BC Bulletin

2025-26 Men's College Hockey Season Gets Off to High-Flying Start: Puck Drop

Your daily briefing on what's going on in college hockey, everything from the assists on the ice to the Zamboni.
Christopher Walsh|
Oct 3, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; Penn State Gavin McKenna (72) skates against Arizona State Cullen Potter (12) during the second period at Mullett Arena.
Oct 3, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; Penn State Gavin McKenna (72) skates against Arizona State Cullen Potter (12) during the second period at Mullett Arena. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

There was hype, there was talk, and the game lived up to expectations. All eyes were on top prospect Gavin McKenna and Penn State at Arizona State on Friday night as the 2025-26 men's college hockey season got under way, and except for the fact that one side had to lose no one was disappointed.

The Nittany Lions came back from a 3-2 deficit to scored four unanswered goals to take the first game of the the two-game series in the desert, 6-3. Sophomore Charlie Cerrato, a second-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, notched five points, with two goals and three assists, while junior Matt DiMarsico had his first career hat trick.

The 17-year-old McKenna, projected to be the top selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, gave more than a glimpse of why he's rated so highly while notching two impressive assists in the first period at Mullet Arena in Tempe, Ariz. The host Sun Devils (0-1) came back and scored three unanswered goals in the second period to take the lead, but it was all Penn State in the third.

There was one setback for the Nittany Lions (1-0), though, senior defenseman Jarod Crespo did not return after he suffered an apparent knee injury after hitting boards awkwardly in the second period.

Like Game 1, Game 2 will be shown live on the NHL Network, 7 p.m. ET Saturaday.

Miami RedHawks Snap 26-Game Winless Streak

Miami's 26-game winless streak at the end of last season came to an end in its opener as the RedHawks scored four goals in the third period to defeat Ferris State, 6-4. Canisius transfer Matteo Giampa led the win with two goals. Miami went 3-28-3 last season, 0-23-1 in league play (NCHC). It's last win was against Lindenwood, 4-1, on Oct. 26 2024.

Ohio State Women Take Opener at Colgate

The No. 2 Ohio State women's hockey team opened the 2025-26 season with a top-10 win, defeating No. 7 Colgate, 5-3 in Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate sophomore Farrah Walker made 50 saves in the loss as the Buckeyes had a 55-16 advantage in shots. Joy Dunne and Mira Jungåker both notched two goals for Ohio State.

• No 6 Boston College Men's Hockey Suffers Loss to No 13 Quinnipiac in Season Opener

• Gophers stuff the stat sheet in season-opening win over Michigan Tech

Puck Drop: Saturday, October 4, 2025

Friday's Scores

MEN
Hockey East
Mass.-Lowell 4, Merrimack 0

Non-Conference
No. 12 Michigan 11, Mercyhurst 1
Canisius 3, No. 19 Clarkson 1
No. 13 Quinnipiac 4, No. 6 Boston College 3
Miami 6, Ferris State 4
No. 8 Minnesota 6, Michigan Tech 3
No. 5 Penn State 6, No. 14 Arizona State 3
Colorado College 4, No. 10 UConn 2
Bemidji State 9, Alaska-Anchorage 2
No. 20 Wisconsin 3, Lindenwood 0
Minnesota-Duluth 5, Alaska Fairbanks 1

Exhibitions
No. 3 Michigan State 4, Windsor 0
No. 9 Providence, 7, Simon Fraser 1
Long Island 3, Army, 0
Augustana 2, St. Cloud State, 2
Notre Dame 5, US Under-18 2
New Hampshire 2, No. 7 Maine 2
Omaha 3, Air Force 2

WOMEN
No. 8 Quinnipiac 5, Providence, 2
Sacred Heart 3, RPI 1
Syracuse 3, Stonehill 2
No. 2 Ohio State 5, No. 7 Colgate 3
No. 3 Minnesota 5, No. 13 Boston University 0
Mercyhurst 1, No. 10 St. Lawrence 0
No. 6 Penn State 3, Vermont 1
No. 9 Clarkson 2, No. 12 UConn 0
No. 14 Northeastern 3, RIT 2
Union 4, Merrimack 2
New Hampshire 5, Assumption 1
Minnesota State, 4, Lindenwood 0
Bemidji State 3, Robert Morris 0
No. 1 Wisconsin 5, Maine 0

Saturday's Games

MEN
Non-Conference
Lake Superior State at Stonehill, 4:30 p.m.
Army at Union, 5 p.m.
St. Lawrence at Niagara, 6 p.m.
Ferris State at Miami, 6 p.m.
LIU at No. 2 Boston University, 7 p.m.
Mercyhurst at No. 12 Michigan, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Penn State at No. 14 Arizona State, 7 p.m., NHL Network
No. 19 St. Thomas at St. Cloud State, 7 p.m.
Holy Cross at Northeastern 7:30 p.m.
Northern Michigan at No. 15 UMass, 7:30 p.m.
Michigan Tech at No. 8 Minnesota, 8 p.m.
No. 10 UConn at Colorado College, 8 p.m.
No. 20 Wisconsin at Lindenwood, 8 p.m.
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage, 9 p.m.
Minnesota Duluth at Alaska Fairbanks, 11 p.m.

