When the 2021 NCAA Frozen Four kicks off Thursday afternoon, the USHL will feature heavily in the on-ice action with 77 former players hitting the ice for the four NCAA teams in action.
All 16 current USHL Member Clubs are represented by multiple players in the Frozen Four with the Green Bay Gamblers (11) leading the way with alumni skaters. The Gamblers are followed by the Fargo Force (9), Tri-City Storm (8), Waterloo Black Hawks (8), Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (7), Chicago Steel (7), Madison Capitols (7), Muskegon Lumberjacks (7), Sioux Falls Stampede (7), Des Moines Buccaneers (6), Bloomington Thunder/Central Illinois Flying Aces (6), Omaha Lancers (5), Sioux City Musketeers (5), Dubuque Fighting Saints (4), Lincoln Stars (4), Youngstown Phantoms (4) and USA Hockey National Team Development Program (2).
Of the 17 current and former Member Clubs with alumni in the Frozen Four, five teams (RoughRIders, Buccaneers, Force, Lancers, Storm) are guaranteed to have an alumnus win the NCAA Championship as they have a former skater on all four Frozen Four rosters.
The Frozen Four rosters also feature Spencer Penrose Award winner (NCAA Coach of the Year) Mike Hastings, head coach of Minnesota State, former Omaha Lancers General Manager and Head Coach, as well as Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay who was recently named one of the final three players in the running for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded annually to the best collegiate player. The former Gamblers and Capitols netminder is also one of the seven finalists for the Mike Richter Award, which is given annually to the nation's top collegiate goaltender.
On the initial Hobey Baker watch list, which featured 37 USHL alumni, Frozen Four players included McKay as well as Cade Borchardt (Forward, Minnesota State), Noah Cates (Forward, Minnesota Duluth), Cole Koepke (Forward, Minnesota Duluth), Nick Perbix (Defenseman, St. Cloud State), Nathan Smith (Forward, Minnesota State), and Nick Swaney (Forward, Minnesota Duluth).
The initial Mike Richter watch list, which featured a total of 22 former USHL netminders, goalies in the Frozen Four included McKay, as well as David Hrenak (St. Cloud State) and Matt Murray (Massachusetts).
Name | NCAA Team | USHL Team (Seasons) |
---|---|---|
Wyatt Aamodt | Minnesota State University | Chicago (2015-17), Lincoln (2017-18) |
Linden Alger | University of Massachusetts | Youngstown (2019-20) |
Ben Almquist | University of Minnesota Duluth | Tri-City (2017-18), Cedar Rapids (2018-19) |
Matt Anderson | University of Minnesota Duluth | Green Bay (2015-17) |
Koby Bender | University of Minnesota Duluth | Chicago (2015-16) |
Blake Biondi | University of Minnesota Duluth | USA Hockey NTDP (2018-19), Sioux City (2018-20) |
Aaron Bohlinger | University of Massachusetts | Waterloo (2019-20) |
Cade Borchardt | Minnesota State University | Madison (2017-18), Sioux Falls (2018-19) |
Chase Brand | Saint Cloud State | Sioux Falls (2016-17), Omaha (2017-18), Madison (2018-19) |
Easton Brodzinski | Saint Cloud State | Fargo (2016-17), Madison (2016-17), Green Bay (2016-17) |
Colby Bukes | Minnesota State University | Chicago (2015-16), Muskegon (2016-19) |
Brendan Bushy | Saint Cloud State | Dubuque (2016-18) |
Matthew Cairns | University of Minnesota Duluth | Fargo (2016-17) |
Andy Carroll | Minnesota State University | Green Bay (2017-18) |
Gianfranco Cassaro | University of Massachusetts | Youngstown (2017-19) |
Jackson Cates | University of Minnesota Duluth | Waterloo (2016-18) |
Noah Cates "C" | University of Minnesota Duluth | Omaha (2015-18) |
Jaxon Castor | Saint Cloud State | Dubuque (2015-18) |
Anthony Del Gaizo | University of Massachusetts | Muskegon (2015-18) |
Marc Del Gaizo "A" | University of Massachusetts | Muskegon (2015-18) |
Walker Duehr | Minnesota State University | Sioux City (2014-15), Tri-City (2015-16), Chicago (2016-17), Bloomington (2016-17) |
Ryan Edquist | Minnesota State University | Madison (2014-16) |
Tanner Edwards | Minnesota State University | Muskegon (2019-20) |
Ty Farmer | University of Massachusetts | Youngstown (2014-17), Muskegon (2016-17), Fargo (2017-18) |
Colin Felix | University of Massachusetts | Madison (2017-18) |
Brendan Furry | Minnesota State University | Omaha (2017-19), Tri-City (2018-19) |
Dallas Gerads "A" | Minnesota State University | Dubuque (2015-17) |
Carson Gicewicz | University of Massachusetts | Youngstown (2013-14), Lincoln (2015-16), Sioux Falls (2015-16) |
Darian Gotz | University of Minnesota Duluth | Cedar Rapids (2018-20) |
Jerry Harding | University of Massachusetts | Bloomington (2016-17), Omaha (2018-19), Cedar Rapids (2018-19) |
Sam Hentges | Saint Cloud State | Des Moines (2017-18), Tri-City (2017-18) |
David Hrenak | Saint Cloud State | Green Bay (2016-17) |
