SEASON OPENER
• The puck drops on the 2026-27 Michigan Tech hockey season this weekend at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• The No. 19-ranked Huskies host No. 14 Minnesota for a non-conference series.
• The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday.
• The two teams split last year in Minneapolis in the season opener.
 
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
• All Michigan Tech home and CCHA games during the 2026-27 season will be live-streamed on Midco Sports Plus 2.
• Fans can stream all CCHA games live and on-demand, on their home televisions, computers, tablets, and mobile devices via Midco Sports Plus.
• The app is available on mobile/tablet apps (iOS and Android), connected TV device apps (AppleTV, FireTV and Roku) and a web-based browser interface.
 
HUSKIES RANKED
• Michigan Tech is ranked No. 19 in the preseason USCHO Poll
• The Huskies are also ranked No. 20 in the preseason USA Hockey Poll.
• Minnesota checks in at No. 14 in the USCHO and No. 18 in the USA Hockey polls.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Minnesota is ranked No. 14 in the Preseason USCHO Poll and No. 18 in the USA Hockey Preseason Poll.
• The Gophers were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll.
• Forward Brodie Ziemer (first team), goaltender Luca Di Pasquo (second team) and defenseman Evan Murr (second team) were named Preseason All-Big Ten.
• Brett Larson begins his first season as head coach of Minnesota. He was the coach at St. Cloud State over the past eight seasons.
 
SERIES INFO
• Tech is 78-176-15 all-time against Minnesota, dating back to 1922.
• The Huskies are 47-71-11 against the Gophers in Houghton.
• Tech's last win over Minnesota at the Mac was Oct. 19, 2012.
• The teams have split the last three meetings.
 
LAST SEASON'S OPENER
• Tech split its season-opening series at No. 8 Minnesota on Oct. 3-4, 2025.
• The Gophers won 6-3 Friday.
• Tech bounced back with a 5-2 victory on Saturday.
• Eight different Huskies scored the goals, with six players scoring their first NCAA goals.
• Owen Bartoszkiewicz had 28 saves Friday and 10 saves Saturday in his Michigan Tech debut.
• It was Tech's first win over Minnesota since Oct. 19, 2012 and the first win over the Gophers in Minneapolis since Dec. 9, 2011.
 
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 73 games played and 34 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
• Tech travels to St. Cloud State next weekend to play the Huskies from Minnesota.
• 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 at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
 
NON-CONFERENCE
• Tech has eight non-conference games this season.
• Minnesota comes to Houghton on Oct. 2-3.
• 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.
 
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