Exhibitions
Guelph at RIT, 5 p.m.
Robert Morris at Bowling Green, 6 p.m.
Merrimack at Sacred Heart, 6 p.m.
Manitoba at No. 11 North Dakota, 7 p.m.
Simon Fraser at Bentley, 7 p.m.
Brock at Vermont, 7 p.m.
UNLV at No. 4 Denver, 8 p.m.M

WOMEN
No. 10 St. Lawrence at Mercyhurst, 1 p.m.
Merrimack at Union, 1 p.m.
Syracuse at Stonehill, 1 p.m.
No. 6 Penn State at Vermont, 2 p.m.
No. 12 UConn at No. 9 Clarkson, 2 p.m.
RIT at No. 14 Northeastern, 2 p.m.
Holy Cross at Delaware, 2 p.m.
RPI at Sacred Heart, 2 p.m.
Maine at No. 1 Wisconsin, 3 p.m.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 7 Colgate, 3 p.m.
Providence at No. 8 Quinnipiac, 3 p.m.
Boston College at Saint Anselm, 3 p.m.
No. 3 Minnesota at No. 13 Boston University, 4 p.m.
Lindenwood at Minnesota State, 4 p.m.
Robert Morris at Bemidji State 4 p.m.
New Hampshire at Assumption, 7 p.m.

Sunday's Games

MEN
Non-Conference
Lake Superior State at Stonehill, 3 p.m.
Northern Michigan at No. 15 UMass, 4 p.m.
St. Lawrence at Canisius, 5 p.m.

Exhibitions
Union vs. Colgate, 2 p.m.
No. 13 Quinnipiac at No. 9 Providence, 2 p.m.
Waterloo at Robert Morris, 4 p.m.
Simon Fraser at Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
RPI at No. 2 Boston University, 5 p.m.
US Under-18 at No. 1 Western Michigan, 6 p.m.

WOMEN
Holy Cross at Delaware, 2 p.m.

Did You Notice?

•  Former Clarkson forward Sheldon Rempal was waived by the Washington Capitals and will report to the minors if he's not claimed by another team within 24 hours. The Boston Bruins waived former Boston College center Patrick Brown, former Providence defenseman Michael Callahan, former UMD left wing Riley Tufte, and former Ohio Satte forward Georgii Merkulov.

• Former Boston College right wing Gabe Perreault and UMass defenseman Scott Morrow were sent down to the AHL by the New York Rangers. For more, and reaction see Breakaway On SI.

• Even though the NHL season begins next week former Miami forward Jack Roslovic remains a free agent. One of the teams he's been linked to is Toronto as he played on the U.S. National Development Team with Austin Matthews. However, reports that he turned down an offer from the Edmonton Oilers last month have been confirmed.

On This Date in Hockey History:

October 4, 1972: UMD center Rusty Fitzgerald was born in Minneapolis.

October 4, 1974: Ohio State goaltender Tom Askey was born in Kenmore, N.Y.

October 4, 1982: St. Louis Blues claimed Jack “Killer” Carlson from the Minnesota North Stars in the waiver draft. Carlson was supposed to be in the movie "Slap Shot" with his two brothers but had to be replaced by Dave Hanson. 

October 4, 1983: Colgate center Jesse Winchester was born in Long Sault, Ontario.

October 4, 1990: Former Bowling Green defenseman Rob Blake notched the first two assists of his NHL career as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Islanders 4-1. 

October 4, 1991: Former Bemidji State center Joe Otto notched his 300th career NHL point with an assist during Calgary’s 9-2 win over Edmonton.

October 4, 1991: The San Jose Sharks played their first official game, losing 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks. Enforcer Craig Coxe, who was born in California and grew up playing hockey in Tucson, Ariz., scored in the first goal in franchise history.

October 4, 1992; Former North Dakota right wing Dave Christian was claimed by the Chicago Blackhawks from St. Louis in the waiver draft.

October 4, 1995: Former Bowling Green center Paul Ysebaert was named the first captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

October 4, 2005: Former Miami forward Rany Robitaille was claimed off waivers from Nashville by the Minnesota Wild.

October 4, 2014: Former Minnesota defenseman Nick Leddy was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the New York Islanders in a three-way trade that involved Boston.

Former Minnesota North Star Jack Carlson, the one who didn't appear in the movie "Slap Shot"
Former Minnesota North Star Jack Carlson, the one who didn't appear in the movie "Slap Shot" | NHL

Hockey Quote of the Day

"Hobey had astonishing speed on the ice and the grace of a figure skater. He also worked hard at the game, skating on frozen ponds in the dead of night to practice carrying the puck without looking at it. He made the St. Paul's varsity at age 14 and was soon leading it to upset wins over the best amateur teams — college and club — in the East. In the 1909-10 season, when Princeton went 7-3 against college teams, it lost 4-0 to Hobey and St. Paul's."
SI’s Ron Fimrite on Hobey Baker

We'll Leave You With This ...

Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites . He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 27 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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