The junior hockey season is underway for most of Merrimack’s recruits.

Just like last season, our weekly recruit reports will be broken into league-based categories. “Major Junior” stats will include players in the USHL, OHL, QMJHL and WHL. “Junior A” stats will include players in the BCHL and NAHL.

If Merrimack has any younger recruits playing prep or AAA hockey, we’ll likely categorize those separately, but none of the players on the Warriors’ current list fall into those categories.

In a previous listing, I had players grouped by their teams from last season, but several have changed teams heading into 2026-27. Those are all updated now.

Goaltender Ilja Nikitins made his USHL debut with the Sioux Falls Stampede over the weekend and stopped 32 of 34 shots in a 3-2 win.

Sioux Falls is coming off a Clark Cup championship last season, when the Stampede were led in goal by Merrimack freshman Linards Feldbergs. So the Stampede are transitioning from one Merrimack recruit to another between the pipes.

Gavin Clark, a 2008-born forward recruit, also scored in the game for Sioux Falls.

Our full recruit report for this week:

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For a half, Merrimack went toe-to-toe with one of the top-ranked teams in the FCS.

But things fell apart in the third quarter.

No. 4 Tarleton State scored three touchdowns in the third and pulled away from the Warriors for a 45-20 win Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

Merrimack (1-3) trailed just 17-14 at halftime and actually outgained the Texans over the first 30 minutes. But Tarleton State (4-0) scored on three consecutive possessions in the third quarter, turning what had been a one-score game into a 38-14 advantage.

“I thought we came out and played really, really competitively in the first half,” head coach Mike Gennetti said. “We spotted them a touchdown, which was disappointing. But we rallied, got stops, and made it a game. Really proud of the offense in the second quarter, responding the way they did and making it a close game. Unfortunately, the game isn’t won and lost at halftime.

“We got to play better. Longer. That was what we saw in the third quarter where we just kind of collapsed a little bit defensively, and offensively couldn’t get anything going. There were highlights and lowlights, and that definitely was not our best performance in the third quarter.”

The Warriors finished with 379 yards of offense and 24 first downs. They also rushed for 155 yards.

Merrimack quarterback AJ Hairston Jr. had his best passing performance of the season, completing 17 of 32 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns. Austin Palmer caught seven passes for 95 yards and two scores, while Stephon Patrick added five catches for 73 yards.

Matthias Latham was particularly effective, rushing for 76 yards before halftime. Latham finished with 86 yards on 13 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.

“It just proves we can do it,” Gennetti said of the offense. “We got to do it more consistently. We’ve talked about playing better football, complementary football. And that’s what you saw in that second quarter with the offense clicking, AJ and Austin clicking, getting Steph Patrick involved was great to see. Guys all contributed. So, things to build on for sure.”

Merrimack returns home next Saturday to host New Haven at Duane Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Box Score

Merrimack vs. Tarleton State

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Memorial Stadium (Stephenville, Tex.)
Watch: ESPN+

Merrimack will get another significant early-season test Saturday night when the Warriors travel to face No. 4 Tarleton State.

The Warriors (1-2) picked up their first win of the season last week, beating Maine 23-14 in Orono after opening the year with losses to Rhode Island and Delaware.

Tarleton State (3-0) presents a considerably different challenge.

The Texans enter the weekend ranked No. 4 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and have won their first three games, including a road win over FBS opponent Bowling Green. Last week, Tarleton escaped McNeese with a 27-24 victory when Alejandro De La Poza kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired.

“I think one big takeaway from Saturday’s victory is learning how to win a close game,” Merrimack head football coach Mike Gennetti said. “The experience of going through that is invaluable. Every season you have a new team, so for them to find ways to win the game as they did is really important; it leads to confidence and further belief that they can do it again.”

This will be the first meeting between Merrimack and Tarleton State.

"Tarleton State is explosive on offense," Gennetti said.

Hockey East announced details of its new streaming platform for international audiences, expanding access to league games for fans outside the United States.

International viewers will be able to watch all men’s and women’s home games throughout the season via HockeyEast.tv, powered by Visaic.

Subscriptions are available as single-game, monthly and season passes. Single-game passes cost $9.99, monthly subscriptions are $19.99, and season passes are $99.99.

Additional subscription details are available at HockeyEast.tv/packages.

The service is not available in the United States. Fans in the U.S. can continue to watch all Hockey East home games on ESPN+.

Merrimack was selected No. 4 in the Hockey East Writers and Broadcasters Association preseason poll and No. 6 in the annual Hockey East coaches poll for the 2026-27 season.

