The St. Lawrence University men's hockey team, led by Charles W. Appleton II Head Coach Brent Brekke, opens its 100th season on Saturday, October 4, at Niagara University's Dwyer Arena.

The matchup marks the beginning of a historic campaign for one of college hockey's most tradition-rich programs. The 2025–26 season will be filled with celebration, reflection, and competition as the Scarlet and Brown honor a century of hockey in Canton, N.Y.

"It's been a great start to the pre-season, and we've been impressed with our returners and the positive strides they have made in the off-season, as well as the large group of first years and transfers," said Brekke. "We feel we have a deep roster with a lot of talent, size, and abilities that will drive our daily process to get better. There will be a lot of competition at all positions and tough decisions to make for our game night lineup. Competition brings out the best in players, and we're excited to see what our young team can accomplish."

The Team

Despite returning the sixth-fewest goals and fifth-fewest points nationally, the Saints bring back a strong core and welcome 12 newcomers in the Class of 2029.

Junior defender Jan Olenginski will serve as captain, joined by alternate captains Mason Kucenski, Jan Lasak, and Frankie Carogioiello.

Olenginski, from Lafayette Hill, Pa., is the first junior since Tim Makowski '23 (A) to wear a letter and is the first junior captain the Saints have deployed since the 2019-20 season, when Dylan Woolf  '21 was named a team captain. He is also the first solo captain of the program since Joe Sullivan '18 in 2017-18.

The right-shot defender has played in 53 games through two seasons and has five goals, including a game-winner, and six assists. The defender will lead the Saints as a team and will be an integral part of a young defensive core.

Kucenski, a native of Gill, Mass., is the first goaltender to wear a letter for the Scarlet and Brown since Justin Pesony '08, who was an alternate captain as a junior in 2006-07, and a captain in 2007-08 as a senior. The senior has played in 29 games for the Skating Saints, has a career .896 save percentage, and a 3.17 goals against average.

Lasak, who is from Surany, Slovakia, joins exclusive company in the history of the program as the second non-North American skater to wear a letter, joining Finnish native Aleksi Peltonen '23, who served as a team captain during his senior year. He is the first non-North American to be named alternate captain for St. Lawrence and is the first player from Slovakia to wear a letter. Lasak has skated in 85 games during his first three seasons and has 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points.

Carogioiello, who has yet to play a game in Scarlet and Brown as a senior transfer, has already made a big impact on the locker room, leading to his naming as an alternate captain. A native of Woodbridge, Ontario, Carogioiello began his career with Miami University (Ohio), where he played in 58 games with three goals and five assists.

Key returners include Tyler Cristall, who posted 17 points last season, and fellow seniors Isack Bandu, Jack Babbage, and Lasak. The junior class features Kucenski, Cameron Smith, Evan Mitchell, Jake Lammens, Gunnar Thoreson, and Olenginski.

The Saints' first-year class of ten players is tied for the fourth-most in the country this season. The newcomers, who will be looking to make an immediate impact on the centennial season, are Teddy Mallgrave, Andrew Brown, Sam LeDrew, Filip Juříček, Rasmus Svartström, Jakub Kopecký, Cooper Pierson, Sam Frandina, Luke Santilli, and Colin Winn.

The Coaching Staff

New faces on the bench include assistant coaches Kyle Flanagan '13 and Greg Gardner, and Brendan Flanagan as Coordinator of Hockey Operations.

Kyle Flanagan '13 returns to St. Lawrence as an assistant coach, continuing his family legacy that includes his brother Sean '11, uncle Paul '80 P'13, and now his cousin Brendan. A two-year captain and All-American, Flanagan ranks among the top 15 in program history with 147 career points and was a Hobey Baker finalist in 2013. After a pro career in the AHL, SHL, and ECHL, he spent six years as a scout for the Ottawa Senators, covering Ontario, Quebec, prep schools, and NCAA hockey before returning to Canton.

Gardner joins the Saints after 11 seasons as Associate Head Coach at Mercyhurst, where he led efforts in player development, recruiting, and video analysis. He helped guide the Lakers to multiple Atlantic Hockey Frozen Four appearances and a regular-season title in 2017-18, when they led the conference in power play scoring. Before Mercyhurst, Gardner coached at Princeton and Niagara, contributing to NCAA tournament runs and the development of future NHL talent, including goaltender Michael Condon.

Brendan Flanagan joins St. Lawrence as Coordinator of Hockey Operations after serving as a Hockey Operations Intern at Princeton.  A Canton native and son of former Saints coach Paul Flanagan '80 P'13, the younger Flanagan holds a degree from Syracuse University and brings experience in youth hockey operations, strength and conditioning, and video analysis.

The Schedule

The Saints' non-conference slate features road matchups with Niagara, Canisius, Vermont, and Notre Dame, while home games include Stonehill, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, and Vermont. Alaska Fairbanks and UMass Lowell will also be on the non-conference slate as the Saints will face both teams in Lake Placid on November 28-29 as part of the Adirondack Invitational at Herb Brooks Arena.

Exhibition games for the Saints include home contests against the University of Toronto and the USNTDP U-18 team.

As part of their ECAC slate, which begins on November 7 against RPI on the road, the Saints will host Dartmouth and Harvard on November 14-15 and will have their Centennial Celebration against the Big Green on Friday. They will celebrate the Legends of Appleton on Saturday against the Crimson, where they will induct Tom O'Connor '75 and the late Ray Shero '84 into the prestigious group.

In 2026, the Saints will have a five-game road stretch from January 9-23, then will play their next seven games in the friendly confines of Appleton Arena, finishing with Senior Night on February 21.

Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to the Saints family, this season promises to be unforgettable. Follow the Saints' ECAC and Hockey East games on ESPN+ (U.S. viewers), and Stretch Internet (International viewers), and via live stats at saintsathletics.com. St. Lawrence's opening games at Niagara and Canisius can be watched on FloHockey, while the Notre Dame series will be featured on Peacock.

Fans can also listen to St. Lawrence home and road games on the radio on 95.3 FM or online HERE.

For the full schedule, roster, news, and centennial content, visit the Men's Hockey page and follow the Saints on Instagram (@slumenshockey) and X (@SkatingSaints)!