# 2023–24 Providence Friars men's ice hockey season

The 2023–24 Providence Friars Men's ice hockey season was the 73rd season of play for the program and 40th in Hockey East. The Friars represented Providence College in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at Schneider Arena and were coached by Nate Leaman in his 13th season.

## Season

Providence began the year with a bit uncertainty as it had lost the top three scorers from the previous season. For a team that was already offensively challenged, that could have been more than they could afford, but the Friars were bent on exceeding their expectations. New starter Philip Svedebäck took to the college game immediately and posted one of the best starts to a career by going 8–1–2 in his first eleven games. In that stretch, the young goaltender allowed just 20 goals and was ranked among the best goaltenders in the nation in just about every category. He was aided, in no small part, by the defense who was the second-most effective in the nation; only Cornell allowed fewer shots against per game and the success of the early season lifted Providence up into the top-5 in the polls. The offense, too, was playing well in the first month and a half; new addition Tanner Adams fit in well with a diverse group that scored by committee rather than concentrate all of its firepower on one line.
However, just before Thanksgiving, The Friars went through their first rough patch of the season. Going through a stretch of five games against ranked opponents, Providence lost four of those matches, however, due to the strength of their opposition, Providence only slipped a few places in the rankings and they were still a top-10 team by the winter break.
In the five weeks after returning from their vacation, Providence posted a solid record and largely held their position. However, cracks were beginning to form in the team. Svedebäck had started showing some inconsistence in his game; he posted three shutouts in that stretch but also had a couple of bad games as well. The offense was mostly effective but began to falter in February. The scoring never went away but it definitely ebbed as the season progressed towards the playoffs. The Friars lack of offense began to cost the team and they were losing games even when Svedebäck was playing well. However, at the beginning of March, the team was still in the top 10 in the PairWise and all they had to do was win a game or two to guarantee themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament. Losses to Merrimack and Boston University were not offset by a tie with Northeastern and on the final week of the regular season, the Friars dropped from 10th to 14th.
Now on the very edge of the playoff picture (14 was the bare minimum for any chance at an at-large bid), Providence would have to face Massachusetts in the quarterfinals with both teams fighting for their lives. The Friars and Minutemen were bunched up in the mid-teens and, because several teams from other conference were also rated about the same, the loser of the game would knocked out of postseason contention. Providence didn't get off to a good start in the game and in less than 5 minutes the Friars were already down by 2 goals. The team desperately tried to climb back into the match but offense was not their strong suit and time ticked away on their season. In the later stages of the third period, UMass got a third goal but then took a penalty immediately afterwards. Svedebäck was pulled to make the power play a 6-on-4 and the extra skater allowed the Friars to score in just 4 seconds. With the faintest of hopes, Providence began to ratchet up their attack on the Massachusetts cage but their comeback was stopped almost as soon as it started. Guillaume Richard took a tripping penalty and forced the team to play defense for 2 critical minutes. Though they managed to kill off the infraction, the momentum had vanished and Providence was unable to conjure up another goal. The 1–3 loss brought the once-promising campaign to a close.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Brett Berard | Forward | United States | Signed professional contract (New York Rangers) |
| Michael Citara | Forward | United States | Transferred to Merrimack |
| Max Crozier | Defenseman | Canada | Graduation (signed with Tampa Bay Lightning) |
| Chase Dafoe | Forward | United States | Transferred to Alaska |
| Parker Ford | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed with Winnipeg Jets) |
| Luke Johnson | Defenseman | United States | Graduate transfer to Robert Morris |
| Cody Monds | Forward | Canada | Transferred to Clarkson |
| Patrick Moynihan | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to Notre Dame |
| Grant Porter | Forward | United States | Transferred to Canisius |
| Austin Roden | Goaltender | Canada | Graduate transfer to Clarkson |
| Uula Ruikka | Defenseman | Finland | Transferred to Augustana |
| Garrett Sundquist | Defenseman | United States | Transferred to Sacred Heart |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Tanner Adams | Forward | United States | 18 | Northport, NY |
| Marcus Brännman | Goaltender | Sweden | 20 | Bromma, SWE |
| Andrew Centrella | Defenseman | United States | 19 | Philadelphia, PA |
| Graham Gamache | Forward | Canada | 21 | Edmonton, AB |
| Matt Hubbarde | Forward | Canada | 23 | Pickering, ON; transfer from Dartmouth |
| Cal Kiefiuk | Forward | United States | 23 | Macomb, MI; graduate transfer from Massachusetts |
| Luke Krys | Defenseman | United States | 23 | Weston, MA; graduate transfer from Brown |
| Clint Levens | Forward | United States | 20 | Windermere, FL |
| Hudson Malinoski | Forward | Canada | 19 | Saskatoon, SK; selected 153rd overall in 2023 |
| Austen May | Defenseman | United States | 20 | Woodhaven, MI |
| Samo Meritähti | Forward | Finland | 21 | Seinäjoki, FIN; joined-midseason while recovering from season-ending injury |

## Roster

As of September 26, 2023.

