The Warriors received their first 2009-born commitment over the weekend when forward Nathan Kydd committed to the program.

Kydd is from Nova Scotia and played U18 hockey in the province this past season, but he finished the year in the BCHL with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, appearing in two regular-season games and nine playoff games.

In 29 games for the Weeks Major Midgets U18 team this season (as a 16-year-old), he had 42 points, including 27 goals and 15 assists. He added another 11 points in 14 playoff games.

Kydd played U18 last season as a 15-year-old with the March and Mill Co. Hunters, where he had 27 points in 36 games.

Kydd was drafted last summer by the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL Entry Draft.

The NCAA announced last week that the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will expand to 76 teams, adding eight more teams to the field.

On the surface, that seems great, right? The more, the merrier.

But looking through the details, it seems like an awful idea for programs like Merrimack, the rest of the MAAC, and other low-to mid-majors.

What the NCAA is really doing here is expanding the play-in round. Right now, 68 teams make the NCAA Tournament, and eight teams play four games in the “First Four,” which has traditionally taken place in Dayton, Ohio.

That’s the round that’s expanding. Those mid-week games that take place before the Big Dance starts on Thursday. So they aren’t really expanding the tournament as much as they’re expanding the play-in round.

The “First Four” now becomes the “First 12.”

The NCAA didn’t do this so more mid-majors could make the NCAA Tournament. This decision — mostly brokered by the Power 4 schools — was made so that more Power 4 schools on the bubble will make the NCAA Tournament.

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The Warriors dipped into the transfer portal over the weekend to fill out their goalie room.

Max Beckford will join the returning Ryan Keyes and incoming freshman Linards Feldbergs as the Warriors’ three goaltenders next season.

Beckford, 23, just finished his sophomore season at Minnesota State, where he backed up Alex Tracy. As a freshman in 2024–25, Beckford backed up Connor Hasley at Bentley (who later transferred to Arizona State). Beckford posted a 1.84 GAA and .902 save percentage in his four appearances as a freshman.

Beckford’s junior numbers jump off the page. He posted a 1.83 GAA and .940 save percentage in 24 NAHL games with the Wisconsin Windigo in 2023–24. He appeared in 13 games for the Brooks Bandits in 2021–22 and recorded a 1.90 GAA and .911 save percentage. Beckford was teammates with former Warrior Zach Bookman on that Bandits team.

In 54 career NAHL games, Beckford posted a 2.26 GAA and .930 save percentage, and he recorded a 2.05 GAA and .937 save percentage in 13 career NAHL playoff games.

Beckford was a finalist for the 2024 NAHL Goalie of the Year.

—— Analysis ——

Beckford has flown under the radar, but his numbers in juniors and early in his college career are solid. He gives the Warriors what they were looking for at the position, given what was left in the transfer portal.

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Merrimack received a commitment from Aram Soqui Urbano out of the transfer portal on Thursday. Urbano just completed his freshman season at Fresno State.

The Warriors recruited Soqui Urbano last season out of high school. He played at Veritas Academy, which competes in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League — widely regarded as the top high school league in the country. He led the league in three-point field goals at Veritas two years ago, shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc.

Soqui Urbano also led the EYBL in three-point makes per game and finished second in three-point percentage.

That league features some of the top programs in the country, including IMG Academy, Oak Hill, and Montverde Academy (where Cooper Flagg played), among others.

He averaged more three-point makes than Ethan Mgbako (Vanderbilt) and Aidan Chronister (Missouri), and posted a higher three-point percentage than Isiah Harwell (Houston/Gonzaga).

Soqui Urbano played a limited role as a freshman at Fresno State, but shot 27.3 percent from three-point range. He operated as a combo guard at Veritas Academy and was selected as one of 64 players to participate in the 2022 NBA Basketball Without Borders event.

Budd Clark commits to Ole Miss

In other Merrimack basketball news, former guard Budd Clark entered the transfer portal for a second time after one season at Seton Hall. Clark has since committed to Ole Miss for his senior season.

K.C. Ugwuakazi remains uncommitted in the portal.

—— Analysis ——

Soqui Urbano is a significant addition for the Warriors.

