2021–22 Alaska Nanooks men's ice hockey season

The 2021–22 Alaska Nanooks men's ice hockey season was the 72nd season of play for the program and the 37th at the Division I level. The Nanooks represented the University of Alaska Fairbanks and were coached by Erik Largen in his 3rd season.

2021–22 Alaska Nanooks
men's ice hockey season
ConferenceIndependent
Home iceCarlson Center
Rankings
USCHONR
USA TodayNR
Record
Overall14–18–2
Home8–5–1
Road6–13–1
Coaches and captains
Head coachErik Largen
Assistant coachesChris Brown
Lenny Hoffman
Josh Erickson
Eric Yancey
Alaska Nanooks men's ice hockey seasons
« 2020–21 2022–23 »

Season

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After the decision to cancel their previous season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska returned to the ice for the first time in 40 years without their long-time rival, Alaska Anchorage. The loss of their most consistent opponent could not have come at a worse time as the Nanooks also found themselves without a conference for the first time since the mid-1990s. The only advantage that Alaska had was that the NCAA still did not count games against schools from Alaska towards a team's limit of games per year. This allowed the Nanooks to insert themselves into the schedule of their opponents on short notice.

Alaska was rather ambitious with its early-season slate, playing their first 12 games against teams that were ranked for most or all of the season. As a result the Nanooks, who were still trying to build team chemistry, began the year with a terrible 1–12 record. It wasn't until December that the players started to work together consistently, but the early season struggles forged the Nanooks into a unified group.

After winning three consecutive games against Rensselaer, Alaska tied Denver and then defeated Minnesota, both of whom finished the season as top-5 teams. The Nanooks even managed to sweep Arizona State, who had NCAA tournament aspirations, in the midst of a 5-game winning streak. After December 10, Alaska finished their season 12–6–2 and demonstrated a tremendous improvement throughout the year.

Departures

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Player Position Nationality Cause
Roberts Blugers Forward   Latvia Left mid-season (signed with Pensacola Ice Flyers)
Chris Jandric Defenseman   Canada Transferred to North Dakota

Recruiting

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Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Arvils Bergmanis Defenseman   Latvia 21 Riga, LAT
Karl Falk Defenseman   Sweden 21 Värmdö, SWE
Simon Falk Forward   Sweden 21 Värmdö, SWE
Payton Matsui Forward   United States 21 Lakeville, MN
Matt McKim Forward   Canada 21 St. John's, NL
Matt Koethe Forward   United States 21 Minnetonka, MN
Connor Mylymok Forward   United States 21 Jackson, MS
Nátán Vertes Forward   Hungary 21 Budapest, HUN

