Recently, some big happenings in the college hockey landscape have affected nearly every team quite drastically. For the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, this includes a program’s future departure from the conference and unfamiliar faces added to almost all nine teams.
In the biggest news of the CCHA offseason, the University of St. Thomas announced that they are leaving the conference in which they had participated for three years. Plans include joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference following the 2025-26 season. The CCHA issued this statement regarding the news:
Although we are disappointed that St. Thomas has decided to leave the CCHA following the 2025-26 season, we wish them well. They have been a positive member of the conference since its reconstitution.
The move is a huge step for St. Thomas in their continued rise. The Tommies leaped to D1 from DIII in the 2021-22 season, across three seasons going 29-75-5 and not winning a playoff series.
However, their ability to compete was exemplified in the 2023-24 season. St. Thomas finished second overall in the conference, holding first place for much of the conference schedule, a favorite heading into the Mason Cup playoffs, and being ranked top 30 in the NCAA Hockey USCHO.com poll for many weeks, all despite being riddled with injury.
Advancement to the NCHC is the next level in their steep climb. Their league competition in 2026’27’ will (with no changes to the conference) include Denver, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, and three other NCAA-ranked teams, formidable opponents for a program that will have only five years of D1 hockey experience.
The CCHA will have to play two more hockey seasons against St. Thomas, attempting to keep a Mason Cup title from the Tommies.
TRANSFER PORTAL UPDATE
More changes have happened to CCHA teams, the effects of which will come more immediately. On May 14, the transfer portal closed to all non-graduate students and those whose teams did not have head coaching changes.
The CCHA had a huge portal presence with very influential moves in and out of the conference. The totals include 46 players entered, 34 of whom have already committed, 28 players committed to a CCHA school, and two (Artyom Borshyov LSS-NMU and Luigi Benincasa FSU-MSU) who stayed in the CCHA with an opposing team.
Northern Michigan paced the conference in players entered with 14 and tied for players signed with five. Interestingly, all three rostered Wildcat goaltenders have entered and committed in the portal, along with three defensemen and eight forwards.
On the opposite end, Bowling Green has had not a single player enter the transfer portal, even despite a head coaching change from Ty Eigner to Dennis Williams. Their only transactions were two forwards; Ville Immonen from Union and Jackson Niedermayer from Arizona State. Portal numbers for other CCHA teams through May 15 are as follows:
Augustana: 2 entered, 0 committed away, 2 committed in
Bemidji State: 4 entered, 2 committed away, 2 committed in
Ferris State: 8 entered, 6 committed away, 5 committed in
Lake Superior State: 6 entered, 6 committed away, 3 committed in
Minnesota State: 3 entered, 3 committed away, 3 committed in
Michigan Tech: 7 entered, 6 committed away, 4 committed in
St. Thomas: 2 entered, 0 committed away, 3 committed in
Star players leaving the CCHA found fantastic homes in the portal, many of them high-caliber schools. Bemidji State’s Eric Pohlkamp committed to Denver, the 2024 National Champions. Michigan Tech sent two of their players, Kyle Kukkonen and Ryland Mosley, across the lake to Wisconsin, both harsh losses to the Mason Cup winners.
Unlike their job on the ice, CCHA starting goaltenders have been flying around. Transfers include Logan Stein to Michigan, Charlie Glockner to St. Cloud State, Beni Halasz to UMass, and Ethan Langenegger to Clarkson.
The portal is no longer open to enter (with exceptions), but commitments from players will continue until the first day of classes.
