PREVIEW: Huskies host Alaska in home opener

HOME-OPENER
• No. 9 Michigan Tech hosts Alaska in its home-opening series at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• The puck drops Friday at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday at 6:07 p.m.
• Tech is 0-0-1 and Alaska is 0-2-0.

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 22nd year behind the microphone.

FLOHOCKEY.TV
• All Michigan Tech home and CCHA games during the 2023-24 season will be live-streamed on FloHockey.tv.
• Michigan Tech fans can watch all home and conference games in volleyball, basketball, football, and soccer with one subscription.
• FloSports provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription.
• FloSports is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.

HUSKIES RANKED
• The Michigan Tech hockey team is ranked No. 9 in this week's USCHO.com Poll and No. 10 in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live College Hockey Poll.
• The Huskies jumped a spot in each poll from their preseason ranking.
• No. 10 was the highest preseason ranking the Huskies have had in their hockey history.
• Tech was ranked No. 13 in the final polls after last season.
• Last season, the Huskies were in the top 20 since November 28 and climbed to as high as No. 10 on March 6.

SEASON OPENER
• No. 10 Michigan Tech skated to a 2-2 tie at No. 17 Minnesota Duluth in the US Hockey Hall of Fame Game Saturday at Amsoil Arena.
• The Huskies twice came back from a one-goal deficit in the season-opener and got goals from Ryland Mosley and Patriks Marcinkevics.
• Blake Pietila made a career-high 48 saves with 20 in the first, 11 in the second, 15 in the third, and two in overtime.
• Saturday was the most saves by a Michigan Tech goalie since the 2010 GLI when Josh Robinson had 45 saves against Michigan in a 4-2 loss.

UMD HOF NOTE
• Saturday was the third meeting between the Bulldogs and Huskies in the US Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Duluth.
• All three meetings have ended in a draw.
• The teams tied 2-2 in 1990, 6-6 in 1981, and 2-2 in 2023.

SCOUTING THE NANOOKS
• Alaska is 0-2-0 on the season with a pair of losses to No. 4 Denver.
• Erik Largen enters his sixth season as head coach.
• Chase Dubois and Harrison Israels each have a pair of goals.
• UAF went 22-10-2 last season and was just outside of the NCAA Tournament.

SERIES INFO
• Tech leads the all-time series against Alaska 23-6-0, dating back to 1990.
• The Huskies are 12-4-0 in games played at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• Tech has won the last three meetings which were all in Fairbanks.
• The last home win was a 7-2 victory on November 24, 2018, to complete a Thanksgiving weekend sweep.

LAST MEETING
• Michigan Tech earned a nonconference sweep at Alaska in the first series of the regular season last year.
• The Huskies won 2-0 Thursday and 6-2 Friday.
• Blake Pietila broke the Michigan Tech record with his 11th career shutout.
• Logan Pietila scored a goal each night while Ryland Mosley, Jake Crespi, Brett Thorne, Trevor Russell, Parker Saretsky, and Jack Works also scored.
• Trevor Russell and Jack Works tallied their first collegiate goals.

PIETILA NOTES
• Blake Pietila ranking amongst active goaltenders
    58 wins – leads nation
    104 games played – leads nation
    19 shutouts – leads nation
• Logan Pietila ranking amongst active players
    4 shorthanded goals – second nationally
    8 game-winners – third nationally
    139 games played – third nationally

COACH SHAWHAN
• Head Coach Joe Shawhan is in his seventh season behind the bench and holds a record of 119-88-21.
• He was named the 2023 CCHA Coach of the Year and is one of only two coaches to take three different Michigan Tech teams to the NCAA Tournament.
• He won his 100th career game at Bowling Green on November 5, 2022, and ranks second 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.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• Wisconsin makes its first appearance at the Mac since October 2011 next weekend.
• The month wraps up with a road trip to St. Lawrence (Oct. 27) and Clarkson (Oct. 28).
• November begins with the first-ever meeting against Augustana (Nov. 3-4) at home.
• The Huskies travel to Bemidji State (Nov. 10-11) to begin CCHA play.

NON-CONFERENCE
• Tech tied Minnesota Duluth 2-2 in the season-opener.
• The Huskies host Alaska and Wisconsin.
• The Black and Gold travel to New York to play St. Lawrence (Oct. 27) and Clarkson (Oct. 28).
• Tech plays Augustana for the first-time ever on November 3-4.
• The 57th annual Great Lakes Invitational is on December 28-29.

GREAT LAKES INVITATIONAL
• Michigan Tech is hosting the 2023 Great Lakes Invitational at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on December 28-29.
• Semifinals: Michigan Tech vs. Alaska, 3:30 p.m., Michigan State vs. Ferris State, 7 p.m.
• GLI Third Place Game, 3:30 p.m., GLI Championship Game, 7 p.m.

PRESEASON ALL-CCHA
• Senior goaltender Blake Pietila was named the Co-Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches.
• Blake Pietila was on the Preseason All-CCHA Team for both the coaches and media.
• Sophomore forward Kyle Kukkonen joined the Preseason All-CCHA Team for both coaches and media.
• Senior defenseman Jed Pietila was named to the media's Preseason All-CCHA Team.

NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
• Kyle Kukkonen – Anaheim Ducks (2022, 2023)
• Blake Pietila – Dallas Stars (2023)
• Trevor Russell – New Jersey (2022, 2023)
• Max Vayrynen – Calgary Flames (2023)

NHL DRAFT PICK
• Kyle Kukkonen – Picked by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft as the 162nd overall pick in the sixth round.
• Kukkonen is the 84th Michigan Tech player to be drafted by an NHL club.

CAPTAINS
• Seniors Logan Pietila and Arvid Caderoth are the captains.
• Seniors Ryland Mosley and Blake Pietila and sophomore Kyle Kukkonen are alternate captains.

TRANSFERS
• Tyrone Bronte played at Alabama Huntsville in 2020-21. He was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team after tallying 13 points on four goals and nine assists in 22 games.
• Matthew Campbell was a member of the NCAA National Championship Quinnipiac Bobcats during the 2022-23 season. He appeared in one game.
• Lachlan Getz played one season at Boston University, appearing in 16 games. He played against the Huskies in the Desert Hockey Classic Title game.
• Patriks Marcinkevics began his collegiate career at Long Island University during the 2022-23 season. He tallied 27 points with six goals and 21 assists in 24 games.
• 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.

PRESEASON CCHA COACHES POLL
• Tech was picked first in the Preseason CCHA Coaches' Poll, with a point edge of Northern Michigan.
• Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Bemidji State round out the top four.
• St. Thomas and Minnesota State tied for fifth with Ferris State and Lake Superior State rounding out the poll.

PRESEASON CCHA MEDIA POLL
• Tech was picked first in the Preseason CCHA Media Poll.
• Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Minnesota State were also in the top four.
• Bemidji State, St. Thomas, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State were in slots five through seven.

BLAKE PIETILA HONORS LAST SEASON
• First Team All-American
• CCHA Player of the Year
• CCHA Goaltender of the Year
• All-CCHA First Team
• Mike Richter Top 3 Finalist
• Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist
• Desert Hockey Classic MVP
• School record shutouts in a season (10) and career (20)
• Tied for the school's all-time wins record (58)

KYLE KUKKONEN HONORS LAST SEASON
• CCHA Rookie of the Year
• Unanimous selection on CCHA All-Rookie Team
• Scored the fifth-most goals by a Michigan Tech freshman in program history and his 18 goals were the most by a Tech freshman since 1988.
• Winter Carnival MVP

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
• Blake Pietila – CCHA Player of the Year (2022-23), CCHA Goaltender of the Year (2022-23), CCHA First Team (2022-23) & Second Team (2021-22)
• Ryland Mosley – CCHA First Team (2022-23)
• Kyle Kukkonen – CCHA Rookie of the Year (2022-23) & All-CCHA Rookie Team (2022-23)
• Arvid Caderoth – All-WCHA Rookie Team (2020-21)
• Tyrone Bronte – All-WCHA Rookie Team (2020-21) with Alabama Huntsville

HUSKIES AT NHL TRAINING CAMPS
• Trenton Bliss – Detroit Red Wings
• Pheonix Copley – LA Kings
• Brian Halonen – New Jersey Devils
• Michael Karow – Dallas Stars
• Tanner Kero – Colorado Avalanche
• Jujhar Khaira – Minnesota Wild
• Joel L'Esperance – Detroit Red Wings
• Jake Lucchini – Minnesota Wild
• Mitch Reinke – Seattle Kraken
• Matt Roy – LA Kings
• Mark Sinclair – Ottawa Senators
• Colin Swoyer – Washington Capitals

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
• Tech's roster boasts players from six different countries.
• United States: 16
• Canada: 6
• Finland: 4
• Sweden: 2
• Australia: 1
• Latvia: 1

RETURNERS
• Tech returns 20 players from last season with 12 forwards, five defensemen, and three goaltenders.
• The Huskies return their top three scorers with Ryland Mosley (31), Kyle Kukkonen (27), and Logan Pietila (22).
• Jack Works (17) and Jed Pietila (16) also notched over 15 points.

FRESHMEN
• Tech has seven freshmen on the roster with four forwards and three defensemen.
• Forwards: Henry Bartle, Lauri Raiman, Max Koskipirtti, Isaac Gordon.
• Defensemen: Cameron Moger, Chase Pietila, Nick Williams.

PIETILA TIMES FIVE
• Logan and Blake Pietila are twins and are joined by younger brother Chase. Blake is a goaltender, Chase is a defenseman, and Logan is a forward.
• 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.

2022-23 RECAP
• Tech made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23 and its third under Shawhan.
• The Huskies finished 24-11-4 overall and second in the CCHA with a 15-7-4 record.
• Tech won the Desert Hockey Classic with wins over Arizona State and No. 6 Boston University and went 7-2 in its non-conference schedule.

BLUE LINE CLUB
The Michigan Tech Blue Line Club provides additional resources to the hockey program, enabling hockey student-athletes to pursue success both in the classroom and on the ice. The annual membership drive is now open.