Sparky’s Notebook: Powers, Potter, Smolen & More

After ASU kicks off its season against No. 5 Penn State, it’ll travel to take on Augustana and then kick off conference play. They’ll also play Ohio State on Nov. 28 and 29, during the middle of conference play.

“This year, the non-conference schedule is probably even a little tougher, certainly to start,” Powers said. “We go to Augustana on the road. They were really good last year and won 19 games. So it’s a great opportunity. We have to have success in that first six-game kind of segment.”

Powers and the rest of the coaching staff have a lot to be proud of, but as last season taught them, this season hinges on early success.

Co-Captains Smolen, Schimek Hungry for Challenges Ahead

With plenty of new faces on the roster, the Sun Devils will lean on two familiar leaders, as Kyle Smolen and Bennett Schimek step into the role of co-captains this season.

The two will be co-captains for the 2025-26 season, leading ASU on and off the ice. Schimek finished the 2024-25 season with 37 points, two shy of the team lead, and Smolen closed his sophomore season in sixth.

“I think that Shim [Schimek] and Smoly [Smolen] have done such a great job as our two captains, really bringing everyone together and making them understand what our standard is here — on and off the ice,” Powers said. “These two have set a new standard for leadership in every way. The guys are really dialed in to everything we want to do, and how we want to do it, because of them.”

The two have grown close over the offseason, but their focus hasn’t just been on each other—they’re committed to building the team as a whole, even if that means sneaking in a trip to Golfland along the way.

“I also think kind of away from the rink we have so much to do here that we can get together and hang out,” Smolen said. “Whether that’s going to different spots like Golfland or little things like that, just kind of being around each other all the time.”

Last season, Smolen saw ice time all over the lineup. Now, even with a more defined role as co-captain, he’s not afraid to step in wherever the coaching staff needs him.

“I can play anywhere,” Smolen said. “I’m willing to do anything that you’re asking me. I’m going to do it at the highest level I possibly can.”

ASU comes in at No. 14 in the preseason polls, but Schimek hasn’t paid much attention. That fits the team’s long-standing underdog identity, one it has carried for much of its existence.

“I don’t think guys put too much thought into it, just because it doesn’t really matter where we’re ranked,” Schimek said. “We believe we can win on any given night against anybody.”

The two are likely to be near the top of the Sun Devils’ offensive leaderboard this season, providing both scoring and leadership as the team looks to make its mark.

Potter Ready for Sophomore Season in NCAA

Cullen Potter made history this summer in Los Angeles by becoming the highest-drafted Sun Devil, selected in the first round, No. 32 overall, by the Calgary Flames.

“It was unbelievable, every kid that grows up playing hockey dreams about making the NHL,” Potter said. “So for it to finally happen for me and my family, it was [a] speechless moment.”

At just 17 years old last season, Potter was one of the youngest players in college hockey, having turned 18 in January. After one offseason, Powers already sees a marked difference in his maturity and the impact that summer has had on his game.

“He’s 17 when he got here, and now he acts like he’s 20, right?” Powers said. “Lots of maturing still to do, but he’s matured a ton in every way. He’s bigger, he’s stronger, and he’s more polished.”

For Potter, his game has taken a noticeable jump in physicality, a major focus throughout the offseason.

“Then, just how I play the game mentally, college hockey is faster, stronger. So, continuing [to] work on all the stuff that I’m good at, and then also just my physicality and how I think the game is probably those the biggest areas I’ve improved.”

Potter’s 22-point freshman campaign put opponents on notice, and heading into this season, expectations are likely higher with plenty more upside to tap into.

Loose Pucks

• On Sept. 19, ASU announced that Jack Beck, the older brother of former Sun Devil Noah Beck, will join the team this season. Jack, 22, split time last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. Stirring controversy online about the future of college hockey, coach Powers acknowledges it’s a one-time thing. “The opportunity presented itself,” Powers said. “It was really unique. If it were anyone else that were in the same position, we would have said no. But because of the character we know the kid has, being close with the brother and close with the family, it was a no-brainer.” Jack will sit out the first six games due to NCAA delayed enrollment rules.

• Down the stretch, goaltending stood out as a strength for the Sun Devils, with Luke Pavicich and Gibson Homer splitting time in net. This season, they’ll roll with two new names: Connor Hasley and Samuel Urban. Hasley is coming off a 36-game season with Bentley University, recording a 1.96 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Urban played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) during the past season, appearing in 40 games and finishing with a record of 22-15-1. “They’ve both been lights out,” Powers said. “We have two ones back there, and they’re making each other better every day, and that’s what you want.”

• ASU enters its second season in the NCHC ready to roll. Ranked second to last in the NCHC last season, they are ranked fourth in the latest preseason poll, behind Western Michigan, Denver and North Dakota. “There’s just no nights off,” Powers said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given night. It’s such a good League, seven [of] the last nine national championships, speaks for itself. We’re thrilled to be a part of it. And we still have to be hungry and prove that we can provide value to this league and continue to earn respect from the league.”