At the end of March, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘06 Goaltender Ethan McCallum. Listed at 6’4” and 202 LBs, McCallum is a 3 year WHL veteran who played for both the Saskatoon Blades and the Penticton Vees this season. Between the two, he had an overall 0.907 SV%, which was tied for 5th in the league among qualified goalies.

McCallum is a big, athletic goalie with very quick lateral movement and the ability to make highlight reel saves. He does a good job staying square to shooters and controlling rebounds. His ability to see the puck through traffic is also impressive. The main thing for McCallum to improve is his angles; he can tend to be deeper in his crease because of his size, but that will be taken advantage of by more skilled players. He can also overcommit sometimes and could use some improvement with his reads. Overall though, McCallum is a high quality goalie due to his size, athleticism, and rebound control. He has all the physical tools needed, and the areas of growth are mental with his angles and reads, which can be developed with more reps.

McCallum will enroll at RPI this fall and add a quality goalie to tandem with Krawchuk. While Krawchuk has definitely earned the net to start the year, McCallum is good enough to push him and compete with him for the #1 spot during the season, especially since Krawchuk did struggle with back to backs at times. It will likely start out with Krawchuk as the 1A with the majority of the starts and McCallum as the 1B, but it’s not an open and shut case for the season by any means. It’s easy to envision the two of them locking down the net for years to come, and that is now a very stable position for the Engineers. I’m excited to see McCallum in net for RPI this fall! Congratulations to Ethan and his family!

Eric Lang’s transfer portal recipe is starting to feel pretty obvious to anyone paying attention: find highly skilled East Coast players who were just a step away from a major role on a successful team. Former Merrimack Warrior Ben Yurchuk fits this to a tee. Yurchuk played for the Chicago Steel prior to Merrimack and has been a high-skill, point producing type of player everywhere he’s gone. He found himself just on the outside of the Hockey East champ’s scoring lines and thus came available in the portal. Lang has been on a quest to find some natural skill to complement some of the tight-checking types he had in the locker room last year. Yurchuk has it, it’s just going to be about slowing the ECAC game down enough to utilize it.

Elite Hands and Natural Skill

After watching his tape from MC and the Steel, I left pretty convinced that he’d be playing at BC or BU if he were 5 inches taller. Yurchuk’s speed, hands, and IQ jump off the page immediately upon turning on the tape. He is so crafty maneuvering around defenders and has outstanding speed. The creativity in the offensive zone stands out to me too, he is just so patient and always seems to make the right pass. It looks as if he has the puck on a string while dangling through the neutral zone. He plays with an elusiveness as a forechecker and offensive player that is highly translatable and effective. Yurchuk’s dynamic game can truly drive offense and flip puck possession in his team’s favor.

Playmaking

As I alluded to before, his vision is simply top notch, and he is at his best with the puck on his stick. Some players simply don’t have that level of talent where the game slows down for them on the attack, but Yurchuk undoubtedly has it. He plays the game on the edge, but I found that more often than not he makes the right play.

So why didn’t it translate to college right away?

We’ve seen this happen with this archetype of player before. Highly skilled, often smaller players that were elite in prep and AAA, with high point production in the USHL that then struggle as Freshman in tough conferences. RPI has had a mixed bag recruiting this type of transfer, although I’d say it’s been more good than bad. TJ Walsh, Chase Zieky, and Brendan Budy are 3 that come to mind. The college game is clearly more physical, faster, and experienced than junior hockey, which can cause a slow adjustment for some guys. The ECAC is a heavier, tighter checking league than Hockey East, but it generally has less skill (although not always true). Yurchuk may struggle with the physicality of the league, but I also think his offensive ability will shine where it’s a bit of a dime a dozen in Hockey East. He is going to need his speed to be the difference maker and use it to find gaps in heavy ECAC defenses.

Intangibles

The biggest thing that holds Yurchuk back is his size and defensive ability. At 5’8, 170, he just doesn’t give you much in your own end and lacks the physicality you covet. That’s not to say that smaller forwards haven’t had success here, as quite a bit of his game calls Jacob Hayhurst to mind for me. I just think you know what you're getting with Yurchuk, and he’s likely not coming in to improve the defensive tenacity. He does have top-notch speed though, which when combined with his great stickhandling should help RPI possess and move the puck.

Yurchuk is a former top 10 pick in the USHL draft and was committed to Northeastern for a time, suggesting that the pedigree is absolutely there. I think the big question with this commitment is if the game slows down enough after another year and in a new conference. If Yurchuk’s possession and playmaking skills can shine through, then RPI just found a diamond in the rough.

Congrats to Ben and his family! Let’s go red.

Back in the beginning of February, we reported that RPI picked up a commitment from ‘06 LW Jordan Gavin. Listed at 5’11” and 180 LBs, Gavin was one of the top prospects in all of Canada for his birth year as a teenager. He’s had a long and winding path to get to where he is now, which we will get to in a bit. This year, he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL where he had 16 goals, 42 assists, and 58 points in 68 games. Let’s take a look at his path given how unique it is.

Before the WHL

Gavin was a prolific scorer in U15 hockey with his high-end skill and elite hockey sense. He put up a whopping 24 points in only 6 games when the season was shortened due to COVID. This led to his selection as the #2 overall pick in the WHL draft following the season, behind Berkly Catton who just played out the full season with the Seattle Kraken in the NHL as a 19 and 20 year old. He also was selected ahead of Charlie Elick, a 2nd round pick for Columbus, and Roger McQueen, who was taken in the top 10 by Anaheim. That should give you an idea of the type of can’t miss prospect he was at age 14.

Since the WHL does its draft a year earlier than the other junior leagues, the players who are picked don’t join their team full time until a year later. Gavin played his age 14-15 year old season at the U17 level, where he again put up ridiculous numbers despite playing up an age group. He had 48 goals, 57 assists, and 105 points in 28 games! Players are still allowed to get a handful of WHL games as an affiliate player at that age, and Gavin played 9 games with the Tri-City Americans after turning 15 years old.

The 2022-23 Season

Gavin was able to join Tri-City full time in 2022 despite still only being 15 at the start of the season due to his late birthday in November. Despite his age, he was immediately a dynamic player in the league with 54 points in 62 games, which is extremely impressive for a 15-16 year old playing in junior. That was 3rd in the league in points for U17 players, and he was only 1 point behind Berkly Catton and Ryder Ritchie despite being younger than both.

He was as good as anyone in his age group, and that was evidenced by his selection to Team Canada Black for the World U17 Hockey Challenge. Joining him on the team were Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, Zayne Parekh, and Lynden Lakovic just to give a few names.

The 2023-24 Season

While most of the players in his age group were in their draft year this year, Gavin was not yet because of his November birthday. He started off the year playing for Team Canada in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as one of Canada’s best U18 players and as part of an absolutely loaded team that included 16 top 3 round picks, 10 first round picks, and 7 top 15 picks! He took a backseat to all of that talent, but the fact he was on that team shows he was in that conversation.

Gavin lit up the scoresheet again during the season although he didn’t take a huge jump in production. He went up to a point per game with 68 points in 68 games, which was 8th in the league among U18 players and still an elite mark for his age. Among players who were not yet draft eligible though, he was 2nd in the league only behind Gavin McKenna. He ended the year as a clear NHL draft prospect and one of the top prospects in western Canada.

The 2024-25 Season

Entering into his draft year, Gavin had a statistical profile in line with a clear first round pick. However, he wasn’t looked at as a first round pick and top NHL prospect anymore heading into the year due to questions about how his game would translate up levels. He was viewed as more of a top 3 round pick in the preseason. Scott Wheeler had him listed in his honorable mentions in his preseason top 32 rankings.

