# 2020–21 Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey season

The 2020–21 Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey season was the 100th season of play for the program and the 59th in the WCHA conference. The Huskies represented Michigan Technological University and were coached by Joe Shawhan, in his 4th 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 Michigan Tech'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.
Michigan Tech got off to a bumpy start but quickly recovered and pulled themselves into the top-20 by late January. As sophomore netminder Blake Pietila was establishing himself as the team's starter, the Huskies were able to play a majority of their games without interruptions from COVID-19. Tech lost its ranking after getting swept at the end of the month but then reeled off seven consecutive wins. The only downside was that their opponents in six of those games were some of the worse teams in college hockey in 2021, so MTU could only get up to 18th in the rankings. When they did play good teams, the Huskies were able to compete on defense but the scoring was reduced to a paltry amount. In their final 8 games against teams that were in the top-20 at some point, MTU scored more than 1 goal twice and lost all but one contest. As a result of their failures against good teams, the Huskies had only a slim chance to make the NCAA Tournament without a WCHA championship. Being swept in the quarterfinals effectively ended the Huskies' campaign.
Cayden Bailey, Jed Pietila and Marcus Russell sat out the season.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Robbie Beydoun | Goaltender | United States | Transferred to Wisconsin |
| Ray Brice | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Macon Mayhem) |
| Seamus Donohue | Defenseman | United States | Transferred to St. Cloud State |
| Keegan Ford | Defenseman | United States | Left program |
| Matt Jurusik | Goaltender | United States | Graduation (signed with Texas Stars) |
| Todd Kiilunen | Defenseman | United States | Graduation |
| Mitch Meek | Defenseman | Canada | Transferred to Long Island |
| Zach Noble | Forward | United States | Left program |
| Alex Smith | Forward/Defenseman | Canada | Graduation |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Tristan Ashbrook | Forward | United States | 22 | Manistique, MI; transfer from Rensselaer |
| Cayden Bailey | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Estero, FL |
| Carson Bantle | Forward | United States | 20 | Onalaska, WI; Selected 142nd overall in 2020 |
| Arvid Caderoth | Forward | Sweden | 20 | Gothenburg, SWE |
| Rylan Mosley | Forward | Canada | 20 | Arnprior, ON |
| Nick Nardella | Forward | United States | 21 | Rosemont, IL |
| Jed Pietila | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Howell, MI |
| Blais Richartz | Forward | United States | 20 | Menomonie, WI |
| Mark Sinclair | Goaltender | Canada | 21 | Hamilton, ON; transfer from Alabama–Huntsville |
| Brett Thorne | Defenseman | Canada | 21 | Brampton, ON |

## Roster

As of January 20, 2021.