## Standings

2023–24 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 | SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #2 Boston College †* | 24 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 105 | 56 | 41 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 183 | 89 |
| #3 Boston University | 24 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 57 | 104 | 53 | 40 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 163 | 97 |
| #10 Maine | 24 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 76 | 67 | 37 | 23 | 12 | 2 | 119 | 94 |
| #16 Providence | 24 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 66 | 58 | 35 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 100 | 83 |
| #13 Massachusetts | 24 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 57 | 62 | 37 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 108 | 105 |
| #20 New Hampshire | 24 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 69 | 56 | 36 | 20 | 15 | 1 | 106 | 90 |
| Northeastern | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 65 | 71 | 36 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 113 | 97 |
| Connecticut | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 49 | 77 | 36 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 90 | 105 |
| Vermont | 24 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 52 | 81 | 35 | 13 | 19 | 3 | 87 | 106 |
| Merrimack | 24 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 62 | 85 | 35 | 13 | 21 | 1 | 98 | 114 |
| Massachusetts Lowell | 24 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 39 | 78 | 36 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 72 | 113 |
| Championship: March 23, 2024 † indicates regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion (Lamoriello Trophy) Rankings: USCHO Division I Men's Poll ||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Rank$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Regular Season ||||||||||
| October 7 | 7:00 pm | at #2 Michigan* | #18 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–2 | 5,800 | 1–0–0 |
| October 8 | 4:00 pm | at #2 Michigan* | #18 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN | Svedebäck | L 4–5 | 5,419 | 1–1–0 |
| October 13 | 7:00 pm | Stonehill* | #13 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 7–1 | 2,969 | 2–1–0 |
| October 20 | 7:00 pm | #2 Denver* | #10 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–3 | 3,465 | 3–1–0 |
| October 21 | 7:00 pm | Rensselaer* | #10 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–2 | 2,026 | 4–1–0 |
| October 27 | 7:00 pm | Vermont | #7 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–1 | 2,074 | 5–1–0 (1–0–0) |
| October 28 | 7:00 pm | Vermont | #7 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | T 2–2 $^{SOL}$ | 1,727 | 5–1–1 (1–0–1) |
| November 3 | 7:00 pm | at #15 New Hampshire | #7 | Whittemore Center • Durham, New Hampshire | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | T 1–1 $^{SOW}$ | 6,501 | 5–1–2 (1–0–2) |
| November 4 | 7:00 pm | #15 New Hampshire | #7 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 2–0 | 2,850 | 6–1–2 (2–0–2) |
| November 10 | 7:00 pm | Northeastern | #5 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 2–1 $^{OT}$ | 2,914 | 7–1–2 (3–0–2) |
| November 11 | 7:00 pm | at Northeastern | #5 | Matthews Arena • Boston, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 5–2 | 3,391 | 8–1–2 (4–0–2) |
| November 16 | 7:00 pm | #15 Massachusetts | #5 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 2–3 | 2,828 | 8–2–2 (4–1–2) |
| November 18 | 4:00 pm | at #15 Massachusetts | #5 | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 1–2 $^{OT}$ | 4,670 | 8–3–2 (4–2–2) |
| November 24 | 9:00 pm | at #13 Arizona State* | #9 | Mullett Arena • Tempe, Arizona | | Svedebäck | L 3–4 $^{OT}$ | 4,990 | 8–4–2 |
| November 25 | 3:00 pm | at #13 Arizona State* | #9 | Mullett Arena • Tempe, Arizona | | Svedebäck | W 2–1 | 4,626 | 9–4–2 |
| December 9 | 4:30 pm | at #2т Boston College | #9 | Conte Forum • Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | ESPN+, NESN | Svedebäck | L 4–5 | 7,884 | 9–5–2 (4–3–2) |
| December 30 | 7:00 pm | at Brown* | #10 | Meehan Auditorium • Providence, Rhode Island (Mayor's Cup) | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 3–0 | 1,524 | 10–5–2 |
| January 12 | 7:00 pm | at #1 Boston College | #9 | Conte Forum • Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 1–7 | 7,489 | 10–6–2 (4–4–2) |
| January 13 | 6:00 pm | #1 Boston College | #9 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–3 | 2,904 | 11–6–2 (5–4–2) |
| January 19 | 7:00 pm | Alaska Anchorage* | #9 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 2–0 | 2,365 | 12–6–2 |
| January 20 | 7:00 pm | Alaska Anchorage* | #9 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 0–4 | 2,415 | 12–7–2 |
| January 26 | 7:15 pm | at Massachusetts Lowell | #10 | Tsongas Center • Lowell, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 7–2 | 5,929 | 13–7–2 (6–4–2) |
| January 27 | 7:00 pm | Massachusetts Lowell | #10 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–3 $^{OT}$ | 2,270 | 14–7–2 (7–4–2) |
| February 2 | 7:00 pm | at Connecticut | #10 | Toscano Family Ice Forum • Storrs, Connecticut | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 5–0 | 2,691 | 15–7–2 (8–4–2) |
| February 3 | 7:00 pm | Connecticut | #10 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 1–2 | 2,870 | 15–8–2 (8–5–2) |
| February 9 | 7:00 pm | at #7 Maine | #10 | Alfond Arena • Orono, Maine | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 1–2 | 5,043 | 15–9–2 (8–6–2) |
| February 10 | 7:00 pm | at #7 Maine | #10 | Alfond Arena • Orono, Maine | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–3 $^{OT}$ | 4,745 | 16–9–2 (9–6–2) |
| February 16 | 7:00 pm | #3 Boston University | #10 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | T 2–2 $^{SOW}$ | 2,865 | 16–9–3 (9–6–3) |
| February 17 | 6:00 pm | at #3 Boston University | #10 | Agganis Arena • Boston, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 2–5 | 5,856 | 16–10–3 (9–7–3) |
| February 24 | 6:05 pm | at Massachusetts Lowell | #12 | Tsongas Center • Lowell, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 2–1 | 5,342 | 17–10–3 (10–7–3) |
| February 29 | 7:00 pm | at Merrimack | #10 | J. Thom Lawler Rink • North Andover, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | W 4–2 | 1,832 | 18–10–3 (11–7–3) |
| March 1 | 6:00 pm | Merrimack | #10 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 1–2 | 2,017 | 18–11–3 (11–8–3) |
| March 7 | 7:00 pm | #2 Boston University | #11 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | L 2–4 | 2,498 | 18–12–3 (11–9–3) |
| March 9 | 4:00 pm | Northeastern | #11 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island | ESPN+ | Svedebäck | T 3–3 $^{SOW}$ | 2,165 | 18–12–4 (11–9–4) |
| Hockey East Tournament ||||||||||
| March 16 | 7:00 pm | #16 Massachusetts* | #13 | Schneider Arena • Providence, Rhode Island (Quarterfinal) | ESPN+, NESN+ | Svedebäck | L 1–3 | 2,644 | 18–13–4 |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source: ||||||||||

