NCHC Media Days 2026 Insights (Day 1)

St. Thomas head coach Rico Blasi and sophomore forward Lucas Van Vliet

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference hosted its annual Media Day this week (Sept. 22-23), bringing together coaches and players representing every team from across the conference. Over two days on Zoom, programs reflected on the past season and looked ahead to a newly expanded conference with the addition of St. Thomas.

Day 1 featured Minnesota Duluth, St. Thomas, St. Cloud State, and Omaha, along with NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems’ state of the conference address and media availability. Our recap of Weems’ address is here:

NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems Looks Ahead to the 2026-27 Season 

UMD Banks on Continuity
Minnesota Duluth returns 19 players from last year's 24-win NCAA Tournament team, including Hobey Baker winner Max Plante and a veteran leadership group, giving the Bulldogs plenty of continuity heading into the season. 

“They’re very motivated to maybe go a step further or more this year,” head coach Scott Sandelin said. 

Sandelin said the Bulldogs may have more flexibility and depth up front this season, with newcomers including Victor Plante and St. Cloud State transfer Barrett Hall. Sandelin said Max, Zam, and Victor Plante will likely start the season on a line together.

UMD will have a new look in goal following Adam Gajan's departure. Sandelin said Ethan Dahlmeir, who went 5-1-1 when given an opportunity last season, freshman Karl Axelsson, and sophomore Cole Sheffield are all competing for playing time. He called it “a really healthy situation,” with the opening-weekend assignments still to be determined. In front of them, UMD returns five experienced defensemen, a group Sandelin expects to “carry us.”

Plante, meanwhile, said winning the Hobey Baker hasn't changed what he wants to accomplish at UMD. 

“I’m still only a 20-year-old kid,” he said. “Still haven’t won either a conference championship or a national championship, which is really the goal of playing hockey.” 

Despite UMD entering the year fifth nationally and third in the NCHC preseason poll, Plante said the Bulldogs are trying to tune out those expectations. 

“The outside noise, hopefully, doesn’t play any factors into what we know we have in the room,” he said, adding, “Fifth is pretty high and third in the conference is pretty high without really winning anything last year.”

St. Thomas: Five Years of Change — and a Big Step
St. Thomas enters its first season in the NCHC after the most successful year of its brief Division I history. The Tommies finished 21-12-5 last season, placed second in the CCHA, and advanced to the Mason Cup championship game for the second straight year.

It’s the latest step in a remarkable five-year stretch for a program that made the jump directly from Division III to Division I in 2021.

When Rico Blasi took the job, he knew he would be overseeing that transition. What he didn’t know was everything else that would follow.

“We didn't have a building in place yet. So that came along the third year,” Blasi said. “Oh, and by the way, we're going to join the NCHC. How about that?”

Blasi said joining the NCHC wasn’t part of the original plan, but the conference fits St. Thomas’ geographic footprint. After years of adding scholarships, opening Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, reaching two conference championship games, and navigating changes throughout college hockey, Blasi joked that he’s ready for a little less change.

“Hopefully, we can settle down a little bit now and just play games and continue to develop these guys to play at the next level.”

Sophomore forward Lucas Van Vliet is coming off a strong freshman season. The Vegas Golden Knights draft pick was named CCHA Rookie of the Year after recording 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 37 games as a freshman.

Van Vliet said his focus this offseason wasn’t on adding more offense. It was becoming more physical.

“I want to be a little bit more physical and show these teams that I'm not just all about getting points,” Van Vliet said. “I want to be able to get in their head with physicality and forechecking and backchecking.”

Van Vliet also acknowledged that the Tommies will face a different challenge in their new conference, calling the NCHC a top conference in college hockey and pointing specifically to the increased skill level they expect to see.

Blasi, meanwhile, said the conference change won’t alter St. Thomas’ approach. Every member of the Tommies’ coaching staff has either played or coached in the NCHC, giving the program familiarity with its new opponents even if many of the players will be seeing them for the first time.

“We prepare like we're focused on winning championships,” Blasi said. “And so for us, from what we do, it really doesn't change.”

St. Cloud State: 17 New Players, But Plenty of Familiar Faces
St. Cloud State enters the 2026-27 season with a new head coach, 17 new players, and a newly renovated Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Head coach Nick Oliver, however, has plenty of history with the Huskies.

Oliver played at St. Cloud State from 2011-15, serving as captain his senior season, and was an assistant coach with the Huskies from 2018-22. He returned to St. Cloud State in April after three seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin.

He also brought back several former Huskies to join him on the coaching staff. Four of the five members of the staff are St. Cloud State alumni.

