PREVIEW: Huskies host 56th GLI at Van Andel Arena

THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
• No. 16 Michigan Tech hosts the 56th annual Great Lakes Invitational on December 27-28 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.
• The Huskies open against No. 18 Western Michigan in the first semifinal at 3:37 p.m. Tuesday.
• No. 11 Michigan State and Ferris State will play in the second semifinal at 7:07 p.m.
• The GLI Championship will be at 7:07 p.m. Wednesday, December 28.
• The GLI Third Place game starts at 3:37 p.m. on Wednesday.

56th GLI
• The 56th GLI will be the first tournament played at Van Andel Arena. The tournament started at Olympia Stadium in 1965 and moved to Joe Louis Arena in 1979 and Little Caesars Arena in 2018.
• There will be four Michigan-based schools for the 17th time in tournament history.
• Western Michigan is making its sixth appearance at the GLI. The Broncos won the tournament in 1986, 2013, and 2016 and also played in 1977 and 2012.
• Ferris State is in the tournament for the third time after also making appearances in 2014 and 2019.

ON THE RADIO
• Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ broadcasts all Michigan Tech hockey games.
• Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ, online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.com, or by using your favorite radio streaming app.
• Dirk Hembroff will call all the action in his 21st year behind the microphone.

FLOHOCKEY.TV
• The GLI will be streamed on FloHockey.tv.
• All Michigan Tech home and CCHA games during the 2022-23 season will be live-streamed on FloHockey.tv.
• Fans can purchase either annual ($150) or monthly ($30) subscriptions and will have access to all CCHA games along with the full USHL, Atlantic Hockey and ECHL schedule.
• Download the FloSports app today on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and the App Store.

MICHIGAN TECH
• The Huskies are 11-5-3 overall and is in a tie for the top of the CCHA standings with a 7-4-3 conference record.
• Tech is 4-1 in non-conference games.
• Ryland Mosley leads the Huskies with 19 points and nine goals. Kyle Kukkonen has 14 points on seven goals and seven assists.

HUSKIES RANKED
• Michigan Tech is ranked No. 16 in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and No. 17 in the latest DCU/USCHO.com Top 20 poll.
• The Huskies have received votes in all 13 polls and No. 16 is the highest ranking of the season so far.

TECH GLI NOTES
• Tech has a 48-60-2 all-time GLI record.
• Tech has 11 titles and is the defending GLI Champions are a pair of 4-2 victories over Michigan State and Michigan at the 2019 GLI.
• The Huskies have finished second 17 times, third 11 times, and fourth 16 times. • Tech has played in the GLI Championship in five straight tournaments and in seven of the last eight.

LAST GLI MEETING
• Michigan State – Tech defeated MSU 4-2 on December 30, 2019, in the GLI Semifinal. Trenton Bliss, Tommy Parrottino, Eric Gotz, and Alex Smith scored and Matt Jurusik made 27 saves.
• Western Michigan – Tech fell 1-0 in overtime to WMU on December 30, 2016, in the GLI Championship Game at Joe Louis Arena. Colt Conrad scored the game-winner 11:55 into the extra session.
• Ferris State – Tech defeated FSU 4-2 in the 2014 GLI Third Place Game. It was the only GLI meeting between the two teams. CJ Eick, Malcolm Gould, Joel L'Esperance, and Tanner Kero scored for the Huskies. Jamie Phillips stopped 34 shots.

SERIES INFO
• WMU – Tech is 11-4-1 against the Broncos in a series that dates back to 1977. The Huskies are 2-2-0 in neutral-site games. The last win over WMU was in the 2012 GLI Championships.
• MSU – The Huskies are 85-75-4 all-time against the Spartans. They are 8-22-1 in neutral site games. Tech is undefeated in nine of the last 11 meetings but fell 3-2 in overtime last year at Munn Ice Arena.
• FSU – Tech is 30-17-2 all-time against Ferris State. The Huskies are 1-1 against the Bulldogs in neutral site games and 1-0 in GLI meetings. FSU defeated Tech 2-1 in the season-opener in Big Rapids.

