156 NAHL Alumni Featured at the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Tournament

March 13, 2026

The stage is set as the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Championship kicks off for the first-round games on Saturday, March 14, 2026. The North American Hockey League is proud to announce that 156 alumni will be featured across the 14 rosters in the tournament.

Ten conferences were awarded automatic qualification, while the remaining four teams were selected at-large by the NCAA Division III Ice Hockey Committee. Every team in the tournament features at least two former NAHL athletes. Endicott College features the most NAHL alumni on the roster. 23 out of the 34 athletes on the Gulls have played in the League of Opportunity.

Two teams earned automatic byes for the first round of competition due to their record on the season. Earning the first bye is the Hobart College Statesmen. The Statesmen featured a perfect 28-0 record on the year and will look to claim their fourth consecutive national title. Alongside them, earning a bye is Endicott College. The Gulls earn their fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Tournament. Both teams will start their first round of play in the quarterfinals.

You can catch all the action starting on Saturday. Learn more about the tournament and how you can watch the NAHL alumni compete for the championship.

Before the tournament starts, here are a few NAHL alumni who are making an impact for their team this season.

Kicking things off from the Hobart College Statesmen, Damon Beaver has earned the Herb Hammond Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year honors in the SUNYAC. The former Corpus Christi IceRay is in his senior season for the Statesmen. Beaver has dominated in the crease, spotlighting a 0.89 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage for the season. He has been one of the best goaltenders in Hobart College history, securing a 71-4-1 career record. His ability between the pipes ranks him first in every category amongst goaltenders.

Dominating in the blue paint for the Endicott Gulls is Peter Sterling, a former Colorado Grit netminder. Sterling is in his freshman year of college. His defensive ability between the pipes led the first-year goaltender to be named the CNE Goaltender of the Year and Rookie of the Year titles. Throughout the season, Sterling was named to four CNE Goaltender of the Week honors and one CNE Rookie of the Week title. The netminder spotlighted a 1.60 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, leading the CNE in both categories. His work in the crease helped to lift his team to a postseason appearance for the fourth time in program history.

Helping to lift Aurora University to their first postseason appearance is Jaden Davis, a former New Hampshire Mountain King. Davis was named the NCHA Co-Freshman of the Year and to the All-Freshman team. The former Mountain King exploded on the scoresheet, featuring 12 goals, 20 assists, and 32 points on the season.

Number of Athletes From Each NAHL Team*

Aberdeen Wings: 6

Amarillo Wranglers: 7

Anchorage Wolverines: 6

Austin Bruins: 2

Bismarck Bobcats: 6

Chippewa Steel: 3

Colorado Grit: 4

Corpus Christi IceRays: 4

Danbury Hat Tricks: 1

El Paso Rhinos: 2

Elmira Aviators: 2