SEASON OPENER
• No. 12 Michigan Tech plays its first road games of the season at St. Cloud State this weekend.
• The puck drops at 8 p.m. Eastern Friday and 7 p.m. Eastern Saturday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
• The former WCHA rivals last met in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
• Tech is 2-0, and SCSU is 0-1.
 
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 25th year behind the microphone.
 
WATCH THE GAMES
• This weekend's games will be streamed on NCHC TV.
• Both games will be televised in Minnesota on CW Twin Cities WUCW (Channel 23).
 
HUSKIES RANKED
• Michigan Tech is ranked No. 12 in this week's USCHO poll and No. 16 in the USA Hockey poll.
• The Huskies were No. 19 in the preseason USCHO poll and No. 20 in the preseason USA Hockey poll last week.
 
CCHA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Matthew Van Blaricom is the CCHA Forward of the Week.
• Van Blaricom tallied four points in the Huskies' non-conference sweep of No. 14 Minnesota.
• He scored twice Saturday, including the game-winner in the third period, and added an assist on the other Tech tally. He added an empty-net goal on Sunday to seal the sweep. He was a +5 for the weekend, tallying five shots and averaging 14:01 minutes of ice time.
• Van Blaricom now has five career goals and 14 points.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• St. Cloud State is 0-1 with a road loss at Bemidji State 3-2 in overtime. Nolan Roed and Charlie Lurie scored the goals.
• The Huskies were picked to finish eighth in the NCHC preseason poll.
• Nick Oliver begins his first season as head coach of SCSU. He played 145 games for the Huskies and was the team captain as a senior. He was also an assistant coach at SCSU from 2018-22.
 
SERIES INFO
• Tech is 28-56-5 all-time against SCSU, dating back to 1948.
• The Huskies are 9-33-3 against SCSU in St. Cloud.
• The last win over SCSU was March 2, 2013, in St. Cloud.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Tech swept No. 14 Minnesota in the season-opening series on Oct. 3-4 at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• The Huskies won 3-2 Saturday and 3-1 Sunday.
• Matthew Van Blaricom had three goals while Elias Jansson, Connor Roulette, and Teydon Trembecky also found the back of the net.
• Owen Bartoszkiewicz stopped 58 of 61 shots, earning the win between the pipes each night.
 
SWEEP NOTES
• It was the Huskies' first sweep of the Gophers since Jan. 2005 and the first sweep in Houghton since Jan. 1998.
• The last time Tech won three straight games over Minnesota in the series that dates back to 1922 was from Jan. 1977-Jan. 1978.
 
COLLEGE HOCKEY INC. NOTES
• Isaac Gordon ranks third among active players with 91 career points. He is also eighth with 58 career assists.
• Owen Bartoszkiewicz ranks third among active goaltenders with 74 games played and 35 wins. His four shutouts rank seventh
• Max Koskipirtti ranks seventh among active players with 59 career assists.
• Tech ranks fifth in returning points and sixth in returning goals.
• Tech has the smallest freshman class (4) and the second largest junior class (10).
• Bill Muckalt is one of six coaches who have played in the NHL.
 
COACH MUCKALT
• Bill Muckalt is in his second season as head coach of the Huskies.
• In his first season, Muckalt set a program record for wins by a first-year head coach after going 23-13-3 overall.
• He was named the 23rd head coach at Michigan Tech on May 22, 2025.
• Muckalt returned to Houghton after one season as head coach of Lindenwood.
• Muckalt was an assistant coach at Tech for four seasons from 2011-15.
• Muckalt played 256 NHL games over five seasons with Vancouver, New York Islanders, Ottawa, and Minnesota. He scored 97 career points with 40 goals and 57 assists.
• He won two National Championships as a player at Michigan in 1996 and 1998 and was an All-American in 1998.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• The Huskies host Alaska on Oct. 16-17 for the final non-conference series.
• The CCHA opener is at Ferris State on Oct. 23-24.
• The first home conference series is on Nov. 6-7 against Augustana.
 
NON-CONFERENCE
• Tech has eight non-conference games this season.
• Tech swept Minnesota on Oct. 3-4 at the Mac.
• The Huskies travel to St. Cloud State on Oct. 9-10.
• Tech hosts Alaska on Oct. 16-17.
• The 60th GLI begins against Western Michigan. Michigan State and Lindenwood play in the second semifinal.
 
CCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Oct. 5 – Matthew Van Blaricom – CCHA Forward of the Week
 
CAPTAINS
• Senior forwards Isaac Gordon and Max Koskipirtti are the captains of the 2026-27 Huskies.
• Senior goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz, junior forward Tom Leppa, and junior defenseman Lucas Brenton are also on the leadership team as alternate captains.
 
PRESEASON ALL-CCHA
• Senior forward Max Koskipirtti was named to the Preseason All-CCHA Team by both the coaches and media
• Senior forward Isaac Gordon and senior goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz were named to the coaches' Preseason All-CCHA Team.
 
