Season-opening series at Lindenwood looms amid outside noise for Sun Devil Hockey
It has been 216 days since the Arizona State has seen game action on the ice, and how so much has changed in that timeframe.
Coaching transition aside, a mostly revamped team has officially hit the road for the start of the season in St. Louis against former independent fellows Lindenwood University.
Prior to Arizona State joining the NCHC for the 2024-25 season, the Sun Devils and Lions faced off four times, starting with Lindenwood's inaugural 2022-23 season. All four matchups took place in Tempe, with Arizona State owning a 3-0-1 overall record. This weekend, the Sun Devils return the favor with their first return trip in the series.
17 new faces dot the roster, and the most intriguing change when looked at the scope of this specific series is Olivier Houde. A transfer from Lindenwood in the offseason, Houde ranked second on the team in goals (13) and points (28) as the Lions fell to Alaska in the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup. Defensively, Filip Nordberg is the top key addition to a blue line that struggled with physicality much of the season. His huge range (6'5") and net-front presence brings a skillset that last season's core desperately needed, but a key to watch for in his development is his discipline with positioning. His tendency to be physical and chase hits tends to pull him completely out of the defensive structure, leading to open space for opposing offenses.
The freshman class is star-studded on paper, with Nathan Behm headlining the new class. Behm was named to Scott Wheeler's Top 40 freshmen across NCAA hockey for the 2026-27 season, coming off a 38 G-48 A-86 P season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. Jonas Woo and Landon Hafele both earned honorable mentions on that list, making for a very intriguing young core.
Returning leadership will be critical for the Sun Devils in the early part of the season, and there was no clearer choice to wear the C than Kyle Smolen. Just the 5th Sun Devil to be named captain in multiple seasons, Smolen will be joined on the leadership team by fellow returnees Sean McGurn, Jack Beck, and Logan Morrell, as well as newcomer Ben Muthersbaugh.
The noise has been deafening around Sun Devil hockey for the better part of the last month, but there is a chance to quiet it some if the Sun Devils can pull off their first season-opening sweep since October 13-14, 2023 at home against Merrimack.
The Sun Devils and Lions open the season from the Centene Community Ice Center on October 2-3. Friday's game will start at 5pm Arizona Time, with Saturday's matinee starting at 3pm. Both games can be streamed on Flo Sports (subscription required), while Tyler Paley and Alex Coil return to the radio waves on Fox Sports 910 Phoenix.
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