ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The University Denver hockey team begins its championship defense this weekend as the Pioneers travel to America's Last Frontier to start the 2024-25 season.
 
Denver opens the campaign with a two-game set at the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex on Saturday at 8 p.m. MT. The series concludes on Sunday at 7 p.m. Both games will be streamed for free on the UAA Athletics YouTube.
 
Former WCHA foes, the Pioneers and the Seawolves will be meeting for the first time since 2013 when the teams faced off in the Alaska Goal Rush Tournament in Fairbanks. DU and UAA last played in Anchorage on Jan. 27-28, 2012 when the Pios took 6-3 and 4-2 wins at Sullivan Arena, the then-home of the Seawolves.
 
Denver owns a 48-16-7 all-time record against Alaska Anchorage and is 21-8-5 in meeting in Alaska's largest city in a series that dates back to January 1993. DU is 8-1-1 in the last 10 matchups in the series, with its only loss in that time coming in the program's previous matchup in Fairbanks, as UAA earned a 3-2 comeback win in overtime.
 
The Pioneers will be celebrating 75 years of hockey throughout 2024-25, as the program first began play in December 1949. DU captured its NCAA-record 10th national title to end last season, earning a 2-1 overtime win against Boston University and then a 2-0 shutout of No. 1 Boston College in the Frozen Four.
 
Denver finished 2023-24 on a season-long nine-game winning streak and has won at least 30 games in in three straight campaigns for the first time in school history. The Pioneers led the nation by averaging 4.6 goals per game and have the most returning goals (129) and points (328) in the nation from a year ago.
 
Alaska Anchorage is in its third season after being dormant for two campaigns (2020-2022) due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and budget concerns in the athletic department. The Seawolves posted a 15-17-2 record a year ago but finished by going 9-3-0 in the final 12 games as an NCAA independent.
 
The Pioneers have a 43-25-7 all-time record on opening night and have won each of the last three season openers. DU will be starting on the road for the second consecutive season after also beginning in Alaska in 2023-24 against the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks, picking up 7-3 and 5-2 victories to start its championship-winning campaign. The last time Denver began a campaign on the road in consecutive seasons was when it did it three years in a row: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20.
 
CARLE RETURNS TO ANCHORAGE: Denver's David Carle is set to guide the bench for the first time as a head coach in his hometown of Anchorage.  Hired as the program's Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach prior to 2018-19, Carle has only ever coached in America's Last Frontier twice, going 2-0 in games in Fairbanks on Oct. 5-6, 2019 (he missed last year's games in UAF for the birth of his second son, Callum). 
 
The only time Carle served as a "coach" in Anchorage was Jan. 27-28, 2012 while a student assistant coach under George Gwozdecky (4-2 and 6-3 wins). He was still an assistant coach with the USHL Green Bay Gamblers when Denver last played the UAA Seawolves early in 2013-14 (he was hired at DU later on in the year)
 
Overall, the Pioneers went 10-2-2 overall against UAA during Carle's tenure as a student assistant coach from 2008-2012.
 
HISTORY VS. ALASKA ANCHORAGE: The Pioneers have a 48-16-7 all-time record against Alaska Anchorage and a 42-13-7 mark in conference play as the squads used to face off two-to-four times a year in the old WCHA.  DU owns a 21-8-5 all-time mark against UAA in Anchorage and is 3-0-1 in the last four games in Alaska's largest city.  Denver swept its last series in Anchorage on Jan. 27-28, 2012 with 6-3 and 4-2 wins at Sullivan Arena.  The Pioneers had previously won six straight games and were 8-0-2 in 10 outings before the squad's last meeting on Oct. 19, 2013, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Seawolves in the Goal Rush Tournament in Fairbanks, Alaska.  The teams first began play against one another on Jan. 29-30, 1993.
 
SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES: Alaska Anchorage is in its third season after being dormant for two campaigns (2020-2022) due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  The Seawolves posted a 15-17-2 record a year ago and went 8-6-1 at home as an NCAA independent.  UAA finished last season by going 7-2-0 in their final nine contests and 9-3-0 in their last 12 games, which included a 4-2 win against in-state rival Alaska Fairbanks and sweeps of Lindenwood and Stonehill.  Senior Maximilion Helgeson is the top returning scorer for Anchorage, as he tied for the first on the squad in goals (14), was second in points (27) and third in assists (13) a year ago.  Greg Orosz is the only returning goaltender from a year ago, as he went 3-1-1 in five starts and 12 games played while also posting a 2.75 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.  UAA won 7-1 against ACHA Grand Canyon last Friday night in Anchorage in an exhibition, as the Seawolves ended the contest with six unanswered goals in the final 40 minutes.  Porter Schachle led Anchorage in the game with two goals and an assist, while the team split their three goaltenders among the periods.
 