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The Warriors have found their big man for next season. Eli Wilborn, who spent last season at James Madison, committed to the program out of the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-8 Wilborn appeared in 31 games for JMU last season and averaged 2.4 points and 2.9 rebounds. He led the team with an 8.0 percent block percentage. K.C. Ugwuakazi led the Warriors in block percentage last season (12.4 percent). Block percentage measures the percentage of two-point shot attempts a player blocks while on the floor.

Before JMU, Wilborn played at Duquesne and Saint Francis. He started 27 games at Saint Francis during his freshman season and earned NEC All-Rookie honors, averaging 10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game with 47 total blocks.

—— Analysis ——

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The Warriors have been quiet in the men’s hockey transfer portal through the first week—and that comes as little surprise. Last week, it was announced that Merrimack will return 18 players from this past season’s Hockey East championship team.

As noted earlier this week, seven Warriors entered the transfer portal, but only one of those players — Filip Nordberg — was in the lineup during the stretch run.

Here’s how it breaks down: Green indicates a returning player, while red denotes a player departing via the transfer portal, graduation, or an NHL signing.

Which brings us to the next logical question: How many spots do the Warriors actually have to fill?

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Merrimack landed its first addition from the transfer portal on Thursday, as guard Denver Anglin committed to the Warriors from Iona.

Anglin, who will be a senior next season, averaged 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while recording 29 steals for the Gaels this past year. In 2024–25, he played at Rice University, where he made 11 starts across 32 appearances and averaged 8.5 points per game.

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Former Merrimack guard Ernest Shelton is headed to Boston College via the transfer portal, where he’ll suit up for new Eagles head coach Luke Murray.

The move comes on the heels of another Merrimack departure earlier this week, as Shelton’s former teammate Kevair Kennedy landed in the ACC at Wake Forest.

Shelton made an immediate impact in North Andover after transferring from Division II Gannon University, averaging 15.9 points per game this past season. A dynamic perimeter threat, he earned All-MAAC First Team honors and established himself as Merrimack’s most reliable three-point shooter.

Filip Nordberg is headed to Arizona State after entering the transfer portal, marking the first departure (in the portal) from Merrimack’s postseason lineup this spring.

Nordberg, a freshman defenseman, appeared in 38 games for the Warriors this past season and recorded seven assists while carving out a steady role on the blue line.

Eight Merrimack players entered the portal this week. Still, Nordberg stands alone as the only departure who dressed during the Warriors’ playoff run..

Merrimack announced the return of 18 players for the 2026–27 season last week, all of whom appeared in the postseason. With Nordberg now bound for Arizona State, the only postseason contributors not returning are Nordberg (transfer), Mark Hillier (graduation), and Max Lundgren (signed with Boston).

The list of portal entrants extends beyond Nordberg. Goaltender Nils Wallstrom is among those exploring options, along with defensemen Matthew Campbell and Trent Ballentyne. Up front, Riley Bassen — who left midseason for the WHL — has entered the portal, joined by Ben Yurchuk, Joey Henneberry, and Jack Richard.

Richard, I’m told, is expected to return to Niagara, where he began his NCAA career before transferring to Merrimack two years ago.

I’ll have more to come on where Merrimack’s roster stands in the wake of the portal’s opening — and what the next moves could look like for the Warriors.

Former Merrimack guard Kevair Kennedy has found his next home, committing to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons out of the transfer portal earlier this week.

Kennedy arrives in Winston-Salem after a historic freshman campaign, one that saw him unanimously named the MAAC Player of the Year. Logging nearly 37 minutes per night, he averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.9 steals.

“The guards that Coach [Steve] Forbes has had,” Kennedy told 247Sports on why he committed to Wake. “The way how they develop their players. If you see their numbers, how a player is when they come to them and how they leave, it’s a big jump. And you could tell they’re tight-knit. A tight-knit staff leads to a tight-knit group. I like that about them.

“They want me to push the pace, get guys going, be the leader that they’re going to need. Touch the paint, shoot my shots, and be confident.”