In the history of the coaches poll, No. 6 is the second-lowest ranking for a defending Hockey East champion.

The only defending champion ranked lower was UMass Lowell in 2014. The River Hawks won the 2014 Hockey East championship before being picked No. 7 in the following season’s coaches poll.

That Lowell team, however, lost several significant players from its championship roster, including Connor Hellebuyck, Derek Arnold and Joe Pendenza.

The Warriors are in the remarkable position of returning nearly every player who was part of last season’s championship run.

The only players who dressed in both the Hockey East title game and the NCAA Tournament game against North Dakota who are not returning are Mark Hillier (graduation), Max Lundgren (NHL contract), Filip Nordberg (transfer) and Hunter Mayo (injury). Mayo was limited by injury and played just 7:49 against North Dakota.

Merrimack opens the regular season Oct. 3 on the road at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats joined the Warriors in the Sioux Falls regional last season.

The night before, on Oct. 2, Merrimack will play an exhibition game against Sacred Heart.

The home opener — which will also feature the raising of the Hockey East championship banner — is set for Oct. 8 against New Hampshire.

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Forward Cruz Pavao committed to Merrimack on Monday.

The Calgary native is set to return to the WHL this season, where he’ll play for the Tri-City Americans.

Pavao recorded 43 points for Tri-City last season. He went undrafted in the 2026 NHL Draft but remains eligible for the 2027 draft. Pavao was one of the younger players in last year’s draft pool and didn’t turn 18 until three weeks ago.

From the Elite Prospects draft guide:

“Pavao’s skills are NHL-calibre, nearly across the board. Whether he’s shooting off-the-pass or in-flight, the puck explodes off his stick. He creates space for his shot with inside cuts, crossover attacks, and, increasingly, give-and-gos.”

Analysis: This could be a breakout season for Pavao.

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The Warriors rushed for 211 yards, and safety Danny Simms returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in Saturday night’s 23-14 road win over Maine at Alfond Stadium.

The victory was Merrimack’s first of the season after the Warriors dropped their home opener to Rhode Island and lost on the road to FBS opponent Delaware last week.

“For us to come up here to the CAA, on the road, and get a win is great for our kids,” head coach Mike Gennetti said. “They’ve worked so hard, bought in so much. I’m just very grateful to get this win and coach these kids.”

Maine took the lead late in the first quarter when kicker Samuel Tremblay connected on a 41-yard field goal. But Simms returned a blocked punt 12 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, putting Merrimack ahead for good.

The Warriors added another defensive score in the third quarter when Deandre Ricks returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown.

DeMarcus McElroy found the end zone later in the third quarter on a 4-yard run.

Merrimack finished with 211 rushing yards, led by Matthias Latham, who had 72 yards on 16 carries, and quarterback A.J. Hairston, who added 65 yards on 10 carries. Hairston completed 9 of 16 passes for 73 yards with one interception.

The victory was capped late in the fourth quarter when Dwayne Green Jr. recorded a sack that resulted in a safety.

It was Merrimack’s first win over a CAA opponent.

The Warriors held Maine to just 199 yards of total offense. Simms led Merrimack with eight tackles and also recorded an interception in addition to his touchdown on the blocked punt.

Merrimack will travel to Tarleton State next weekend. The Texas-based FCS program entered this weekend ranked No. 5 nationally in the FCS and defeated FBS opponent Bowling Green last week.

On Saturday night, Tarleton State beat McNeese State on a last-second field goal.

Next Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

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Merrimack recruit Caden Dabrowski was selected to participate in the Buffalo Sabres’ 2026 Prospects Showcase. The minicamp and tournament, which includes a team of Boston Bruins prospects, is taking place this week in Buffalo.

Dabrowski, 18, appeared in 50 games for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL last season and recorded 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists). The 2008-born recruit is set to return to Dubuque this season.

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Former Merrimack defenseman Christian Felton signed with Kalmar HC of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden this week, becoming the 34th former Warrior to sign a professional contract for the 2026-27 season.

The 26-year-old defenseman signed with the Vancouver Canucks after graduating from Merrimack in 2024. He spent two seasons in the Canucks organization, appearing in 35 ECHL games and 14 AHL games last season.

Felton played three seasons for the Warriors from 2021-24 and recorded 17 points in 84 games.

He is one of three former Merrimack players who will compete in HockeyAllsvenskan this season, joining Adam Arvedson (Vasteras IK) and Hugo Ollas (Nybro Vikings).

