Can UConn's Young Pups Keep the Huskies in the 2026-27 Hockey East Chase? Season Preview
The Connecticut Huskies joined Hockey East ahead of the 2014-15 season, and, just over a decade later, they’re still chasing their first regular season and tournament conference titles. That said, they’ve looked more equipped to exorcise those demons as of late than ever before.
The 23 wins compiled in 2024-25 marked the program’s highest win total in a single season by a long shot, with the previous record sitting at 20. UConn then followed that up with a 20-13-5 (12-9-3 Hockey East) showing last year before finishing third in the conference and falling to Merrimack in upset fashion during the league tournament championship game.
The Huskies concluded its season with its second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, squeezing in as the last team in, but No. 3-overall seed Michigan State was too much to handle in the opening round. Their back-to-back national tournament appearances are the first and only two in team history.
Coming off two stellar seasons, the questions now become whether UConn can maintain it, and do the Huskies have the firepower to improve in the postseason without some of last year’s leading point-getters?
Ryan Tattle graduated into a contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins after compiling 13 goals and a team-best 19 assists and 32 points last season. Jake Richard also departed to sign on with the Buffalo Sabres on an entry-level contract. Richard ranked third in points with 27, on 10 goals and 17 assists.
A semi-concerning tally of 69 out of the 116 scores throughout last season can be credited to returning players for 2026-27, good for just 59 percent. Senior Joey Muldowney will once again serve as the focal point of the offensive attack following a 17-goal season last time out. He’s going to get his share regardless, but the onus lies on some of last year’s auxiliary scorers to step into a much larger role.
A grand total of 12 players found the net six or more times last season, and a slight majority of those players will be back. If UConn can continue its consistent depth production across all lines, that seemingly pressing problem will quickly be quieted.
In terms of additions, the lone transfer in is Jeremy Loranger, a sophomore forward from Omaha. The Quebec prospect tacked on seven goals and 12 assists in his debut collegiate season playing in an ultra-competitive NCHC.
The true wild card in Storrs is the incoming recruiting class that is the second-largest in Hockey East, behind only Boston College. Lirim Amidovski leads the charge on paper, thanks to a balanced 25-goal and 23-assist season for the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. Cole Davis is another capable OHL forward arriving in Connecticut after amassing 128 points across three seasons in Windsor.
The exit of starting goaltender Tyler Muszelik to the professional ranks leaves the crease wide open for freshman Veeti Louhivaara, who has represented Finland’s national junior teams and most recently played for the Chicago Steel in the USHL. His competition is returning sophomore Kam Hendrickson after his four appearances with a .916 save percentage last season.
A crucial returning defenseman is Trey Scott, who bounced between the first- and second-line defensive pairings last year. He closed the season coupled with Florida Panthers draft pick Brendan Dunphy, making that duo a logical choice to help lead the defense again.
With Tom Messineo and Viking Gustafsson Nyberg having departed defensively, there could be a spot for another freshman in William McIsaac. The 6-foot-3 defenseman starred for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs and was an alternate captain for the previous two years.
Head coach Mike Cavanaugh has quite a few decisions to make as the season inches closer. Ultimately, the Huskies are a massive unknown because there are too many questions that can only be answered by the on-ice performances of the incoming youth movement. How well the Huskies are able to fill the shoes of Tattle, Richard, and Muszelik will go a long way in determining their overall success.
The moment you have all been waiting for! Our 2026-27 schedule is here❄️🏒🚌 pic.twitter.com/qnvTPpylYP
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) August 20, 2026
The School
Location: Storrs, Conn.
Founded: 1881
Enrollment: 34,424
Nickname: Huskies
Colors: Navy Blue, White and Gray
Arena: Toscano Family Ice Forum (2,600)
Big DAWGS gotta eat❄️🏒🚌 pic.twitter.com/fgYNjvY4ja
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) June 5, 2026
The Team
Coach: Mike Cavanaugh, 14th season (201-207-47)
2025-26 record: 20-13-5 (12-9-3 Hockey East)
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2026
Last Frozen Four: None
Last national championship: None
Last conference titles: None
Key departures: F Ryan Tattle, F Jake Richard, G Tyler Muszelik
Key returning players: F Joey Muldowney, F Mike Murtagh, D Trey Scott
Top newcomers: F Jeremy Loranger (Omaha), G Veeti Louhivaara (USHL Chicago), F Lirim Amidovski (OHL North Bay)
This is the third story in a series of season and conference previews for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Check out the previous story on Massachusetts.
Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Cameron Pellegrino is pursuing a major in sports journalism and minoring in sociology at UMass Amherst. He worked as a sports correspondent and co-op for The Boston Globe and writes for the UMass Journalism Department's website. He has contributed to UMass' student-run paper, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, covering football and both men's and women's basketball, among other sports. Cam is originally from Rhode Island, where he has also covered high school basketball for the New England Basketball Journal.
Follow cam_pellegrino