The NHL downgrades undersized players unless they have elite skating and compete level to go along with elite production. When Gavin’s production started stagnating during the year, his status as an NHL prospect fell alongside it. In the NHL Central Scouting October watch list, Gavin was rated as a C prospect, meaning projected for rounds 4-5.

In November, Scott Wheeler ranked him 59th in his rankings, but as the year went on, Gavin fell out of Wheeler’s rankings entirely and didn’t make his final top 100. In NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings in January, he came in at 123rd among North American skaters. In their final rankings in April, he was unranked and did not make the cut out of 224 skaters in North America. Obviously, he ended up going undrafted after finishing the season with 57 points in 68 games.

Scott Wheeler’s report in his November rankings do a very good job in explaining the slide and the question marks surrounding him, in my opinion.

Neutral Zone had an in-depth NHL scouting report on him last year as well, which also explains why scouts saw shortcomings in his projection.

This Year

That all brings us to this year, where Gavin stayed at around the same production level with 58 points in 68 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and he will again go undrafted in the NHL draft this summer.

To be clear, this isn’t meant to have a negative slant whatsoever; it’s just adding context on how a former top prospect in all of Canada ended up going undrafted and is now slated to attend RPI this fall. To be quite frank, RPI basically never lands players of this stature and raw talent, and it was a huge recruiting win to beat out some big programs to land him!

From watching Gavin, he is clearly a dynamic player, especially with the puck on his stick. He has high-end skill with outstanding hands. The puck is practically on a string when it’s on his stick, and he can dangle defenders regularly. He also has a great shot and can finish his chances with an accurate wrister and a pretty good one-timer.

The main strength of his game though is his absolutely elite IQ level. He processes the game at a high level and always seems to find impossible seams and passing lanes (seriously, watch those highlight videos). He then executes those passes easily with his skill. Gavin also has excellent decision making with the puck and creates scoring chances frequently in the offensive zone with his reads.

Another example of his incredible hockey sense is his ability to stay out of the box. He went 3 YEARS without taking a penalty in the WHL. When taking his first penalty in 3 years, the WHL felt they had to record a video to make note of the incident, which was a delay of game penalty. In total, Gavin record 10 penalty minutes in his entire WHL career, which was 275 games!

Fit at RPI

Gavin will enroll this fall at RPI and will likely slide immediately into the top 6 at LW. He will be one of the most naturally gifted players to ever don the Cherry and White, and his skill and hockey sense will instantly boost RPI’s scoring ability at the top of the lineup. He has the ability to be one of the top freshmen in the league, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he’s on the All-Rookie team at season’s end. He is going to come in with a chip on his shoulder to prove the NHL scouts wrong and show that he can add more strength, pace/speed and competitiveness, and he will have every opportunity to do that at RPI. I can’t wait to see him suit up for the Engineers. Congratulations to Jordan and his family on his commitment!

Simon Motew’s path to RPI has been an unconventional one, and one that college hockey fans 10 years ago wouldn’t have been able to fathom. Motew hails from Highland Park, IL, just like former RPI center Zach Dubinsky. He was a standout for the Chicago Mission in AAA, before moving up to Ontario to start a great career with the Kitchener Rangers. Motew played 4 seasons in the OHL and was highly successful, but aged out prior to the NCAA’s inclusion of the CHL. He spent 1 year at St. Francis Xavier in USports where he was very good, before transferring over the border after the rule change to Ben Barr’s Maine Black Bears. Motew fell out of the lineup for Maine and now comes to RPI in search of regular minutes. There is a lot to like about Simon’s game, and I think RPI is a great place for him to develop with his final 2 years of NCAA eligibility.

Dependable, 2-Way Game

Motew plays a very reliable 2-way game that is so coveted by Lang’s staff. He has good size at 6’1, 190lbs and even plays a bit bigger than that with his physicality. What intrigues me most about Simon’s play is his ability to defend attackers looking to gain zone entry, as his size, speed, and long reach make him very difficult to gain entry on. He uses this reach to keep attackers to the outside and then move play back towards the neutral zone. He has above average speed for a defenseman of his size and seems very comfortable with the puck on his stick in transition. There’s clearly some offense in the tank too given his offensive output in the OHL and at St. Francis Xavier.

Developing Offense

Motew has produced points at every level except for Maine, with most of his offense coming as a blue-line facilitator. He has good speed and passes it well, thus I expect him to benefit from a slightly slower pace of play in the ECAC. I’d like to see his processing and deceptiveness at the blue line improve to get to the next level. I don’t expect him to see a primary offensive role at RPI, as Sobieski, Klassek, and Burzynski figure to get the lion’s share of PP time on the back end. However, he is skilled enough as a 2-way that he can help out on both ends.

This pickup pretty effectively threads the risk-reward needle that makes sense for the program right now. What I mean by that is, the team is in transition and is looking for high upside players that can be pieces to build with. You just saw 4 defensemen leave for the portal in an effort to get younger and more skilled. Motew has the upside to fit this theme, and his OHL and Hockey East pedigree is attractive even if he hasn’t found a collegiate home to stick at thus far. However, the defensive unit is also going to be very young, and Motew is 23 with a lot of hockey under his belt. In some sense you are getting a safe bet to balance the youth, but there seems to be more upside here than with some of the other options that were on the table.

Motew seems like a solid pick-up to me with the chance to earn a major role. He has attended Senators and Canadiens development camps, and is clearly well regarded in hockey circles. What he needs right now is ice time to develop, and RPI has room to provide that for him. Sobieski will garner the most minutes on the right side, but it seems Motew, James Guo, and Landen Hilditch will be competing for the last 2 spots. Congrats to Simon and we look forward to watching him this coming fall! Let’s go red!

College Hockey’s black Monday is nearly complete, with 253 players headed to the transfer portal according to Gopher Puck Live. The portal gives as much as it takes, depending on where your favorite program’s resources stack up against the rest. The Engineers have actually fared okay in the portal with the exception of last year’s coaching change, and day 1 brought some much-expected turnover. 9 Engineers headed to the transfer portal as the clock struck midnight, most notably senior forward Tyler Wallace. Wallace’s departure is unfortunate, but most of the other changes were likely the choice of the coaching staff. RPI nabbed one commitment today from Providence forward Brendan Ross. Ross played sparingly for the Friars in 2025-26 but had a productive freshman season at Alaska before transferring to Providence. He will have 2 years of eligibility left and look to regain his freshman year form at RPI.

Game Breakdown

Ross has all the physical tools you can ask for and has a pedigree of scoring in junior hockey. He is 6’3, 200 lbs., and skates well with a long stride. His hands are above average, and he effectively dekes around defenders to gain space in the zone. The shot looks highly effective to me and resulted in 47 goals in his final junior season for the Blackfalds Bulldogs. Ross has the tenacity to fill bottom 6 minutes for the Engineers, but he has the type of game that could break out into a much bigger 2-way role.

He’s had an interesting and tumultuous path from Blackfalds to RPI. The Bulldogs were one of the teams that left the AJHL for the BCHL in 2024, and Ross remained very productive after the move. His freshman year in Alaska was productive (3-11-14) and clearly Providence saw something in him to pry him away from Fairbanks. The Friars earned a late commitment from Roger McQueen which pushed Ross out of the top 9, and Providence’s complete lack of injuries held him out of the lineup this year. Obviously, you would like to see him have made more of an impact for PC, but they had a very deep forward group and undoubtedly the best 4th line in college hockey. Ross was the odd man out, and heads to RPI looking for the chance to produce in the top 9. At the very worst, he should be able to provide something on the 4th line.