## Standings

2020–21 Western Collegiate Hockey Association 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 | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #4 Minnesota State † | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 56 | 15 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 100 | 46 |
| #14 Lake Superior State * | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 39 | 34 | 29 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 86 | 63 |
| #18 Bowling Green | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 46 | 34 | 31 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 108 | 67 |
| #10 Bemidji State | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 42 | 34 | 29 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 82 | 70 |
| Michigan Tech | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 38 | 35 | 30 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 78 | 63 |
| Northern Michigan | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 40 | 47 | 29 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 79 | 103 |
| Alabama–Huntsville | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 49 | 22 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 31 | 80 |
| Ferris State | 14 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 59 | 25 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 55 | 103 |
| Alaska | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Alaska Anchorage | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Championship: March 20, 2021 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll ||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and Results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Rank$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Regular Season ||||||||||
| November 21 | 4:54 PM | at Lake Superior State* | | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | | Sinclair | T 0–0 $^{SOL}$ | 8 | 0–0–1 |
| November 22 | 3:07 PM | at Lake Superior State* | | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | | Sinclair | L 1–4 | 0 | 0–1–1 |
| December 6 | 6:07 PM | vs. #6 Minnesota State* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Pietila | W 3–1 | 0 | 1–1–1 |
| December 7 | 5:07 PM | vs. #6 Minnesota State* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Pietila | L 0–2 | 0 | 1–2–1 |
| December 12 | 5:07 PM | at Bemidji State* | | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | | Sinclair | L 3–6 | 105 | 1–3–1 |
| December 13 | 3:07 PM | at Bemidji State* | | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | | Pietila | W 3–0 | 105 | 2–3–1 |
| December 18 | 7:07 PM | vs. Northern Michigan* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Pietila | W 4–3 $^{OT}$ | 0 | 3–3–1 |
| December 19 | 6:07 PM | at Northern Michigan* | | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | | Pietila | W 3–1 | 0 | 4–3–1 |
| January 2 | 6:07 PM | vs. Alabama–Huntsville | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | W 4–0 | 200 | 5–3–1 (1–0–0) |
| January 3 | 2:07 PM | vs. Alabama–Huntsville* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Sinclair | W 4–0 | 200 | 6–3–1 (2–0–0) |
| January 23 | 4:07 PM | vs. Northern Michigan* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Sinclair | W 2–0 | 200 | 7–3–1 |
| January 25 | 5:07 PM | vs. Northern Michigan* | #18 | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | | Pietila | W 4–1 | 0 | 8–3–1 |
| January 29 | 7:07 PM | at #8 Bowling Green | #18 | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | L 3–6 | 300 | 8–4–1 (2–1–0) |
| January 30 | 7:07 PM | at #8 Bowling Green | #18 | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | L 2–5 | 300 | 8–5–1 (2–2–0) |
| February 2 | 7:07 PM | at Ferris State | | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | W 6–4 | 250 | 9–5–1 (3–2–0) |
| February 5 | 8:00 PM | at Alabama–Huntsville* | | Von Braun Center • Huntsville, Alabama | | Sinclair | W 3–1 | 1,433 | 10–5–1 |
| February 6 | 6:00 PM | at Alabama–Huntsville* | | Von Braun Center • Huntsville, Alabama | | Pietila | W 4–1 | 1,373 | 11–5–1 |
| February 9 | 4:07 PM | at Ferris State | | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | W 2–1 | 175 | 12–5–1 (4–2–0) |
| February 12 | 7:07 PM | vs. Ferris State* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Pietila | W 3–0 | 300 | 13–5–1 |
| February 13 | 6:07 PM | vs. Ferris State* | | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Pietila | W 5–1 | 300 | 14–5–1 |
| February 16 | 2:07 PM | vs. #20 Lake Superior State | #18 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | L 1–3 | 300 | 14–6–1 (4–3–0) |
| February 19 | 7:07 PM | vs. Bemidji State | #18 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | L 1–4 | 300 | 14–7–1 (4–4–0) |
| February 20 | 6:07 PM | vs. Bemidji State | #18 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Sinclair | L 1–2 | 300 | 14–8–1 (4–5–0) |
| February 23 | 2:07 PM | vs. #18 Lake Superior State | #20 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | W 4–1 | 300 | 15–8–1 (5–5–0) |
| February 26 | 7:07 PM | vs. Northern Michigan | #20 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | W 6–1 | 300 | 16–8–1 (6–5–0) |
| February 27 | 6:07 PM | vs. Northern Michigan | #20 | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | W 3–2 $^{OT}$ | 250 | 17–8–1 (7–5–0) |
| March 5 | 6:07 PM | vs. #4 Minnesota State | #19 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | L 1–2 | 250 | 17–9–1 (7–6–0) |
| March 6 | 6:07 PM | vs. #4 Minnesota State | #19 | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | FloHockey.tv | Pietila | L 2–3 | 250 | 17–10–1 (7–7–0) |
| WCHA Tournament ||||||||||
| March 12 | 7:07 PM | at #15 Bemidji State* | | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota (WCHA Quarterfinals Game 1) | | Pietila | L 1–3 | 250 | 17–11–1 |
| March 13 | 6:07 PM | at #15 Bemidji State* | | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota (WCHA Quarterfinals Game 2) | | Pietila | L 1–4 | 250 | 17–12–1 |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. ||||||||||

## Scoring statistics

| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
| Trenton Bliss | F | 29 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 27 |
| Alec Broetzman | LW | 30 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 16 |
| Brian Halonen | LW | 28 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 16 |
| Arvid Caderoth | C/RW | 30 | 2 | 16 | 18 | 12 |
| Colin Swoyer | D | 30 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 24 |
| Eric Gotz | D | 30 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 12 |
| Tristan Ashbrook | RW | 20 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| Justin Misiak | C | 28 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 8 |
| Tyler Rockwell | D | 30 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
| Nick Nardella | F | 22 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Chris Lipe | D | 29 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| Jake Crespi | RW | 26 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Tommy Parrottino | F | 22 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Brett Thorne | D | 30 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 29 |
| Parker Saretsky | F | 29 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| Blais Richartz | F | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Logan Pietila | F | 28 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Carson Bantle | LW | 19 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 22 |
| Logan Ganie | LW | 20 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Ryland Mosley | LW | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Tyrell Buckley | D | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| Brenden Datema | D | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Greyson Reitmeier | C/LW | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Blake Pietila | G | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cooper Watson | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| David Raisanen | F | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T. J. Polglaze | F | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mark Sinclair | G | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bench | - | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| Total | | | 78 | 137 | 215 | 257 |

## Goaltending statistics

| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
| Blake Pietila | 24 | 1394 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 42 | 596 | 3 | .934 | 1.81 |
| Mark Sinclair | 8 | 398 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 132 | 2 | .898 | 2.26 |
| Empty Net | - | 16 | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 30 | 1810 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 63 | 728 | 5 | .920 | 2.09 |

## 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 | 18 | NR | NR | 18 | 20 | 19 | NR | NR | NR | - | NR |
| USA Today | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
USCHO did not release a poll in week 20.

## Awards and honors

| Player | Award |
| Colin Swoyer | WCHA Second Team |
| Trenton Bliss | WCHA Third Team |
| Arvid Caderoth | WCHA Rookie Team |

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

| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
| 6 | 162 | Kyle Kukkonen$^†$ | Anaheim Ducks |
† incoming freshman