Men's Ice Hockey

MIAC announces 2025-26 Men’s Hockey awards

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its award honorees for the 2025-26 Men's Hockey season on Wednesday.
 
Saint Mary's swept the individual player awards, with sophomore forward Joona Juntunen being selected by MIAC coaches as the Offensive Player of the Year, junior defender Cole Mickel being voted Defensive Player of the Year, and first-year goaltender Adam Prokop receiving Rookie of the Year honors. MIAC coaches also voted Saint John's head coach Doug Schueller as the Men's Hockey Coach of the Year.
 
Juntunen (So. / Hyvinkää, Finland / Rice Memorial) was voted MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Year after leading all skaters with 14 goals and 31 points in league play. Eight of Juntunen's 14 goals against conference foes came on power plays, also representing the most in the MIAC. Juntunen is the first Saint Mary's men's hockey player to be named Offensive Player of the Year since the award was established in 2023.
 
Mickel (Jr. / Castle Rock, Colo. / Culver Military Academy) was selected the MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Year after helping the Cardinals lead the conference in blocked shots (211) and secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. In addition to 16 individual blocks from his defender position, Mickel also led the MIAC with 19 assists in 16 starts. Mickel is the first Saint Mary's men's hockey player to be named Defensive Player of the Year since the award was established in 2023.
 
Prokop (Fy. / Wausau, Wis. / Wausau West) was voted MIAC Men's Hockey Rookie of the Year after leading the conference with 561 saves and an average of 35.06 saves per game in his debut season. Prokop finished the regular season with a save percentage of 0.933 and a goals against average of 2.50 while facing MIAC opponents. Prokop is the first Saint Mary's men's hockey player to be named Rookie of the Year since the award was established in 2023.
 
Schueller (18th season) was named MIAC Men's Hockey Coach of the Year for the third time in his career after guiding the Johnnies to the tenth regular-season conference championship in program history in 2025-26, and SJU's first ten-win season in league play since the 2017-18 campaign. Schueller – who previously received MIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2013 and 2020 – is now one of eight MIAC men's hockey coaches in history to be named MIAC Coach of the Year at least three times.
 
In addition to individual awards, MIAC coaches also selected 20 players as All-Conference, with ten more receiving honorable mention distinction. All awards were nominated and voted on by the nine MIAC head men's hockey coaches, and only statistics from regular-season MIAC contests were considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as All-Conference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.
 
Six of the 20 players named All-Conference in 2026 had also earned All-MIAC honors in a previous season, while Bethel senior forward Tyler Braccini and Gustavus junior forward Drew Holt received All-MIAC status for the third time in their careers.
 
The MIAC also announced the annual All-Playoff Team for men's hockey, which recognized the top eight performers from the conference tournament, as selected by playoff-participant head coaches.

| 2025-26 MIAC Men's Hockey Awards |