Departures

9 Engineers headed for the doorway this morning in search of a new opportunity.

Forwards: Tyler Wallace (35-9-9-18), Cole Gordon (34-1-2-3), Jack Gorton (12-2-0-2), Jackson Kyrkostas (12-0-2-2)

Defense: Lucas Lemieux (20-1-1-2), Matthew Jovanovic (2-0-0-0), Gunnar VanDamme (33-0-5-5), Gustavs Ozolins (34-1-2-3), Jimmy Goffredo (25-1-4-5)

First and foremost, we’d like to thank all these guys for their contributions to the program. With that being said though, Wallace is the only one I’d make anything of. I expect him to move up a level and try to play a similar top 6 role on a program that’s further alone. Lemieux was a good recruit and flashed some but clearly was recruited over in favor of Burzynski and Michael. Gordon, Gorton, and Kyrkostas will go looking for programs where they can play more. Lang alluded to Jovanovic moving on due to injury concerns on the podcast last week. Lastly, Ozolins and Goffredo have played a bunch the past 2 years but are likely being recruited over too.

If there are no more entries, RPI’s depth chart looks roughly as follows:

Gavin-Sitar-Buckley
Evaschesen-Rullers-Tapper
Hadland-Scherzer-Ross
Lindberg-Lodewyk-Bono
McNeil

Burzynski-Sobieski
Klassek-Guo
Michael-Hilditch

Krawchuk
McCallum
Bruveris
Dorfman

I would not expect Bruveris back and expect 2-3 more forwards and defenseman to come in. Players have 2 more weeks to enter, but I would expect the bulk of the entries will be done by tomorrow or Wednesday. Congrats to Brendan and let’s go red!

We haven’t done a piece like this in a while (2023), and it was pretty jarring to go back and look at what the pipeline was just 2.5 short years ago. Of the 19 commitments at the time, 8 went on to suit up at RPI and just 5 are on the current roster, which reflects the amount of turnover that’s happened in this program of late. Nonetheless, the coaching staff is solidified and seemingly has a plan for the type of recruit that they want to bring in. The 2026 freshman class looks pretty set to me, but there may be room for one more addition depending on roster changes in the coming weeks. Beyond that, only 2 of the remaining commits were brought here by Lang, so expect that to get turned over and filled out. Most junior leagues are nearing the end of their regular season and approaching their playoffs, so most of these stat lines are nearly final.

2026 Arrivals

Jordan Gavin - F, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2026 Stats: 68GP-16-42-58

Gavin is by far the highest pedigree recruit of RPI’s and one that was expected to be a draft pick a few years back. His production in the WHL has flatlined a bit, settling around a point-per-game the past 4-5 years. His commitment was a big deal for RPI and sent a message that Lang & Schneider were not afraid to go after the top talent in western Canada. Gavin is a very talented player with some of the best hockey IQ you’ll find in juniors. Expect him to immediately plug into the middle or top 6 this fall.

Josh Evaschesen - F, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
2026 Stats: 67GP-33-40-73

Evaschesen is the complete opposite of Gavin, who has been scouted and widely covered since he was 14 years old. Evaschesen played for Trail in the BCHL with Lucas Lemieux and former RPI commit Dylan Lariviere last year, where he put up very modest numbers. He wasn’t on many radars before breaking out in the WHL this year, which is historically a much, much tougher league. Next thing he knew, top programs in the country were calling him and RPI worked very hard to nab his commitment. He finished in the top 25 of WHL scoring, where most players above him have an NHL logo next to their name. If Evaschesen continues on this trajectory, he will make a significant impact at RPI.

Harrison Lodewyk - F, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
2026 Stats: 54GP-18-22-40

Lodewyk is another recruit who found his stride in his last year of junior. Harrison missed some time due to a midseason injury but has produced around a point-per-game besides that stretch where he was banged up. He was traded early in the year from Prince Albert to Calgary and carved out a nice role for himself near the top of the lineup. Lodewyk comes in to play a different role than the prior two, one where he will use his blazing speed and tenacity to improve the 4th line. I think he has enough skill to play a bigger role than that, but as a freshman he can plug right into the bottom 6 and be an upgrade.

Caleb Hadland - F, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2026 Stats: 56GP-15-29-44

Hadland has captained the Wheat Kings this year and is putting together his best WHL season despite a recent injury. He was a pretty coveted recruit at the time of his commitment and has been one of the better ‘06 forwards in the league. Similar to Gavin, his hockey sense is outstanding, and he plays the game with a lot of tenacity. Brandon has a very balanced attack which has held back his output a bit but make no mistake: Hadland will make an immediate impact at RPI and get opportunities to produce right away.

James Guo - D, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
2026 Stats: 63GP-8-31-39

There is a lot of discourse, rightfully so, about what the top junior league is to feed the NCAA now that the CHL is allowed. Most will tell you that the OHL is the best, and Guo is one of the best ‘05 defenseman in the league. He has grown into a big role on the top pair in his final year in Saginaw and is known as an athletic, puck-moving D. He has good size at 6’1, 200lbs, and could contribute on the 2nd pair right away if he’s asked to do so. He won an academic award in Saginaw and figures to be the exact type of recruit Lang wants, with a high priority on education, experience, and hard skill.

Grayson Burzynski - D, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2026 Stats: 59GP-11-47-58

After being traded from Swift Current to Brandon in the offseason, Burzynski put together his best season of junior hockey this year. We’ve spoken at length about Burzynski’s offensive prowess and his comfortability running an offensive attack from the blue line. He is a 4.25-star recruit at Neutral Zone and a point-per-game recruit out of the WHL as a defenseman. Those recruits don’t grow on trees and RPI supposedly beat out some very high-end programs to get him here. I don’t have any doubt that he can contribute offense at a high-level, the question will be how much of the defensive load can he shoulder?

Ryan Michael - D, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
2026 Stats: 67GP-3-30-33

We highlighted Michael last week and are pretty excited for the two-way game he will bring to the Engineer blue line. Michael is uber steady and the type of leader you want in your locker room. He has played 5 seasons with the Blazers, worn a letter for 3, and put together his best season this year as their Captain. He might not have the flash and offensive upside to run a powerplay like Burzynski and Guo, but he is as reliable as they come. I expect Michael to start on the 3rd pair and get time on the PK next fall.

Ethan McCallum - G, Penticton Vees (WHL)
2026 Stats: 34GP-2.63-.907%

RPI’s most recent commitment is Penticton goalie Ethan McCallum. McCallum comes to the Engineers from the Western Hockey League and has split time between Saskatoon and Penticton this year. He started his WHL career in Medicine Hat, where he teamed up with presumptive #1 overall pick Gavin McKenna. We will have a piece out on McCallum soon and how his journey to Penticton has culminated in his best junior season. His .907 Sv% is T-6th in the WHL and he has great size to go with the improving numbers. McCallum will come in next year and presumptively start as the backup to Nate Krawchuk.

Future Arrivals

Ryan Hecker - D, Avon Old Farms (USHS-Prep)
2026 Stats: 28GP-2-6-8

Hecker committed to the Engineers in the fall, as he wraps up his final season at Avon Old Farms before heading off to junior hockey. It’s hard to glean much from high school hockey box scores, but Hecker is well regarded as a good skater with high IQ. His numbers dropped off a bit from last season, going from 14 points to 8. Hecker’s USHL rights were traded from Waterloo to Dubuque during the season, and I’d expect him to go to their camp this summer with the hopes of making the team. He’s still 2-3 years away from college, but making a USHL roster next year would be big for his development.

Leo-Gabriel Gosselin - F, SSFB (QM18AAA) & Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
2026 Stats: 37GP-21-30-51 (QM18AAA) ; 8GP-0-2-2 (QMJHL)

Gosselin had a great year for Seminaire St-Francois Blizzard, finishing around 10th in scoring in their league. His point total from last year swelled from 21 to 51 on less games, which resulted in a number of QMJHL callups. He was a 2nd round pick of Chicoutimi but saw his rights traded this winter to a much worse Baie-Comeau team. This will likely be a good thing for his development and allow him to play in a scoring role when he goes to the QMJHL full time next year. Gosselin also is multiple years away but he has the look of a prospect whose stock is rising.

