The 2025–26 Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey season was the 50th season of play for the program and 28th in the CCHA. The Wildcats represented Northern Michigan University in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at Berry Events Center and were coached by Dave Shyiak in his 2nd season.
| 2025–26 Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
| Conference | 9th CCHA |
| Home ice | Berry Events Center |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | NR |
| USA Hockey | NR |
| Record | |
| Overall | 3–29–2 |
| Conference | 3–21–2 |
| Home | 1–15–0 |
| Road | 2–14–2 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Dave Shyiak |
| Assistant coaches | Andy Contois Phil Fox Ben Russell |
| Captain(s) | Nicolas Ardanaz Tynan Ewart |
| Alternate captain(s) | Zane Demsey Caiden Gault |
| Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey seasons « 2024–25 2026–27 » | |
Season
editAfter a miserable season in 2025, Northern Michigan was hoping so see some improvement in its ice hockey team. Unfortunately, the Wildcats somehow found a way to produce even worse results. In the first two months of the campaign, neither Oliver Auyeung-Ashton nor William Gramme played particularly well in goal but the club's chances at winning were harmed more by its inept offense. NMU averaged well below 2 goals over the first 16 games, losing every contest along the way. The only scoring threat for the Wildcats came in the form of senior transfer Caiden Gault who provided more than a quarter of the team's goals. Even after securing their first win of the season at the beginning of December, NMU immediately went into the tank again and lost the next eight games. The offense finally began to show some signs of life near the end of the year but by then it was far too late to save their season. Auyeung-Ashton, in his first year of college hockey, also showed some marked improvement as the year went on and provided the only shutout of the campaign. Northern Michigan finished with just 3 wins on the year, the lowest in the nation, and the worst record in the history of the program.[1]
Departures
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Barwick | Goaltender | Left program (retired) | |
| Colby Browne | Forward | Transferred to Colby | |
| Will Diamond | Forward | Left program (retired) | |
| Wolfgang Govedaris | Defenseman | Left program (retired) | |
| Rasmus Larsson | Defenseman | Transferred to Robert Morris | |
| Tanner Latsch | Forward | Left program (retired) | |
| Jakub Lewandowski | Forward | Graduation (signed with KH Energa Toruń) | |
| Zach Michaelis | Forward | Left program (retired) | |
| Trevor Mitchell | Defenseman | Left program (retired) | |
| Julian Molinaro | Goaltender | Transferred to Michigan | |
| Ryan Ouellette | Goaltender | Graduation (signed with Indy Fuel) | |
| Jakob Peterson | Defenseman | Graduation (retired) | |
| Brendan Poshak | Forward | Left program (retired) | |
| Billy Renfrew | Forward | Transferred to Stonehill | |
| Matthew Romer | Forward | Transferred to Stonehill |
Recruiting
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Auyeung-Ashton | Goaltender | 20 | Coquitlam, BC | |
| Olivier Beaulieu | Defenseman | 20 | Terrebonne, QC; joined mid-season | |
| Kyle Bettens | Forward | 24 | Winnipeg, MB; transfer from Minnesota Duluth | |
| Mikey Burchill | Forward | 20 | Mundelein, IL | |
| Peter Císar | Forward | 20 | Bratislava, SVK | |
| Warren Clark | Defenseman | 21 | Riverside, ON; transfer from St. Cloud State; selected 179th overall in 2023 | |
| Zane Demsey | Defenseman | 23 | Harrison Township, MI; transfer from Miami | |
| Jackson Fuller | Goaltender | 21 | Centerville, MN | |
| Caiden Gault | Forward | 23 | Oakbank, MB; transfer from Ferris State | |
| William Gramme | Goaltender | 23 | Stockholm, SWE; transfer from Wisconsin | |
| Evan Johnson | Defenseman | 20 | Trenton, MI | |
| Landon MacDonald | Forward | 21 | Brighton, MI | |
| Tobias Pitka | Forward | 19 | Poprad, SVK | |
| Ģirts Silkalns | Forward | 22 | Talsi, LAT; transfer from Massachusetts Lowell | |
| Tyler Stern | Forward | 21 | Plainview, NY | |
| Mathew Ward | Forward | 21 | Kamloops, BC | |
| Max Weilandt | Goaltender | 20 | Northbrook, IL; joined mid-season |
Roster
editAs of January 1, 2026.[2]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Gramme | Junior | G | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 2002-05-24 | Stockholm, Sweden | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | — | |
