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2025/26 Hockey team roster
The 2025/26 Hockey Team

Hockey

PREVIEW: Hockey Opens 25/26 Season at No. 15 UMass

MARQUETTE, Mich. - The NMU hockey team is set to open the 2025/26 campaign, starting with a road trip out east to face the University of Massachusetts.

The second season under Dave Shyiak and his coaching staff begins with a challenging non-conference schedule, starting with a trip to 2025 Elite Eight team and current No. 15 in the USCHO National Preseason Poll, the Minutemen. After falling to Boston University in the Hockey East Quarterfinals, the Minutemen downed No. 5 Minnesota in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 2-1 to the eventual NCAA Champions, Western Michigan.

The Wildcats and Minutemen have met only once in program history, a 3-0 win for the Wildcats on December 29, 1999, at the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Follow Along  
Make sure to follow @NMUHockey on X, formerly known as Twitter, to get updates throughout the week leading up to the games and for live updates while the 'Cats are on the ice. 

Saturday, October 4 - at #15 University of Massachusetts
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio 

Sunday, October 5 - at #15 University of Massachusetts
Watch on ESPN+  | Live Stats | Live Audio

Hear from Dave Shyiak


The 2025/26 Captaincy Group
Tynan Ewart and Nicolas Ardanaz will don the 'C', and Caiden Gault and Zane Demsey will both wear an 'A'.

"We really like our leadership group and the experience they bring, and they've done a great job in building our culture over the course of the last six weeks," says head coach Dave Shyiak, who is entering his second season behind the Wildcat bench. "With 16 new faces, our captains have led by example on and off the ice, and it doesn't surprise our coaching staff that the players voted for Tynan, Nick, Caiden, and Zane. They all have an understanding of what our standards and expectations are on a day-to-day basis." 

Ewart, a junior defenseman from Duncan, British Columbia, enters his second season of captaincy after wearing an 'A' last season. A standout returner on the blueline, Ewart was one of just three Wildcat skaters to play in all 34 games, and he led Wildcat defensemen in assists, points, and blocks, while pacing all skaters in time on ice per game, averaging just shy of 25 minutes a game during last season's campaign. A two-time CCHA Defenseman of the Week, Ewart will enter his second season with the Wildcats, but his third season under head coach Shyiak, as Ewart was a freshman at St. Cloud during Shyiak's last season behind the bench with the Huskies.

Ardanaz is a senior defenseman from Surrey, British Columbia, who joined the Wildcats last season after two years at RPI. The blueliner has skated in 64 games the last three seasons, including a career-high 26 with the 'Cats last season, where he was fourth on the team in blocks and averaged 19 minutes of ice time. Ardanaz was also selected as an AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar. 

A native of Oakbank, Manitoba, Gault is a senior forward for the Wildcats after spending the previous three seasons with the Ferris State Bulldogs. Gault was a Hobey Baker nominee after he posted a career-best 25 points in a career-high 36 games played, including pacing the Bulldogs and finishing fifth in the CCHA with 15 goals, and second in the conference with five game-winning goals. Gault, a 6-1 left-shot forward, brings 75 games of collegiate experience to the Wildcats.

Dempsey is a native of Harrison Township, Michigan, and joins the Wildcats after spending three seasons with Miami Ohio of the NCHC. In three seasons with the RedHawks, the left-shot defenseman skated in 79 games, was recognized as a Krampade/AHCA All-American Scholar in 2024, and is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and NCHC Academic All-Conference team selection.

Newcomers for 2025/26
The class includes 16 athletes broken down into seven transfers and nine freshmen, categorized by nine forwards, four defensemen, and a trio of goalies.

The transfer class includes three forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie. Of the transfers, two skaters come from BIG 10 schools, two from NCHC programs, and one each from Hockey East, the CCHA, and an Independent school.

The freshmen class includes seven forwards, one defenseman, and two goalies. Of the freshmen, the Wildcats welcome the first skater from the WHL in program history, three from the USHL, three from the NAHL, and a pair of teammates from the BCHL.

Fresh faces to watch this season include University of Minnesota Duluth and Ferris State transfers Kyle Bettens and Caiden Gault, Miami Ohio and St. Cloud State transfer defensemen Zane Demsey and Warren Clarke, and Wisconsin transfer goaltender William Gramme. Freshmen to keep an eye on include forwards Mathew Ward, Peter Cisar, and Mikey Burchill. 

A breakdown of each incoming skater, along with related media, can be found here.

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

2024-26 Media Poll & Awards Results:
Minnesota State - 127 points (8 first-place votes)
St. Thomas - 115 (2)
Bowling Green - 108 (4)
Michigan Tech - 100
Augustana - 95
Bemidji State - 75
Ferris State - 54
Lake Superior State - 49
Northern Michigan - 33




 
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Players Mentioned

Nicolas Ardanaz

#3 Nicolas Ardanaz

D
5' 10"
Senior
Tynan Ewart

#6 Tynan Ewart

D
6' 0"
Junior
William Gramme

#1 William Gramme

G
6' 3"
Junior
Warren Clark

#4 Warren Clark

D
6' 3"
Junior
Zane Demsey

#9 Zane Demsey

D
6' 1"
Senior
Mathew Ward

#10 Mathew Ward

F
5' 9"
Freshman
Peter Cisar

#12 Peter Cisar

F
6' 0"
Freshman
Caiden Gault

#16 Caiden Gault

F
6' 0"
Senior
Mikey Burchill

#18 Mikey Burchill

F
5' 10"
Freshman
Kyle Bettens

#24 Kyle Bettens

F
6' 3"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Nicolas Ardanaz

#3 Nicolas Ardanaz

5' 10"
Senior
D
Tynan Ewart

#6 Tynan Ewart

6' 0"
Junior
D
William Gramme

#1 William Gramme

6' 3"
Junior
G
Warren Clark

#4 Warren Clark

6' 3"
Junior
D
Zane Demsey

#9 Zane Demsey

6' 1"
Senior
D
Mathew Ward

#10 Mathew Ward

5' 9"
Freshman
F
Peter Cisar

#12 Peter Cisar

6' 0"
Freshman
F
Caiden Gault

#16 Caiden Gault

6' 0"
Senior
F
Mikey Burchill

#18 Mikey Burchill

5' 10"
Freshman
F
Kyle Bettens

#24 Kyle Bettens

6' 3"
Senior
F