Men's Ice Hockey

CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll & Awards Announced

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) 2025-26 Preseason Coaches Poll & Awards have been announced and for the second year in a row, the University of St. Thomas has claimed the top spot. Highlighting the individual honors was Lucas Wahlin, who was picked as the Preseason Player of the Year, while garnering unanimous Preseason All-CCHA Team recognition. Five programs were represented among the awards, which were voted on by the conference's nine head coaches.
 
St. Thomas edged out defending MacNaughton Cup Champion Minnesota State by a single point, 72-71, for first place in the coaches poll. The Mavericks, who topped the Tommies in last year's Mason Cup title game, picked up a league-best four first-place votes, with St. Thomas garnering three and Michigan Tech claiming a pair. The Huskies joined Augustana with 59 points in the poll, tying for third, with Bowling Green not far behind (58). Bemidji State was chosen to finish just outside of home ice (54), with Lake Superior State (38), Ferris State (33), and Northern Michigan (24) rounding out the list.
 
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team and points were awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3 scale. 

CCHA Preseason Player of the Year: Lucas Wahlin, Sr., St. Thomas (Woodbury, Minn.)

Wahlin netted 14 goals with 15 assists for 29 points in 26 conference games last season, while posting a +7 rating. He totaled three power-play goals, one shorthanded marker and four game-winners, which was second in the league. Putting 99 shots on net, he blocked 24 defensively and won 47.4% of his draws. Overall, he has recorded 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points, earning All-CCHA First Team honors. A finalist for Forward of the Year, the Tommies captain picked up one Forward of the Month and one Foward of the Week award last season.

CCHA Preseason Co-Rookie of the Year: Nathan Pilling, Fr., St. Thomas (Calgary, Alb.)

Pilling joins the Tommies after playing in 218 WHL contests for the Moose Jaw Warriors, Edmonton Oil Kings, and Seattle Thunderbirds. He recorded 126 points on 70 goals and 56 assists. A captain in Seattle during the 2024-25 season, he amassed 34 goals and 26 assists for 60 points in 61 regular season games. In six playoff games, he had three goals and four assists for seven points. 

CCHA Preseason Co-Rookie of the Year: Dominik Rymon, Fr., Bowling Green (Karlovy Vary, Czechia)

Rymon played three years for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, potting 66 goals with 92 assists for 158 points in 140 games. In 2024-25, he totaled 66 points on 30 goals and 36 assists in 66 contests. He also had two goals and five assists for seven points in seven games at the 2024 World Junior Championships, playing for his native Czechia.

Joining Wahlin on the Preseason All-CCHA team was the Michigan Tech duo of Isaac Gordon and Stiven Sardarian, who both finished in the top-10 in scoring in the CCHA a season ago. Reigning CCHA Defenseman of the Year Evan Murr of Minnesota State was a unanimous selection on the blue line, with Bemidji State sophomore Isa Parekh, who picked up All-Rookie Team honors in 2024-25. Mavericks' senior netminder Alex Tracy rounds out the team, having won CCHA Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year in 2024-25, before becoming a finalist for the Mike Richter Award and a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist.

2025-26 CCHA Preseason Coaches Poll:  
St. Thomas – 72 (3 first-place votes) 
Minnesota State – 71 (4) 
Michigan Tech – 59 (2) 
Augustana – 59 
Bowling Green – 58
Bemidji State – 54 
Lake Superior State – 38  
Ferris State – 33  
Northern Michigan – 24

2025-26 Preseason Players of the Year 
Lucas Wahlin, UST 

2025-26 Preseason Co-Rookie of the Year
Nathan Pilling, UST
Dominik Rymon, BGSU

2025-26 Preseason All-CCHA Team
Lucas Wahlin, UST*
Isaac Gordon, MTU
Stiven Sardarian, MTU
Evan Murr, MSU*
Isa Parekh, BSU
Alex Tracy, MSU

* - Unanimous
 
The CCHA Preseason Media Poll & Awards will be announced this afternoon at 2pm ET / 1pm CT. 
 
CCHA Media Day will take place on Tuesday, September 16, beginning at 11am ET / 10am CT. Along with CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia and CCHA Director of Officiating Marco Hunt, all nine 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 five of the reconfigured league on Friday, Oct. 3. Eight of the CCHA's nine teams will be in action on opening weekend, with Minnesota State getting its season underway on October 10.
  
Fans can stream all CCHA games live and on-demand, on their home televisions, computers, tablets, and mobile devices via Midco Sports Plus. The app is available on mobile/tablet apps (iOS and Android), connected TV device apps (AppleTV, FireTV and Roku) and a web-based browser interface. If you have additional questions or want to see more information about coverage or subscriptions, go to midcosports.com/ccha. 
 
For more information, contact:  
 
Perry Laskaris  
Director of Strategic Communications & Brand Advancement  
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)  
Laskaris@ccha.com  
(651) 308-1065 Â