| 2 | Joe Schiller | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2004-09-23 | Moorhead, Minnesota | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) | — | |
| 3 | Nick Ardanaz (C) | Senior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-05-30 | Surrey, British Columbia | Rensselaer (ECAC) | — | |
| 4 | Warren Clark | Junior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2004-08-31 | Riverside, Ontario | St. Cloud State (NCHC) | TBL, 179th overall 2023 | |
| 5 | Grayden Daul | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2003-01-31 | Chicago, Illinois | Langley Rivermen (BCHL) | — | |
| 6 | Tynan Ewart (C) | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | 2002-02-26 | Duncan, British Columbia | St. Cloud State (NCHC) | — | |
| 9 | Zane Demsey (A) | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2001-11-04 | Harrison Township, Michigan | Miami (NCHC) | — | |
| 8 | Olivier Beaulieu | Freshman | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 152 lb (69 kg) | 2005-01-07 | Terrebonne, Quebec | Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) | — | |
| 10 | Mathew Ward | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | 2004-01-24 | Kamloops, British Columbia | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | — | |
| 12 | Peter Císar | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2005-05-30 | Bratislava, Slovakia | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | — | |
| 13 | Médrick Bolduc | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2003-07-09 | Val-d'Or, Quebec | El Paso Rhinos (NAHL) | — | |
| 14 | Jakub Altrichter | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 154 lb (70 kg) | 2003-07-26 | Prague, Czech Republic | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — | |
| 15 | Grayden Slipec | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-03-06 | Surrey, British Columbia | Chicago Steel (USHL) | — | |
| 16 | Caiden Gault (A) | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-04-16 | Oakbank, Manitoba | Ferris State (CCHA) | — | |
| 17 | Ģirts Silkalns | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2003-06-30 | Talsi, Latvia | Massachusetts Lowell (HEA) | — | |
| 18 | Mikey Burchill | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 163 lb (74 kg) | 2005-04-29 | Mundelein, Illinois | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — | |
| 19 | Tobias Pitka | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | 2006-04-28 | Poprad, Slovakia | Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) | — | |
| 20 | Anthony Cliche | Sophomore | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 216 lb (98 kg) | 2003-06-09 | Vallée-Jonction, Quebec | Vernon Vipers (BCHL) | — | |
| 21 | Tyler Stern | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2004-08-12 | Plainview, New York | Maryland Black Bears (NAHL) | — | |
| 22 | Landon MacDonald | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2004-08-12 | Brighton, Michigan | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — | |
| 23 | Evan Johnson | Freshman | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-11-22 | Trenton, Michigan | North Iowa Bulls (NAHL) | — | |
| 24 | Kyle Bettens | Senior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 2001-07-04 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Minnesota Duluth (NCHC) | — | |
| 27 | Danny Ciccarello | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2001-03-23 | Kirkland, Quebec | Rensselaer (ECAC) | — | |
| 28 | Matt Argentina | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 2003-01-16 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) | — | |
| 29 | Aidyn Hutchinson | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2003-09-11 | St. Albert, Alberta | Melfort Mustangs (SJHL) | — | |
| 30 | Oliver Auyeung-Ashton | Freshman | G | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 163 lb (74 kg) | 2005-04-11 | Coquitlam, British Columbia | Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) | — | |
| 31 | Jack Fuller | Freshman | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2004-08-21 | Centerville, Minnesota | New Mexico Ice Wolves (NAHL) | — | |
| 32 | Max Weilandt | Freshman | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 2005-07-29 | Northbrook, Illinois | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — |
Standings
edit| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #14 Minnesota State †* | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 51 | 71 | 53 | 40 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 111 | 81 | ||