The Mack Report

Merrimack Men’s Hockey Alumni in the Pros

The following directory is a list of Merrimack alumni currently playing professional hockey…

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23 days ago

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Merrimack officially announced its 2026-27 men’s hockey schedule Tuesday. Tickets are now on sale through the Merrimack ticket office.

The season begins with an exhibition game Oct. 2, just three weeks from Friday. The regular season opens the following night, Oct. 3, at Quinnipiac.

Merrimack will raise its Hockey East championship banner Thursday, Oct. 8, against New Hampshire.

Here’s a full breakdown of the schedule, month by month:

October

2 (Fri) at Sacred Heart (ex)
3 (Sat) at Quinnipiac
8 (Thu) vs. New Hampshire (home opener)
16 (Fri) vs. Minnesota State
17 (Sat) vs. Minnesota State
23 (Fri) at Notre Dame
24 (Sat) at Notre Dame
30 (Fri) vs. Connecticut
31 (Sat) vs. Connecticut

The Warriors don’t ease into the season, opening Oct. 3 on the road against Quinnipiac.

I’m in the middle of my preseason rankings, and I currently have the Bobcats ranked No. 2 nationally, behind only Michigan. Quinnipiac went 27-10-3 last season and returns the bulk of that roster. Its top three scorers were all freshmen.

The goaltending situation will look a little different. Lake Superior State transfer Rorke Applebee is the projected starter. He flew somewhat under the radar last season with the Lakers, and I actually think he may be better than the two goaltenders Quinnipiac lost.

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Borek breaks down the Warriors’ newcomers, shares his early impressions from practice and discusses what he’s seeing from the team with the season just one month away.

The Warriors added to their future defensive corps Friday with a commitment from offensive defenseman Adam Fortier-Gendron of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL).

Fortier-Gendron was a four-year teammate in Moncton with Merrimack freshman Alex Mercier. Last season, he recorded 38 points (6-32-38) in 64 games from the back end.

Scouting reports from Neutral Zone and the Elite Prospects draft guide highlighted his ability to jump into the play offensively, join the rush and quarterback the power play. He also uses deception effectively at the point to create shooting and passing lanes.

That lines up with his analytics profile (see below for subscribers), where he ranked as one of the top transition defensemen in the QMJHL last season, finishing in the 94th percentile.

He’s also been heralded for his play in his own end as well. Fortier-Gendron was also a finalist for the Kevin Lowe Trophy, which is awarded to the QMJHL’s top defensive defenseman. He led the league with a remarkable plus-64 rating.

In a move that had been rumored for a few weeks, 19-year-old forward Jakub Hes has joined the Warriors for the upcoming season. Hes was originally committed to Omaha.

Hes essentially replaces Yaroslav Bryzgalov, who opted to return to Medicine Hat of the WHL for the 2026-27 season. He rounds out Merrimack’s roster alongside defenseman Tristan Doyle, who had originally been projected to arrive in 2027-28.

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Today’s newsletter is a mailbag! You can send in mailbag submissions by replying to any post in your inbox (that will send an email directly to me), or you can always use this contact button:

Editor’s note: Some questions have been edited for brevity.

Q. Why is hockey no longer a part of homecoming weekend at Merrimack? The 2018 season was the last time both hockey and football played during the weekend. Hockey hosted UMass and football played AIC. Obviously, they were still Division II at the time, but I always enjoyed when both teams were featured.

I’m not sure.

Traditionally, I think most people view homecoming as more of a football event than a hockey event. That said, hockey has always been one of Merrimack’s most visible programs. For a long time, it was the most visible program at the college because everything else was competing at the Division II level.

This year, homecoming is at the end of September, so the hockey season hasn’t started yet.

But to your point, I thought it made for a better event when both teams played. You could have a noon football kickoff, a 7 p.m. hockey game, and plenty of barbecuing in between. Personally, I always enjoyed that aspect of the weekend.

Trying to look at it from the college’s perspective, Merrimack doesn’t really need homecoming to generate a crowd for hockey.

The Warriors played to approximately 90 percent capacity at home last season, which ranked No. 19 nationally. And that includes every designated home game, including Penn State’s game at an NFL stadium. If you remove “home” games played in football stadiums and NHL arenas across the country, Merrimack would have been closer to No. 17 nationally in percentage of capacity.

So maybe the thinking is that hockey is already drawing close to 90 percent capacity without homecoming, and there’s potentially more return on investment by centering the weekend around football.

Merrimack announced an attendance of 15,426 for last season’s homecoming football game against Robert Morris. That’s probably the total number of homecoming tickets distributed or sold, although I don’t know that for certain. I’m just not sure you can fit 15K people into Duane Stadium, even with standing room.

