HCA Release
The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) has announced three finalists for the 2026 Mike Richter Award and Augustana University's Josh Kotai has been selected and is advancing to the last stage, as voted on by a panel from across the hockey community. The award is given annually to the top goalie in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014.
Named CCHA Goaltender and Player of the Year, Kotai (Abbotsford, B.C.) Kotai is 20-11-4 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage with five total shutouts and three assists offensively. He leads the nation in total saves (1056), shutouts and save percentage, while ranking fourth in goal-against average, fifth in wins and sixth in minutes played (2111:36). A five-time CCHA Goaltender of the Week, he has been named Goaltender of the Month twice.
Going 14-8-4 while starting all 26 conference games for the Vikings during the 2025-26 conference season, Kotai a 1.87 goals-against average and a league-best .941 save percentage. Tied for the conference lead with four shutouts, he stopped a league-high 786 shots across 1576:04 minutes, chipping in with one assist offensively. Recording 14 games of 30 or more saves, he stopped 40+ in three contests. His season was highlighted posting three straight shutouts from January 9-16. He ranks third among all CCHA netminders in single-season save percentage since the league was reconsituted in 2021-22, while his goals-against average is fourth.
In 79 career games at Augustana, he is 39-30-9 with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage, which ranks 10th among all NCAA netminders over the last 10 years. He has earned All-CCHA First Team and Second Team honors in his three seasons and is a three-time HCA National Goaltender of the Month. A two-time Richter Award Finalist, he was a Finalist for CCHA Goaltender of the Year in 2024-25 before taking home the honor this year.
The Vikings are on the bubble to qualify for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, sitting 16th in the NPI.
2026 Mike Richter Award Finalists
Trey Augustine, Michigan State (Big Ten)*
Michael Hrabel, Massachusetts (Hockey East)
Josh Kotai, Augustana (CCHA)
*2025 Semifinalist
The winner of this year’s Mike Richter Award will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
Three NCAA Division I conferences are represented among the finalists with the Big Ten, CCHA and Hockey East boasting one apiece.
Past Richter Award Recipients: 2014 - Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 - Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 - Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 - Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 - Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 - Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 - Jeremy Swayman, Maine; 2021 - Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota; 2022 - Devon Levi, Northeastern; 2023 - Devon Levi, Northeastern; 2024 - Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin; 2025 - Jacob Fowler, Boston College.