CONNECTIONS: Head coach David Carle was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska ... Assistant coaches Dallas Ferguson and Tavis MacMillan played and graduated from UAA's rival Alaska Fairbanks, and they both later served as assistant and head coaches of the program … MacMillan led UAF as the head coach from 2004-2007 while Ferguson was the bench boss from 2008-2017 … The Seawolves' Alex Gomez is from Parker, Colorado … DU's Eric Pohlkamp and UAA's Logan Acheson were teammates at Bemidji State last season … Denver's Kent Anderson, Matt Davis, Carter King and Rieger Lorenz and Anchorage's Ryan Johnson, Matt Johnson and Ethan Warrener are all from Calgary, Alberta … Boston Buckberger and Karter McNarland are both from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan … The Pioneers' Zeev Buium (San Diego), Sam Harris (San Diego) and Alex Weiermair (Los Angeles) and the Seawolves' Dylan Contreras (Yorba Linda) and Tyler Krivtsov (Santa Clarita) are all from Southern California … Jarred White used to play for NCHC foe Western Michigan (2021-22).
 
PREVIOUS MEETING (Oct. 19, 2013): Alaska Anchorage's Matt Bailey scored with 1:15 remaining in overtime as No. 12 Denver hockey team dropped a 3-2 decision for the second straight night at the Brice Alaska Goal Rush Tournament in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Saturday.  Denver had its own chance to seal the win just moments earlier as junior Joey LaLeggia and sophomore Quentin Shore teamed up on a 2-on-1 opportunity but came away empty.  DU also lost 3-2 in OT to Alaska Fairbanks in overtime the previous night.  The Pioneers led 2-1 early in the third period after LaLeggia scored at 3:40 but Scott Allen tallied for UAA midway through the frame to eventually force extra time.  David Makowski also scored for the Pioneers while Nolan Zajac had two assists.  Goaltender Evan Cowley made 33 saves in the loss.
 
NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: The Pioneers will play 12 non-conference games this season, beginning with a two-game set in Anchorage, Alaska, against the UAA Seawolves on Oct. 5-6.  Denver will also make two trips to the northeast during the year, going to Connecticut to play Yale on Nov. 1-2 and then traveling to play Maine to begin the New Year on Jan. 3-4.  The Pios' games to Orono against the Black Bears will be their first since Oct. 14-15, 2005.
 
Denver hosts Hockey East's Northeastern in its first home games of the year as part of Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 18-19, with the Pioneers raising their championship banner in the Saturday series finale. DU then takes on the Big Ten's and former WCHA foe Wisconsin the following weekend on Oct. 25-26 and concludes its home non-NCHC schedule on Nov. 8-9 as Lindenwood visits Magness Arena as part of the Pioneers' 75th Anniversary reunion weekend.
 
Denver went 13-2-1 against non-conference opponents a season ago, which included wins in each of the final nine such contests and four in the NCAA Tournament .
 
CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF THE PIONEERS: Denver will commemorate 75 years of Pioneer hockey throughout 2024-25 to recognize its diamond jubilee as a program.  DU will host a 75th anniversary reunion the weekend of Nov. 8-9 when Lindenwood visits Magness Arena.  Among the activities set for that weekend is honoring all of the hockey alums in attendance on the ice during an intermission, with each of the team's NCAA-record 10 championship trophies set to make an appearance as well.
 
The 2024-25 season is actually the 76th in DU hockey history, but the team's 75th anniversary of its first game is in early December.  The Pioneers' first ever contests were at home on Dec. 19-20, 1949 against Saskatchewan, with the squad losing 17-0 and 9-1 in the series.  Denver's first win was Jan. 27, 1950 at Wyoming, and the program's first home victory came against that same Wyoming squad on Feb. 18, 1950 (10-6) at the old DU Arena.
 
CAPTAIN KING: Senior Carter King was named the 95th team captain in program history prior to the season on Sept. 29.  This is the forward's first time serving in the role at any level, but he was an alternate captain on last year's squad led by the now-graduated McKade Webster.
 
