The UConn men’s hockey team recorded back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and consecutive trips to the Hockey East Championship. This year, the team will look to take the next step in hopes of winning its first conference championship.
Last season, the Huskies went 20-13-5 overall and 12-9-3 in Hockey East and closed out the regular season as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. This marked their highest finish in program history.
Despite falling to Merrimack in the Hockey East championship game, UConn still punched its ticket to the NCAA tournament where the Huskies fell in the first round to Michigan State. Nonetheless, it was still another impressive season for the Huskies who look to build on last year’s momentum with several key players returning.
Senior Joey Muldowney returns after leading the team in goals (17) while also contributing 29 points. He was named a second-team Hockey East All-Star following his strong season and will be one of the Huskies’ most important offensive players this year.
Strong offensive players such as Mike Murtagh, Ethan Gardula and Ethan Whitcombb also return. With several forwards back from last season, UConn will look to maintain a strong offensive front while still developing.
On the defensive side, Kai Janviriya looks to add to his breakout season last year. Janviriya appeared in all 38 games and recorded 12 assists, establishing himself as an important part of UConn’s defense.
Having experienced players return at both forward and defense will hopefully give the Huskies a strong foundation entering this season. After falling short of winning the Hockey East Championship over the past two seasons, this experience will be important if the team reaches the postseason again this year.
The biggest uncertainty for the team is their goal. UConn lost senior goaltender Tyler Muszelik, who appeared in 35 games for the Huskies. Muszelik was a strong force in the net for the Huskies and played a key role in helping the team reach both the Hockey East Championship and the NCAA Tournament.
A few goalies who could compete for the starting role are returning players Kam Hendrickson and Ryan Sanborn. Head coach Mike Cavanaugh also has the option of putting newcomer Veeti Louhivaara in net to give the Huskies a younger option who very well could compete for playing time as the regular season progresses.
Replacing a goaltender with as much experience as Muszelik in both the regular and post seasons will likely be a challenge for UConn. The team will need a goaltender to step up and provide consistency in net, especially against fellow Hockey East teams.
To watch both the men’s and women’s hockey teams, head down to the Toscano Family Ice Forum to catch a game this season.
The arena serves as the home of UConn men’s and women’s hockey and provides students with an opportunity to watch both teams compete right on campus. Toscano is a fairly new arena on campus as it opened in 2023.
A game at Toscano is an easy way to experience UConn’s campus atmosphere and support the hockey teams. With the men’s team looking to win its first Hockey East Championship, students who attend games at Toscano will have the opportunity to experience the season in person and support the Huskies as they look towards postseason contention.