Wake Forest is coming off an 18–17 season, including a 7–11 mark in the ACC. The Demon Deacons saw their postseason run cut short with a loss to Clemson in the ACC Tournament before falling to Illinois State in the second round of the NIT.

Brendan Johnson is the only other Warrior who has committed to a new team out of the portal, finding a home at Coppin State.

Other Warriors in the portal include Malik Edmead, Brandon Legris, Ernest Shelton, and K.C. Ugwuakazi.

Trevor Hoskin, Nick Pierre, and team captain Caelan Fitzpatrick were each announced as returnees for the 2026–27 season on Friday, another clear signal that Merrimack’s core intends to run it back.

Earlier in the day, the program confirmed that Justin Gill would also return for 2026–27.

In the modern era of college athletics — shaped and reshaped by the transfer portal — public announcements of returning players have become commonplace.

Trevor Hoskin led the Warriors in points per game last season, producing 35 points in 34 games. The Calgary Flames draft pick finished with 13 goals and 22 assists, driving Merrimack’s offense on a nightly basis. Nick Pierre and Caelan Fitzpatrick each contributed 13 goals of their own; Pierre totaled 25 points in 39 games, while Fitzpatrick added 29 points in 38 contests.

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Justin Gill will return to Merrimack for his sophomore season, a meaningful piece of offseason business for the program as it looks to build on its momentum.

The team announced Gill’s return on its social media channels on Friday. He was one of the premier rookies in Hockey East this season, producing 35 points in 36 games. Gill also led Merrimack in goal scoring with 16, a total that ranked tied for eighth nationally among freshmen.

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Tomorrow — April 9 — coincides with the opening night of the Frozen Four in Las Vegas. Back in North Andover, it also marks Merrimack College’s annual Day of Giving — and this year, it carries added significance for the men’s hockey program.

An anonymous alumnus has stepped forward with a $25,000 challenge gift, pledging to match donations dollar-for-dollar if fellow alumni can collectively contribute an additional $25,000. If the goal is met, the program will secure a $50,000 boost.

You can donate to the men’s hockey program at the following link

Merrimack Day of Giving

Merrimack head coach Scott Borek distributed the following message to alumni and supporters ahead of the initiative:

Hello From North Andover:

What a tremendous outpouring of support our team and program have received since the “MC Garden Party” a few weekends ago. The run this year’s student-athletes took us on was memorable. The championship is always the goal, but for me, the belief that Merrimack can be the champion is the most important step for our campus and program!

Now we chase an even bigger prize. Why should Merrimack not aspire to be a national champion! To do that, we will need your support. The game has gotten incredibly expensive at the Hockey East level, and unfortunately, that is the direction it is heading moving forward. But no one can deny the “infomercial” that the championship game celebration was for our school.

With the Day of Giving officially tomorrow (April 9), please consider supporting us in our quest to become a champion. We are both hopeful and excited about what we can accomplish together!

Please consider making a gift to the Men’s Ice Hockey Program and helping spread the word by encouraging others to do the same. We’re grateful for the continued commitment of our alumni and parents, and we truly could not do this without you.

Thank you for your support.

Scott

I’ve spent much of the last 24 hours poring over President Donald Trump’s executive order, issued late Friday, that aims to bring some structure back to NCAA regulations.

We’ll get to the highlights of the order in a moment. But first, it’s worth examining the order itself.

In the executive order, Trump directs the NCAA to revert to some of its previous rules — particularly regarding transfers — by August 1. However, many of those same rules have already been challenged in court and deemed unlawful.

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I wanted to address pro signings, because I’m seeing a lot of chatter on social media suggesting that a player who signs with an AHL or ECHL team on an amateur tryout agreement could return to school the following season.

That’s not correct — at least not unless the player adheres to very strict guidelines.

Yes, there are former AHL and ECHL players who are playing college hockey this season. However, the rules are different for players pre-enrollment and post-enrollment.

The spirit of the rule pre-enrollment is to ensure that a player doesn’t unknowingly jeopardize his eligibility. The rule also allowed former CHL players — who, based on their age, still had NCAA eligibility — to choose the NCAA route after beginning a pro career, since that option didn’t exist when they exited the CHL.

