TEMPE, Ariz. — The NCHC announced its all-conference teams this week, as is custom in the week leading up to the start of the conference playoffs.
Normally, I will post the teams and provide some commentary on how I would have voted. This year, there is no hypothetical. I was one of the 18 chosen voters — nine coaches and one media member from each NCHC team — who had a say in all of this.
The league will be announcing individual award winners at next week’s awards ceremony, and I’ll post my votes for those after they are announced.
For now, here are the league’s all-conference teams, followed by how I voted.
I’m a big believer in transparency on these things, and I appreciate that the NCHC also encourages it.
(A quick note on the vote totals: Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players, so 17 total votes is considered unanimous. Media members were inexplicably allowed to be homers. 😂)
2024-2025 All-NCHC First Team
F: Alex Bump, Western Michigan, So. – 85 points (17 first-team votes) unanimous
F: Jack Devine, Denver, Sr. – 81 points (15)
F: Artem Shlaine, Arizona State, Gr., – 66 points (12)
D: Zeev Buium, Denver, So. – 85 points (17) unanimous
D: Jake Livanavage, North Dakota, So. – 63 points (8)
G: Simon Latkoczy, Omaha, Jr. – 62 points (10)
2024-2025 All-NCHC Second Team
F: Aidan Thompson, Denver, Jr. – 55 points (6 first-team votes)
F: Lukas Sillinger, Arizona State, Gr. – 31 points (1)
F: Sam Stange, Omaha, Gr. – 29 points
D: Max Burkholder, Colorado College, So. – 44 points (5)
D: Noah Beck, Arizona State, Gr. – 42 points (2)
G: Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, Fr. – 39 points (5)
2024-2025 All-NCHC Third Team
F: Ryan Kirwan, Arizona State, Sr. – 27 points
F: Sam Harris, Denver, So. – 17 points (2 first-team votes)
F: Carter King, Denver, Sr. – 15 points
D: Joona Väisänen, Western Michigan, Fr. – 24 points (1)
D: Eric Pohlkamp, Denver, So. – 22 points (2)
G: Cameron Rowe, Western Michigan, Gr. – 36 points (2)
Here’s how I voted for each of the three teams.
First Team
F: Bump, Devine, Shlaine
D: Buium, Livanavage
G: Latkoczy
Second Team
F: Kirwan, Stange, Thompson
D: Beck, Burkholder
G: Matt Davis, Denver
Third Team
F: Dylan James, North Dakota; King, Sillinger
D: Aaron Poink, UMD; Pohlkamp
G: Isak Posch, St. Cloud State
A few thoughts, in no particular order:
I had a hard time fleshing out the goalies for these teams. Posch was injured for a ton of the season, but put up incredible numbers when he played. Guys like Slukynsky and Rowe were rotating all season and both were very good, but Posch’s numbers over a full season are a game-changer for the Huskies were it not for the freak injury he suffered. Tough call. I like what Matt Davis has done for Denver, as I’m still haunted by his play in that Saturday game against UMD in January when the Bulldogs were this close to a sweep.
Also struggled to place all the Arizona State forwards who were really strong candidates for these teams. Shlaine, to me, is a legit Player of the Year candidate, someone who might be a shoo-in for the award had he not been injured early in the campaign. Kirwan and Sillinger were basically coin-flips for me.
On defense, Pionk had a strong second half to barely beat out Väisänen in my eyes. Boston Buckberger of Denver deserved consideration here as well. He’s a nice player.
Here was the All-Rookie Team, announced Tuesday:
F: Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota – 51 points (17 first-team votes) unanimous
F: Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State – 37 points (10)
F: Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth – 31 points (8)
F : Cullen Potter, Arizona State – 31 points (8)
D: Joona Väisänen, Western Michigan – 46 points (15)
D: Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State – 27 points (7)
G: Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan – 51 points (17) unanimous
Plante and Potter tied in the voting, so there were four forwards on the team.
Voters were asked to pick two teams to help cut down on ties, so here were my two chosen teams:
First Team
F: Boisvert, Plante, Potter
D: Ty Hanson, UMD; Väisänen
G: Slukynsky
Second Team
F: Burnevik; Iiro Hakkarainen, Western Michigan; Jayson Shaugabay, UMD
D: Adam Kleber, UMD; Ralph
G: Klayton Knapp, UMD
Hanson gets the nod over Ralph because of his overall body of work. Ralph has done well as a young guy stepping into this league. To me, the other choices on the first team were really easy, with the possible exception of not putting Burnevik on the first team. He’s fit very well at St. Cloud State.
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