re coaching them better already than we did last year in lots of good ways, lots of small ways.

We’re built on principles here. So those don’t change. There’s non-negotiables for success that we believe in that we’re going to preach every day. But the details, the fine-tuning of the game, I think we’re coaching it even better this year. And our players have felt that success. And instead of being satisfied with that success, it’s driven them forward to go get more success. So they’re as hungry or hungrier than they were last year because they’ve already tasted success now, and they want some more of it.”

He also praised goaltender Hampton Slukynsky’s preparation heading into this season.

“Well, Hampton is as dedicated to his own success as any young man I’ve ever seen. He really invests in his own success. His preparation daily is extraordinary. His maturity is off the charts. But he’s really invested in his body this summer. He’s a thicker, stronger version of himself without bulking up and restricting his movements in any way. He’s really had a great summer that way of just truly investing in. He knows as he moves up levels, the physicality, even at the goaltender position, to win battles, to win pucks, increases.

And he’s going to have to get stronger in that regard, and he certainly has. But then we see a lot of the same qualities where he never seems to be rattled. Nothing seems to be too much for him. He’s always calm and has strong belief in himself. But that belief is earned. It’s not false. It’s not a bravado. He knows because he’s prepared. And so he gets in there every day and performs. It’s really impressive, especially for that young man.”

Dane Jackson Embraces First Season Leading North Dakota

Dane Jackson is entering his first season as North Dakota head coach after nearly two decades as an assistant, and he’s keeping tradition front and center while helping the Fighting Hawks‘ young roster come together.

“One of the biggest things is that college hockey has become more transactional,” Jackson said. “I think one of our big challenges is just making guys understand how important and special it is to play here. If our guys don’t just think about coming here to move onto the next level, but buy in, try to win here, add to our tradition and be a part of something special, that’s what we want.”

The Fighting Hawks will be tested early with 15 new players on the roster, highlighted by projected 2026 second overall pick Keaton Verhoeff. EJ Emery and Abram Wiebe return on the blue line, while newcomers David Klee, Will Zellers, Sam Laurila, Joshua Zareski, and Cole Reschny are expected to step into important roles.

“We have a lot to prove, now it’s up to us to mold those guys.”

15 of the 27 players on @UNDmhockey are new to the team, but expectations remain high under first year head coach Dane Jackson. He + Jake Livanavage speak at @TheNCHC Media Day on what to look forward to this year. pic.twitter.com/uuKBUQBpJz
— Taylor Budge – Midco Sports (@TBudgeMidco) September 23, 2025

Jackson understands there will be growing pains but believes the group has the talent and character to adapt quickly.

Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals (Photo Credit: Kevin Light Photo)

“I expect ups and downs,” Jackson said. “As excited as everyone gets about freshmen, usually even the best players take a month or two to adjust. But if you’re a smart player, you learn and grow, and by the second half you’re not really a rookie anymore.”

Jackson also emphasized how important it will be for North Dakota to solidify its identity.

“We’re putting a lot of emphasis on our culture and what exactly that means,” he said. “It’s about being a great teammate, playing hard 200-foot hockey, and showing grit and discipline every night. That’s what I believe wins in this league.”

North Dakota’s future also includes a major international showcase, as the program was recently selected to play in the 2027 Friendship Four in Belfast, Ireland. Jackson called it “an awesome life experience” for his players and fans.

Omaha Rebuilds with USports Additions

The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are leaning heavily on Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and USports players to reload their roster. After losing five of their top eight scorers, the Mavericks leaned on USports players to add balance. Of their 15 new faces, eight are freshmen, according to MavPuck.

Head coach Mike Gabinet, entering his ninth season, echoed Omaha’s strategy of expanding its recruiting pool by focusing on USports players as well as CHL talent.

“Well, I think when we first kind of heard the news that the CHL was looking to become eligible, we looked at, you know, obviously there’s the 19 or 20-year-olds from the current CHL, then there’s also those guys that were probably just a year out, which were playing in youth sports. So we thought maybe strategically not everybody had thought about that kind of thing. So we thought it would be good to investigate maybe just a CHL player that’s one year older, so to speak.