After a player’s initial full-time enrollment, the rules regarding pro participation are much different.

Before enrollment, a player can participate with a professional team as long as the player is not paid “above necessary expenses.”

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Merrimack freshman guard Kevair Kennedy plans to enter the transfer portal, confirming the news to Joe Tipton of On3.

In addition, The Field of 68 reported Tuesday morning that Ernest Shelton also intends to enter the portal. It was reported last week that big man KC Ugwuakazi plans to transfer as well.

Kennedy just completed a remarkable freshman campaign with the Warriors, earning MAAC Player of the Year honors — becoming the first freshman in the league’s 44-year history to do so. He also captured MAAC Rookie of the Year, sweeping both awards unanimously while also earning a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team.

Kennedy was named MAAC Rookie of the Week seven times.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game this season, emerging as one of the most dynamic newcomers in the country.

Shelton, meanwhile, was also a First Team All-MAAC selection, averaging 15.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game.

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NORTH ANDOVER — A few months ago, during Christmas break, the Boston Bruins expressed interest in Merrimack goaltender Max Lundgren.

They initially offered Lundgren a spot at this summer’s development camp as a non-roster invitee — an opportunity he quickly accepted.

But as Lundgren’s second half unfolded, so too did Boston’s level of interest.

After the Warriors were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament earlier this week, Lundgren received a call from the Bruins. This time, it wasn’t about development camp.

They were offering him an NHL contract.

“It’s been a dream ever since I was a little kid,” Lundgren said Sunday, as his teammates gathered on campus for an event where he signed the deal. “I’m just very excited.”

The agreement represents an ideal outcome for Lundgren, who just completed his junior season after setting Merrimack single-season records in both minutes played and saves.

Lundgren said he is eager to join an organization with a strong track record of developing NHL goaltenders. Jeremy Swayman rose through Boston’s system after being drafted, while Brandon Bussi followed a path similar to Lundgren’s, signing as a free agent out of Western Michigan.

Lundgren also relishes the chance to remain in New England, where he has established both comfort and familiarity.

“I’m very excited [about staying in New England],” Lundgren said. With Boston’s minor-league affiliates located in Providence (AHL) and Maine (ECHL), he should remain close. “I have really enjoyed it here, and I have met a lot of people here. That was a big part for me.”

Lundgren becomes the fifth Merrimack goaltender to sign an NHL contract since Joe Cannata in 2012. He is also the third in that span to arrive undrafted and depart with a deal, joining Collin Delia (2017 with Chicago) and Rasmus Tirronen (2015 with Carolina).

He is the second consecutive Merrimack goaltender to sign an NHL contract, following Hugo Ollas, who inked a deal with the New York Rangers in 2024.

“Dan [Jewell] has coached our goalies since the day he got here,” Merrimack coach Scott Borek said. “He’s had two goalies in a row now leave with NHL contracts. Obviously, Max and Hugo did all the work there, but I think the work Dan has done with these guys has been great. It’s pretty easy for us to call a goalie who has that aspiration. I think you can come here and be coached by the best goalie coach in the country. Hugo and Max get all the credit, but there is no doubt in my mind, and I know in their minds, that Dan has helped guide that.

“This is great for our program. We’d love to do these types of events every year.”

Lundgren said he expects to report to Providence — Boston’s AHL affiliate — within the next week or two.

When he arrives, he’ll find familiar connections already in place. Former Merrimack assistant coach Darren Yopyk now serves as the Bruins’ assistant director of amateur scouting, while Dave Breen works as a skills coach within the organization, and does a lot of work with the Providence Bruins.

Merrimack goaltender Max Lundgren will forgo his final season of NCAA eligibility and sign an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins, sources tell The Mack Report.

Lundgren, 23, played every minute for the Warriors this season and finished with a .920 save percentage. The 6-foot-5 junior ranked No. 8 in the nation in goals saved above expected (+17.96).

After sitting out his freshman season due to NCAA transcript requirements, Lundgren seized the starting job last year and never gave it back. He set Merrimack single-season records for both saves and minutes played by a goaltender this season, and his 39 appearances tied Joe Cannata (2012) for the most in a single season in program history.