| #18 St. Thomas | 26 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 89 | 67 | 38 | 21 | 12 | 5 | 131 | 109 | ||
| #17 Augustana | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 72 | 49 | 37 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 109 | 74 | ||
| Michigan Tech | 26 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 84 | 59 | 39 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 126 | 106 | ||
| Bowling Green | 26 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 80 | 59 | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 107 | 88 | ||
| Bemidji State | 26 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 69 | 68 | 36 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 98 | 103 | ||
| Lake Superior State | 26 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 57 | 83 | 36 | 11 | 22 | 3 | 92 | 121 | ||
| Ferris State | 26 | 6 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 70 | 100 | 37 | 8 | 27 | 2 | 91 | 138 | ||
| Northern Michigan | 26 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 44 | 98 | 34 | 3 | 29 | 2 | 56 | 132 | ||
| Championship: March 20, 2026 † indicates conference regular-season champion (MacNaughton Cup) * indicates conference tournament champion (Mason Cup) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated March 22, 2026 Source: CCHA | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
edit| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 4 | 7:30 pm | at #15 Massachusetts* | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Gramme | L 3–5 | 6,093 | 0–1–0 | |||
| October 5 | 4:00 pm | at #15 Massachusetts* | Mullins Center • Amherst, Massachusetts | ESPN+ | Gramme | L 1–4 | 3,104 | 0–2–0 | |||
| October 10 | 6:30 pm | at #16 Ohio State* | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | Gramme | L 2–5 | 3,520 | 0–3–0 | ||||
| October 11 | 5:00 pm | at #16 Ohio State* | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | Auyeung-Ashton | L 1–3 | 2,976 | 0–4–0 | ||||
| October 17 | 7:07 pm | #19 Colorado College* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 1–2 OT | 2,617 | 0–5–0 | |||
| October 18 | 6:07 pm | #19 Colorado College* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 2–5 | 2,405 | 0–6–0 | |||
| October 24 | 7:07 pm | #1 Michigan State* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 0–4 | 3,782 | 0–7–0 | |||
| October 25 | 6:07 pm | #1 Michigan State* | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 2–6 | 3,698 | 0–8–0 | |||
| October 31 | 8:07 pm | at Augustana | Midco Arena • Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 1–2 | 2,171 | 0–9–0 (0–1–0) | |||
| November 1 | 7:07 pm | at Augustana | Midco Arena • Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 1–3 | 2,579 | 0–10–0 (0–2–0) | |||
| November 7 | 7:07 pm | at Michigan Tech | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 1–4 | 3,826 | 0–11–0 (0–3–0) | |||
| November 8 | 6:07 pm | Michigan Tech | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 2–4 | 4,202 | 0–12–0 (0–4–0) | |||
| November 21 | 8:07 pm | at Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 3–7 | 2,032 | 0–13–0 (0–5–0) | |||
| November 22 | 7:07 pm | at Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 2–6 | 2,417 | 0–14–0 (0–6–0) | |||
| November 28 | 7:07 pm | #14 Minnesota State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 0–4 | 1,670 | 0–15–0 (0–7–0) | |||
| November 29 | 6:07 pm | #14 Minnesota State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 2–3 | 1,645 | 0–16–0 (0–8–0) | |||
| December 5 | 7:07 pm | at Bowling Green | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | W 3–2 | 2,589 | 1–16–0 (1–8–0) | |||
| December 6 | 6:07 pm | at Bowling Green | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 3–4 OT | 2,103 | 1–17–0 (1–9–0) | |||
| December 12 | 7:07 pm | St. Thomas | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 0–2 | 2,463 | 1–18–0 (1–10–0) | |||
| December 13 | 6:07 pm | St. Thomas | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 3–4 | 1,739 | 1–19–0 (1–11–0) | |||
| January 3 | 6:07 pm | at Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 1–2 OT | — | 1–20–0 (1–12–0) | |||
| January 4 | 4:07 pm | at Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 1–2 | — | 1–21–0 (1–13–0) | |||
| January 9 | 7:07 pm | #17 Augustana | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 0–3 | 2,343 | 1–22–0 (1–14–0) | |||
| January 10 | 6:07 pm | #17 Augustana | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 0–2 | — | 1–23–0 (1–15–0) | |||
