Notebook: UConn officially announces incoming class

In partnership with

On Wednesday, UConn officially unveiled its incoming class for the 2026-27 season (which we had previously reported back in July). The group features 10 players, split into one transfer and nine freshmen with six forwards, three defensemen and a goaltender.

Forwards

Jeremy Loranger

Height/weight: 5-9, 161 pounds
Hometown: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Shoots: Right
Previous team: Omaha (NCHC)
2025-26 stats: 7-12—19 in 28 games

The lone transfer of the bunch, Loranger comes to Storrs as a sophomore after one season with Omaha. A seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2025, he tore up the BCHL with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in 2024-25, recording 40 goals and 65 points in just 54 games to earn league MVP honors.

Brittan Alstead

Height/weight: 5-9, 174 pounds
Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota
Shoots: Left
Previous team: Penticton Vees (WHL)
2025-26 stats: 22-36—58 in 67 games

Alstead has the requisite skill to make an impact in Hockey East, but has to prove his smaller stature won’t be an issue. He’s one of two Minnesota natives on UConn’s roster, joining sophomore goalie Kam Hendrickson.

Lirim Amidovski

Height/weight: 6-1, 174 pounds
Hometown: Alliston, Ontario
Shoots: Right
Previous team: North Bay Battalion (OHL)
2025-26 stats: 25-23—48 in 65 games

Amidovski is a 2025 fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild who has drawn comparisons to former UConn forward Tristan Fraser. His younger brother, Nathan, is also committed to the Huskies.

Cole Davis

Height/weight: 5-11, 187 pounds
Hometown: Sutton, Ontario
Shoots: Left
Previous team: Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
2025-26 stats: 18-14—32 in 56 games

While Davis’ numbers don’t jump off the page, he’s a hard-nosed, physical forward, which could help him make an impact from day one in Storrs. He’s the sleeper of this freshman class.

Colin Frank

Height/weight: 5-8, 174 pounds
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California
Shoots: Right
Previous team: Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
2025-26 stats: 33-22—55 in 52 games

No newcomer has been committed to UConn longer than Frank, who picked the Huskies back in September 2023. His 33 goals with Dubuque this past season were fifth-most in the USHL.

Jesse Heslop

Height/weight: 5-11, 179 pounds
Hometown: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Shoots: Left
Previous team: Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2025-26 stats: 15-41—56 in 62 games

After Jake Richard unexpectedly signed with the Buffalo Sabres in May, UConn went out and landed Heslop to take his place on the roster. He spent two seasons on the first line at Everett but willingly slid to the second line this past year to accommodate new talent. The move worked as the Silvertips went on to win the 2026 WHL Championship.

Defensemen

Will McIsaac

Height/weight: 6-3, 205 pounds
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Shoots: Right
Previous team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
2025-26 stats: 8-26—34 in 66 games

A fifth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2024, McIsaac is a bruising defensive defenseman. He’ll add some physicality to UConn’s blue line.

Charlie Morrison

Height/weight: 6-3, 198 pounds
Hometown: Miramichi, New Brunswick
Shoots: Left
Previous team: Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
2025-26 stats: 4-9—13 in 41 games

Morrison made waves when he decided to leave Quebec a year early to join the Huskies. Don’t be deceived by his numbers. Morrison, who the New York Rangers selected in the third round of the NHL Draft earlier this summer, is a highly-touted prospect who has the potential to be UConn’s best defenseman.

Jacob Reese

Height/weight: 6-0, 190 pounds
Hometown: Boston, New York
Shoots: Right
Previous team: Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2025-26 stats: 5-15—20 in 66 games

A late addition to UConn’s freshman class, Reese committed in late July. He spent much of his junior hockey career in the NAHL but earned a spot with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting this past season and eventually forced his way into the lineup. Reese is a hard-nosed, tough defensive defenseman.

Goaltender

Veeti Louhivaara

Height/weight: 6-4, 207 pounds
Hometown: Jyvaskyla, Finland
Catches: Left
Previous team: Chicago Steel (USHL)
2025-26 stats: 2.86 GAA, .905 save percentage in 22 games

A 2024 fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Louhivaara is expected to compete with Hendrickson for the starting job between the pipes. He has all the traits to be an elite goaltender — size, athleticism and compete — but needs some refinement.

Most Men Notice Aging All at Once

Men's skin is 25% thicker than women's. That sounds like an advantage. It isn't. Thicker skin delays the visible signs of aging — until collagen drops. And when it drops, it drops hard: heavier eye bags, deeper wrinkles, dark spots, loss of firmness. All at once. Most men were never taught to get ahead of it. That's where Particle Face Cream comes in. A 6-in-1 formula engineered specifically for men's skin — reduces eye bags, dark spots, and wrinkles, restores firmness, hydrates deeply, revives dull tone. Two minutes a day. No complicated routine. Over 1,000,000 men already use it. Try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. 20% off with code BH20.

20% Off With BH20

Friendship Four matchups, start times announced

The matchups and start times for the 2026 Friendship Four are set.

UConn will open the tournament on Friday, Nov. 27 against Colgate in the late game at 2 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local time, with Providence squaring off against Minnesota Duluth at 9 a.m. ET/2 p.m. local time. The consolation game will take place the following day at 10 a.m. ET/3 p.m. local time, followed by the championship at 2 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local time.

O2 Arena in Belfast will host all the action. Single-game tickets go on sale this Friday, Aug. 14, at 7 a.m. ET.

This will be the Huskies’ second time participating in the Friendship Four. In 2018, they finished in fourth place after falling to Boston University and Yale.

UConn’s entire schedule should be released soon.

Diego Johnson commits to Michigan State

After being passed over twice for a spot in UConn’s freshmen class, forward Diego Johnson flipped his commitment to Michigan State, where he’ll join the team for the 2026-27 season.

A native of Fort St. James, British Columbia, Johnson spent last season with the Penticton Vees, where he put up 25 goals and 21 assists in 68 games. Despite that, the Huskies weren’t planning to bring him in this season. Even when Richard signed in the spring, the team opted to look for outside help instead of turning to Johnson.

Now, he’ll get a chance to start his collegiate career this season for one of the top programs in the nation.

Shayne Gould lands with Moncton

Originally slated to be a member of UConn’s 2026 incoming class, Shayne Gould instead will spend another year in juniors (as we reported last month). After two seasons in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers, Gould will now join the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats.

Brendan Buckley departs BC’s staff

On Tuesday, Boston College announced that associate head coach Brendan Buckley will depart the staff to start “his next endeavor”. BC Hockey Blog reported that he made the decision in order to spend more time with his family.

Buckley spent three years at UConn from 2015-18. When he left, Mike Cavanaugh promoted Tyler Helton to fill the opening on staff.