Filip Sitar to miss beginning of the season

An NCAA eligibility issue will sideline UConn men’s hockey freshman forward Filip Sitar for the start of the season, according to head coach Mike Cavanaugh. It’s not clear how many games he’ll miss at the moment — the Huskies are still waiting to hear back from the NCAA.

The issue stems from Sitar playing in 11 games in the professional Swedish Hockey League last season. Though that won’t render him completely ineligible, he’ll have to sit out a number of games as a result.

A native of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Sitar was previously committed to Northern Michigan from the upcoming campaign but flipped to UConn after a coaching change. Listed at 5-foor-11, 185 pounds with a right-handed shot, he’s expected to be a top-six center for the Huskies whenever he’s allowed to play.

Without Sitar, UConn will be down to just 14 forwards in the early going.