Smith Recruits

This group of players was originally recruited by Dave Smith’s staff and still seems to be committed to RPI. I would put a pretty low probability of any of them arriving in Troy, but I will briefly highlight each of their years here as they remain in the pipeline for now.

Kamyl Chemrouk - F, Powell River Kings (BCHL)
2026 Stats: 46GP-14-15-29

Chemrouk came out guns blazing when he started the season with the Brooks Bandits, producing well above a point-per-game. He cooled off quite a bit and was traded from Brooks to Coquitlam, and then again to Powell River. He has some work to do next year to be in line for a roster spot in ‘27-28.

Ryan Dwyer - F, Newfoundland Regiment (QMJHL)
2026 Stats: 45GP-5-4-9

Like Chemrouk, Dwyer committed last winter under Smith while they played in Canadian prep. Dwyer made his QMJHL team this summer and mostly played a bottom 6 role for Baie-Comeau and Newfoundland. He may have a chance to make it as a checking forward, but his offense likely needs to develop to make the D1 level.

Carter Matthews - D, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
2026 Stats: 18GP-0-2-2

Matthews started the year with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL, where he had played his prior 2 seasons. He signed into the WHL halfway through the season and has been fairly quiet since moving up. As an ‘06 birth year, Matthews has one more year of junior hockey left. Given RPI’s surplus of LD’s right now, he seems like a long shot to make it to RPI.

Tafari Chingwaru - D, Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL)
2026 Stats: 36GP-1-6-7

Chingwaru has had stints in the BCHL, WHL, and the AJHL and struggled to stick in each spot. He is still very young and has more time to develop over the next several years.

I expect those 8 recruits and maybe 1 late addition to head to Troy this fall. Lang has completely turned over the pipeline, and he still has quite a bit of work to do to fill it out for years to come. I can’t wait to see these guys suit up for RPI soon. Let’s go red!

Back in early February, RPI picked up another commitment from the WHL. This time it was Brandon Wheat Kings captain Caleb Hadland. Hadland is an ‘06 wing listed at 5’10” and 190 LBs. He finished the regular season with 15 goals, 29 assists and 44 points in 56 games after missing some time due to injury. He has played for Brandon all 4 years of his WHL career and totaled 227 games for them. Hadland was the 8th ranked ‘06 player in the entire WHL per Neutral Zone and is a big time get for RPI.

Hadland is a very smart and skilled forward. Neutral Zone describes him as having “high end hockey sense” and “the intelligence to play at the NHL level.” He consistently makes subtle plays, and he has impressive details, playing the game the “right way.” His competitiveness is noteworthy with those details and intelligence. EliteProspects said, “If there’s a battle on the ice, chances are Hadland is involved – and winning. He uses his small stature to get low, dig underneath opponents, and slide in front. That core skill makes a threat when driving the net with the puck or battling for space without it. The opponents he can’t outwork, he outthinks.” Neutral Zone noted that he “consistently wins one on one confrontations through sheer determination before finding teammates quickly to extend zone time.”

Hadland is also a very skilled player with creativity in the offensive zone. He has the stick skill to make plays with the puck and transport it through the neutral zone. He “packs a punch with his shot. He gets every pound of his frame behind his shot like he is trying to break the netting.” Based on his pedigree, it’s no wonder that Hadland has the skill, intelligence and competitiveness combo that coaches covet. Hadland was a first round pick in the WHL draft back in 2021, and he played for the New Jersey Devils in the annual prospects challenge last fall.

Hadland will enroll at RPI this fall where he will make an immediate impact. He will likely slot somewhere in the middle 6, and he has the versatility to play either wing. I expect he is going to be an outstanding Engineer over the course of his career here with his character, leadership, competitiveness, and skill. I can’t wait to see him suit up in October! Congratulations to Caleb and his family!

RPI earned a commitment from Kamloops Blazers captain Ryan Michael back in January, as Eric Lang’s defensive overhaul continues to take shape. Michael’s commitment marks the continuum of a strategic shift into the WHL by the staff. Lang has spoken at length about wanting players with “hard skill”, and Ryan Michael fits that to a tee. He plays a highly reliable game and is well-known for his leadership qualities, with size and stick skill to go with it.

Michael joins Grayson Burzynski and James Guo as defenseman slated to come to RPI in the fall, in what figures to be a very young and promising unit. With Michael and Burzynski coming in, RPI now projects to have 7 LDs on the 2026 roster. I'd be willing to wager that this will not be the case so keep an eye out for some turnover as Michael and Burzynski have to go to college this year and can’t be delayed. Let’s take a look at Ryan’s game and what has us so excited:

Game Breakdown:

Michael’s game is all about hockey IQ and reliability. He has been on the top pair for Kamloops this season and worn the C, which is a testament to his leadership ability. Scouting reports describe him as a player that coaches can heavily trust in his own end and is relied upon on the PK. He combines his intelligence with size and skating ability which makes him a very well-rounded prospect. Michael stands 6’2 and 200 lbs and is one of the oldest eligible prospects, so he will certainly be ready to play on day 1.

Goal # 1

Goal # 2

Shot Block

I wouldn’t say Michael touts the offensive game of Thomas Klassek or Grayson Burzynski, but he is a good fit for the RPI defense which is quickly filling up with offensive types. He has good hands and can pass and move the puck the way Lang values in defenseman. I see some of former Engineer Jake Johnson in his game due to his skating, IQ, and willingness to block shots.

Team Fit

Ryan is the type of “hard skill” player that Lang’s staff covets, and I think he can be a real staple on the back end. His game is less flashy than others but puck-moving defenseman with a simple style thrive in this system. RPI is quickly developing a young core of defenseman with potential to be a top unit in the ECAC. Lang had success with this style of puck-mover at AIC in the late 2010s, and this unit figures to have the same skill with a bit more size.

Burzynski (FR) - Sobieski (JR)
Klassek (SO) - Guo (FR)
Michael (FR) - Hilditch (SO)

Extras: Ozolins (JR), VanDamme (SR), Lemieux (SO), Jovanovic (SO)

I am not suggesting that RPI’s defensive alignment will look like that next year, but merely trying to illustrate what I think a lineup centered on the higher potential, young guns looks like. I do think that a defensive alignment the following year would pretty much exactly like that though. It is a young core of defensemen with a lot of potential and the chance to be the backbone of teams to come.

Michael is listed as a 4-star by Neutral Zone and has been for years. His D partner in Kamloops is a 2nd-round pick with NHL and World Junior experience for the Penguins and Canada respectively. Michael clearly belongs and is the type of recruit that RPI wants to continue pursuing. If they can make a living recruiting older 4-stars and better, this program will be in great shape.

Ryan is a plug-and-play defenseman that projects into the top-4 in years to come. 3 years of wearing a letter in Kamloops suggests that he will be an excellent voice to have in the locker room and is a future captain here. Congratulations to Ryan and his family, we look forward to watching him this fall!

Well, it has been a week since RPI’s season officially ended, and it’s given us some time to reflect on the season that was. The 2025-26 RPI Engineers were a team defined by progress and hard work. It was a team starved for goal-scoring talent back in October as 20 new faces came together for the first time. And while they failed to advance out of the first round, the growth that this team had was nothing short of remarkable. Engineer fans should leave this season feeling incredibly optimistic for what’s to come in this program.

