# 2020–21 UConn Huskies men's ice hockey season

The 2020–21 UConn Huskies men's ice hockey season was the 61st season of play for the program, the 23rd at the Division I level, and the 7th season in the Hockey East conference. The Huskies represented the University of Connecticut and were coached by Mike Cavanaugh, in his 8th season.

## Season

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the entire college ice hockey season was delayed. Because the NCAA had previously announced that all winter sports athletes would retain whatever eligibility they possessed through at least the following year, none of Connecticut's players would lose a season of play. However, the NCAA also approved a change in its transfer regulations that would allow players to transfer and play immediately rather than having to sit out a season, as the rules previously required.
UConn began the season going through a gauntlet or ranked teams. The stiff competition handed the Huskies a 1–4–1 record and left the team with wallowing near the bottom of the conference standings. Despite the bad start, Connecticut turned its season around with a solid performance in January. While facing a slightly easier schedule, the Huskies ended the month a game over .500 and, after defeating Northeastern at the start of February, the team found itself in the top-20. The ranking didn't last long, however, and Connecticut's 4-game losing streak nearly ended any hope for the team. Winning the last two games of the regular season put the Huskies at .500 and, because Hockey East used a power index for ranking for the 2021 season, UConn finished 4th in the conference, the best result to date.
In spite of their mediocre record, Connecticut had a small chance to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament but it would need a good performance to make itself stand out from the other 'bubble teams'. They got a good chance in the conference quarterfinals, facing Providence at home. The Huskies started slow and were badly outshot in the first period. When they did finally score the Friars had already built a 3-goal lead and their opponents cruised to a 6–1 victory.
Darion Hanson, Ryan Keane, Matt Pasquale, and Bradley Stone sat out the season.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Ben Freeman | Forward | United States | Graduation (Signed with Wheeling Nailers) |
| Justin Howell | Forward | United States | Graduation |
| Ruslan Iskhakov | Forward | Russia | Signed professional contract (HC TPS) |
| Wyatt Newpower | Defenseman | United States | Graduation (Signed with Cleveland Monsters) |
| Alexandre Payusov | Forward | Canada | Graduation |
| Jordan Timmons | Forward | United States | Transferred to Robert Morris |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Cassidy Bowes | Forward | Canada | 21 | Kelowna, BC |
| Nick Capone | Forward | United States | 18 | East Haven, CT; selected 157th overall in 2020 |
| Darion Hanson | Goaltender | United States | 23 | East Bethel, MN; transfer from Union |
| Gavin Puskar | Forward | United States | 19 | Westfield, NJ |
| Hudson Schandor | Forward | Canada | 19 | North Vancouver, BC |
| Artem Shlaine | Goaltender | United States | 19 | Moscow, RUS; selected 130th overall in 2020 |
| John Spetz | Defenseman | United States | 20 | Oak Ridge, NJ; graduate transfer from Sacred Heart |
| Ryan Tverberg | Forward | Canada | 18 | Richmond Hill, ON; selected 213th overall in 2020 |

## Roster

As of February 12, 2021.