| January 23 | 7:07 pm | #19 Michigan Tech | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+, Fox UP | Auyeung-Ashton | L 2–8 | 4,163 | 1–24–0 (1–16–0) | |||
| January 24 | 6:07 pm | at #19 Michigan Tech | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan (Rivalry) | Midco Sports+, Fox UP | Auyeung-Ashton | W 3–2 | 4,071 | 2–24–0 (2–16–0) | |||
| January 30 | 7:07 pm | Bemidji State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | W 2–0 | 2,331 | 3–24–0 (3–16–0) | |||
| January 31 | 6:07 pm | Bemidji State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 1–7 | 2,460 | 3–25–0 (3–17–0) | |||
| February 13 | 7:07 pm | at Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | T 4–4 SOL | 1,867 | 3–25–1 (3–17–1) | |||
| February 14 | 6:07 pm | at Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 0–6 | 2,026 | 3–26–1 (3–18–1) | |||
| February 20 | 7:07 pm | Lake Superior State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Gramme | L 5–7 | 2,544 | 3–27–1 (3–19–1) | |||
| February 21 | 6:07 pm | Lake Superior State | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | Midco Sports+ | Weilandt | L 2–5 | 2,520 | 3–28–1 (3–20–1) | |||
| February 27 | 8:07 pm | at #18 Minnesota State | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | T 2–2 SOL | 4,196 | 3–28–2 (3–20–2) | |||
| February 28 | 7:07 pm | at #18 Minnesota State | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | Midco Sports+ | Auyeung-Ashton | L 0–3 | 4,892 | 3–29–2 (3–21–2) | |||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[3] | |||||||||||
Scoring statistics
edit| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caiden Gault | F | 33 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 29 |
| Tobias Pitka | C | 25 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 14 |
| Jakub Altrichter | C | 27 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 34 |
| Kyle Bettens | C/RW | 31 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 20 |
| Matt Argentina | C/RW | 34 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Joe Schiller | D | 28 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| Tynan Ewart | D | 34 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 25 |
| Peter Císar | F | 20 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 27 |
| Michael Burchill | F | 31 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Mathew Ward | F | 27 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 20 |
| Ģirts Silkalns | F | 25 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Grayden Slipec | F | 21 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| Warren Clark | D | 33 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Médrick Bolduc | F | 32 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 20 |
| Olivier Beaulieu | D | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Landon MacDonald | F | 21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Danny Ciccarello | F | 28 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Aidyn Hutchinson | F | 29 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| Tyler Stern | F | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Nicolas Ardanaz | D | 31 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Zane Demsey | D | 31 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Anthony Cliche | D | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| Max Weilandt | G | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grayden Daul | D | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan Johnson | D | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oliver Auyeung-Ashton | G | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| William Gramme | G | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 56 | 90 | 146 | 352 |
Goaltending statistics
editRankings
edit| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
| USA Hockey | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | – | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12.[5]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
References
edit- ↑ "Northern Michigan Wildcats Men's Ice Hockey Record Book" (PDF). Northern Michigan Wildcats. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
- ↑ "2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Northern Michigan Wildcats. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ↑ "2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule". Northern Michigan Wildcats. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Northern Michigan Univ. 2025-2026 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ↑ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.