Graduate student Connor Caponi and junior Aidan Thompson are the alternates this season, with Caponi previously wearing the 'A' alongside King in 2023-24.  Thompson, who is from Fort Collins, was last an alternate captain for the USHL Lincoln Stars in 2021-22.
 
30 FOR 30 FOR 30: Denver has won 30 or more games in each of the last three seasons, marking the first time in program history it has accomplished that feat in successive years.  Overall, the Pioneers have reached the 30-win threshold nine times, with their 34 wins in 1985-86 setting the school record.  DU's 32 wins a year ago were tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history.  The Pioneers had 30 victories in 2022-23 and 31 in 2021-22.
 
WINNING TIME: The Pioneers' 2025 senior class is on pace to be the winningest group in school history as they already own 93 wins (and two national championships) in the last three seasons.  Last year's senior class of 2024 finished with the fourth-most wins in the program annals with 103 victories and a .708 winning percentage (103-41-5).  Only the classes of 2005 (112 wins), 2019 (105) and 2018 (105) had more victories than last season's seniors.
 
THE "TENZER" STREAK: Denver extended its "Tenzer" Streak of winning 20 or more games to 22 consecutive full seasons in 2023-24.  It is the longest active such stretch in the country, dating back to 2001-02.
 
The streak is named after former DU Director of Hockey Operations David Tenzer, who spent 16 seasons with the program from 2001-02 (the start of the streak) until retiring in 2017.  The program only played 24 total contests in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
 
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: The Pioneers are the second-youngest squad in college hockey for the second-straight season despite only having five freshmen on their squad.  Denver's average age as of Oct. 1 is 20.9 years old—which was also its age to start 2023-24.  Boston College, which was the youngest team last season at 20.6, is once again the youngest at 20.7 years of age.
 
DU's youngest player is defenseman Tory Pitner (March 6, 2006) while Hagen Burrows also starts the season as an 18-year-old with an Oct. 15, 2005 birthday.  Last season, Zeev Buium (Dec. 7, 2005) was the second-youngest player in college hockey behind only Boston University's and eventual No. 1 overall NHL Draft pick Macklin Celebrini (June 13, 2006).  Jack Devine, who turned 21 on Oct. 1, was the second-youngest player in the nation as a freshman in 2021-22.

ROSTER BUILDING: Denver returns 18 players from the 2023-24 championship squad and welcomes seven newcomers—five incoming freshmen and transfer students Eric Pohlkamp (Bemidji State) and Samu Salminen (Connecticut).  DU is bringing back 10-of-15 forwards, 5-of-8 defensemen and 3-of-4 goaltenders from a season ago.
 
The Pioneers' 25-member squad features graduate student Connor Caponi and seniors Matt Davis, Jack Devine and Carter King. There are also five juniors to round out the upperclassmen.
 
Five players from last year's team signed NHL professional contracts, while two transferred to other programs (Tristan Lemyre, Western Michigan; Lucas Olvestad, Massachusetts).
 
PRESEASON HONORS: Senior forward Jack Devine and sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium were both selected to the NCHC's 2024-25 Preseason All-Conference Team in a vote by the media.  Denver, Colorado College and North Dakota each had two players on the six-man team. Buium was one of two unanimous selections (CC's Noah Laba) on the squad while Devine was listed on 26-of-30 ballots.

NCHC PRESEASON FAVORITES: The Pioneers were voted to win the NCHC regular season in 2024-25 for the third straight season in the conference's annual preseason media poll.  This was the fourth time that DU has been voted the preseason favorite, as it also earned the honor in 2017-18, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
 
THE PICKS ARE IN: Defenseman Zeev Buium became the second-highest draft pick in Denver hockey history after being selected No. 12 overall by the Minnesota Wild in the league's annual selection on June 28 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.  Buium was the first American chosen in the draft and became just the fifth Pioneer to be picked in the first round.  Craig Redmond at No. 6 by the Los Angeles Kings in 1984 is the only Denver player to be chosen earlier.
 
Overall, DU had five players selected as 2024-25 incoming freshmen Jake Fisher (Round 4, No. 121, Colorado), Hagen Burrows (Round 4, No. 128, Tampa Bay), Tory Pitner (Round 6, No. 185, Colorado) and James Reeder (Round 7, No. 198, Los Angeles) were also chosen.  This is the first time in program history that four incoming freshmen were selected in the summer's draft.
 