Clarkson Game Breakdown

We highlighted in our previews how RPI was a bit fortunate in the season series to get timely scoring and some strong goaltending. The reason we like to use metrics in our work is because they should act as a regression to the mean. While RPI had won those two regular season games, Clarkson did possess the puck more and out chance them, which is why this game made me a bit nervous. It was no surprise that RPI’s tight defensive style showed through in this one, but Clarkson really cleaned it up in their own end and made it tough for the Engineers to generate anything.

The one lapse that the Knights made was a misplay in their own end leading right to an Ian Scherzer goal. Clarkson answered just a minute later on a goal from Tate Taylor to make it 1-1. This one had the makings of a playoff classic as it grinded deep into the 3rd, but Justin Cote’s shot from between the circles gave the Knights all they would need. Krawchuk probably wants that one back, but he had made 4-5 saves before that to keep RPI in this one. Clarkson was always going to be a tough draw for RPI given their heavy possession style, hunger to avoid a 3rd loss to RPI, and the challenge of Cheel Arena. RPI wasn’t bad on this night, they just didn’t quite generate enough to put Clarkson on their heels. It’s a disappointing finish for a team that was surging and had high hopes of playing another weekend.

Offseason Lookahead

We have a bunch of offseason content planned where we will go more in-depth on what needs to be upgraded, potential departures, arrivals, and the recruiting class. For now though, here is what we know:

Definitely Departing (4): Dovar Tinling (F), Luc Wilson (F), Lucas Matta (F/D), Trevor Russell (D)
Expected Arrivals (7): Jordan Gavin (F), Caleb Hadland (F), Josh Evaschesen (F), Harrison Lodewyk (F), James Guo (D), Grayson Burzynski (D), Ryan Michael (D)

In our opinion, the high priority keeps are: Rainers Rullers (F), Filip Sitar (F), Matthew Buckley (F), Ian Scherzer (F), Tyler Wallace (F), Thomas Klassek (D), Kaz Sobieski (D), Nate Krawchuk (G)

Well, 4 does not equal 7, and Lang said on his radio spot this week that they will look to upgrade anywhere they can, so I do think some departures will come. I don’t expect heavy usage of the transfer portal like last year, but that is another thing to monitor too.

To wrap the ‘25-’26 season, we want to thank all of you that support us here at The Field House and have been behind the program every step of the way. It has been a transformational year for RPI Hockey and we truly feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg for things to come. Stay tuned here as we take you through the Engineer offseason and look ahead to the ‘26-’27 season in a few short months. Let’s go red!

One of the best rivalries in eastern college hockey, RPI and Clarkson, will be renewed this Friday night at Cheel Arena in the ECAC Hockey playoffs. The Engineers swept the season series and also won at Cheel in the 5-12 game two years ago, but this will by no means be easy. Not only is Clarkson a very talented team, but the trip to Potsdam is a tough one and the building figures to be raucous. They seem to be finding their footing at the right time with 4 wins in a row prior to Saturday’s loss at Cornell. RPI is peaking too with a record of 5-2-1 in their last 8 and will certainly make things tough on Clarkson. Let’s break down the two rosters and the matchup:

Clarkson

Record: 15-16-3 (8th in ECAC)
Head Coach: JF Houle (2nd Year)

Clarkson lost a bunch of guys and elected to lean heavily into the CHL rather than the portal to replace them. The results were a bit disappointing despite those players producing, as they fell from 2nd to 8th in the league. Their underlying metrics are still good though, which is why this has been a confusing year. Ethan Langenegger put up a save percentage of .914% last year while getting the lion’s share of play, but Shane Soderwall has only given them a .900% this year.

Secondly, while they are talented, they lack experience. 9 of their 12 available forwards last weekend are underclassmen and 6 of the 7 defensemen are as well. With wins over Penn State and North Dakota but some bad losses to go with it, it’s fair to say this has been a confusing year for the Knights. With a good offseason, I expect Clarkson to be one of those teams picked to jump back into the top 4 next year. I think RPI could be constructed similarly next year with the talented recruiting class they have lined up.

Players to Watch:

Ryan Bottrill (Sr, Forward): 34-9-27-36
Owen Van Steensel (Fr, Forward): 34-12-13-25
Tristan Sarsland (Sr, Defense) 34-6-10-16
Shane Soderwall (Jr, Goalie) 31-2.68-.900%

RPI

Record: 11-22-1 (9th in ECAC)
Head Coach: Eric Lang (1st Year)

RPI’s lineup has completely stabilized over the last few weeks, including the insertion of Landen Hilditch for Trevor Russell, who seems to be hurt. The Rullers line with the two grads has really gelled, and Sitar centering the two freshman is probably RPI’s most talented line. Thomas Klassek just won his 2nd straight (!) ECAC defenseman of the week and has a real case for the all-rookie team. And how can you not mention Nate Krawchuk, the reigning ECAC goaltender of the week with one of the hottest hands in college hockey right now. The freshman is giving RPI a chance to win every night right now and is not a guy anyone wants to face. We know the book on this group by now: stay out of the box, be opportunistic, and get good goaltending. It’s working brilliantly right now.

Players to Watch:

Luciano Wilson (Gr, Forward) 33-8-14-22
Thomas Klassek (Fr, Defenseman) 33-3-15-18
Filip Sitar (So, Forward) 34-8-9-17
Nate Krawchuk (Fr, Goalie) 23-2.85-.908%

Assessing the Matchup

Team Statistics:

As I alluded to earlier, Clarkson has a talented team and struggled to get the results they wanted all year. On the other hand, RPI has the better goaltender, is more disciplined, and frankly has a coach with an incredibly amount of postseason success. This is much more evenly matched than it was 2 years ago when RPI won at Cheel in the playoffs. Clarkson is slightly more skilled, but RPI is red hot with a lot of self-belief right now.

Season Matchup:

RPI swept the season series despite Clarkson out chancing them in those games. It’s not easy to beat a team for a 3rd time and I reckon Clarkson is motivated to change the narrative around the series.

Keys to the Game:

1. Play your game

   RPI is 5-2-1 in the last 8 and 2-0 against Clarkson. Lang said on his radio spot this week that the team plays a playoff style already and isn’t searching for how to defend harder. The emphasis will be to stick to their tight checking style on Friday.

2. Get pucks to the net

   Simply getting pucks towards the goaltender and getting bounces and deflections worked brilliantly against Yale. RPI needs to test Soderwall and keep the puck in deep.

3. Be the more urgent team

   I spoke before about Clarkson being motivated to prevent a sweep, plus they will be on their home ice. RPI will need to be completely locked in and play intelligently to win the effort battle.

Eric Lang was adamant all offseason that his group would be the best at things that require zero talent, and they would be playing their best hockey come March. Both seem like an unequivocal yes so far. The Engineers did exactly what they needed to this weekend, with two very strong efforts against Brown and Yale. Neither were flashy, but they seemed to be in complete control of the game both nights. Nate Krawchuk was great again, the veterans continue to lead the way, and it’s all resulting in a winning formula that has carried RPI to 5-2-1 in the last 8.

Friday: 3-1 Win at Brown

Some of you may know that I am not local anymore, so I don’t get to catch many games in person, but I was able to get to Brown on Friday to see this one. It was a lot of fun to sit right behind the bench and see the game up close. Not to mention, I think there were more RPI fans than Brown fans there. RPI was the better team in the first 10 but Brown scored on a flukey goal that Krawchuk probably wants back. 2 breakaway goals for the Engineers by Dovar Tinling and Jagger Tapper put them up 1 into the break. RPI had 7 powerplay minutes and nearly 20 shots in the first period, but the game definitely tightened up after that.

