Yale vs. Brown
Friday, Oct. 30 — 7 p.m.
Ingalls Rink (New Haven, Conn.)
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale men's hockey is set to open its 2026-27 season with a conference matchup against the Brown Bears on Friday, Oct. 30 at the historic Ingalls Rink.
The game marks the beginning of a brand new era in Yale hockey, ushering in the tenure of Jeff Hamilton '01 as the Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Men's Hockey. He is the 12th head coach in program history.
Hamilton, the program's career scoring leader and two-time Hobey Baker finalist, returns to New Haven after a 10-year professional hockey career and more than a decade of developing talent as co-owner of the Connecticut Junior Rangers.
"Every game will be an opportunity for our group to grow and show what we're capable of," said Hamilton on the the season ahead. "We've made strides in our pace, competitiveness, and development this preseason. Now we must execute. This is a great group with tremendous character and leadership, and we're confident they will continue to develop and surpass expectations."
Returning Production
- The Bulldogs return 22 players from last year's roster, including nine of their top 10 scorers and both members of their goalie tandem. This year's squad is led by senior captain Rhys Bentham. The defenseman from Calgary, Alberta headlines a squad that features seven seniors, eight juniors, seven sophomores and seven first-years.
- The senior class includes Bentham, Jack Stark, Will Richter, Iisai Pesonen, David Andreychuk, Seiya Tanaka-Campbell and Owen Forester.
- The junior class features Ronan O'Donnell—the team's No. 2 point scorer last season—Micah Berger, Hughie Hooker, Zach Wagnon, Joe Blackley, Donovan and Julian Frias, and Noah Pak.
- Sophomores include forwards James Shannon, Tom Molson, Kurt Gurkan and Braden Keeble, along with defensemen Dylan Hunt, Joose Pesonen and Hudson Miller.
Fresh Performers
Point Producers
- Junior Ronan O'Donnell looks to keep building on his previous campaigns where he averaged .75 points per game, while Donovan Frias returns after posting six goals and 15 assists last season. Both will anchor the Bulldogs' offensive attack following the departure of last year's captain David Chen.
Between the Pipes
- Noah Pak and Jack Stark return for another season in the Ingalls Rink crease. Pak earned the lion's share of starts for the Bulldogs, going 6-14-1 in net, accumulating a 3.22 GAA and .902 save percentage. Stark started for Yale the last time Brown came to New Haven, making a career-high 40 saves in a 3-1 victory.
Season Opener History
- This is the first time Yale has opened the season against Brown since the 2023-24 season.
- However, the two teams played each other in the season opener for six-straight seasons from 2017-18 to 2023-24. The Bulldogs went 4-2 in those games.
Nutmeg State Rivalries Renewed
- Yale and the other Division I men's ice hockey programs in Connecticut announced Monday, Oct. 19 that the CT Ice Tournament will return to PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Conn. on January 29 and 30, 2027.
- Yale will begin the tournament on Friday, Jan. 29 with a game against ECAC Hockey foe Quinnipiac at 4 p.m. Action will continue on Saturday, Jan. 30, with the consolation game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the championship game set for 7:00 p.m.
- "The CT Ice Tournament, now being held in Hartford, showcases the incredible college hockey talent in Connecticut and will be an unforgettable event in the capital city," Hamilton said.
Non-Conference Slate
- Yale plays each of its non-conference games on the road.
- They make the return trip to Omaha to play the Mavericks on Nov. 27 and 28. The Bulldogs have a 2-4-1 record against Omaha in seven previous meetings.
- In the final game before the winter break, the Elis travel to Easton, Mass. on Dec. 5 to play against Stonehill College for the first time ever. Then they return from the break on Dec. 29 to play Sacred Heart.