## Standings

2020–21 Hockey East Standingsvte :
| | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record |
| | GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | SOW | HEPI | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #6 Boston College | 21 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 58.61 | 82 | 46 | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 91 | 58 |
| #11 Boston University | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 56.36 | 49 | 37 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 52 | 45 |
| #1 Massachusetts * | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 55.44 | 76 | 42 | 29 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 103 | 48 |
| Connecticut | 22 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 52.01 | 69 | 63 | 23 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 70 | 69 |
| #16 Providence | 23 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50.80 | 63 | 61 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 71 | 67 |
| Northeastern | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 49.94 | 68 | 60 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 69 | 64 |
| #19 Massachusetts–Lowell | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48.00 | 46 | 53 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 59 | 63 |
| Maine | 15 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 46.66 | 41 | 61 | 16 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 43 | 68 |
| Merrimack | 18 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45.38 | 47 | 66 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 47 | 66 |
| New Hampshire | 21 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 43.66 | 51 | 83 | 23 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 60 | 88 |
| Vermont | 12 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38.02 | 17 | 37 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 42 |
| Championship: March 20, 2021 No Regular Season Champion Awarded * indicates conference tournament champion (Lamoriello Trophy) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll ||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and Results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Rank$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Regular Season ||||||||||
| November 20 | 6:00 PM | at #7 Massachusetts | | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | NESN+ | Vomáčka | L 1–5 | 0 | 0–1–0 (0–1–0) |
| November 21 | 4:00 PM | vs. #7 Massachusetts | | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | T 2–2 $^{SOW}$ | 0 | 0–1–1 (0–1–1) |
| December 11 | 6:00 PM | at #2 Boston College | | Conte Forum • Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | NESN | Vomáčka | L 3–4 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 0–2–1 (0–2–1) |
| December 12 | 3:35 PM | vs. #2 Boston College | | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | W 3–1 | 0 | 1–2–1 (1–2–1) |
| December 21 | 5:00 PM | vs. #17 Massachusetts–Lowell | | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | L 1–2 | 0 | 1–3–1 (1–3–1) |
| December 23 | 3:30 PM | at #10 Massachusetts | | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | NESN | Vomáčka | L 2–6 | 0 | 1–4–1 (1–4–1) |
| December 28 | 3:00 PM | vs. #15 Providence | | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | W 2–0 | 0 | 2–4–1 (2–4–1) |
| January 1 | 4:00 PM | at New Hampshire | | Whittemore Center • Durham, New Hampshire | NESN | Vomáčka | W 2–1 | 0 | 3–4–1 (3–4–1) |
| January 2 | 4:00 PM | vs. New Hampshire | | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | L 1–2 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 3–5–1 (3–5–1) |
| January 15 | 4:00 PM | vs. New Hampshire | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | W 6–5 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 4–5–1 (4–5–1) |
| January 16 | 5:00 PM | at New Hampshire | | Whittemore Center • Durham, New Hampshire | | Vomáčka | W 8–3 | 0 | 5–5–1 (5–5–1) |
| January 22 | 4:00 PM | vs. #1 Boston College | | Conte Forum • Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | | Vomáčka | T 3–3 $^{SOW}$ | 0 | 5–5–2 (5–5–2) |
| January 23 | 4:00 PM | vs. #1 Boston College | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | L 2–4 | 0 | 5–6–2 (5–6–2) |
| January 29 | 3:05 PM | at Merrimack | | J. Thom Lawler Rink • North Andover, Massachusetts | | Vomáčka | W 6–1 | 0 | 6–6–2 (6–6–2) |
| January 30 | 3:00 PM | vs. Merrimack | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | W 6–2 | 0 | 7–6–2 (7–6–2) |
| February 5 | 5:05 PM | at #14 Northeastern | | Matthews Arena • Boston, Massachusetts | | Vomáčka | W 4–1 | 0 | 8–6–2 (8–6–2) |
| February 9 | 5:00 PM | at Massachusetts–Lowell | #20 | Tsongas Center • Lowell, Massachusetts | NESN | Vomáčka | L 2–3 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 8–7–2 (8–7–2) |
| February 12 | 4:30 PM | at #16 Providence | #20 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | NESN+ | Vomáčka | L 0–4 | 0 | 8–8–2 (8–8–2) |
| February 20 | 4:00 PM | vs. #11 Boston University | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | L 2–3 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 8–9–2 (8–9–2) |
| February 26 | 4:00 PM | vs. Maine | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | L 4–6 | 0 | 8–10–2 (8–10–2) |
| February 27 | 4:00 PM | vs. Maine | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | W 4–2 | 0 | 9–10–2 (9–10–2) |
| March 5 | 5:00 PM | vs. #15 Providence | | XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | W 5–3 | 0 | 10–10–2 (10–10–2) |
| Hockey East Tournament ||||||||||
| March 14 | 3:30 PM | vs. #17 Providence* | | Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | | Vomáčka | L 1–6 | 0 | 10–11–2 |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. ||||||||||

## Scoring statistics

| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
| Jonny Evans | F | 23 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 12 |
| Jáchym Kondelík | C | 23 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 6 |
| Hudson Schandor | C | 22 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 10 |
| Carter Turnbull | RW | 23 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 10 |
| Marc Gatcomb | F | 23 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 14 |
| Vladislav Firstov | LW | 13 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 12 |
| John Spetz | D | 22 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
| Carter Berger | D | 21 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Adam Karashik | D | 23 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 27 |
| Artem Shlaine | C | 23 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 16 |
| Kale Howarth | LW/C | 18 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 27 |
| Ryan Tverberg | C | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Roman Kinal | D | 16 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| Yan Kuznetsov | D | 16 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Jake Flynn | D | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| Brian Rigali | F | 23 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
| Harrison Rees | D | 21 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Nick Capone | RW | 20 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| Cassidy Bowes | LW | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Ryan Wheeler | D | 18 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Zac Robbins | F | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Eric Linell | G | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| John Wojciechowski | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gavin Puskar | C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tomáš Vomáčka | G | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bench | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
| Total | | | 70 | 125 | 195 | 238 |

## Goaltending statistics

| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
| Tomáš Vomáčka | 23 | 1393 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 66 | 659 | 1 | .909 | 2.84 |
| Empty Net | - | 7 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 23 | 1400 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 69 | 659 | 1 | .905 | 2.96 |

## Rankings

| Poll | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 (Final) |
| USCHO.com | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 20 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | - | NR |
| USA Today | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 15 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
USCHO did not release a poll in week 20.

## Awards and honors

| Player | Award |
| Jonny Evans | AHCA East Second Team All-American |
| Jonny Evans | Hockey East Scoring Champion |
| Jonny Evans | Hockey East Three-Stars Award |
| Jonny Evans | Hockey East First Team |
| Tomáš Vomáčka | Hockey East Third Team |
| Jáchym Kondelík | Hockey East Third Team |

## Players drafted into the NHL
### 2021 NHL Entry Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
| 7 | 205 | Arsenii Sergeev$^†$ | Calgary Flames |
† incoming freshman