Brown had a goal waived off late in the 2nd for goaltender interference that would have tied it up. RPI’s 2nd period was sloppy, but I thought they were pretty intentional in the 3rd and snuffed out most of Brown’s scoring chances. Tyler Wallace found the empty net and RPI took it 3-1.

Saturday: 4-2 Win at Yale

With Clarkson’s win on Friday, RPI could no longer play for home ice on Saturday, but this game against Yale would determine who finished 9th. After a somewhat muted first frame, it was the Luc Wilson and Thomas Klassek show for the Engineers. Wilson scored from the high slot off a sweet feed from Dovar Tinling early in the 2nd. Klassek sent a rocket slapshot from the point that found its way by Jack Stark to double the lead. Tyler Wallace would get a piece of a Klassek shot to send the Engineers into the 2nd break up 3. Yale struck for one before Luc Wilson deflected a Klassek shot to make it 4-1. It was a 4-point night for Klassek, bringing his point total up to 18 to lead all Engineer defenseman. Yale found one more goal late, but it was a fairly stress-free win for RPI in this one.

ECAC Seeding

Byes: Quinnipiac, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton

5v12: Brown at Union

6v11: SLU at Harvard

7v10: Yale at Colgate

8v9: RPI at Clarkson

This season was a bit of a resurgence for an ECAC that has struggled post-COVID. Reid Cashman’s revival of Dartmouth, Ben Syer’s progress at Princeton, and Josh Hauge’s job at Union have all pulled the league upwards. Harvard looks to be headed the right direction again, Clarkson was young this year, and RPI seems poised for a resurgence under Lang.

I think Clarkson could be a tough draw given the long road trip and the talent on their roster. It is tough to beat a team 3 times, but RPI had a lot of success against them this year. Finishing 9th is a very positive result given the hand Lang was dealt and their struggles early in the season. Remember that the first round of the ECAC playoffs is just 1 game now, and I believe this one will be Friday night. It’s crazy to say that it’s playoff time again — so stay tuned for our preview of the Clarkson game later this week! Let’s go red!

Freakout magic is back once again. We have been preaching about progress, underlying metrics, recruiting, and other behind the scenes reasons that the fanbase should be excited right now. But Rainers Rullers hammering home that go-ahead slapshot on the powerplay Saturday night lit a spark in the Field House that we haven’t seen in a long time. Eric Lang had come real close to a few statement wins in year 1, wins he could take to a passionate but frustrated fanbase to say, “Look, better days are coming”. He thought he had it the MVP Arena before Union scored twice in the final 2 minutes of play and again in OT to win the Mayor’s Cup. Last week they came close to knocking off perennial power Cornell at the Field House. But in front of over 4500 fans at the Houston Field House, Rainers Rullers and this group of Engineers showed the culmination of a year’s worth of tremendous progress within the program. This fanbase truly has a reason to believe, and better yet, I think this recent hot streak is just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come.

Friday vs. Dartmouth

RPI fell on Friday to a Dartmouth team that is having a dream year and a near lock for the NCAA tournament. Ethan Bono opened the scoring in the 2nd period but 3 straight Dartmouth goals would carry them to a 3-1 victory. The nation’s leading goal scorer, Hayden Stavroff, extended his lead to 4 with his 23rd and 24th tallies of the season. Bruno Bruveris got the nod for RPI and stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced. Underlyings suggest the game was about even, as the xG battle came out 2.4-2.3 in favor of RPI, and the Corsi was fairly close.

One could argue that Dartmouth is one of the programs RPI is looking to model in this rebuild. They are selling a very similar message to recruits: elite coach, elite education, improving conference, and hopefully sustained success in the years to come. Dartmouth is a few years ahead of RPI since Reid Cashman is in year 5, but they have used the “high cycle” (recruiting older players and staying old) to their advantage the way Lang says he hopes to.

Saturday vs. Harvard

There was no shortage of festivities on Freakout day with the annual alumni game, extensive media coverage, and all sorts of gatherings in Troy. Harvard took it to RPI in the 1st, and had a goal waived off that would have made it 2-0, thanks to a brilliant challenge by Lang. RPI finally drew even halfway through the 3rd on a goal from Ian Scherzer that appeared to go in off the skate of a Harvard player. The aforementioned Rullers goal came at 4v3 and was an absolute rocket of a shot. The Engineers were strong once they took the lead and finished it off with an ENG to win 3-1.

The Tyler Hotson goal in the final minute 2 years ago, and last year’s win were definitely exciting Freakouts, but this one is honestly my favorite one since the Polacek goal in 2011. To see how excited this group of guys were, a group that largely met for the first time in April and now seems so unified, was nothing short of amazing. This was a great day for all that are involved with the men’s hockey program.

5 Things

1. It would basically take a miracle, but RPI does have a path to playoff home ice.

   RPI is T-10th right now in the league, 1 point back from 9th and 6 back from 8th. Clarkson is 8th, whom RPI swept this year. If Clarkson is swept by Colgate & Cornell, and RPI sweeps Brown and Yale, they would be 8th as long as SLU doesn’t do the same.

2. Starts have been split, but Krawchuk clearly gives RPI the best chance to win.

   Nate Krawchuk has been a little banged up which is why Bruveris has seen some time, but it’s hard to argue with Nate’s production. His development this year has been incredible and is a huge testament to the work that Mathias Lange has done.

3. Freshman on fire

   3 assists for Thomas Klassek on Saturday, 3 points in the last 3 for Ian Scherzer and Matthew Buckley to go along with Krawchuk’s standout play. RPI has a nice group of freshmen that seem to be hitting their stride late in the year.

4. Scoring with depth is brilliant when it works.

   When a team lacks a true top batch of talent, they say that they will have to “score with depth”. Well, that was the narrative around RPI for the 1st half, and it was frustrating when they couldn’t score. Now? Production from nearly every line and D pair is making the Engineers a very well-balanced team.

5. Leave it all on the line.

   The last regular season weekend coming up, and RPI is set to face two teams that they are battling for position with. This should be a great weekend of hockey with a high level of urgency.

This weekend, RPI will be renewing college hockey’s best tradition with the 48th Big Red Freakout! against Harvard. Before that though, they’ll take on a revitalized Dartmouth program on Friday.

Dartmouth

The Big Green have taken a huge step this year and are currently tied for 2nd in the league. They are also 11th in the NPI as one of the top teams in the country, and they appear poised to break their NCAA tournament drought that has lasted since 1980.

This year, Dartmouth has been pretty good in essentially every metric. They have a 56.1% close corsi, which is 10th in the country, and a lot of that is on the back of their defense. They only allow 22.7 shots per game, which is tops in the entire country. They score 3.7 goals per game and only allow 2.2, and that goal differential is also among the best.

Dartmouth is led by star forward Hayden Stavroff who has potted a whopping 22 goals in just 26 games, which leads the entire country. He has a total of 36 points on the year. His linemate is Hank Cleaves who has 30 points in 26 games as the top line center. The backend features 3 really good defensemen in CJ Foley, Eric Charpentier, and Colin Grable, while Emmett Croteau has taken control of the net with a 0.918 SV%.

Dartmouth is an extremely structured and talented team, and they won’t be an easy matchup by any means. They are going to be especially hungry in this one after tying Yale and losing to Brown, which dropped them a few spots in the NPI. They can’t afford to lose many more games and keep their spot in the NCAA tournament. RPI needs to bring their A game.

Harvard

This is definitely the more exciting matchup just because it’s the freakout, but it also is the more winnable game. Harvard is a good team too. They’ve been ranked in the top 20 at various points, and they are currently 23rd in the NPI. They are around average in most categories with 2.9 goals per game and 2.8 goals against per game. Their close corsi is 50.6%. They’re a solid team but not an elite one.