“If our experience wasn't as good as it was when we played here, none of us would be back,” Oliver said. “And I think it shows, hopefully, our players and represents our program in the sense that this place matters to us. And that's why we're back.”

Oliver was hired the day before the transfer portal opened, leaving him very little time to rebuild the roster. Nine players returned, while 17 new players joined the program.

“We didn't have time to sit and feel sorry for ourselves in any way,” Oliver said.

Oliver said the returning players stayed because they believed in the program and wanted to continue playing with their teammates.

“It wasn't because of me, it wasn't because of who their head coach was going to be,” Oliver said. “It's because they love this program and they believe in this program and they love their teammates.”

Senior forward Jack Reimann is one of those returners. His father, Dan, played for St. Cloud State from 1992-96, and Reimann grew up watching the Huskies.

“I like to say I bleed red and black,” Reimann said. “I've always been connected, I always want to be connected, and that's partly why I'm still here.”

With so many new players, Oliver said there is plenty of competition for spots in the lineup and for different roles.

“We're going to let our players dictate what that lineup looks like,” Oliver said. “The first few weeks of practice have been very competitive, and we're going to keep letting these guys kind of sort that out for us.”

Among the newcomers Oliver mentioned were transfers William Ahlrik, Jake Southgate, Charlie Lurie, Jacob Napier, and Finn McLaughlin, along with freshmen Brock Souch, Hayden Paupanekis, and Carson Pilgrim.

St. Cloud State was picked eighth in the NCHC preseason media poll. Oliver also noted that 37 teams received votes in the first USCHO poll of the season, and the Huskies weren't one of them.

But neither Oliver nor Reimann seemed particularly concerned about where the Huskies were picked.

“We haven't even talked about it once,” Oliver said. “We haven't even brought it up.”

Reimann said the Huskies are focused on taking the season one day at a time.

“I don't think there's really anything to talk about,” Reimann said. “All you can really do is focus on today and get better today.”

Oliver did acknowledge one possible benefit of being overlooked.

“I imagine it's a nice little chip to put on these guys' shoulder for sure.”

And Then There’s Omaha

Omaha Hockey closed out Day 1 of NCHC Media Day. We have a separate recap of the Maverick’s session with head coach Mike Gabinet and junior defenseman Marc Lajoie here:

Experience, Leadership Stand Out as Omaha Prepares for 2026-27 

Day 2 of NCHC Media Day featured Miami, Western Michigan, North Dakota, Colorado College, Arizona State, and Denver. Look for our recap of those sessions next.

NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems Looks Ahead to the 2026-27 Season (NCHC Media Days)

By Bridget (Weide) Brooks

NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems opened the conference’s 2026 Media Day on Tuesday with her annual State of the Conference address, covering everything from conference expansion and the new playoff format to media rights, roster limits, NIL, and revenue sharing.

The question-and-answer session that followed also produced some news — including an update on a possible increase in the college hockey roster limit from 26 to 28 players.

Mayich and Arizona State
Before turning to the season ahead, Weems acknowledged the situation involving Arizona State student-athlete Matthew Mayich.

“Our foremost concern is for Matthew,” Weems said, adding that her thoughts were with his family, friends, teammates and the Arizona State community.

She declined further comment while the incident review continues.

St. Thomas Makes It 10
Weems said college hockey has “never been stronger,” pointing to the addition of CHL players, advances in player development, and continued investment across the sport.

She highlighted Denver winning the 2026 NCAA national championship in April, giving the conference its eighth national title in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments.

“We often say that ‘iron sharpens iron,’” Weems said. “In the NCHC, our teams challenge one another every weekend, and that relentless competition helps prepare them to perform when the postseason arrives.”

The conference also has a new member this season.

St. Thomas officially became the NCHC’s 10th member on July 1, the second expansion in conference history after Arizona State joined in 2024.

Weems pointed to St. Thomas’ investment in its programs and facilities, its location in the Twin Cities, and the opening of the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena last year.

The addition, she said, “stabilizes our membership at 10” while strengthening the conference’s reach and visibility.

Another Change to the Frozen Faceoff
The NCHC will enter the second season of its campus-based playoff format after moving the Frozen Faceoff out of a neutral-site venue.

Weems said the first year produced the highest gross revenue across all rounds of the playoffs, allowing the conference to distribute money to support league and campus initiatives.

“As envisioned, the on-campus format put our best and most meaningful games of the year on campus in front of our loyal fans and showcased the world-class facilities across our league,” Weems noted.

With 10 teams now in the conference, all 10 will qualify for the postseason.