LAST TIME OUT
• Tech split at Lake Superior State on December 16-17.
• The Huskies fell 3-0 Friday and bounced back with a 5-1 win Saturday.
• Five different Huskies scored Saturday with Jack Works notching a goal and two assists.

LAST TIME AT VAN ANDEL
• Michigan Tech fell 1-0 to Ferris State in the 2016 WCHA Final Five Semifinal at Van Andel Arena.
• Jamie Phillips made 32 saves. Chris Leibinger, Malcolm Gould, Alex Petan, and Brent Baltus all registered four shots on goal.

COACH SHAWHAN
• Head coach Joe Shawhan is in his sixth season behind the bench and holds a record of 106-82-19.
• He won his 100th career game at Bowling Green on November 5, 2022, and ranks third in wins by a Tech hockey coach.
• Shawhan's 22 wins in his first season tied for the most ever by a first-year Michigan Tech coach. Jim Nahrgang won 22 games in 1982-83.
• Shawhan was named the 22nd head coach of the Huskies on May 30, 2017, after serving as an assistant coach for Tech over the previous three seasons.

STAT RANKINGS
• Ryland Mosley leads the nation with three shorthanded goals and four game-winning goals.
• Blake Pietila leads the nation with four shutouts, is ninth in save percentage (.928), and 11th in goals-against average (1.98).
• Kyle Kukkonen is ninth nationally with five power-play goals.
• Tech is fourth nationally with four shorthanded goals.
• The Huskies are fifth in the nation in scoring defense (2.05) to lead the CCHA.
• Tech is seventh nationally in penalty-killing percentage (.851).

NON-CONFERENCE
• Tech plays nine non-conference games this season.
• The Huskies lost at Ferris State on October 7.
• Tech swept at Alaska on October 13-14.
• The Black and Gold swept St. Lawrence on October 28-29 in the only home non-conference series.
• The Great Lakes Invitational is on December 27 and 28. Tech opens up against Western Michigan and will face either Michigan State or Ferris State on Day 2.
• Tech travels to the Desert Hockey Classic at Arizona State. The Huskies play the Sun Devils on Day 1 and either UConn or Boston University on Day 2.

HUSKIES IN THE NHL
• Forward Jake Lucchini made his NHL debut on December 14 with the Ottawa Senators.
• Defenseman Matt Roy has 12 points in 35 games for the LA Kings.
• Forward Jujhar Khaira has six points in 27 games for the Chicago Blackhawks.
• Goaltender Pheonix Copley holds a 5-1 record in six games with the LA Kings.

CCHA DEFENSEMAN OF NOVEMBER
• Brett Thorne was the CCHA Defenseman of the Month for November.
• Thorne helped Tech to a 5-1-2 month, posting league-highs in assists (6) and plus/minus (+6) over six games while ranking sixth in points per game (1.00) and seventh in blocked shots (11).
• Thorne has been an integral part of a Tech defense that ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense (2.0) and eighth in penalty-killing percentage (.867).

CCHA GOALTENDER OF OCTOBER
• Blake Pietila was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for October.
• He earned the monthly honor for the fourth time in his career and was also named a runner-up for HCA National Goaltender of the Month.
• Pietila led CCHA goaltenders in save percentage (.944), goals-against average (1.51), and wins (4) during October.

CCHA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• November 21 – Kyle Kukkonen – CCHA Rookie of the Week
• November 21 – Brett Thorne – CCHA Defenseman of the Week
• October 17 – Blake Pietila – CCHA Goaltender of the Week
• October 31 – Blake Pietila – CCHA Goaltender of the Week

HIGHLIGHT REEL GOAL
• Kash Rasmussen's third-period goal against St. Lawrence on October 28 checked in at No. 8 on ESPN's Top 10 Plays of the Night.
• The power play tally was Rasmussen's first collegiate goal after he whacked it out of midair and into the back of the net.

PRESEASON ALL-CCHA
• Senior goaltender Blake Pietila was named to the Preseason All-CCHA Team.
• He was a semifinalist for Mike Richter Award and was named to the All-CCHA Second Team as a junior.
• Last season, Pietila ranked second in the CCHA in goals-against average (1.99), wins (16), shutouts (5), saves (614), and was fourth with a .911 save percentage in CCHA games last season.