Lundgren becomes just the second Warrior to skate professionally within the Bruins organization, and the first since Mark Cornforth in 1995. Former Warriors Dan Hodge (1991) and Howie Rosenblatt (1990) were also drafted and signed by Boston, though neither appeared in an NHL game.

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I’m just going to come out and say it.

Over the last three weeks, the Merrimack men’s hockey team has proven it can win a national championship.

That’s a bold statement — I’m aware. But as I’ve been saying for well over a month now, there’s just something about this group.

College sports aren’t what they used to be. Ten years ago, a team dominated by freshmen and sophomores that won Hockey East and reached the NCAA Tournament would have been a lock for preseason Top 10 lists the following year.

Now, the transfer portal looms large. And let’s be honest, Max Lundgren — along with others — may have opportunities to sign NHL contracts. Even if Lundgren does sign an NHL deal — I never blame players for fulfilling their life’s dream — the Warriors have one of the top goalies in the USHL, who starred for Latvia at the World Juniors, slated to join the program next season alongside Nils Wallstrom and Ryan Keyes.

But if the people inside that locker room feel the same way I feel as an outside observer, maybe there’s a pull to come back and take another run at the ultimate prize.

Because, honestly, they aren’t that far away.

I’ve covered college hockey nationally for the last 20 years. I have watched programs like Providence, UMass, Western Michigan, and more build themselves into national powers. All of those stories started with a group like Merrimack has right now.

Less than a week ago, the Warriors raised the Lamoriello Trophy at TD Garden as Hockey East champions. On the way, they knocked off No. 1 Providence, No. 2 UMass, and No. 3 UConn.

Two of those teams joined Merrimack in the NCAA Tournament this week.

The postseason is different. Iron sharpens iron. The margin for error disappears. It demands something extra.

This version of Merrimack has that something extra.

Thursday night didn’t go their way. The 3-0 loss to North Dakota put a sour ending on what was otherwise a remarkable season — one of the best in program history.

But don’t let the final score fool you. The Warriors went toe-to-toe with the No. 2 team in the nation.

In many respects, Merrimack carried play.

For instance, the Warriors generated more expected goals than the Fighting Hawks. They were on the wrong end of a familiar script. All season, opponents watched Lundgren steal games. On this night, it was Jan Špunar turning aside chance after chance.

Look at some of the analytics from Thursday night (from SportsLogiq):

North Dakota entered the game allowing the second-fewest shots in the nation (23.2 per game). Merrimack not only outshot the Fighting Hawks, but dictated possession for long stretches — particularly in the second half — against one of the premier possession teams in college hockey.

Merrimack outshot North Dakota 20-6 over the final 32 minutes of the game.

And that doesn’t even account for Ryan O’Connell’s disallowed goal in the second period, wiped out by an early whistle.

If that one counts, does the game unfold differently?

Entering this week’s NCAA Tournament, the Warriors were tied with Western Michigan for the most wins in the country since Dec. 12 (16 wins).

This group spent the second half of the season trading statistical punches with the sport’s elite. They were one of the best teams in the nation over a 24-game span.

That’s why it’s fair to believe that if this core stays intact, the ceiling rises well beyond Hockey East.

We’re talking about more than a conference title defense. We’re talking about a legitimate push for the program’s first trip to the Frozen Four — and maybe even more.

This wasn’t a small-sample size, either. Over a 24-game stretch, the Warriors went 16-6-2.

Merrimack finished No. 19 nationally in the NPI rankings. Strip away early-season losses to Long Island and Notre Dame — games played while a young roster was still searching for its identity — and they would have been No. 12 this season.

That’s knocking on the door of the Top 10 … right now.

For years, the idea of Merrimack winning a Hockey East championship lived more as a dream than something felt actually attainable.

Last Saturday, it became a reality.

A Frozen Four berth? A national championship?

Those used to feel like distant, almost unreachable outcomes — even within the program.

Not anymore. Not with this group.

The next month will shape what comes next. Roster decisions will matter. Opportunities will present themselves.

But if the Warriors emerge with their core intact, there’s reason to believe this is only the beginning.

You thought this season was fun?

They could be just getting started.