Where Does Providence Go After Finishing Atop the Hockey East Standings? Season Preview

After 42 Hockey East campaigns, Providence College finally claimed its first-ever outright regular-season conference title in 2025-26 — a remarkable fact considering that won the 2015 national championship, was the 1985 runner-up, and reached the Frozen Four another three times.

The Friars did so while running away from the competition, going 18-5-1 in league play for 54 points, 11 more than its nearest pursuer, Massachusetts.

Providence will look to repeat the accomplishment, if not top it, while returning 78 percent of its scoring production year-over-year.

However, despite winning 23 games, the program’s largest win tally in seven years, the postseason produced only instant disappointment. Providence crashed out of both the Hockey East and NCAA tournaments in its opening game of each, marking just the third instance all season that the Friars lost back-to-back games.

So which Providence team might show up this season?

The biggest loss from 2025-26 is undoubtedly Roger McQueen, who signed an entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks following his freshman campaign. The center scored 11 goals alongside 16 assists in his lone college season, earning him Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors. He was picked No. 10 overall in the 2025 draft.

The only other double-digit scorer to depart is Hudson Malinoski, a 2023 fifth-round draft choice to the Toronto Maple Leafs who transferred to North Dakota prior to his senior season. Goaltender Philip Svedeback is also gone after posting a .908 save percentage across four seasons. The Boston Bruins opted not to sign their 2021 fourth-round draft pick, so the Swedish 24-year-old is now a free agent.

Otherwise, Providence is largely running it back with the same team, plus a pair of transfers and seven freshmen. Junior Cade Christenson arrived from Penn State to strengthen the defensive core and goalie Gibson Homer was brought in from North Dakota after transferring from Arizona State to compete with Jack Parsons (2.05 goals against average, .922 save percentage last season while going 13-5) for the starting spot in between the pipes.

The incoming freshman class is headlined by forwards Thomas Vandenberg, Ryder Cali, J.J. Monteiro and Blake Zielinski. Vandenberg is coming off a 25-goal, 25-assist year for the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, and Cali registered 16 goals and 20 helpers for the Eastern Conference rival North Bay Battalion. The pair completed multi-goal games against each other’s teams last season, and now they hope to break into the same highly-competitive line chart.

Monteiro captained the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede last season, picking up 51 points on 16 goals and 35 assists. He scored twice in the 2026 Clark Cup Final to lead the Stampede to the championship. Zielinski was nearby in Des Moines, where he put up 25 goals and 30 assists for the Buccaneers. Just as Vandenberg and Cali did, the former USHL foes turned teammates both scored in matchups against one another.

Back into the fray for the Friars are their top two point-getters from last season: John Mustard and Logan Sawyer. Mustard, a junior, was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in round three of the 2024 draft, and led Providence with 17 goals in 2025-26. Sawyer is a fellow junior and is fresh off a productive season of 14 goals and assists apiece. He was selected 11 picks after Mustard in that same 2024 draft, by the Montreal Canadiens.

Other crucial returners include senior Tanner Adams, junior Will Elger, and sophomore Julius Sumpf. Adams ranked third on the team in scoring last season with 11 goals, and logged Providence’s fifth-most 13 assists to match Elger’s season total. Sumpf averaged just under half an assist per contest with a team-leading 17 assists last year.

In total, head coach Nate Leaman is carrying 10 NHL draft picks onto his 2026-27 roster. The talent level is high, the 70 percent -retention rate is the highest in the conference, and as a result, the Friars should be expected to compete at the top of Hockey East once again — maybe more.

The School

Location: Providence, R.I.
Founded: 1917
Enrollment: 5,093
Nickname: Friars
Colors: Black, White and Silver
Arena: Schneider Arena (3,030)

The Team

Coach: Nate Leaman, 16th season (303-185-69)
2025-26 record: 23-11-2 (18-5-1 Hockey East)
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2026
Last Frozen Four: 2019
Last national championship: 2015
Last conference titles: 2026 regular season; 1996 tournament
Key departures: F Roger McQueen, G Philip Svedeback, F Hudson Malinoski
Key returning players: F John Mustard, F Logan Sawyer, F Tanner Adams
Top newcomers: D Cade Christenson (Penn State), F Thomas Vandenberg (Ottawa OHL), Ryder Cali (North Bay OHL)

Top Returners

JR F John Mustard (17 goals, 12 assists)
JR F Logan Sawyer (14-14)
SR F Tanner Adams (11-13)

Biggest Departures

Roger McQueen (11-16, Anaheim Ducks/San Diego Gulls AHL)
Hudson Mailnoski (11–4, North Dakota)
Kale McCallum (5-9, Laval Rocket AHL)
Philip Svedeback (.918, free agent)

Key Additions

Transfers:
G Gibson Homer (North Dakota)
D Cade Christenson (Penn State)

Recruits:
F Thomas Vandenberg (Ottawa OHL)
D Jack Laferrierre (Elmira NAHL)
D Everett Baldwin (Saint John QMJHL)
F JJ Monteiro (Sioux Falls USHL)
F Blake Zielinski (Des Moines USHL)
F Ryder Cali (North Bay OHL)
F Carter Klippenstein (Brandon WHL)

Drafted Players

Year, Pos., Name, Round-Pick, Year, Team
FR F Ryder Cali (2-48 2026 Panthers)
JR F John Mustard (3-67 2024 Blackhawks)
JR F Logan Sawyer (3-78 2024 Canadiens)
FR F Blake Zielinski (3-80 2026 Kings)
SO F Julius Sumpf (4-98 2024 Blackhawks)
FR F Thomas Vandenberg (4-103 2026 Kings)
FR F Carter Klippenstein (4-123 2025 Wild)
FR D Everett Baldwin (5-151 2025 Lightning)
SO G Jack Parsons (7-220 2026 Jets)
JR D Tomas Machi (7-221 2021 Ilsanders)

🚨 SCHEDULE IS HERE 🚨

We'll see you in October!

📅 https://t.co/Uf9HYoA8J9 #GoFriars pic.twitter.com/UBSHGHEkwL
— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) July 22, 2026

Note that the regular season finale at UConn has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 6.

This is the first story in a series of season and conference previews for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

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