Roster

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As of September 23, 2021.[1]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
1   Daniel Allin Sophomore G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2000-02-11 Edmonton, Alberta Drumheller (AJHL)
2   Karl Falk Freshman D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-01-20 Västerås, Sweden Minnesota Magicians (NAHL)
4   Kristaps Jākobsons Freshman (RS) D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 202 lb (92 kg) 1996-12-25 Tukums, Latvia Zemgale (LHL)
5   Markuss Komuls Junior D 5' 10" (1.78 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1998-01-04 Talsi, Latvia Kenai River (NAHL)
6   Didrik Henbrandt Junior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 169 lb (77 kg) 1998-04-10 Linköping, Sweden Minot (NAHL)
7   Garrett Pyke Junior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1999-08-01 Toronto, Ontario Oakville (OJHL)
8   Jordan Muzzillo Senior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1997-03-24 Capron, Illinois Springfield (NAHL)
9   Matt McKim Freshman F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2000-03-17 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Valley (MHL)
10   Ēriks Žohovs Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 196 lb (89 kg) 1997-11-26 Riga, Latvia Zemgale (LHL)
11   Brady Risk Sophomore F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1999-03-16 Medicine Hat, Alberta Drumheller (AJHL)
12   Caleb Hite Senior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1997-02-11 Grand Blanc, Michigan Fairbanks (NAHL)
13   Filip Fornåå Svensson Junior F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1999-01-05 Linköping, Sweden Linköpings J20 (J20 SuperElit)
14   Anton Rubtsov Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1999-03-06 Saint Petersburg, Russia Shreveport (NAHL)
15   Antonio DiPaolo Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1999-01-14 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Aberdeen (NAHL)
16   Chase Dubois Freshman (RS) F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1998-03-12 Williams Lake, British Columbia West Kelowna (BCHL)
17   Colin Doyle Senior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-05-12 Campbellford, Ontario Wellington (OJHL)
18   Riley Murphy Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1999-10-29 Rockford, Michigan Aberdeen (NAHL)
20   Simon Falk Freshman F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2000-01-20 Västerås, Sweden Minnesota Magicians (NAHL)
23   Roberts Kaļķis Junior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1998-12-22 Riga, Latvia Rīga (MHL)
24   Harrison Israels Sophomore F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1999-09-01 Mississauga, Ontario Oakville (OJHL)
25   Antti Virtanen Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-03-14 Kittilä, Finland Sioux Falls (USHL)
26   Payton Matsui Freshman F 5' 7" (1.7 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 2000-04-15 Lakeville, Minnesota Aberdeen (NAHL)
27   Robert Blueger Junior F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-08-03 Riga, Latvia Lake Superior State (WCHA)
28   Brayden Nicholetts Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1999-08-27 Spruce Grove, Alberta Spruce Grove (AJHL)
29   Nátán Vertes Freshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 173 lb (78 kg) 2000-05-19 Budapest, Hungary Aberdeen (NAHL)
30   Gustavs Dāvis Grigals Senior G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1998-07-22 Riga, Latvia Shreveport (NAHL)
32   Connor Mylymok Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-03-18 Wilcox, Saskatchewan Austin (NAHL)
35   Austin Ryman Sophomore G 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2000-11-20 Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL)
37   Jakob Breault Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1999-10-04 Acton Vale, Quebec Aberdeen (NAHL)
38   Arvils Bergmanis Freshman D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1999-12-29 Riga, Latvia Olimp Riga (LHL)
40   Matt Koethe Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-09-28 Minnetonka, Minnesota Fairbanks (NAHL)

Standings

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Overall record
GP W L T GF GA
Alaska 34 14 18 2 87 95
Arizona State 35 17 17 1 116 121
Long Island 34 10 21 3 87 120
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll

Schedule and results

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Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Decision Result Attendance Record
Regular Season
October 8 7:07 PM #20 Clarkson* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals L 1–2  1,278 0–1–0
October 9 7:07 PM #20 Clarkson* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 2–1  1,412 1–1–0
October 15 4:07 PM at #13 Omaha* Baxter ArenaOmaha, Nebraska   Grigals L 2–3  3,709 1–2–0
October 17 1:07 PM at #13 Omaha* Baxter ArenaOmaha, Nebraska   Grigals L 1–5  3,314 1–3–0
October 22 3:00 PM at Clarkson* Cheel ArenaPotsdam, New York   Allin L 1–5  2,396 1–4–0
October 23 3:00 PM at Clarkson* Cheel ArenaPotsdam, New York   Grigals L 2–4  2,421 1–5–0
October 29 3:07 PM at #16 Cornell* Lynah RinkIthaca, New York   Grigals L 2–3 OT 3,198 1–6–0
October 30 3:07 PM at #16 Cornell* Lynah RinkIthaca, New York   Grigals L 0–1 OT 2,864 1–7–0
November 19 7:07 PM #9 Omaha* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals L 2–5  2,253 1–8–0
November 20 7:07 PM #9 Omaha* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals L 2–4  1,832 1–9–0
November 26 4:07 PM at #2 Minnesota Duluth* AMSOIL ArenaDuluth, Minnesota   Grigals L 1–5  5,012 1–10–0
November 27 4:07 PM at #2 Minnesota Duluth* AMSOIL ArenaDuluth, Minnesota   Allin L 0–1 OT 4,786 1–11–0
December 10 7:07 PM Rensselaer* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals L 1–4  1,134 1–12–0
December 11 7:07 PM Rensselaer* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 4–0  1,325 2–12–0
December 14 7:07 PM Rensselaer* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 3–2  1,033 3–12–0
December 15 7:07 PM Rensselaer* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 4–1  1,205 4–12–0
December 31 5:07 PM at #8 Denver* Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado   Allin L 2–7  4,176 4–13–0
January 1 4:07 PM at #8 Denver* Magness ArenaDenver, Colorado Altitude 2 Grigals T 4–4 OT 5,260 4–13–1
January 7 2:30 PM at Maine* Alfond ArenaOrono, Maine   Grigals W 6–2  2,468 5–13–1
January 8 2:00 PM at Maine* Alfond ArenaOrono, Maine   Grigals L 2–4  2,978 5–14–1
January 14 9:00 PM at #8 Minnesota* 3M Arena at MariucciMinneapolis, Minnesota   Grigals L 1–4  7,624 5–15–1
January 15 9:00 PM at #8 Minnesota* 3M Arena at MariucciMinneapolis, Minnesota   Grigals W 3–2  8,083 6–15–1
January 28 3:05 PM at Vermont* Gutterson FieldhouseBurlington, Vermont   Grigals L 0–2  2,810 6–16–1
January 29 3:05 PM at Vermont* Gutterson FieldhouseBurlington, Vermont   Grigals W 3–0  2,827 7–16–1
February 4 5:07 PM at Arizona State* Oceanside Ice ArenaTempe, Arizona   Grigals W 5–3  903 8–16–1
February 5 5:07 PM at Arizona State* Oceanside Ice ArenaTempe, Arizona   Grigals W 4–3  903 9–16–1
February 11 7:07 PM St. Thomas* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 6–1  1,650 10–16–1
February 12 7:07 PM St. Thomas* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 7–3  1,738 11–16–1
February 18 11:00 AM at Long Island* Northwell Health Ice CenterEast Meadow, New York   Grigals L 1–4  114 11–17–1
February 19 10:00 AM at Long Island* Northwell Health Ice CenterEast Meadow, New York   Allin W 4–3  32 12–17–1
February 25 7:07 PM Arizona State* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 3–2  1,525 13–17–1
February 26 7:07 PM Arizona State* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals T 1–1 OT 2,302 13–17–2
March 4 7:07 PM Long Island* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals L 3–2  2,134 13–18–2
March 5 7:07 PM Long Island* Carlson CenterFairbanks, Alaska   Grigals W 5–1  2,297 14–18–2
March 9 3:05 PM at USNTDP* USA Hockey ArenaPlymouth, Michigan (Exhibition)   Allin L 2–5  568
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Alaska Time.
Source:[2]