And obviously being from Alberta, growing up around USport there, I kind of knew, I just thought always valued it, had some buddies that went through that program there and some really good hockey players have come out of that USport system as well there. So, I thought it was a, you know, as when we’re in Omaha, we’re always looking at ways to expand our player pool and find new recruits. And that was one we thought would be a good thing to start on early.”

He also spoke on the adjustment period around CHL eligibility.

“I think anytime there’s change, there’s always a little bit of uncertainty and there’s always, as we’re seeing right now, currently with the CHL, there’s just, it’s just a feeling out process. So I think there’s going to be a year or two of change. And I think that’s something that we’ve become quite familiar with here at the NCAA for the last three or four years with all the different rule changes there. So I think there’s always some resistance with change and eventually, you know, the norms kind of eventually present themselves there. So again, it’s just, it’s been positive and it’s, there’s been some areas of growth and everybody’s kind of feeling each other out there a little bit there. But at the end of the day, I think, you know, you do what’s best that you can with as much integrity as you can, and that’s all you can control. And at the end of the day, you know, you’re trying to get good hockey players here that are going to go play somewhere and you want them to choose your program over another program.”

A New Look Denver Roster

David Carle and the Denver Pioneers head into the season without stars Jack Devine, Zeev Buium, Carter King, Aidan Thompson, and goaltender Matt Davis, who all moved on to the pro ranks.

Zeev Buium, Minnesota Wild (Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

“We are two weeks into camp and just looking forward to the start of the season. A lot of new faces around our team with 10 new freshmen, but a lot of key pieces returning as well. And I think we’re excited to, you know, build off of what we’ve been able to accomplish the last number of years and hit the ground running to start the season in a couple weeks.”

Carle praised his goaltending group’s depth in the wake of Davis’s departure.

“Yeah, I mean, he was a wonderful goaltender for us, obviously. Played his best at the biggest stages at the end of the season. But just like any other year, there’s guys who exit and new guys who come in and can step up to the plate and are ready for the challenge. We think we have a lot of depth and good competition in goal with [Paxton] Geisel and [Quentin] Miller and [Johnny] Hicks coming in as two freshmen, and then obviously Paxton as the returner. No different than up front. We have seven freshman forwards. You could sit here and talk about King and Divine and Thompson and losing our first line. For us, it’s about talking about what we do have, and the guys who we are going to need to step up. There hasn’t been a lot of time spent talking about losing our top line or starting goalie. Expectations haven’t changed.”

He also spoke about the Portland Winterhawks’ 2024-25 leading scorer, Kyle Chyzowski (138 points in 84 games played), who aged out in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and is now 21 years old.

“Kyle’s been exceptional from day one. He’s displayed what’s given him a lot of success in junior hockey: his attention to detail, how he takes care of his body, how he trains, how he shows up and prepares on a daily basis. On the ice, he’s always watching video. He’s always trying to take care of his body. He’s really dove into the increased level of resources you have in college versus junior hockey: time in the weight room, nutritionists, Matt Shaw, the video system we have, and all the resources made available to him. He’s a guy who will squeeze everything out of the experience, learn and grow as much as possible. On the ice, you can tell he’s played for a wonderful organization in Portland. They teach details as well as second and third effort. A lot of his habits are at a really high level, and I think it’ll help him be an immediate contributor to our team.”

Carle said the Pioneers’ large freshman class is confident and ready for the challenge.

“I think a lot of them have come in with great junior seasons behind them, so they come in really confident. They also see that opportunities are available. We didn’t bring in four transfers that are going to take their spots. Maybe they’ve been committed here for two, three years, and now if we had brought in transfers, they’d think, ‘Gosh, there’s more guys I have to beat out.’ I think it shows a level of trust in them and their abilities, who they are as people and players, that we believe in them. They can come in and execute at a high level, learn and grow, mature and be different players in March and April than they are today in September and October.”

Stay tuned for a recap on Day two of NCHC media days, where we will hear from Minnesota-Duluth, Miami, Colorado College, St. Cloud State, and Arizona State.