The Pioneers' 13 draft picks on their roster are tied with Boston University and North Dakota for the second-most in the NCAA in 2024-25 behind Minnesota's 16.
 
PERFECT 10: Denver won its 10th national title during the 2023-24 season, breaking a tie with Michigan for the most in NCAA history.  The Pioneers captured their second championship in three years and their fifth in the past 20 completed seasons, the most among any program in that time (2004-present).  DU's five NCAA titles are the most by any school since the turn of the century (2000-present).
 
The Pioneers were previously tied with Boston College for the most titles since 2000, as the Eagles had won four championships in that time (2001, 2008, 2010, 2012).  DU became the first team since BC to win three titles in a span of seven tournaments (not contested in 2019-20 due to COVID-19 Pandemic).
 
In the last 20 years since 2004, DU's seven Frozen Four appearances are the third-most. Boston College has reached nine Frozen Fours and won two titles in the past two decades.
 
CARLE THE YOUNGEST TO WIN TWO: Head coach David Carle guided the Pioneers to their second NCAA Championship in the past three seasons and their third Frozen Four appearance since taking over as the program's bench boss in 2018 (2019, 2022, 2024).
 
After being the fourth-youngest coach in history to win an NCAA D-I national title in 2022 (32 years, 5 months, 0 days), Carle became the youngest ever to win two national championships following the Pioneers' victory in 2024 (34 years, 5 months, 4 days). 
 
Overall, the Anchorage, Alaska, native is the 20th coach in NCAA history to win multiple national championships and the first to do so since Scott Sandelin of Minnesota Duluth (2011, 2018, 2019).  Carle is also just one of three active NCAA coaches to win multiple titles along with Sandelin and Notre Dame's Jeff Jackson (1992, 1994 with Lake Superior State).
 
PRE-SEASON MISCELLANEOUS

• The Pioneers are returning the most goals (129) and points (328) from a year ago. Michigan State is second in goals (102) while Boston College trails only DU in points (303)
• Jack Devine's 106 points entering the season rank third among active players while his 44 goals are second-most behind only Quinnipiac's Jack Ricketts (46). His 62 assists are ninth-most among current players and his 15 power-play goals are fifth-highest total. Devine's career +59 plus-minus rating is the best for all NCAA athletes to start 2024-25.
• Carter King's five care short-handed goals are tied for the fifth-most among active players.
• Jared Wright's eight game-winning goals are tied for the seventh-most in the NCAA.
• Connor Caponi's 143 games played are the most among all players heading in 2024-25.
• Sophomore defensemen Zeev Buium's +33 plus/minus rating is tied for the eighth-best among defenseman while fellow classmate Boston Buckberger is 11th with a +32 rating.
• Matt Davis' 34 wins are the eighth-most among all goaltenders entering this season. His 2.19 goals-against average is second-best while his .919 career save-percentage ranks sixth among active netminders.
• The Pioneers weigh in as the fifth-biggest team at 193 pounds and is the second-youngest team with an average age of 20.9 as of Oct. 1, behind only BC (20.7).
• Denver is one of three programs returning multiple All-Americans from a year ago (Zeev Buium, Jack Devine), along with Boston College (3) and Colorado College (2).
• DU has reached the NCAA Tournament in three-straight seasons, tied for the fourth-longest streak in the country, and is the only program to make it to the Big Dance in nine of the last 10 years. DU's four appearances in the last five tournaments are tied with five others for the second-most in that span.
• David Carle is one of eight active coaches that have won a national championship and one of two with multiple rings (Minnesota Duluth's Scott Sandelin, 2011, 2018, 2019; Notre Dame's Jeff Jackson, 1992, 1994 with Lake Superior State).
• Carle is the second-youngest coach in college hockey, turning 35 years old on Nov. 9 (Long Island's Brett Riley turns 34 on Jan. 25). He is one of 24 coaches leading the bench at their alma mater.
• Denver had 11 players skate in an NHL game last season, the 12th most among NCAA programs.