Harvard’s main issue this year is they lack the talent to boost their scoring to a good level instead of an average one. Mick Thompson is clearly their best player with 24 points in 25 games, but then it quickly falls off to Phil Tresca with 19 and Casey Severo with 16. In net, Ben Charette has been pretty reliable with a 0.911 SV% on the year, and he has played all but 10 minutes this season.

Harvard is a decent matchup for RPI stylistically because they are much less structured than Dartmouth and also less physical. RPI was able to compete hard and keep Harvard to the outside a lot in the first game, which is why it was close the entire 60 minutes. They will need to do the same thing again, except convert on more chances. Harvard is 1-3-1 this month and looks vulnerable. If the Engineers bring the same level as last weekend, and they get the needed boost from a huge Freakout! crowd in the HFH, they’ll have a shot in this one.

Can’t wait for the weekend coming up. LGR!

Accounting for the quality of opponents and RPI’s play level, I think this past weekend was pound-for-pound their best of the year. These two home games were a culmination of a lot of progress this season from a group of 20 new faces. The Engineers have beaten a few inferior opponents and had close calls against top teams, but they haven’t put it all together in the league. They have struggled to score all year but are extremely well coached and difficult to play against. RPI took #9 Cornell right to the brink Friday night and thoroughly outplayed Colgate on Saturday. Let’s take a look at what went right:

Friday: 1-1 Tie vs #9 Cornell

Cornell is just tough. They are one of those programs in college hockey that has an identity year-in and year-out, recruiting physical players that are hard to play against. When RPI has been down the past 5 years, these Cornell teams would repeatedly “out-system” RPI and completely prevent scoring chances. Friday night, I thought RPI gave them a taste of their own medicine and threw their game right back at them. Cornell won the underlying’s battle, and one could argue that Bruno Bruveris kept them in the game too, but the two teams played very close to even all night.

RPI got on the board first once again on a 2nd period goal from Mathieu Bourgault. I couldn’t tell if Bourgault got a tip on Jimmy Goffredo’s shot or if it merely hit him and went in, but nonetheless it drew first blood. Aiden Long tied it halfway through the 3rd for Cornell and that would be all the scoring in this one. RPI had the puck for most of overtime but failed to muster too many quality chances before eventually falling in the 4th shootout round. It goes down as a tie for their overall record, which is surprisingly their first of the year.

Saturday: 6-1 Win vs. Colgate

Colgate on the other hand is down this year, let’s not bury the lede. Mike Harder hit the ground running at Colgate, posting back-to-back 3rd place finishes in the league. They sit in 7th in the ECAC now and struggled out of conference, but they are still a more talented team than RPI is this year. On this night though, none of that mattered. RPI took it to them for 60 consecutive minutes, this one was truly never close. 3 assists for Filip Sitar, and a goal and assist for Matthew Buckley, Tyler Wallace, Ian Scherzer and Alfred Lindberg all led the way.

Outside of the SLU game last weekend, RPI has gotten better and better goaltending as the year has gone on. Nate Krawchuk has certainly made his case in year 1 to get a lot of work in net going forward.

Playoff Implications

If the season ended today, RPI would go to Colgate for a single game set in the ECAC playoffs. They sit just 4 points out of 8th, but also 3 points from last, so this is a highly contested race. Realistically, RPI is most likely to finish between 8th and 12th right now with Colgate having 8 points on them.

Dartmouth and Harvard figure to be tough games at home this weekend, but RPI finishes at Yale and Brown which will have major implications. Since Clarkson, SLU, Brown, and Yale play each other this weekend, RPI probably needs to get one win against Harvard and Dartmouth to stay in the race with these teams.

It’s hard not to like the compete level of this team late in the season. They play extremely hard, are one of the least penalized teams in the country and have a goaltender starting to play very well. Lang said he wants his team playing their best hockey of the year in February and March, and they seem to be doing just that. Let’s all stay behind this team into the stretch run as they look to build upon this big weekend. With the last home games of the year and Freakout! night on tap, this weekend figures to be a good one. Let’s go red!

A confusing weekend in the North Country left RPI with exactly as many points as I expected, just not quite the way I thought it would happen. In all honesty, I sent a few texts Friday night as RPI skated out to a 4-0 lead saying that a 6-point weekend would likely put us within 2-3 points of playoff home ice.

I believe the last time RPI swept the season series from Clarkson was the 2009-10 season, a year in which Brandon Pirri and Chase Polacek headlined an exciting Engineer team. It’s been a long time since then, but RPI has quietly ripped off 4 in a row at Cheel Arena dating back to their playoff win in 2024. Appleton Arena has not been as kind to the program of late, as RPI hasn’t won there since the ‘21-’22 season. If memory serves, RPI was missing a bunch of players in that game due to COVID. That feels like a lifetime ago.

Friday: 4-3 Win at Clarkson

RPI raced out to a big lead in this one with some production from their young guns. Matthew Buckley potted a PPG on the doorstep on a high effort play from the Engineer powerplay. Ian Scherzer notched his first as an Engineer after coming very close in the past few weeks. That was nice to see for Ian, who looks to have the makings of a very high-quality player that Lang’s staff should be keen on developing. Ethan Bono made it 3 just 8 seconds later on a 2-on-1 off the center-ice draw. Rainers Rullers notched RPI’s 4th goal as his hot streak rolled on, and the Engineers looked to be smooth sailing to a solid road win at this point.

Clarkson threw everything at RPI over the final 37 minutes, outshooting them 39-15 in the final two frames and coming up just shy of drawing even. Unlike the Mayor’s Cup, RPI held on for a much needed 3 league points in this road contest. Nathan Krawchuk was outstanding with 44 saves and deserves a ton of credit for this win. Clarkson’s team looks a lot like I expect RPI to next year, with a lot of young CHL talent. RPI outworked them in both these games and got some high-end goaltending to notch two wins.

Saturday: 7-3 Loss at Saint Lawrence

The Engineers had a chance for a big weekend Saturday night when they headed over to Appleton Arena. But right from the jump things went awry, as their standout freshman goaltender was sidelined with an injury and 3rd-stringer Carson Dorfman got the nod. He let in two within the first five minutes, and Coach Lang quickly went to Bruno Bruveris in the 2nd after a shorthanded goal.

RPI looked poised to tie this one after a Kaz Sobieski goal and an upcoming powerplay. But Dovar Tinling’s stick snapped as he attempted a pass leading right to the shorthanded goal. Alfred Lindberg finally got his first one at RPI and Jagger Tapper scored as well, but it wasn’t enough for RPI on this night.

Before learning hockey analytics, shots on goal was essentially the only way I would assess how a team had played and who should have won. RPI had 9.9 expected goals in the season series to SLU’s 6, meaning they should have won each game by 2 goals. Instead, they lost the season series 11-6. This is caused by many things and is part of the reason that goaltending and elite goal scorers are so important. RPI outplayed St. Lawrence both times and had more scoring chances but unfortunately leaves the season series with nothing to show for it.

Standings

RPI sits in 11th but has 2 games at hand on SLU who leads them by just a point. 4 of RPI’s final 6 games come against the top half of the league which will be a challenge, but they are all played at home.

It’s stretch time in Eric Lang’s first year at RPI and the Engineers are hungry for points. Home ice in the ECAC playoff is nearly impossible at this point, but I do think double-digit wins is feasible. RPI will welcome in Cornell and Colgate this weekend in their 2nd to last weekend at the Field House. Let’s Go Red!

