CACTUS CUP
• Michigan Tech is in California for the inaugural Coachella Valley Cactus Cup at Acrisure Arena.
• The Huskies will open against No. 10 UMass Lowell on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
• Holy Cross and Omaha will meet in the second semifinal at 10 p.m. Eastern
• The Cactus Cup Championship Game is set for 10 p.m. Eastern on Saturday with the consolation game at 6:30 p.m.
• UMass Lowell is the tournament host.
 
ON THE RADIO
• Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ broadcasts all Michigan Tech hockey games.
• Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ, online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.com, or by using your favorite radio streaming app.
• Dirk Hembroff will call all the action in his 23rd year behind the microphone.
 
WATCH THE GAMES
• The Coachella Valley Cactus Cup Tournament will be live-streamed on FloHockey.tv.
• FloSports provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
• FloSports is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.
 
SERIES INFO
• UMass Lowell – Tech is 3-3-1 against UMass Lowell with the last meeting taking place on Nov. 11, 1989 when Tech won 6-4 at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• Omaha – The Huskies are 3-8-1 all-time against the Mavericks. As former members of the WCHA, Tech went 1-3 against UNO during the 2012-13 season. Tech won 2-1 in Omaha on Feb. 2, 2013 in the last meeting.
• Holy Cross – Never met.
 
CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Stiven Sardarian is the CCHA Forward of the Week. He paced all CCHA skaters with three points last week, dishing out three assists, including setting up the overtime-winner in Tech's 4-3 overtime victory over NMU.
• Logan Morrell is the CCHA Rookie of the Week after he scored the overtime game winner in the GLI Third Place Game. He scored 20 seconds into the extra session to lift the Huskies to a 4-3 victory over NMU. 
 
CCHA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
• Stiven Sardarian produced a nation-best 10 points in December, scoring one goal and contributing nine assists. Compiling a league-leading plus-7 rating, his month was highlighted by his first five-point game (1 goal, 4 assists) at Bemidji State.
• Logan Morrell scored a CCHA-leading six goals and added one assist for seven points across December, producing a plus-6 rating. He notched at least one point if 4-of-6 games
 
POINT STREAKS
• Two Game – Matthew Campbell – 2 goals
• Four Game – Chase Pietila – 4 assists
 
STATISTICAL NOTES
• Kasper Vaharautio ranks second in the nation with 47 blocked shots.
• Stiven Sardarian ranks ninth in the country with 22 points to lead the CCHA. He leads the league with 14 assists.
• Logan Morrell is tied for the team lead with eight goals this season which ranks fifth amongst NCAA freshmen. He is fourth in the CCHA in faceoff winning percentage (.567).
• Sardarian and Morrell are second in the CCHA with eight goals.
• Isaac Gordon leads the CCHA in shots on goal (67).
• The Huskies are fifth in the nation in fewest penalty minutes per game (6:26).
• Tech is second in the CCHA in shots on goal per game (32.11).
• Tech ranks 17th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 2.39 goals per game.
 
NEW GOALTENDER
• Ryan Manzella joined the Huskies before the GLI.
• He played the final two periods against NMU with 15 saves and two goals against, earning his first collegiate win in his first NCAA game.
• He played 11 games this season with Sioux Falls in the USHL and held a 2.40 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.
• Manzella appeared in 34 games for the St. Cloud Norsemen in the NAHL in 2023-24, holding a 2.62 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Tech opened the 58th GLI with a 4-3 OT loss to No. 6 Western Michigan.
• The Huskies defeated NMU 4-3 in overtime in the GLI Third Place Game.
• Matthew Campbell was named to the GLI All-Tournament Team with a goal each game.
• Derek Mullahy made a career-high 39 saves in the game against the Broncos.
• Stiven Sardarian had three assists against the Wildcats and setup Logan Morell on the OT game-winner.
• Trevor Kukkonen had a goal and an assist against WMU.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• Tech returns home to get back to CCHA action next weekend (Jan. 10-11), hosting Lake Superior State for the only meeting of the regular season.
• The month continues at No. 12 Minnesota State on Jan. 17-18.
 
CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Jan. 2 – Stiven Sardarian – CCHA Forward of the Week
• Jan. 2 – Logan Morrell – CCHA Rookie of the Week
• Dec. 16 – Stiven Sardarian – CCHA Forward of the Week
• Dec. 16 – Logan Morrell – CCHA Rookie of the Week
• Dec. 2 – Derek Mullahy – CCHA Goaltender of the Week
• Nov. 11 – Stiven Sardarian – CCHA Forward of the Week
• Nov. 4 – Max Koskipirtti – CCHA Forward of the Week
• Oct. 14 – Max Vayrynen – CCHA Goaltender of the Week
• Oct. 14 – Elias Jansson – CCHA Rookie of the Week
 
SUPERIOR PLAYER OF THE GAME
• Superior National Bank sponsors the Superior Player of the Game.
• Oct. 5 – Elias Jansson – Two goals
• Oct. 11 – Max Koskipirtti – 1 goal, 1 assist
• Oct. 12 – Max Vayrynen – 15 saves
• Oct. 25 – Stiven Sardarian – 1 goal
• Oct. 26 – Derek Mullahy – 31 saves
• Nov. 1 – Derek Mullay – Shutout, 34 saves
• Nov. 2 – Max Koskipirtti – 1 goal, 2 assists
• Nov. 8 – Stiven Sardarian – 1 goal, 1 assist
• Nov. 9 – Derek Mullay – career high 36 saves
• Nov. 22 – Rylan Brown – scored first NCAA goal
• Nov. 23 – Jack Works – scored lone goal
• Nov. 29 – Viktor Hurtig – scored first Tech goal
• Nov. 30 – Isaac Gordon – tied the game
• Dec. 6 – Rylan Brown – 1 goal, 1 assist
• Dec. 7 – Logan Morrell – 1 goal
• Dec. 13 – Logan Morrell – 2 goals
• Dec. 14 – Stiven Sardarian – 5 points
• Dec. 29 – Trevor Kukkon – 1 goal, 1 assist
• Dec. 30 – Stiven Sardarian – 3 assists
 
CAPTAINS
• Senior Jack Works was named the captain of the 2024-25 Huskies.
• Junior Trevor Russell and sophomores Isaac Gordon and Chase Pietila are also on the leadership team as alternate captains.
 
CCHA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• Sophomore Isaac Gordon was named the CCHA Preseason Player of the Year as voted on by the league's coaches.
• He was tied with Lucas Wahlin from St. Thomas and Connor Milburn from Lake Superior State for the honor.
 
PRESEASON ALL-CCHA
Sophomore forward Isaac Gordon and sophomore defenseman Chase Pietila were both named to the coaches and the media's Preseason All-CCHA Team.
 
COACH SHAWHAN
• Joe Shawhan is in his eighth season as Head Coach and holds a record of 148-109-28.
• He was named the 2023 CCHA Coach of the Year and is one of only two coaches to take four different Michigan Tech teams to the NCAA Tournament.
• He won his 100th career game at Bowling Green on November 5, 2022, and ranks second in wins by a Tech hockey coach.
• Shawhan's 22 wins in his first season tied for the most ever by a first-year Michigan Tech coach. Jim Nahrgang won 22 games in 1982-83.
• Shawhan was named the 22nd head coach of the Huskies on May 30, 2017, after serving as an assistant coach for Tech over the previous three seasons.
 
ASSISTANT COACHES
• Former captain Raymond Brice was added as an assistant coach in the offseason.
• Brice joins Tyler Shelast (fourth season) and Jordy Murray (third season) on staff.
 
PRESEASON CCHA COACHES POLL
• Tech was picked in a tie for second in the Preseason CCHA Coaches' Poll with Bemidji State. The Beavers earned one more first-place vote.
• Minnesota State, Bowling Green, Lake Superior State, Augustana, and Ferris State round out the top eight with Northern Michigan in the ninth slot.
 
PRESEASON CCHA MEDIA POLL
• Tech was picked fourth in the Preseason CCHA Media Poll behind Bemidji State, St. Thomas, and Minnesota State.
• Bowling Green, Lake Superior State, Augustana, Northern Michigan, and Ferris State rounded out the poll.
 