2024-25 SCHEDULE NOTABLES

• This season is Denver's 76th as a program, but the school will celebrate 75 years of DU hockey throughout the campaign (1949-2024).
• Opening the season in Alaska for the second-straight year, as the Pioneers will start in Anchorage vs. the Seawolves on Oct. 5-6 after beginning 2023-24 in Fairbanks against the Nanooks.
• Set to play 36 regular-season games for the second straight season, as the Pioneers have a two-game exemption for playing in Alaska.
• Longest homestand is four games from Oct. 18-26 against Northeastern and Wisconsin.
• Will play five home contests in a seven-game stretch from Feb. 14-March 7, which includes home games on back-to-back weekends on April 28-March 1 vs. St. Cloud State and March 7 to start a home-and-home with Colorado College
• Longest road swing is three games: Dec. 6-7 at Western Michigan and Dec. 13 at CC.
• Will play 5-of-7 games on the road from Nov. 15-Dec. 13.
• Hosting ACHA squad UNLV in an exhibition after the Holiday Break on Dec. 28.  It is the fourth straight season that DU will play an ACHA team in an exhibition and twice vs. UNLV (also 2022-23).
• Last road games at Alaska Anchorage were Jan. 27-28, 2012, at Maine were Oct. 14-15, 2005 and at Yale was Jan. 4, 1980.  DU last played Northeastern on Jan. 2, 2005 in Denver.
• NCHC Quarterfinals on campus are set for March 14-16 before the last NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., on March 21-22. The semifinals and final will be moved to campus sites starting in 2025-26.
• NCAA Regionals sites are Fargo, N.D.; Toledo, Ohio; Allentown, Pa.; and Manchester, N.H. Frozen Four is April 10-12 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.

PIONEERS IN THE POLLS: Denver begins the season ranked No. 1 in the country in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live Preseason Poll after finishing last season in the same spot following its championship victory.
 
The NCHC has by far the most schools ranked among all conference with eight-of-nine squads featured in at least one of the rankings. North Dakota (5/6), Colorado College (11/12), Omaha (15/17), Western Michigan (17/15), St. Cloud State (16/16), and Minnesota Duluth (18/18) are on both lists while Arizona State is tied for 20th in the USCHO.com ranking.
 
DU AWARDED 2028 FROZEN FOUR IN CHICAGO: The NCAA announced on Oct. 2 that the University of Denver has been named the host institution for the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. This will be the second time that DU will serve as the host of the men's ice hockey's championship weekend after also doing so in 2008 at the then-Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena) in downtown Denver.
 
Ball Arena was not in a position to bid for the 2028 Frozen Four during this most recent NCAA submission cycle, but Denver has a game slated at the home of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche in November 2025 against Minnesota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game.
 
Chicago is one of the University of Denver's largest markets for alumni and current student. The Pioneers won their eighth national championship at the 2017 Frozen Four at United Center.
 
It was also announced that DU will host the NCAA Regional at Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, in 2027 like the school did in 2021 and 2022. It was previously announced that Denver will also be regional hosts at the home of the AHL's Colorado Eagles in 2026.
 
STREAKING: The Pioneers finished 2023-24 on a season-long nine-game winning streak that dated back to March 9 in the regular-season finale vs. Colorado College.  It was also the team's longest unbeaten stretch of the season and the longest run since previously winning nine contests in a row from Jan. 15-Feb. 11, 2022.
 
Overall, Denver went 9-1-0 in its last 10 games and 15-2-1 in the final 18 contests since the start of February.
 
ALL-AMERICAN MEN: Denver had three players named All-Americans for the second straight season in 2023-24 as Zeev Buium and Jack Devine were selected to the West First Team while Massimo Rizzo was chosen as a Second-Team member.  It was Buium and Devine's first career honor, with Zeev being the first freshman since Henrik Borgstrom (first team) in 2017 and the first ever DU defenseman to be recognized as an All-American.  DU now has 54 All-Americans in program history.

ALL-AMERICAN SCHOLARS: DU had five players named National All-American scholars for posting a 3.75 grade-point average in each of the school's three quarters during the 2023-24 academic year.  Matt Davis and Carter King earned the honor for the third straight season, while Kent Anderson also repeated with the accolade.  Boston Buckberger and Alex Weiermair were also recognized as freshmen to reach the threshold.
 
Anderson earned additional honors last season as also being named the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-American Second Team while Davis and King were selected to the CSC Academic All-District Team.
 
DEVINE CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD: Senior forward Jack Devine ranks tied for 82nd all-time in program history with Chris Paradise (1998-2002) with 106 points (44g/62a) in 118 career games. He is two points away from a five-way tie for 77th and three points away from another five-way tie for 72nd on the school's scoring list.
 
Devine recorded his 100th career point in his 109th contest on March 8, 2024 at Colorado College, becoming the 103rd Pioneer to reach the century mark.
 
The Glencoe, Illinois, native led the team and ranked fourth in the nation with 27 goals in 2023-24.  It was the most tallies by a Pioneer since Ryan Dingle also had 27 in 2005-06.
 
ZEEV IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Defenseman Zeev Buium produced one of the best rookie campaigns in Denver program history in 2023-24 as he led the team with 39 assists and was second in scoring with 50 points.
 
His 50 points were the 10th-most by a freshman player in school history and were the most by a rookie since John McMillan had 57 and Dwight Mathiasen had 51 in 1983-84.  Overall, only two frosh defensemen have recorded more points in a single campaign than Buium: Craig Redmond's 54 in 1982-83 and Greg Woods' 52 in 1975-76.
 
The San Diego, California, native's 39 assists were the most-ever by a freshman defenseman and the second-most by a rookie (forward Dallas Gaume owns the record with 47 assists in his rookie campaign in 1982-83).  Among defensemen all-time, Buium's 39 helpers were fourth-best in Pioneer history.
 
Buium's 11 goals on the season were the most by a first-year rear guard since Joey LaLeggia also had 11 in 2011-12.
 
CARLE SET TO RUN IT BACK WITH TEAM USA: David Carle will return as the head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship after helping the Americans win their sixth gold medal in the last 20 years at the under-20 tournament.
 
USA Hockey made the announcement on April 23 for the next tournament in Ottawa, Ontario, and Carle will be joined by the same staff that accompanied him last year in Gothenburg, Sweden, including DU's Travis Culhane as the video coach, Nick Meldrum as equipment manager and former Pioneer assistants Steve Miller (Minnesota) and David Lassonde (USA Hockey).
 
The 2024 tournament marked the first time that Carle had coached a USA roster in his career.  Marshall Johnston at the 1977 tournament is the only other Denver coach to guide a U.S. World Junior squad.  Overall, Carle is the third NCHC head coach to lead the U.S. to gold at the WJC, joining former St. Cloud coach Bob Motzko (2017) and North Dakota and Omaha coach Dean Blais (2010 w/Omaha).
 
The 2025 World Juniors are from Dec. 26, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025, and Team USA is in Group A with Finland, Canada, Latvia and Germany and will play its preliminary round games at the NHL's Canadian Tire Centre.
 
PIOS AT USA WORLD JUNIOR SUMMER CAMP: Four Pioneer players attended USA Hockey's World Junior Summer Showcase in July and August in Plymouth, Mich., in preparation for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.  Zeev Buium was among the returners after winning gold last year, as well as DU incoming freshmen Jake Fisher, Tory Pitner and James Reeder. Eric Pohlkamp, who was a member of last year's gold-medal squad as well, is aged-out and isn't eligible to play this year.
 
The camp was held from July 26-Aug. 3 and featured practices as well as exhibition games against Canada, Finland and Sweden.
 
INKING DEALS: Five Pioneers signed NHL entry-level contracts following the team's championship-winning campaign in 2023-24:
  •  Shai Buium – Detroit Red Wings (April 17, 2024)
  •  Massimo Rizzo – Philadelphia Flyers (April 17, 2024)
  •  Sean Behrens – Colorado Avalanche (April 19, 2024)
  •  Tristan Broz – Pittsburgh Penguins (April 20, 2024)
  •  Miko Matikka – Utah HC (July 1, 2024)
 
NHL SUMMER PROSPECT CAMPS: Denver had 21 current, former or incoming players attend NHL summer development camps in July, including five with the Colorado Avalanche: Sean Behrens, Boston Buckberger, Matt Davis, Jake Fisher, Tory Pitner.  The Minnesota Wild (Zeev Buium, Rieger Lorenz), San Jose Sharks (Eric Pohlkamp, alum Magnus Chrona) and Winnipeg Jets (Garrett Brown, Kieran Cebrian) also had multiple Pioneers attending their respective camps.
 
Tristan Broz (Pittsburgh), Shai Buium (Detroit), Jack Devine (Florida), Sam Harris (Montreal), Carter King (Calgary), Miko Matikka (Utah), Massimo Rizzo (Philadelphia), Samu Salminen (New Jersey), Aidan Thompson (Chicago) and Jared Wright (Los Angeles) also attended 2024 prospect camps.
 

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