In the weeks after the University of Denver’s men’s hockey team became the NCAA D1 program with the most national championships, things within the program have started to change up.
Between players signing pro contracts and players leaving and coming to the team through the transfer portal, the last couple of weeks have shaken up Magness Arena.
Shai Buium was the first DU player who signed his professional contract just four days after lifting the trophy. The junior defenseman from San Diego, Calif. signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings after being drafted 36th overall in the 2021 Draft. He was signed to an amateur tryout (ATO) with the Grand Rapids Griffins for the remainder of the 2023-24 season and has played two games with the team in the AHL playoffs.
He will join DU hockey alum Carter Mazur who signed the same deal after last season and Antti Tuomisto.
Buium played in 120 games throughout his college career and scored 75 points (14/61a) and had 44 penalty minutes. He has also made the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team twice.
Massimo Rizzo signed his contract the same day Buium did, signing a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. The junior forward was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 Draft to the Carolina Hurricanes but his rights were traded to the Flyers in August 2023. He signed onto an ATO with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms before his contract officially starts next season but he didn’t play in a game. He joins alum Bobby Brink in the Flyers organization.
Rizzo collected multiple NCHC awards throughout his time at DU and was also nominated for the Hobey Baker Award this year. He played in 107 games with the team scoring 126 points (39a/87a) and collected 72 penalty minutes.
Sean Behrens is staying close by after signing with the Colorado Avalanche which he signed in person during the Avs final home regular season game. He was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft.
The junior defenseman quickly turned pro and made his pro debut with the Avs’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, and recorded an assist in his debut.
Behrens racked up various NCHC awards and was awarded NCHC Defenseman of the Week five times. Throughout his career, he played in 112 games in which he had 81 points (10g/71a), one of which came in the OT winner vs. Boston University to send the team to the 2024 National Championship game.
DU’s overtime MVP, Tristan Broz, was the fourth and final member to get his pro contract, signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins after he was drafted by them 58th overall in the 2021 draft.
After transferring to DU from the University of Minnesota after his freshman season, the junior forward played in 83 games and recorded 68 points (26g/42a) at DU and scored both OT game-winners in the 2024 NCAA National Championship Tournament.
He will join former DU player Justin Lee and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before his three-year contract starts next season.
Jack Devine, who was drafted by the Florida Panthers, had talks about him also signing his pro contract after this season but has decided to return for his senior season.
Senior Connor Caponi has also decided to return for his fifth season after gaining an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic.
Both other seniors, McKade Webster and Jack Caruso, also have an extra year of eligibility remaining but are undecided on what their plans are after graduation in June.
The NCAA D1 men’s ice hockey transfer process has some interesting regulations that student-athletes have to comply with during either side of the process (leaving a school/joining a new program). The 2024 transfer portal was open to graduating students whenever they choose to but opened for undergrads on March 31.
Athletes usually choose to enter the portal when their season is done, but there are no regulations on when the player can enter the portal. Coaches are also allowed to recruit from the portal whenever and both players DU picked up this year were picked up before DU’s season was done. The portal for 2024 ends on May 14 but there are some exceptions to this deadline including if there are some changes in a player’s financial aid or if a team has a coaching change.
Players can also transfer back to their original school if they don’t get picked up by another team. If an athlete doesn’t get picked up, their scholarship status could be at risk but no playing eligibility is at risk. Coaches are not allowed to contact players and players can’t talk to other coaches until they are officially in the portal, but players are allowed to talk to current players/alumni at any time.
DU has two current players leaving via the portal but has also gained two players from the portal. Lucas Olvestad is transferring to the University of Massachusetts Amherst after his sophomore season, playing in 55 games for DU and scoring 10 points.
Tristan Lemryre is staying in the NCHC as he goes to Western Michigan. He is leaving DU after two years, playing in 46 games scoring 13 points, one of which was the tying goal in the 2024 Frozen Four semifinal vs. BU on his only shot in the game. He also got a point vs. Western Michigan when they came to Magness Arena this season.
Erik Pohlkamp was the first player to transfer to DU this offseason. The freshman defenseman comes from Bemidji State after he racked up multiple CCHA awards throughout his rookie season. He played in 32 games and scored 24 points (11g/13a) with 18 PIM. The fifth round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, played on the U.S. World Juniors team with Head Coach David Carle earlier this season.
Samu Salminen transfers to DU from the University of Connecticut. The sophomore forward was a previous DU commit but ran into some barriers two years ago which led to him switching his commitment at the last minute. He played in 54 games at UConn scoring 29 points (14g/15a). He is a 2021 third-round pick of the New Jersey Devils and grew up playing with current DU player, Miko Mattika, in Finland.
Additionally, nine DU players or commits are eligible for the 2024 draft in Las Vegas later this summer, including current player, Zeev Buium, who is projected to go early in round one and likely become the fifth DU player to go in the first round of the NHL draft.
The offseason is just getting started for college hockey, but the timeframe moves quickly with just about six weeks available for the transfer portal and prospective players who want to get to the pros as fast as they can.
