Men's Ice Hockey

2026-27 Preseason Polls & Awards Announced

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) 2026-27 Preseason Polls & Awards have been revealed and Michigan Tech has been picked to win the league by both the coaches and media. Oliver Peer of Bemidji State was the voted the Preseason Player of the Year by both factions, while Bowling Green's Mazden Leslie drew Rookie of the Year acclaim from both groups as well and was joined by Cooper Foster of Lake Superior State and Nathan Leek from Ferris State on the coaches side.
 
CCHA Coaches Poll & Preseason Awards

Michigan Tech claimed first from the conference coaches by a narrow margin, picking up 65 points in the poll, with Bowling Green right behind with 62. The Huskies nabbed half (4) of the first-place votes, with the Falcons picking up two along with third-place Minnesota State, which had 59 points. Augustana, which finished second in 2025-26, laid claim to fourth with 57 points, while Bemidji State (46), Lake Superior State (41), Ferris State (33) and Northern Michigan (29) rounded out the poll.

The Preseason All-CCHA Team featured four different programs, including three honorees from Michigan Tech, two from Bowling Green and one each from Bemidji State and Augustana. Voted Preseason Player of the Year, Peer is the league's top returning scorer, having netted 20 goals with 16 assists for 36 points last season, earning All-CCHA First Team honors. Joining him on the forward line are a pair of Huskies in Max Koskipirtti and Isaac Gordon, who collected 35 and 29 points last season, respectively, along with Bowling Green senior Ben Doran, who's 24 assists are the most by a returning skater in the league. He also chipped in seven goals for 31 points last year.

Blueliners Breck McKinley and Hayden Hennen of Bowling Green and Augustana, respectively, are back after big seasons a year ago, while senior Owen Bartoszkiewicz of Michigan Tech rounds out the squad in his second season between the pipes for the Huskies. McKinley led all blueliners with 24 helpers last year, while Hennen averaged a league-high 25:24 minutes of ice time. Bartoszkiewicz went 23-12-2 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 2025-26.

Lake Superior State newcomer Cooper Foster netted 29 goals with 37 assists for 66 points in 66 games last season for the Ottawa 67's (OHL), while new Ferris State forward Nathan Leek registered 47 goals and 37 assists for 84 points with Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL). Mazden Leslie joins Bowling Green after producing 68 points from the blue line on 18 goals and 50 assists in just 67 games for the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) last season. 

2026-27 CCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll:  
Michigan Tech – 65 (4 first-place votes)
Bowling Green – 62 (2)
Minnesota State – 59 (2)
Augustana – 57
Bemidji State – 46 
Lake Superior State – 41
Ferris State – 33
Northern Michigan – 29

2026-27 Preseason Coaches' All-CCHA Team
Oliver Peer, F, Bemidji State
Max Koskipirtti, F, Michigan Tech
Isaac Gordon, F, Michigan Tech
Ben Doran, F, Bowling Green
Breck McKinley, D, Bowling Green
Hayden Hennen, D, Augustana
Owen Bartoszkiewicz, G, Michigan Tech

2026-27 CCHA Preseason Coaches' Player of the Year
Oliver Peer, F, Bemidji State

2026-27 CCHA Preseason Coaches' Co-Rookies of the Year
Cooper Foster, F, Lake Superior State
Nathan Leek, F, Ferris State
Mazden Leslie, D, Bowling Green
 

CCHA Media Poll & Preseason Awards

The conference's media poll also saw Michigan Tech take home the top spot, collecting 116 points and four first-place votes, edging out Minnesota State's 113 points and league-high six first-place votes. Augustana was third in the media poll with 107 points (2 firsts) and Bowling Green was fourth, collecting 101 (1). Bemidji State, Lake Suprior State, Ferris State and Northern Michigan rounded out the poll, matching what the conference coaches predicted.

Media voting differed slightly on the Preseason All-CCHA Team with Minnesota State's Luigi Benincasa being honored. He collected 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points for the Mavericks last year on their run to another MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup double. New teammate Will Skahan was also voted onto the team after spending his previous two season at Boston College, where he collected eight points. Augustana placed two blueliners on the team with Owen Baumgartner joining Hayden Hennen.

In goal, Northern Michigan sophomore Oliver Auyeung-Ashton got the nod following a season in which he recorded a 2.67 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage, which was fourth-best in the nation among netminders who played in 15 or more games.

2026-27 CCHA Preseason Media Poll:  
Michigan Tech – 116 (4 first-place votes)
Minnesota State – 113 (6)
Augustana – 107 (2)
Bowling Green – 101 (1)
Bemidji State – 76 
Lake Superior State – 64
Ferris State – 56
Northern Michigan – 43

2026-27 Preseason Media All-CCHA Team
Oliver Peer, F, Bemidji State
Max Koskipirtti, F, Michigan Tech
Luigi Benincasa, F, Minnesota State
Breck McKinley, D, Bowling Green
Hayden Hennen, D, Augustana
Will Skahan, D, Minnesota State
Owen Baumgartner, D, Augustana
Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, G, Northern Michigan

2026-27 Preseason Media Players of the Year 
Oliver Peer, F, Bemidji State

2026-27 Preseason Media Rookie of the Year
Mazden Leslie, D, Bowling Green
 
CCHA Media Day will take place on Tuesday, September 15, beginning at 10:30am ET / 9:30am CT. Along with CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia and CCHA Director of Officiating Marco Hunt, 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. 
  
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