Jesse Jacques | University of Minnesota Duluth | Green Bay (2017-18) |
Jake Jaremko | Minnesota State University | Chicago (2014-17) |
Lucas Jaycox "A" | Saint Cloud State | Lincoln (2014-17) |
Zachary Jones | University of Massachusetts | Tri-City (2018-19) |
Wyatt Kaiser | University of Minnesota Duluth | Dubuque (2019-20) |
Connor Kelley | University of Minnesota Duluth | USA Hockey NTDP (2018-20) |
Matt Kessel | University of Massachusetts | Fargo (2017-18), Chicago (2017-18), Sioux Falls (2018-19) |
Calen Kiefiuk | University of Massachusetts | Bloomington (2016-17), Central Illinois (2017-19) |
Cole Koepke "A" | University of Minnesota Duluth | Sioux City (2016-18) |
Jami Krannila | Saint Cloud State | Sioux Falls (2018-19) |
Joseph Lamoreaux | Saint Cloud State | Madison (2017-19) |
Reed Lebster | University of Massachusetts | Des Moines (2016-19) |
Jarrett Lee | University of Minnesota Duluth | Green Bay (2019-20) |
Hunter Lellig | University of Minnesota Duluth | Waterloo (2016-18) |
Josh Lopina | University of Massachusetts | Lincoln (2018-20) |
Reggie Lutz | Minnesota State University | Chicago (2016-17) |
Oliver MacDonald | University of Massachusetts | Muskegon (2017-20), Fargo (2019-20) |
Tony Malinowski | Minnesota State University | Tri-City (2017-18), Des Moines (2017-19) |
Dryden McKay | Minnesota State University | Green Bay Gamblers (2015-16), Madison (2016-18) |
Shane McMahon | Minnesota State University | Fargo (2014-17) |
Jack McNeely | Minnesota State University | Tri-City (2014-17), Muskegon (2016-17) |
Spencer Meier "C" | Saint Cloud State | Fargo (2017-18) |
Brady Meyer | University of Minnesota Duluth | Central Illinois (2017-19), Des Moines (2018-19), Green Bay (2018-19) |
George Mika | University of Massachusetts | Waterloo (2014-15) |
Micah Miller | Saint Cloud State | Sioux City (2016-18) |
Joey Molenaar | Saint Cloud State | Tri-City (2018-20), Cedar Rapids (2019-20) |
Matthew Murray | University of Massachusetts | Fargo (2016-17) |
Luke Mylymok | University of Minnesota Duluth | Green Bay (2018-20) |
Julian Napravnik | Minnesota State University | Des Moines (2016-18) |
Ondrej Pavel | Minnesota State University | Fargo (2018-20) |
Nicklaus Perbix | Saint Cloud State | Omaha (2017-18) |
Louie Roehl "A" | University of Minnesota Duluth | Waterloo (2016-17) |
Kobe Roth | University of Minnesota Duluth | Des Moines (2015-17) |
Ryan Sandelin | Minnesota State University | Sioux City (2015-16), Bloomington (2016-17) |
Nathan Smith | Minnesota State University | Cedar Rapids (2017-19) |
Jared Spooner "A" | Minnesota State University | Green Bay (2015-17) |
Nick Swaney "A" | University of Minnesota Duluth | Waterloo (2014-17) |
Zach Stejskal | University of Minnesota Duluth | Bloomington (2016-17), Central Illinois (2017-18) |
Ryan Sullivan | University of Massachusetts | Sioux Falls (2018-20) |
Bobby Trivigno "A" | University of Massachusetts | Waterloo (2017-18) |
Garrett Wait | University of Massachusetts | Waterloo (2015-18) |
Nolan Walker | Saint Cloud State | Sioux Falls (2016-18) |
Brady Ziemer | Saint Cloud State | Green Bay (2019-20) |
Trevor Zins | Saint Cloud State | Cedar Rapids (2015-17) |
Riese Zmolek "C" | Minnesota State University | Cedar Rapids (2015-17) |
Name | Role | NCAA Team | USHL Team (Seasons) | Role |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jason Aldrich | Conditioning Coach | University of Minnesota Duluth | Green Bay Gamblers (2012-17) | Conditioning Coach & Equipment Manager |
Ryan Bliss | Volunteer Assistant Coach) | University of Massachusetts | USA Hockey NTDP (2012-14) | Player |
Darren Blue | Assistant Coach | Minnesota State University | Des Moines (1989-91) | Player |
Jared DeMichiel | Associate Head Coach | University of Massachusetts | Indiana Ice (2005-06), Chicago Steel (2005-06) | Player |
Nolan Gluchowski | Volunteer Assistant Coach | University of Massachusetts | Tri-City (2011-14), Sioux Falls (2013-14) | Player |
Mike Hastings | Head Coach | Minnesota State University | Austin Mavericks (1984-85), Rochester Mustangs (1985-86) | Player |
Omaha (1992-93) | Assistant Coach | |||
Omaha/River City Lancers (1994-08) | General Manager & Head Coach | |||
Brett Larson | Head Coach | Saint Cloud State University | Sioux City (2011-13) | General Manager & Head Coach |
Todd Knott | Associate Head Coach | Minnesota State University | Lincoln (1998-99) | Player |
Des Moines (2005-08) | Assistant Coach (Interim Head Coach) | |||
Sioux City (2008-09) | General Manager & Head Coach | |||
Adam Krause | Assistant Coach | University of Minnesota Duluth | Chicago (2010-11), Sioux City (2010-11) | Player |
Nick Oliver | Assistant Coach | Saint Cloud State University | Fargo (2008-11) | Player |
Sioux Falls (2015-18) | Assistant Coach & Director of Scouting |
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