## Scoring statistics

| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
| Nick Poisson | F | 35 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 16 |
| Tanner Adams | C/RW | 35 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 6 |
| Chase Yoder | C | 35 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 26 |
| Hudson Malinoski | C | 35 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 29 |
| Guillaume Richard | D | 35 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 27 |
| Bennett Schimek | F | 34 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 6 |
| Luke Krys | D | 35 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 16 |
| Riley Duran | C | 35 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 18 |
| Jaroslav Chmelař | LW/RW | 26 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 29 |
| Graham Gamache | F | 35 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 8 |
| Austen May | D | 30 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 4 |
| Connor Kelley | D | 34 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Jamie Engelbert | C | 28 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 16 |
| Craig Needham | C | 34 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 31 |
| Cal Kiefiuk | F | 25 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 24 |
| Liam Valente | C/LW | 29 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| Brady Berard | C | 27 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 16 |
| Taige Harding | D | 34 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| Cam McDonald | D | 29 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Andrew Centrella | D | 18 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Clint Levens | C | 24 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 31 |
| Matt Hubbarde | C | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Marcus Brännman | G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Philip Svedebäck | G | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | | | 100 | 176 | 276 | 359 |

## Goaltending statistics

| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
| Philip Svedebäck | 35 | 2072:21 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 80 | 717 | 4 | .900 | 2.32 |
| Marcus Brännman | 5 | 44:51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .750 | 4.01 |
| Empty Net | - | 13:18 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 35 | 2130:30 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 83 | 726 | 4 | .897 | 2.34 |

## 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 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 7 (1) | 7 (2) | 5 (1) | 5 (3) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | – | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 16 | – | 16 |
| USA Hockey | 20 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 (1) | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | – | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 11 and 25. Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.

## 2024 NHL Entry Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
| 1 | 19 | Trevor Connelly $^†$ | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 3 | 67 | John Mustard $^†$ | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 3 | 78 | Logan Sawyer $^†$ | Montreal Canadiens |
† incoming freshman