The Arizona State men’s hockey team will end its nine-year run as an independent program and will join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) this season. The Sun Devils are coming off their most wins in a single season, posting a 24-8-6 record last season.
Despite losing key pieces in defenseman Tim Lovell (transferred to Michigan), forward Matthew Kopperud (signed with the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL) and goalie T.J. Semptimphelter (transferred to North Dakota), coach Greg Powers and his staff have added 12 new skaters to the team’s roster.
“We wanted to build an old team this year, and we did,” Powers told reporters on Tuesday. “Full of kids that maybe transfer from places that have been through the rigors of a really tough league schedule, and hopefully that pays off.”
ASU’s offseason additions were spotlighted by freshman forward Cullen Potter and junior forward Cruz Lucius. Potter, who’s a noteworthy eligible prospect for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, led the U.S. National U17 Team in points with 46 last season.
“He’s got a huge IQ,” Powers told reporters on Tuesday. “He’s actually a really bright player, basically when he has the puck.”
Lucius was a 34-point scorer in each of his past two seasons at Wisconsin. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2022 fourth-round selection’s brother, Chaz Lucius, was a first-round pick by the Winnipeg Jets in 2021.
The Sun Devils are the ninth school to join the NCHC. Arizona State will compete against Denver, Colorado College, Miami of Ohio, Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, Omaha, St. Cloud State, and Western Michigan in the NCHC.
“I expect tough games each and every weekend,” graduate student forward Benji Eckerle told reporters on Tuesday. “Honestly, I’ve been dying for this. We have stretches of every season where we’re playing the best competition…You come to college hockey to play big games in front of big crowds.”
Along with Eckerle, graduate student forwards Ty Jackson and Lukas Sillinger will wear the letter “A” on their jerseys this season. On the backend, senior defenseman Ty Murchison will be the fourth alternate captain, while senior defenseman Ethan Szmagaj will captain the Sun Devils this season.
Sillinger will not only be relied on as a leader but also as a point-producer. Last season, the 5-foot-11, 161-pounder’s 48 points set the team’s new record for most points in a single season. He was not done there, tallying 37 assists to set the school’s new record for most assists in a single season.
“It’s a big stepping stone for our program,” Szmagaj told reporters on Tuesday. “Every series means the most to us; we have a chip on our shoulder, so we love that, and we have something to prove. It’s going to be a rude awakening for them and we’re excited to go out there and play our game.”
With Semptimphelter out of the picture in the crease for ASU, junior goalie Gibson Homer looks to start in between the pipes. The 6-foot-5 netminder’s breakout game came against Alaska Fairbanks with a 37-save shutout last season.
“If I do take on that role, I think I’m ready for that,” Homer told reporters on Tuesday. “I think the team has faith in me and I have faith in myself so you can’t ask for much more.”
After enduring a busy offseason, Powers believes this is the best roster his team has had. However, he also managed his expectations for this season.
“From a depth standpoint it’s by far the best roster we’ve had,” Powers told reporters on Tuesday. “It doesn’t mean that we expect to go undefeated.”
Arizona State will take on Air Force to open its 2024-25 campaign on the road.
“I think we’re at the point now we know what everyone’s capabilities are, we know what everybody’s strengths are, and you just try to feed off that,” Jackson told reporters on Tuesday. “We will be ready to go when we play Air Force.”
The Sun Devils open the season ranked in the top 20 in the USCHO.com’s preseason rankings.
“I think realistic expectations are to host a playoff series,” Powers told reporters on Tuesday. “I think that if you get into this league and you can host a playoff series, you’re getting into the tournament.”
Arizona State searches for its first NCAA national tournament birth since 2019. ASU’s two-game road series against Air Force will take place on October 4 and 5 at 6:05 p.m. MST.
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