Outside of that game, Merrimack’s next-highest football attendance last season was 4,819 for the home opener, and each of the final two home games drew fewer than 2,000 fans.

I don’t think you can have homecoming without football. That’s the major afternoon event. But even if I can understand some of the financial reasoning behind it, I agree with you that finishing the day with a big non-conference men’s hockey game — Wisconsin or someone similar — was a nice way to bookend the weekend.

Q. Do you have any idea when Merrimack will start selling single-game hockey tickets? I don’t see anything on the website, and games start in five weeks. Have you confirmed the non-conference schedule?

I don’t know exactly when single-game tickets will go on sale.

Honestly, I wasn’t aware they weren’t available yet until last week, when you and four other people emailed me asking about it.

I’d suggest reaching out to the college directly if you’re looking for a specific date, but I’d have to assume that information will be coming soon. The season begins in about a month.

I was away and didn’t make the football game Friday night, but I was told there was an announcement during the game that hockey tickets would go on sale this week. So stay tuned.

Merrimack also hasn’t officially released its full schedule yet, and typically the schedule release and ticket information come out around the same time.

I have confirmed all of the non-conference games:

• Oct. 2 — at Sacred Heart (exhibition)

• Oct. 3 — at Quinnipiac (season opener)

• Oct. 16 — vs. Minnesota State

• Oct. 17 — vs. Minnesota State

• Oct. 23 — at Notre Dame

• Oct. 24 — at Notre Dame

• Nov. 6 — vs. Holy Cross

• Nov. 27 — vs. St. Lawrence (Lake Placid)

• Nov. 28 — vs. Clarkson (Lake Placid)

• Dec. 5 — vs. Brown

• Jan. 31 — vs. Dartmouth

The Hockey East schedule includes 24 games.

Merrimack will play every conference opponent at least twice, with four teams appearing three times on the schedule.

Those three-game opponents are:

• UConn: two home, one away

• UMass Lowell: one home, two away

• Vermont: one home, two away

• New Hampshire: one home, two away

Here’s a full look at the conference schedule:

That makes a total of 18 home games and 16 road games for their 34-game total schedule.

Q. I’ve been following your preseason hockey rankings and I’m wondering where you’ll have Merrimack ranked nationally to begin the year?

Well, you’re going to have to wait and see!

I do have the Warriors inside the top 15 nationally. There are still a few things that could move teams up or down a couple of spots, but Merrimack returns so much from last season that I’d be surprised if the Warriors fell outside the top 15.

Whether they crack my top 10 is another question. I’m not sure they’ll get there, but I think it could be close.

We’ll see.

There may still be a few contracts for the upcoming season that have yet to be announced, but as of today, 31 former Merrimack men’s hockey players are set to play professionally in 2026-27.

That group includes four players who will enter the season under NHL contracts.

Max Lundgren (Boston Bruins) is the newest addition to that list after signing with Boston last spring following Merrimack’s season. He joins Alex Jefferies (New York Islanders), Declan Carlile (Pittsburgh Penguins), and Johnathan Kovacevic (New Jersey Devils).

Jefferies re-signed with the New York Islanders this offseason after becoming a restricted free agent.

Carlile, who spent the previous four seasons in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an unrestricted free agent last month. Carlile established himself as an NHL defenseman with Tampa Bay last season.

Kovacevic is entering the second season of the five-year, $20 million contract he signed with the New Jersey Devils last summer. He missed a significant portion of last season following knee surgery but returned shortly after the midpoint of the year and appeared in 34 games.

Kovacevic is Merrimack’s all-time leader in NHL points and ranks second in NHL games played by a former Warrior with 258, trailing only Steve McKenna (373).

In addition to the four players under NHL contracts, 27 former Warriors are currently under contract to play professionally in the AHL or ECHL in North America, or in several of Europe’s top leagues, including the SHL and Liiga, the highest divisions in Sweden and Finland, respectively.

The NCAA Division I Cabinet could vote in October on a proposal that would prohibit midyear additions in sports that span both semesters.

If approved, the proposal would make midseason additions in college hockey — which are relatively common — a violation of NCAA rules.

There seem to be a few of these additions every season. Boston University has taken advantage of the practice more than most in recent years. Last season, the Terriers added Tynan Lawrence between semesters, and two years ago they brought in Mikhail Yegorov.

If the proposal passes in October, midseason additions like those would be prohibited under NCAA rules, with the change taking effect immediately.

