Northern Michigan University incoming student-athlete Joey Larson has been selected as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Preseason Rookie of the Year, as voted on by the conference’s eight head coaches.
Larson, a forward from Brighton, Mich., played most recently for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he scored 32 goals and assisted on 34 more for 66 points in 61 games during the 2021-22 season. He added four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in nine playoff contests.
Prior to joining the Lumberjacks, Larson played for the Lincoln Stars (USHL) and New Mexico Ice Wolves of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) during 2020-21 and the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in 2019-20, totaling 35 goals and 34 assists for 69 points across 96 games.
A standout at Hartland High School, Larson was named Michigan’s Mr. Hockey in 2019 after helping the team to its second Division 2 state championship. In three seasons with the Eagles, he recorded 60 goals and 48 assists for 108 points in just 77 games.
Larson, who is a business major, will play his first season of NCAA Division I Hockey this season after committing to Northern Michigan on October 1, 2019.
Earlier today, the CCHA announced the 2022-23 CCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll and the Preseason All-CCHA Team. The final announcement of the day will be the CCHA Preseason Player of the Year at 2pm CT / 3pm ET.
CCHA Virtual Media Day will take place on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, beginning at 10am CT / 11am ET. Along with CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia and CCHA Director of Officiating Kevin Langseth, all eight CCHA head coaches will preview the upcoming season and be available to answer questions from local, regional and national media outlets via Zoom.
The CCHA officially drops the puck on year two of the reconfigured league on Saturday, Oct. 1. Six CCHA teams will be in action with one league contest, three non-conference games and one exhibition scheduled. The first full weekend of conference action will be Nov. 4-5.
For more information, contact:
Perry Laskaris
Director of Strategic Communications & Brand Advancement
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)
Laskaris@ccha.com
(651) 308-1065