# 2024–25 Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey season

The 2024–25 Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey season will be the 49th season of play for the program and 27th in the CCHA. The Wildcats will represent Northern Michigan University in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, play their home games at Berry Events Center and be coached by Dave Shyiak in his 1st season.

## Season

With an off-season coaching change, combined with a disappointing season, Northern Michigan experienced the greatest amount of roster turnover in the history of the program. Just four of thirty players on the roster returned (Tanner Latsch, Zach Michaelis, Jakob Peterson and Brendan Poshak) with just 42 games played between them in 23–24 (approximately 6.5% of the man-games). While the Wildcats were bound to lose some players through graduation, the transfer portal helped to induce eleven players to leave for other programs. Northern Michigan was able to add several new players through the portal to mitigate some of the losses but the majority of their recruiting class were new to college hockey.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Isack Bandu | Defenseman | Canada | Transferred to St. Lawrence |
| Tyrell Boucher | Defenseman | Canada | Graduation (retired) |
| Michael Colella | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to Canisius |
| Mitchel Deelstra | Forward | Canada | Graduate transfer to Robert Morris |
| Connor Eddy | Forward | Canada | Transferred to Massachusetts Lowell |
| Colby Enns | Defenseman | United States | Graduate transfer to Merrimack |
| Reilly Funk | Forward | Canada | Transferred to Bemidji State |
| Aiden Gallacher | Defenseman | United States | Graduate transfer to Omaha |
| André Ghantous | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Adirondack Thunder) |
| Charlie Glockner | Goaltender | United States | Transferred to St. Cloud State |
| Luke Gramer | Defenseman | United States | Left program (retired) |
| Viking Gustafsson Nyberg | Defenseman | United States | Transferred to Connecticut |
| Béni Halász | Goaltender | Hungary | Transferred to St. Cloud State |
| Travis Hensrud | Forward | Canada | Left program |
| Matvei Kabanov | Forward | Russia | Transferred to Bowling Green |
| Kevin Marx-Norén | Forward | Sweden | Transferred to RIT |
| Michael Mesic | Forward | United States | Returned to juniors (Youngstown Phantoms) |
| Kristóf Papp | Forward | Hungary | Graduate transfer to Lindenwood |
| Jack Perbix | Forward/Defenseman | United States | Graduation (signed with Iowa Heartlanders) |
| Artem Shlaine | Forward | Russia | Graduate transfer to Arizona State |
| Grant Slukynsky | Forward | United States | Transferred to Western Michigan |
| Carsen Stokes | Goaltender | United States | Transferred to Augsburg |
| Mike Van Unen | Defenseman | Canada | Graduation (signed with Adirondack Thunder) |
| Rylan Van Unen | Forward | Canada | Graduation (signed with Allen Americans) |
| Josh Zinger | Defenseman | Canada | Transferred to St. Cloud State |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Jakub Altrichter | Forward | Czech Republic | 21 | Prague, CZE |
| Nick Ardanaz | Defenseman | Canada | 22 | Surrey, BC; transfer from Rensselaer |
| Matt Argentina | Forward | United States | 21 | Philadelphia, PA; transfer from Boston College |
| Ethan Barwick | Goaltender | Canada | 22 | St. Albert, AB; transfer from Lindenwood |
| Médrick Bolduc | Forward | Canada | 21 | Val-d'Or, QC |
| Colby Browne | Forward | United States | 21 | Evergreen, CO |
| Danny Ciccarello | Forward | Canada | 23 | Kirkland, QC; transfer from Rensselaer |
| Anthony Cliche | Defenseman | Canada | 21 | Vallée-Jonction, QC |
| Grayden Daul | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Chicago, IL |
| Will Diamond | Forward | United States | 20 | Carpentersville, IL |
| Ryan Duguay | Forward | Canada | 20 | Edmonton, AB |
| Tynan Ewart | Defenseman | Canada | 22 | Duncan, BC; transfer from St. Cloud State |
| Wolfgang Govedaris | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Bristol, CT |
| Aidyn Hutchinson | Forward | Canada | 21 | St. Albert, AB |
| Rasmus Larsson | Defenseman | Sweden | 20 | Hässelby, SWE; selected 152nd overall in 2023 |
| Jakub Lewandowski | Forward | Poland | 22 | Toruń, POL; transfer from Bemidji State |
| Trevor Mitchell | Defenseman | United States | 21 | South Lyon, MI |
| Julian Molinaro | Goaltender | Canada | 20 | Mississauga, ON |
| Ryan Ouellette | Goaltender | United States | 23 | Colorado Springs, CO; transfer from Niagara |
| Billy Renfrew | Forward | United States | 21 | Fairbanks, AK |
| Matthew Romer | Forward | United States | 22 | Chicago, IL; transfer from Arizona State |
| Joe Schiller | Defenseman | United States | 20 | Moorhead, MN |
| Grayden Slipec | Forward | Canada | 23 | Surrey, BC |
| Jesse Tucker | Forward | Canada | 24 | Longlac, ON; transfer from Clarkson |

## Roster

As of September 13, 2024.

