CANTON — The St. Lawrence University men's hockey team enters the 2026-27 season with a veteran core, experienced sophomore and junior classes, and three transfers as the Skating Saints look to continue their momentum under Charles W. Appleton II Head Coach Brent Brekke.

On Friday, October 2, the team welcomes an upstart Maryville University program to Appleton Arena for their first-ever Division I games. The games, which begin at 6 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, respectively, will also be part of the University's Laurentian Weekend celebration on campus. Friday's contest is a regular-season matchup, while Saturday will serve as an exhibition game.

"It's been an impressive preseason for our group as we prepare for the upcoming season," said Brekke. "Our returning players have taken a significant step with their offseason training, and our incoming class has done a great job transitioning into our program and our team. I really like the depth we have at every position, and the competition within our group has been excellent as guys battle for spots in our opening-night lineup. That competition is making us better every day, and we're excited about the group we have and what lies ahead. We're looking forward to getting the season underway."

The Skating Saints enter the season with a majority of the roster occupied by the sophomore and junior classes, while the seniors and first-years have five members apiece.

Senior defender Jan Olenginski will be the team's captain for the second consecutive season after being honored with the C last year. Olenginski is joined by fellow seniors Cameron Smith, Evan Mitchell, Jake Lammens, and Gunnar Thoreson.

Smith seized the starting role late last season, earning 13 starts in 2025-26 and had a 5-7-1 record to go along with a 3.44 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Colin Winn and Jack Wieneke fill out the rest of the goaltending group.

The junior class is led by Cayden Casey, who returns the most points and assists from last year. The junior forward had 24 points last season on four goals and 20 assists and will be a focal point of the attack this season.

Fellow juniors Sam Hall, Gabe Westling, Jacob Bernadet, Isaac Tremblay, Nicholas Beneteau, Wieneke, and transfers James Fisher and Jake Rozzi round out the class.

Part of the Scarlet and Brown's turnaround last season was due to the emergence of the line of Westling, Beneteau, and Tremblay. Tremblay led the trio with eight goals and eight assists, while Westling and Beneteau had 11 and nine points, respectively.

Fisher, a 2022 seventh-round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, transfers to St. Lawrence after two years at Northeastern. He is joined by Rozzi, who joins the Saints after spending his first two collegiate seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both players will look to flourish in expanded roles.

St. Lawrence's sophomore class had a big season last year and accounts for six of the team's top 12 returning scorers.

Cooper Pierson led the group on the offensive end with five goals and 15 assists for 20 points, while Sam LeDrew (10-8) and Filip Juříček (9-9) each had 18 points. On the backend, Andrew Brown, Luke Santilli, and Sam Frandina each had eight points on the blue line and combined for 100 games played. Brown emerged as one of the Saints' most reliable defensive pieces, leading the team with 76 blocked shots, and all three will be fixtures on this season's defensive unit.

Rounding out the class are Jakub Kopecký, Winn, and transfer William Bishop. Bishop made the rare change in the offseason, transferring to St. Lawrence from their bitter rivals in Clarkson. The transfer was a rare one as he is the first player since Brad James '90 to turn in his Green and Gold for Scarlet and Brown.

Brekke and the Saints welcome five first-years to the team this season, four of whom come from the OHL. Will Bishop, Ihnat Pazii, Luke Posthumus, and Max Dirracolo all come to Canton from their respective OHL squads, while Owen Tylec comes to St. Lawrence after playing for the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL last year.

After opening the season against Maryville, the Saints will hit the road for games at Providence and UMass Lowell before returning to Appleton Arena in October against LIU. St. Lawrence opens ECAC Hockey play at home against RPI and Union in early November and will once again participate in the Adirondack Invitational at the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid over Thanksgiving weekend, where they will take on Merrimack and RIT.

The non-conference schedule also features a home-and-home series with Vermont and a trip to the home of the New York Islanders, UBS Arena, for the inaugural Empire State Holiday Invitational, where the Saints will face Ferris State in the opening round. St. Lawrence will close out its non-conference slate with two games at Robert Morris before beginning the stretch run of ECAC play.

Among the highlights of the conference schedule is the annual Route 11 Rivalry with Clarkson beginning Jan. 22 in Canton. The Saints will play nine of their final 16 regular-season games at Appleton Arena as they battle for postseason positioning.

Fans can follow the Skating Saints all season long on ESPN+ (U.S. viewers) and ECACHockey.TV (international viewers), with live stats available for every game at saintsathletics.com.

All St. Lawrence home and road broadcasts can also be heard on 95.3 FM The Wolf.

For the full schedule, roster, and latest news throughout the season, visit saintsathletics.com and follow the Saints on Instagram (@slumenshockey) and X (@SkatingSaints).