Scoring statistics

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Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Filip Fornåå Svensson C/RW 34 9 16 25 12
Brady Risk F 31 10 14 24 27
Didrik Henbrant RW 34 11 9 20 37
Garrett Pyke F/D 34 4 16 20 46
Antti Virtanen D 30 3 16 19 28
Anton Rubtsov F 24 9 8 17 16
Chase Dubois F 26 5 7 12 2
Harrison Israels C/LW 29 4 8 12 2
Matt Koethe F 30 2 8 10 20
Roberts Kaļķis D 33 3 6 9 33
Jordan Muzzillo D 34 1 7 8 44
Arvils Bergmanis D 34 1 7 8 26
Markuss Komuls D 31 3 4 7 4
Caleb Hite F 29 1 6 7 6
Connor Mylymok LW 18 3 3 6 32
Simon Falk C/RW 24 3 3 6 6
Ēriks Žohovs C 24 3 3 6 17
Payton Matsui F 26 3 3 6 6
Colin Doyle C 25 3 2 5 33
Jakob Breault C 18 3 1 4 42
Brayden Nicholetts F 15 2 1 3 10
Kristaps Jākobsons D 16 1 1 2 8
Riley Murphy F 16 0 2 2 22
Roberts Bļugers LW/RW 2 0 1 1 0
Matthew McKim LW 6 0 1 1 0
Antonio Di Paolo D 3 0 0 0 4
Nátán Vertes RW 4 0 0 0 15
Daniel Allin G 6 0 0 0 0
Karl Falk D 12 0 0 0 4
Gustavs Dāvis Grigals G 31 0 0 0 2
Total 87 152 239 516

[3]

Goaltending statistics

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Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Gustavs Dāvis Grigals 31 1792 13 15 2 72 819 2 .919 2.41
Daniel Allin 6 243 1 3 0 16 104 0 .867 3.95
Empty Net - 21 - - - 7 - - - -
Total 34 2056 14 18 2 95 923 2 .907 2.77

Rankings

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Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (Final)
USCHO.com NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR - NR
USA Today NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 24.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "2020–21 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  2. ^ "Alaska 2021-22 Team Schedule". College Hockey Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  3. ^ "Univ. of Alaska-Fairbanks 2021-2022 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  4. ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.