The University of St. Thomas men’s hockey team has left the Central Collegiate Hockey Association behind for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, a league that has dominated the NCAA postseason for over a decade.
St. Thomas officially joined the NCHC on July 1, 2026, becoming the 10th member of a league that has won eight national championships in its first 13 seasons, including the last three.
Athletic Director Phil Esten said the university saw it as the next natural step for the program, according to a university press release from May 2024.
“The move aligns with our institutional and athletics trajectory and places the Tommies with the other Summit League hockey-playing members competing in the conference,” Esten said. “We are enthusiastic about the new strategic opportunities this will bring our university and department as we will bring new rivalries to St. Paul and compete in expanded markets nationally.”
Head coach Rico Blasi said the move won’t change how the Tommies operate.
“I don’t think (the move to the NCHC) does much for us in terms of our culture and our identity,” Blasi said. “It’s really important for us that we continue to align ourselves with the University of St. Thomas and what we believe in, the mission of our institution.”
What does change is the level of competition. The NCHC features four teams ranked in the top 10 by the latest national polls for men’s college hockey at the start of the 2026-27 season, including No. 1 Denver, No. 4 North Dakota, No. 5 Minnesota Duluth and No. 9 Western Michigan.
Senior defenseman Chase Cheslock pointed to Denver — the 2026 national champion and owner of a record 11 titles — as the matchup he’s most looking forward to. The Tommies will face the Pioneers at Magness Arena in Denver on Nov. 20 and 21.
“They’ve been consistently one of the best teams in the country, and they have a storied program there,” Cheslock said. “It’s something a lot of the guys are really looking forward to playing.”
Cheslock said the coaching staff has kept the team focused on its process rather than the pressure of stepping up in competition.
“Our preparation’s been very detail-oriented and process-focused,” Cheslock said. “We’re not really worried about the outcomes, more so we’re worried about doing the right things day in and day out.”
With that process, Cheslock still has a clear target in mind.
“Success obviously looks like winning a conference,” Cheslock said. “You have your sights set on the top, and moving forward as a program, that’s going to have to be our university’s goal every year. So why not start it early and have high expectations for yourself in the first year?”
The Tommies open their season at home against Air Force at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, at Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. Their first NCHC game will be against Miami (Ohio) at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, at Goggin Ice Center in Oxford, Ohio.
Reagan Boschulte can be reached at bosc3829@stthomas.edu.