The first round consists of five best-of-three series, with the top five seeds hosting the bottom five. The five remaining teams are then reseeded.

The no. 4 and no. 5 seeds will play Friday at the no. 1 seed’s campus, with the winner advancing to play the top seed on Saturday. The no. 2 and no. 3 seeds will host the other semifinal games. The championship will be played the following weekend at the home of the highest remaining seed.

What’s Next for NCHC.tv?
The 2026-27 season is the final year of the NCHC’s current agreement with SIDEARM Sports for NCHC.tv.

The conference is working with its members and a consultant to explore its options for the next media-rights agreement, with more information expected in the spring.

For this season, NCHC.tv will continue to stream more than 200 games, including the entire NCHC postseason.

The conference is also in discussions with a FAST — free ad-supported television — network to carry a selection of live and tape-delayed NCHC games.

During the Q&A, NCHC Associate Commissioner Michael Weisman explained that a FAST channel is technically streaming, but operates more like a traditional television channel. Viewers watch whatever is being shown at the time rather than selecting a game on demand.

He also clarified that any games included in a FAST package would still be available on NCHC.tv, unlike games carried by CBS Sports Network.

I asked Weems how the potential revenue impact factors into the decision, since NCHC.tv subscriptions provide revenue to the conference and its members.

She said the conference is trying to balance reaching new audiences with maintaining the value of NCHC.tv for its existing subscribers.

“We still have a select number of games because we also identify that we have a group of subscribers and long-term loyal subscribers who pay for our services, and we want to make sure that that’s the main place that they go,” Weems said.

“So it’s a balance of increasing visibility and trying to gain some new subscribers while at the same time making sure that our current subscribers are front and center in what we do.”

Improving NCHC.tv Broadcasts
I also asked Weems whether the conference had communicated with individual schools about continuing to improve the quality of their NCHC.tv broadcasts.

She said those conversations are ongoing.

“We continue to put forward to our schools who maybe aren’t at the level that we would want,” Weems said. “We have regular conversations with them.”

She specifically mentioned Western Michigan, where she expects an improvement when the Broncos move into their new arena next season. She also acknowledged that a large investment in new equipment at Lawson Ice Arena during its final season is unlikely.

Weems said Weisman has drafted a document outlining expectations as the conference considers its next media-rights agreement, whether that’s another agreement with SIDEARM or a new partner.

The conference has already communicated with athletic directors about those expectations so schools have time to consider potential upgrades as they prepare budgets for next year.

There will also be some new equipment in NCHC arenas this season.

The conference is replacing its DVSport video review system, adding and upgrading cameras in each building. The cameras were selected so they can serve two purposes: video review for officials and use by schools in their game productions.

Changes Across College Hockey
Weems spent a significant portion of her address talking about the changes across college hockey and college athletics.

“Many of us would agree the last number of years could best be described as unpredictable — and maybe even chaotic,” she said.

“If you enjoy roller coasters or tilt-a-whirls, you might be in the right place.”

In just a few years, college athletics has gone from COVID protocols to NIL, the transfer portal and direct revenue sharing. Hockey has also added roster limits, CHL players, and new age-based eligibility rules.

One of those changes came this spring with the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility model. For hockey, Weems focused on the decision to move the age trigger from 18 to 19.

“That additional year matters in a sport where access and development opportunities vary widely across the country, and many players rely upon junior hockey to prepare academically, physically, and emotionally for college,” she said.

Weems said the transfer portal and revenue sharing are also changing the makeup of college hockey rosters.

Where coaches once might bring seven to nine first-year players into a locker room with a large group of returning players, some teams are now integrating 12 to 15 or more new players at once.

Scholarship, revenue-sharing, and NIL packages have also become more complex, leading programs to add positions such as general managers and player personnel staff.

Could the Roster Limit Increase to 28?
One of the more interesting updates from the Q&A involved the 26-player roster limit.

The NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Oversight Committee had met the day before Media Day and recommended increasing the roster limit for programs that opted into the House settlement from 26 players to 28.

Weems called it a “first-step update.”

The recommendation still has to go through additional review before the roster limit can change.

Because the limit is part of the House settlement, Weems said the proposal next goes to the four defendant conferences for review. If they support it, the proposal would return to the NCAA for additional approval.

Weems said hockey is the first sport to put forward a request to change its roster number under the settlement, so there isn’t yet a blueprint for how the process will work.

“Yes, we are seriously pursuing an increased roster size,” Weems said. “Obviously, just given health and safety, some concern about goalie spots, those sorts of things, it’s an important part of our sport.”

