ADRIAN, Mich. — The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) has announced its 2025-26 men's hockey all-conference and all-freshmen teams, along with the season's major awards.
The Player of the Year is
Ian Amsbaugh, a junior from Adrian. The forward led all players with 33 points and 25 assists, to go along with eight goals. The third-year player had three power-play goals, a short-handed marker and a game-winning score. He was +20 on the ice. The Bottineau, N.D., native had 11 mult-point games and four times had three or more assists against a league foe. Amsbaugh's efforts helped the Bulldogs claim the Peters Cup for the 16th time in program history and seventh-consecutive season.
“It’s such an honor to receive this award," Amsbaugh said. "I would like to thank all the coaches and teams in our conference for selecting me. Playing in the best conference in the country on the best team in the country is a dream come true. I couldn’t have achieved this without my parents, family, girlfriend, friends, teammates, coaches, and the fans at Adrian College. The endless support and pushing me to be the best player and person I can be is something I’ll always appreciate.”
The Co-Freshman of the Year are
Jaden Davis from Aurora and
Brody Simko from Trine.
Davis, a forward, recorded 22 points and 16 assists, which were ninth and tied for fifth in the league, respectively. He also had six goals, a game-winning score, a power-play marker and a short-handed goal. The Montreal, Quebec, native was +12 on the ice. Davis finished with five mult-point games. Twice he scored a pair of goals in different contests.
“It’s an incredible honor to be named Co-Freshman of the Year," Davis said. "When I came to Aurora, my focus was simple: work hard, earn the trust of my teammates and coaches, and contribute in any way I can. This recognition is truly a reflection of the people around me, the teammates who push me every day and the coaching staff who believed in me. I’m grateful for all the support and for this recognition."
Simko, a forward, had 25 points, 17 assists and eight goals in NCHA play. His points and assists totals were each tied for third best in the league. The rookie and Butler, Pa., native was +9 on the ice. During conference play he recorded seven multi-point games, including a four-assist game at Lawrence in mid-January.
“Being named Co-Freshman of the Year in the NCHA means a lot to me," Simko said. "Coming into this season, I just wanted to earn my spot and help the team however I could. To be recognized like this in such a competitive league is special. I wouldn’t be in this position without my teammates pushing me every day and my coaches trusting me to grow and play my game. It’s an awesome honor, and I am excited to continue to improve my game and do everything I can for the team.”
The Coach of the Year, as voted on by the league's head coaches, is Adam Phillips from Adrian.
Phillips has earned the honor for the first time in his career at Adrian. He guided the Bulldogs to a Peters Cup title with a 14-3-1 NCHA record, which equated to 45 points in the standings. It was the 16th time in program history and seventh-consecutive season they won the regular season title. During league play, they outscored the opposition by a 91-31 margin. They posted one shutout and limited opponents to one goal 11 times. Throughout the season the Bulldogs were consistently ranked in the top 6 in the weekly USCHO poll. As a team, Adrian led the conference in scoring (5.06), goals allowed (1.72), second in power-play percentage (.247), sixth in penalty-kill percentage (.817) and first in faceoff win percentage (.565).
"This is a tremendous honor, especially being voted on by the other head coaches in the league," Phillips said. "The NCHA is the best conference in the country, with top programs and coaches who I have a ton of respect for. This award reflects our entire program, our team, players, and staff. What we have here is special. This team is special, and I’m grateful to be in the fight with them every day. Our players are not only incredible hockey players, but exceptional people. Their commitment to one another and their dedication to getting better one day at a time is truly admirable. This recognition belongs to them."
"I’m fortunate to work alongside an outstanding staff," Phillips continued. "Carter Clarke is an incredible assistant coach who does so much on a daily basis and Jeremy Symington does a tremendous job developing our goalies. Beyond that, this is a credit to everyone in our program, President Docking, Craig Rainey and our administration team, our athletic trainers, equipment managers, office administrators, social media team, SID's, alums and fans. There are so many people behind the scenes who make what we do possible, and they all deserve credit. We have great people throughout our program, and I feel lucky to be a part of it."
All honors and awards were nominated and voted on by NCHA head coaches.
NCHA Player of the Year: Ian Amsbaugh, Adrian
NCHA Co-Freshman of the Year: Jaden Davis, Aurora; Brody SImko, Trine
NCHA Coach of the Year: Adam Phillips, Adrian
2025-26 NCHA Men's Hockey All-Conference Team
Forward: Ian Amsbaugh (Bottineau, N.D.), Adrian
* 2024-25 All-NCHA
Forward: Hassan Akl (Chestermere, Alberta), Aurora
* 2024-25 All-NCHA
Forward: Alexander Babich (Chicago, Ill.), Trine
* 2024-25 All-Freshmen
Forward: Nikita Borodaenko (Dmitrov, Russia), Dubuque
Forward: Logan Dombrowsky (Stevens Point, Wis.), St. Norbert
* 2023-24 All-Freshmen, 2024-25 All-NCHA, 2024-25 Player of the Year
Forward: Bradley Somers (Oakville, Ontario), Adrian
Defense: David Clarke (Tecumseh, Mich.), Adrian
* 2024-25 All-Freshmen
Defense: Dayton Deics (Bismarck, N.D.), St. Norbert
* 2023-24, 2024-25 All-NCHA
Defense: Simon Diaz (Calgary, Alberta), Aurora
Defense: Noah Pickart (Fond du Lac, Wis.), Marian
* 2024-25 All-NCHA
Defense: Juliano Santalucia (Burnaby, British Columbia), Aurora
* 2024-25 All-NCHA
Goalkeeper: Hunter Garvey (San Diego, Calif.), St. Norbert
* 2023-24 All-Freshmen, 2024-25 All-NCHA
Goalkeeper: Matt O'Donnell (Waterbury, Conn.), Aurora
* Extra defense due to tie in voting
2025-26 NCHA Men's Hockey All-Freshmen Team
Forward: Braydon Beahm (Waupon, Wis.), St. Norbert
Forward: Jaden Davis (Montreal, Quebec), Aurora
Forward: Brody Simko (Butler, Pa.), Trine
Defense: Nathaniel Bannister (Schomberg, Ontario), Adrian
Defense: Andon Coles (St. Alberta, Alberta), Dubuque
* No goalie