Since we haven’t recapped in a few weeks, I am going to try to cover my bases here with all the recent matters of the program that we have been tracking. RPI has a month left to go in the regular season, with all their remaining games coming in the ECAC.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we have been very upfront about that with you all season. I think a lot of the fans we interact with who were the most outspoken about wanting a coaching change got a little out over their skis expecting overnight results. These overnight rebuilds are certainly happening much faster than they used to before the portal, but that was never really in the equation for RPI this year. It took a long time for Eric Lang to be chosen, at which point the best players on last year’s team were already in the portal. There have been bright spots this year, none bigger than the incoming recruiting class shaping up to be RPI’s deepest since the classes of 2018 and 2019. Public announcements about HFH renovations this offseason are encouraging, as has been the marketing for the team, which we have long called for. Our internal goal here at The Field House was 10 wins and/or home ice in the ECAC first round, both of which RPI has some work to do in order to achieve. Let’s dig a bit deeper:

Mayor’s Cup & Last Weekend

None of us are local right now and due to the lack of streaming (why…) we weren’t able to see any of this game live. Nonetheless, this one stings about as bad as a loss can. Coach Lang called it one of the most crushing defeats and most surprising finishes of his career. It would have been a great one to have to gain some traction locally, in a rivalry that has been totally one-sided in the past decade plus. Lang seems hellbent on changing that narrative, and this one could have been planted a flag in the ground. Listen to the very end of his presser… “As our program builds and gets pretty good, and then we’re going to get frickin’ really good and you can take that to the goddamn bank”. Yeah, I’m all in.

This past weekend at Harvard and Dartmouth was the exact synopsis of the ‘25-’26 season. Great effort, low scoring, not enough puck possession and shots on net, and not enough goals.

It is what it is at this point with this team, and I do agree with Lang that they will be a tough out in the playoffs. Krawchuk has proven that he’s capable of stealing you one, and the team can clearly play with anyone. They just can’t score yet, and that’s going to take time through recruiting and development.

Remaining Schedule

RPI has at least 3 very winnable games, albeit they are all on the road. I think 3-5 is doable, and then hopefully a playoff win to get to double digit wins on the year. That is my hope…

Recruiting Corner

Evaschesen on fire lately in the WHL.

Michael —> Evaschesen. More of that to come in Troy!

Ryan Michael committed to the program in January, and we will have a piece out shortly detailing that one. His high-IQ, 2-way game will be an immediate plug and play on the left side.

Leo-Gabriel Gosselin gets time in the QMJHL.

Gosselin is just an ‘09 birth year, meaning he has a ton of time to develop. His rights were recently traded from Chicoutimi to Baie-Comeau in the QMJHL, notoriously a top program in the league. He has been called up a few times recently and is gaining solid experience in the league this year.

In December, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘05 center Harrison Lodewyk. Lodewyk is a WHL veteran of 5 years with a total of 266 games played. This year, he has 10 goals, 14 assists and 24 points in 37 games. After spending his first 4 seasons all with Prince Albert, he was traded to Calgary early on this season. Lodewyk is a strong, grinding type of forward and is listed at 5’11” and 207 LBs.

Lodewyk is a great skater with a lot of speed who likes to push the pace offensively. He is excellent at zone entries and carrying the puck through the neutral zone. His most noteworthy asset is his outstanding grit and compete level. He brings physicality and energy to every shift, finishing checks and wreaking havoc on the forecheck. He creates lots of turnovers, hits hard and gets pucks in deep. Lodewyk is also good in his own end and provides good two way play to go with his physicality and skating. He’s got some skill and scoring ability, but his skating and compete are his main tools.

Lodewyk will age out of junior hockey this year and arrive at RPI this fall. He will make an immediate impact in the lineup, likely as either the 3rd line or 4th line center depending on how the roster shakes out. He will play a valuable role as a checking forward with some offense to go with it, and as he develops, I wouldn’t be surprised if he can earn his way up the lineup later in his career. Lodewyk is the exact type of middle of the lineup player you need on a winning team, and I can’t wait to see him join the Engineers next season. Congratulations to Harrison and his family!

Coach Lang and the staff have been slowly piecing together an incredibly well-rounded recruiting class, primarily focused on the Western Hockey League. But all great recruiting classes have a crown jewel, and I’d bet my money that Grayson Burzynski is just that. Burzynski is having a monster year for the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he currently sits in the top 5 of defenseman scoring in the league. Burzynski is 6’4 and nearly 220 pounds with elite offensive presence. Those are just skills that most players aren’t born with, and I’m sure that the coaching staff is enthralled with his potential. He is ranked as the #4 2005 Defenseman in the WHL by Neutral Zone, surrounded by players that are drafted to the NHL and committed to high level NCAA programs. This commitment is a big deal for RPI as it looks to overhaul its defense in 2026. Let’s break down Grayson’s game:

Game Breakdown:

Burzynski is an elite offensive defenseman with 5 years of WHL experience to his name. He has broken out in the past two years producing at a point-per-game pace for Swift Current and Brandon. As you can see in the clips, Burzynski is very willing to jump into the rush and be the 4th skater in on an attack. He seems to have very good awareness about when to step on the gas and when to get back on defense. He has very long strides given his 6’4 frame and he seems to effortlessly glide around defenders. RPI hasn’t had many defenders that just look uber comfortable carrying the puck, so this type of commitment should go a long way to fixing its puck possession problem. The Engineers simply need guys that can allow them to get and keep the puck for longer, which Burzynski absolutely can.

I think his passing is excellent, but what gets me excited is how he can change the game with his shot and IQ at the blue line. While watching him, it became evident to me that he is one of those defensemen that is so patient at the blue line no matter how much the opponent is pressuring him. It feels like he always makes the right decision about when to put a puck on net and when to keep the play moving through his teammates. I think this is an underrated skill to have, and one that will change the complexity of RPI’s powerplay and offensive attack. Burzynski has a cannon shot, one that kind of reminds me of Jared Wilson towards the end of his RPI career.

He isn’t an incredible defender and lacks some change of direction speed, but the size and awareness tend to make up for this. I think early on in college this may be a flaw, but as the game slows down for him again like it has in the WHL, he is going to be just fine. He is strong on the puck but I would like to see him increase his physicality/ puck battling ability. Honestly though, I am just nitpicking and think these are the areas that will take him from good to great.

Bruins Camp

Burzynski attended Bruins camp this summer and certainly seems to be one of RPI’s top recruits in a long time. He spent 4 years in Swift Current but was traded to Brandon this offseason, where he is building his best season in his last year of WHL eligibility.

Roster Planning

We will do a lot more of this in a few months, but I am admittedly a roster planning nerd and always am trying to fit the pieces together in my mind. As of now, here is what we know for next year.

Departing (4): Dovar Tinling, Luc Wilson, Trevor Russell, Lucas Matta

Seniors (8): Tyler Wallace, Ethan Bono, Brad McNeil, Alfred Lindberg, Jack Gorton, Cole Gordon, Jimmy Goffredo, Bruno Bruveris

Juniors (7): Filip Sitar, Rainers Rullers, Jagger Tapper, Kaz Sobieski, Gustavs Ozolins, Mat Bourgault, Carson Dorfman

Sophomores (8): Matthew Buckley, Ian Scherzer, Jackson Kyrkostas, Thomas Klassek, Lucas Lemieux, Landen Hilditch, Matthew Jovanovic, Nathan Krawchuk

Freshman (5): Josh Evaschesen, Harrison Lodewyk, Grayson Burzynski, Ryan Michael, James Guo

Time will tell if there is any other turnover across the roster, and I suspect that there will be. Burzynski is going to plug right into the top-4 on the left side, likely on a pair with Kaz Sobieski or James Guo. I am really excited to get Grayson here and see what he can do. Coach Lang has spoken at length about “building from the back end”, and I think it is safe to say that RPI has landed 3 legitimate top-4 types in this recruiting class. Pair those three with a developing trio of Sobieski, Klassek, and Lemieux, and they could be an elite unit in a few years. Congrats to Grayson and family!