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The Department of Homeland Security announced a major change to its F-1 student visa program a few weeks ago.

Currently, international students admitted to the United States on an F-1 visa are generally permitted to remain for the “duration of status” — meaning they can stay as long as they remain enrolled and comply with the terms of their status.

Under the new rule, beginning Sept. 15, F-1 students will generally be admitted for a fixed period of no more than four years.

That raised eyebrows online, especially because the NCAA recently adopted age-based eligibility rules that could give athletes five years of eligibility.

I think the reaction is overblown, and there isn’t much cause for concern when it comes to Merrimack men’s hockey and men’s basketball.

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Griff Jeszka, who played for Merrimack from 2018-20, has landed his first NCAA coaching position with Princeton.

Jeszka played professionally through the 2022-23 season before beginning his coaching career as an assistant in the NAHL with the Kenai River Brown Bears and, most recently, the Watertown Shamrocks.

He’ll join Ben Syer’s staff at Princeton as director of hockey operations.

“We thank Griff for his hard work and dedication to Shamrocks hockey these past two seasons,” Shamrocks head coach and general manager Casey Kirley said. “He was instrumental in the growth of our team. We wish him the best of luck in his new role at Princeton University.”

Jeszka began his college career at UMass before transferring to Merrimack. He sat out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules (at the time) and played his senior season with the Warriors in 2019-20.

The Warriors received a commitment on Thursday from OHL center Rowan Henderson. Import Sports Management, which is Henderson’s agent/advisor, announced the commitment on Instagram.

Henderson is from Ontario and was alternate captain of the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) last season. In 62 games for the Wolves, he finished with 32 points (12-20-32). Jewell had 24 points (11-13-24) in 66 games as an OHL rookie in 2024-25.

Henderson went undrafted this past summer but he’s still eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft as a late-2007 birthday. In an annual OHL Coaches Poll, he received votes as one of the best defensive forwards in the league.

After playing in the OHL Top Prospects Game, he was ranked No. 194 by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 NHL Draft. He was injured in the second half of the season, which cost him a few games down the stretch and may have impacted his draft stock.

Sudbury coach Scott Barney told The Sudbury Star this past season:

“I thought he made great progress this season. He was a leader for us, too, so he had a lot more responsibility. If you look back at the numbers and he probably has our most five-on-five ice time and on the PK, he’s arguably one of the best in the league.

“The way he angles, his habits, his attention to detail are very high. When guys go to pro hockey, coaches usually have to change some of their habits from where they came in junior, but you’ll definitely have zero problems there with Rowan. When he’s tenacious on the forecheck, I think he’s very effective, and I thought in the playoffs, his line was outstanding. They played against O’Brien’s line for a lot of the playoffs and they were really good. I’m sure there were a lot of people watching during playoff time and I thought that was his best hockey of the season.”

Henderson has been added to our recruiting chart.

MIH Recruiting Chart

Late Friday, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction in the Wisne v. NCAA lawsuit that allows all seniors who graduated in the spring of 2026 to receive a fifth year of eligibility, provided they qualify for a fifth season under the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule.

Earlier this summer, the NCAA pushed its age-based eligibility rule through the approval process, finalizing it in late June. Under the new rule, athletes have five seasons of NCAA eligibility. The eligibility clock begins when an athlete enrolls in college or the season following the athlete’s 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.

The original proposal included language that would have started the clock during the season following an athlete’s 18th birthday. However, a push from the hockey community — which was later joined by representatives from other sports — resulted in the NCAA changing the rule to the season following an athlete’s 19th birthday.

As part of the new rule, the NCAA is allowing returning athletes who were previously eligible for the 2026-27 to apply for a fifth season if they meet the qualifying standards. However, the NCAA excluded athletes who graduated this spring, even though many of them — particularly in sports other than hockey — would have otherwise qualified for a fifth season under the provisions of the rule.

The Wisne v. NCAA lawsuit includes multiple athletes from several sports, although none are hockey players, many are basketball players. Athletes seeking a fifth year have filed lawsuits against the NCAA in numerous states, but most of those cases sought relief only for the individual players who filed suit.

The Wisne case was different. It was filed as a class-action lawsuit seeking an additional season of eligibility not only for the named plaintiffs, but for all athletes included in the defined class.

Sweeney granted that class-wide preliminary injunction Friday night.

What did the preliminary injunction mean?

The ruling means that all athletes in the graduating class of 2026 who used their fourth season of eligibility during the 2025-26 academic year are, at least temporarily, eligible for a fifth season under the NCAA’s age-based eligibility rule.

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