## Standings

2024–25 Central Collegiate Hockey Association standingsvte :
| | Conference record | 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 | SW | PTS | PCT ^ | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #14 Minnesota State † | 26 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 56 | .718 | 77 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 97 | 51 |
| Augustana | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30 | .625 | 48 | 37 | 32 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 89 | 67 |
| St. Thomas | 26 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 32 | .564 | 76 | 66 | 34 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 95 | 92 |
| Bowling Green | 26 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 43 | .551 | 69 | 63 | 33 | 16 | 13 | 4 | 83 | 81 |
| Michigan Tech | 26 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 40 | .513 | 75 | 69 | 34 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 94 | 90 |
| Ferris State | 26 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | .462 | 74 | 81 | 34 | 13 | 18 | 3 | 85 | 117 |
| Bemidji State | 26 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 36 | .462 | 63 | 78 | 34 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 85 | 102 |
| Lake Superior State | 26 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | .449 | 71 | 76 | 34 | 12 | 20 | 2 | 90 | 108 |
| Northern Michigan | 26 | 4 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | .205 | 42 | 88 | 34 | 5 | 27 | 2 | 55 | 115 |
| Championship: March 21, 2025 † indicates conference regular-season champion (MacNaughton Cup) * indicates conference tournament champion (Mason Cup) ^ Because Augustana is playing a transition schedule of 16 games against conference opponents, point percentage is used to determine conference position. Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll Updated: March 2, 2025 |||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Exhibition ||||||||||
| October 5 | 6:07 pm | at Michigan Tech* | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan (Exhibition, Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 3–4 | 4,071 | |
| Regular Season ||||||||||
| October 11 | 9:00 pm | at #12 Colorado College* | Ed Robson Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | SOCO CW | Ouellette | L 3–4 $^{OT}$ | 3,650 | 0–1–0 |
| October 12 | 8:00 pm | at #12 Colorado College* | Ed Robson Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | SOCO CW | Barwick | L 1–6 | 3,650 | 0–2–0 |
| October 18 | 7:07 pm | Alaska Anchorage* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | W 2–1 | 2,916 | 1–2–0 |
| October 19 | 6:07 pm | Alaska Anchorage* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 3–5 | 2,762 | 1–3–0 |
| October 25 | 7:07 pm | Arizona State* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–3 | 2,576 | 1–4–0 |
| October 26 | 6:07 pm | Arizona State* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–2 | 2,772 | 1–5–0 |
| November 1 | 7:07 pm | Michigan Tech | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–3 | 4,272 | 1–6–0 (0–1–0) |
| November 2 | 6:07 pm | at Michigan Tech | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 3–6 | 3,136 | 1–7–0 (0–2–0) |
| November 8 | 7:07 pm | Lake Superior State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–5 | 2,569 | 1–8–0 (0–3–0) |
| November 9 | 6:07 pm | Lake Superior State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–5 | 2,518 | 1–9–0 (0–4–0) |
| November 15 | 8:07 pm | at #16 Minnesota State | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–3 | 4,100 | 1–10–0 (0–5–0) |
| November 16 | 7:07 pm | at #16 Minnesota State | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | T 1–1 $^{SOW}$ | 4,557 | 1–10–1 (0–5–1) |
| November 29 | 8:07 pm | at Augustana | Midco Arena • Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–4 | 2,377 | 1–11–1 (0–6–1) |
| November 30 | 7:07 pm | at Augustana | Midco Arena • Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–4 | 2,525 | 1–12–1 (0–7–1) |
| December 6 | 7:07 pm | Ferris State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–3 | 2,214 | 1–13–1 (0–8–1) |
| December 7 | 6:07 pm | Ferris State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–2 | 2,236 | 1–14–1 (0–9–1) |
| December 13 | 7:07 pm | at Bowling Green | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–2 | 1,654 | 1–15–1 (0–10–1) |
| December 14 | 7:07 pm | at Bowling Green | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 3–4 | 1,777 | 1–16–1 (0–11–1) |
| Great Lakes Invitational ||||||||||
| December 29 | 7:00 pm | vs. #1 Michigan State* | Van Andel Arena • Grand Rapids, Michigan (Great Lakes Invitational Semifinal) | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–2 | 9,900 | 1–17–1 |
| December 30 | 3:30 pm | vs. Michigan Tech* | Van Andel Arena • Grand Rapids, Michigan (Great Lakes Invitational Consolation Game, Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Barwick | L 3–4 $^{OT}$ | 6,857 | 1–18–1 |
| January 10 | 7:07 pm | #12 Minnesota State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | W 3–2 | 2,436 | 2–18–1 (1–11–1) |
| January 11 | 6:07 pm | #12 Minnesota State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–6 | 2,581 | 2–19–1 (1–12–1) |
| January 17 | 8:07 pm | at Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | W 4–1 | 2,142 | 3–19–1 (2–12–1) |
| January 18 | 7:07 pm | at Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | W 3–1 | 1,599 | 4–19–1 (3–12–1) |
| January 24 | 7:07 pm | at Michigan Tech | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 2–3 | 3,496 | 4–20–1 (3–13–1) |
| January 25 | 6:07 pm | Michigan Tech | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–4 | 4,110 | 4–21–1 (3–14–1) |
| January 31 | 7:07 pm | Bowling Green | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 2–3 $^{OT}$ | 2,071 | 4–22–1 (3–15–1) |
| February 1 | 6:07 pm | Bowling Green | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 2–5 | 2,471 | 4–23–1 (3–16–1) |
| February 7 | 7:07 pm | at Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 2–3 | — | 4–24–1 (3–17–1) |
| February 8 | 6:07 pm | at Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | W 3–2 $^{OT}$ | — | 5–24–1 (4–17–1) |
| February 21 | 7:07 pm | St. Thomas | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 0–3 | 2,221 | 5–25–1 (4–18–1) |
| February 22 | 6:07 pm | St. Thomas | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 3–4 | 2,603 | 5–26–1 (4–19–1) |
| February 28 | 7:07 pm | at Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | L 1–5 | 2,133 | 5–27–1 (4–20–1) |
| March 1 | 6:07 pm | at Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Ouellette | T 4–4 $^{SOW}$ | 2,200 | 5–27–2 (4–20–2) |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source: ||||||||||

## Rankings

| Poll | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | 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 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 (Final) |
| USCHO.com | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USA Hockey | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |