Johnny Hicks didn't necessarily expect to be in this situation. The Kamloops, British Colombia, native arrived at the University of Denver as a freshman with a simple objective: get better.
But when Quentin Miller went down with an injury on Jan. 24, Hicks found himself thrust into one of the most demanding environments in college hockey with little warning and everything to prove. And after stopping all 22 shots in a 6-0 win against St. Cloud State, it's only been up from there.
He made his first career start the following weekend versus Minnesota Duluth and never relinquished the net. He finished the season with a 16-0-1 record, a 1.19 goals-against average and an NCAA-record .957 save percentage, helping carry the Pioneers to the 2026 national championship.
If you ask Hicks about his record-breaking run, the heroics are almost beside the point.
"I just wanted to go in and treat it like every other game I've played in, and just give it everything I have," the rookie goalie said of his mindset entering that game against St. Cloud. "I didn't know when the next opportunity would come to play again. I tried to play like it was my last game and just leave everything I had out there."
Before taking over the net and as he waited for his opportunity, he pushed his limits each day and operated in practices at the same level as if they were games. Hicks stayed on the ice after every on-ice session, taking extra shots and drills, preparing to step up and show out in the net when called upon.
"I kind of looked at it like I'm making a clone of myself, or a clone of who I want to be in the future," he said. "It's a hard mindset to have because you're pushing through a lot, but the guys were always supportive of me and that helped a ton."
That support system runs deep.
Hicks shared the crease with a goalie trio that included junior Paxton Geisel and fellow freshman Miller. It was a competitive group as all three started and posted shutouts during the season, but the comradery among the goalie union was something that Hicks remarked as genuinely rare in the sport.
"It's not just rare, it's really special," he said. "Just having two best friends sitting next to you in the room who always have your back and are always cheering you on. It's very motivating to be a part of."
Away from the rink, Hicks found balance through guitar and painting, the same creative outlets that followed him through his days of junior hockey with the Brooks Bandits (AJHL and BCHL) and Victoria Royals (WHL).
"Guitar helped me at the start of the year," the netminder noted. "Before the playoffs, I had the chance to paint a little, which was a nice way to decompress."
As the season deepened and the stakes climbed, Hicks leaned on his teammates and a mental framework each game.
The season culminated in Las Vegas at the NCAA Frozen Four on April 9-11 with Hicks and the Pioneers facing down two other blue-blood teams in Michigan and Wisconsin. The tension of the situation came packed like a bottle ready to burst.
"I don't like to say it's pressure," he said of handling the big-game moments. "It's just more noise. I just stuck with my process, and at the end of the day it is just another game."
And what a two-game clash it was. Hicks and Denver defense limited the two high-powered offenses en route to a championship while the nation watched. The goalie posted a career-high 49 saves and shut down all 21 shots in 32:35 of overtimes in the national semifinals versus Michigan before denying 29-of-30 shots and each of the final 22 he faced in the national title game against Wisconsin.
When the Pioneers claimed their 11th championship and the student body's celebration spilled out into Denver's streets, Hicks and his teammates watched the videos of the jubilee back in Vegas with something close to disbelief.
"I didn't think there was going to be that many people," Hicks said of the party back home. "It's very nice to know how many people are supporting this group, and we're just going to keep going."
For a freshman that went unbeaten and stepped into the national spotlight without flinching, Johnny Hicks' gratitude and commitment to the process turned out to be more than enough.
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