Asked how she felt about the proposal’s chances of moving forward, Weems said there is “overwhelming support from within hockey.”

She noted the bigger question may be what happens if other sports also seek increases to their roster limits — and the financial impact of adding those roster spots.

“I think that's the biggest hurdle, to be honest,” Weems said.

NIL and Revenue Sharing
Weems was also asked about the differences in NIL and revenue-sharing resources between college hockey programs and whether that could create a competitive divide in the sport.

She acknowledged there is “a pretty significant variance,” while also cautioning that some of the numbers rumored to be available to players and programs may not be accurate.

There are also programs finding success with considerably smaller NIL and revenue-sharing budgets.

“I’m not so naive to believe that it doesn’t have an impact,” Weems said.

She said the addition of CHL players and the overall quality of the available talent pool helps to some degree, but it won’t eliminate the financial differences between programs.

“The hard part — and you see this in all levels of sport — is how do you, in all of your conversations, keep the health of the overall sport in mind while you don’t penalize those programs that are also willing to invest at a high level?” Weems said.

She also said college hockey needs to be mindful of putting institutions in a position where they decide to eliminate programs.

“That divide is certainly widening, and it’s hard,” Weems said.

The Search for Stability
The NCHC is also following the Protect College Sports Act as it moves through Congress.

Weems described the legislation as an attempt to create a more consistent national framework around NIL, revenue sharing, transfers, eligibility, and enforcement.

“The legislation has drawn both bipartisan support and legitimate concerns, and like any proposal of this size and complexity, it is still not perfect,” she said.

“But it represents meaningful progress toward a more consistent national framework.”

During the Q&A, Weems said individual institutions have been involved in conversations about the legislation, while college hockey itself hasn’t had as much direct involvement.

She said one area where greater consistency would be welcome is the transfer portal.

“I think lots of us would love some grounding to the transfer rules,” Weems said.

She said there could be some benefit to returning to something closer to a one-time transfer opportunity, noting that she believes student-athletes benefit from some consistency.

“Somewhere, we have to find some stability,” she said.

Five Years In — and Four More Ahead
Weems is beginning her fifth season as NCHC commissioner after receiving a four-year contract extension in July.

I asked her to look both backward and forward: What does she consider her biggest accomplishment during her first five years, and what does she see as the biggest challenge, obstacle, or opportunity ahead?

“If I were to focus on one, I would probably say membership expansion,” Weems said.

“I think we have added very strong teams and grown our stability and our opportunities with the move to 10 members, and I think that positions us well for success in the future,” she added.

She also mentioned the move to the campus-based playoff format and the continued success of NCHC teams, while crediting the conference's coaches, administrators and her own staff.

Looking ahead, Weems returned to the financial and resource demands facing college athletics.

“If you look at the trajectory of higher education, there’s some tension that has been building and continues to build,” she noted.

“How do we continue to make good decisions that keep our programs and our opportunities for student-athletes front and center — while also understanding some of the financial and just growth demands and changing landscape that is happening in higher education?”

Despite all the changes around college athletics, Weems closed her prepared remarks by bringing the focus back to the people involved in the sport.

“Talent certainly matters, and our NCHC rosters are filled with exceptional players and NHL draft picks,” she said. “But what I have always loved about the college game is watching individual talent develop and come together over the course of a season.”

“Skill grows into chemistry, chemistry builds confidence, and when everything comes together, teams are prepared to perform under the brightest lights of championship play.”

The NCHC’s 14th season begins Oct. 2. Omaha Hockey opens with an exhibition at Air Force in Colorado Springs.

MavPuckCast Podcast – S7 E2: Interview with NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems

On the second episode of Season 7 of the #MavPuckCast, Bridget interviews NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems.

Weems is entering her third season as commissioner. Immediately prior to her time as NCHC commissioner, she was the Director of Athletics at St. Cloud State (a NCHC member school), and had stints at the University of Denver (also a NCHC member school) and Drake University. 

Weems discusses the state of the NCHC, challenges facing NCAA men’s ice hockey in today’s athletic environment, the student-athlete experience, the conference’s online streaming service (NCHC.tv), getting more media coverage for the sport, ways to attract more female fans to NCHC games, and a “day in the life” of a hockey conference commissioner.

Chapters: 

00:00 - Challenges Facing Collegiate Athletics 05:15 - Student-Athlete Experience in the NCHC 10:00 - Growing NCAA Hockey 15:10 - NCHC TV Changes? 17:07 - Getting More Media Coverage 21:28 - NCHC and College Hockey Fans 23:50 - Day in the Life of an NCHC Commissioner

Video version:

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