NON-CONFERENCE
• Tech swept Alaska on Oct. 11-12 with a pair of 2-1 victories.
• Clarkson defeated Tech on Oct. 25-26 in Houghton.
• Tech fell 4-3 in OT to No. 6 Western Michigan in the GLI Semifinal and defeated NMU 4-3 in OT in the GLI Third Place Game.
• The final non-conference games are at the Coachella Valley Cactus Cup on Jan. 3-4 in Palm Springs, California. Tech opens against No. 10 UMass Lowell and will meet Omaha or Holy Cross the next day.
 
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
• Matthew Campbell – Philadelphia Flyers (2024)
• Isaac Gordon – Columbus Blue Jackets (2024)
• Viktor Hurtig – New Jersey (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Chase Pietila – Pittsburgh Penguins (2024)
• Trevor Russell – New Jersey (2022, 2023)
• Stiven Sardarian – Buffalo Sabres (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Max Vayrynen – Calgary Flames (2023)
 
NHL DRAFT PICKS
• Stiven Sardarian was selected by Buffalo in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 88th pick.
• Chase Pietila was drafted by Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft with the 111th pick.
• Viktor Hurtig was picked by New Jersey in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 164th selection.
 
TRANSFERS
• Owen Baker played seven games in one season at Michigan State. He notched two points with a goal and an assist.
• Viktor Hurtig skated in 43 games over two seasons at Michigan State. He tallied seven points with two goals and five assists.
• Derek Mullahy saw action in 30 career games for Harvard from 2020-24. He held a career 2.69 goals-against average and .903 save percentage, going 10-14-4.
• Stiven Sardarian played the last two seasons for New Hampshire. In 61 NCAA games, he has tallied nine goals and 12 assists
• Jack Works began his collegiate career with 15 games over two seasons with Denver. He tallied one assist with the Pioneers in his NCAA debut and was a member of the 2022 NCAA National Championship team.
 
FRESHMEN
• Tech has 10 freshmen on the roster with six forwards, two defensemen, and two goaltenders.
• Forwards: Tom Leppa, Logan Morrell, Elias Jansson, Philip Fankl, Ryder Matter, and Quinn Disher.
• Defensemen: Rylan Brown and Tyler Miller.
• Goaltenders: Bryant Lee and Ryan Manzella.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTION
• Isaac Gordon – CCHA Rookie of the Year (2023-24), All-CCHA Second Team (2023-24) & All-CCHA Rookie Team (2023-24)
 
2023-24 RECAP
• Tech made its third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24 and its fourth under Shawhan after winning the program's first CCHA Mason Cup Championship.
• The Huskies finished 19-15-6 overall and tied for second in the CCHA with a 12-10-2 record.
• The Black and Gold swept Bowling Green in the CCHA First Round. The Huskies then edged Minnesota State in the CCHA Semifinal and won the conference tournament title at Bemidji State.
• Tech won the 58th Great Lakes Invitational after defeating Alaska in overtime and earning a shootout win over Michigan State in the title game.
 
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
• Tech's roster boasts players from five different countries.
• United States: 12
• Canada: 7
• Finland: 6
• Sweden: 3
• Russia: 1
 
HUSKIES AT NHL TRAINING CAMPS
• Arvid Caderoth – LA Kings
• Pheonix Copley – LA Kings
• Brian Halonen – New Jersey Devils
• Michael Karow – Dallas Stars
• Jujhar Khaira – Tampa Bay Lightning
• Jake Lucchini – Nashville Predators
• Logan Pietila – Pittsburgh Penguins
• Matt Roy – Washington Capitals
 
HUSKIES HOCKEY RADIO SHOW
• The Michigan Tech Huskies Hockey Show airs weekly throughout the season at 10 a.m. on Mondays with host Dirk Hembroff.
• The program features regular appearances by the coaching staff and current Huskies.
• The show can be heard live on Mix 93.5 FM and is streamed on the TuneIn Radio app and online at Pasty.net or themix93.com.
 
BLUE LINE CLUB
The Michigan Tech Blue Line Club provides additional resources to the hockey program, enabling hockey student-athletes to pursue success both in the classroom and on the ice. The annual membership drive is now open.