NHL DRAFT PICKS
• Kyle Kukkonen – Picked by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft as the 162nd overall pick in the sixth round.
• Ryan O'Connell – Picked by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2017 NHL Draft as the 203rd overall pick in the seventh round.

CAPTAINS
• Senior Logan Pietila along with juniors Arvid Caderoth and Brett Thorne are the captains.
• Junior Ryland Mosley is the alternate captain.

CCHA PLAY
• Michigan Tech was in the CCHA from 1981-84 and holds a 63-51-6 all-time CCHA regular season record.
• The Huskies are 3-6-2 in the CCHA Playoffs with the three wins over Ferris State.

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
• Blake Pietila – CCHA Second Team (2021-22)
• Arvid Caderoth – All-WCHA Rookie Team (2020-21)
• Tyrone Bronte – All-WCHA Rookie Team (2020-21) with Alabama Huntsville

TRANSFERS
• Ryan O'Connell played four seasons (2018-22) and 117 collegiate games at Ohio State. He tallied 25 points with two goals and 23 assists for the Buckeyes and was a member of 2019 Big Ten regular season championship and NCAA Tournament squad.
• Jack Works began his collegiate career with 15 games over the past two seasons with Denver. He tallied one assist with the Pioneers in his NCAA debut and was a member of the 2022 NCAA National Championship team. Works was named an AHCA All-America Scholar (2020-21) and was on the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team (2021-22).
• David Jankowski played four seasons (2018-22) and 110 games for St. Lawrence. He tallied 53 collegiate points with 20 goals and 33 assists and was the team captain in 2021-22. The Saints won the 2021 ECAC Tournament Championship. Jankowski was named to ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.

IN THE PRESEASON CCHA POLL
• Tech was picked fifth in the Preseason CCHA Coaches' Poll.
• Minnesota State, Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Bemidji State were picked ahead of the Huskies.
• Lake Superior State, Ferris State, and St. Thomas rounded out the poll.

RETURNERS
• Tech returns 18 players from last season with 13 forwards, four defensemen, and a goaltender.
• Fourteen Huskies returners saw significant ice time last season with Logan Pietila (23), Brett Thorne (17), Tristan Ashbrook (16), Arvid Caderoth (16), Ryland Mosley (13) being the top returning point-getters.

FRESHMEN
• Tech has 10 freshmen on the roster which ranks eighth in the nation for the largest freshmen class.
• Forwards: Kyle and Trevor Kukkonen, Kash Rasmussen
• Defensemen: Oliver Bezick, Frank Dovorany, Topi Heiskanen, Evan Orr, Kasper Vaharautio
• Goaltenders: Michael Morelli, Max Vayrynen

PIETILA TIMES FOUR
• Logan and Blake Pietila are twin brothers. Logan is a forward and Blake is a goaltender.
• Cousin and next-door neighbor Jed Pietila is a defenseman.
• Other Pietilas to play for the Huskies were Phil Pietila (2002-05), Aaron Pietila (2009-13), Chad Pietila (2011-13), and Blake Pietila (2011-15).
• Jimmy Pietila is currently a student assistant for the Huskies.

JOE SHAWHAN HOUR
• The Joe Shawhan Hour can be heard every Monday morning at 10 a.m. on Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ.
• Host Dirk Hembroff and Coach Shawhan talk about the previous weekend and the upcoming matchup.
• Fans can listen live to the Joe Shawhan Hour on the radio at Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ, online at TheMix93.com or Pasty.com, or by using your favorite radio streaming app. The show will also be posted for on-demand listeners at MichiganTechHuskies.com.

2021-22 RECAP
• Tech finished with a 21-13-3 overall record and was the No. 2 seed in the CCHA Mason Cup Playoffs with a 16-8-2 mark.
• Tech received votes in every poll throughout the season and finished No. 14.
• Tech received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, making its 14th all-time NCAA appearance and the second under head coach Joe Shawhan.
• Seven Huskies signed professional contracts after the season.
• The Huskies finished third in the nation in penalty-killing percentage and were fourth in power-play percentage and scoring defense.