COACHING STAFF
• Benton Maass begins his second season as an Assistant Coach. Maass came to Houghton after one season as an Assistant Coach at Lindenwood. As a defenseman, he played collegiately at New Hampshire and Minnesota State and appeared in 122 professional games in the AHL and ECHL.
• Zach Richards begins his first season as an Assistant Coach. Richards comes to Houghton after serving as a video coach in the AHL last year with Chicago. He has five years of NCAA coaching experience at St. Thomas and St. Olaf.
• Former Michigan Tech hockey player Tyler Shelast begins his sixth season as an assistant coach. Before being named an assistant coach, Shelast spent the previous eight seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for the Huskies.
• Former Husky Colin Swoyer begins his first season as a Graduate Assistant. He played over four seasons of professional hockey in the AHL and ECHL, skating in 200 games and tallying 75 points with 10 goals and 65 assists.
 
NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
• Owen Bartoszkiewicz – St. Louis (2025)
• Lucas Brenton – Chicago (2023)
• Isaac Gordon – Columbus (2024 & 2025)
• Max Koskipirtti – Dallas (2025 & 2026)
• Carson Latimer – Ottawa (2021, 2022), Dallas (2026)
• Austin Moline – Philadelphia (2024 & 2025)
• Kalem Parker – Minnesota (2023 & 2024)
• Conner Roulette – Dallas (2022)
• Teydon Trembecky – Winnipeg (2025)
 
NHL DRAFT PICKS
• Carson Latimer was selected by Ottawa in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 123rd pick. He is now a free agent.
• Austin Moline was selected by Philadelphia in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft with the 205th pick.
• Kalem Parker was selected by Minnesota in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft with the 181st pick. He is now a free agent.
• Conner Roulette was selected by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 111th pick. He is now a free agent.
 
TRANSFERS
• Owen Baker played seven games in one season at Michigan State (2023-24). He notched two points with a goal and an assist.
• Owen Bartoszkiewicz played at Lindenwood in 2024-25, with a .919 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average in 29 games. He played six games for Minnesota during the 2022-23 season with a 3.72 goals-against average and .883 save percentage.
• Giovanni Morneau played at Lindenwood during the 2025-26 season and was named the NCAA D-I Independent Player of the Year and D-I Independent Rookie of the Year. He tallied 31 points in 30 games, scoring 10 goals and adding 21 assists to set the Lions program record for points in a season.
• Luke Shipley played for UMass Lowell in 2025-26, appearing in 33 games and tallying 12 points on two goals and 10 assists.
 
FRESHMEN
• Tech's four-member freshman class is tied for the smallest in the country with Notre Dame. There are two defensemen, a forward, and a goaltender.
• Defensemen Morgan Brady and Austin Moline.
• Forward Tristan Delisle.
• Goaltender Joey Costanzo.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
• Owen Bartoszkiewicz – Independent Hockey Goaltender of the Year (2024-25)
• Isaac Gordon – CCHA Rookie of the Year (2023-24), All-CCHA Second Team (2023-24) & CCHA All-Rookie Team (2023-24)
• Elias Jansson – CCHA Rookie of the Year (2024-25) & All-CCHA Rookie Team (2024-25)
• Max Koskipirtti – All-CCHA Second Team (2025-26)
• Giovanni Morneau – Independent Player of the Year & D-I Independent Rookie of the Year (2025-26)
 
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
• Tech's roster has players from three different countries.
• Canada: 18
• United States: 7
• Finland: 4
 
HALL OF FAMERS
• Colin Murphy played for the Huskies from 2001-05, appearing in 154 games and tallying 152 points. He holds a program record for the most assists by a right wing with 42 during the 2004-05 season and ranks 13th overall in points. During his senior season, Murphy was a Hobey Baker Finalist, All-American Second Team, All-WCHA First Team, GLI All-Tournament Team, and Winter Carnival MVP.
• Darcy Way was a goaltender from 1978-82, appearing in 28 games and going 15-10-2. He was named All-WCHA Honorable Mention in 1980. Way worked for Michigan Tech in a variety of roles as an Assistant Coach, Michigan Tech's Director of Alumni Relations, the Director of Athletic Development, and an Advancement Officer.
• Wayne Weller played from 1964-67, winning the 1965 NCAA Championship and appearing in 91 games with 123 points. Weller ranks 42nd in career points and scored twice in the 1965 NCAA Title Game while adding an assist. Weller twice led the team in scoring and earned All-WCHA Second Team honors in 1966, and All-WCHA Honorable Mention and NCAA All-Tournament Team honors in 1965.
 
60TH GLI
• The 60th Great Lakes Invitational will be staged at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Dec. 29-30.
• The Huskies will open against Western Michigan while Michigan State and Lindenwood will play in the other semifinal.
• Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 2.
 
HUSKIES AT NHL TRAINING CAMPS
• Jack Anderson – Dallas Stars
• Tristan Ashbrook – New Jersey Devils
• Pheonix Copley – Columbus Blue Jackets
• Brian Halonen – Boston Bruins
• Jake Lucchini – Nashville Predators
• Chase Pietila – Pittsburgh Penguins
• Matt Roy – Washington Capitals
 
SUPERIOR PLAYER OF THE GAME
• Superior National Bank sponsors the Superior Player of the Game.
• Oct. 3 – Matthew Van Blaricom – 2 goals, 1 assist
• Oct. 4 – Owen Bartoszkiewicz – 29 saves