The University of Denver men’s hockey team cemented its status as the top program in Division I history with a victory over Boston College in last season’s national championship game. Not only was the title the Pioneers’ second in three years, but it was also the school’s 10th all-time—one more than now second-place Michigan. Ranked first in at least one preseason poll, DU is expected to contend for the national title again and extend its GOAT status during the 2024-’25 campaign, which begins October 5 when the Pios visit the University of Alaska, Anchorage. (The squad’s home opener is on October 18.)

To meet those lofty expectations, sixth-year coach David Carle will have to rely on returning mainstays as well as talented newcomers: The title-winners have suffered nine significant departures, including losing All-American forward Massimo Rizzo to the Philadelphia Flyers.

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Photo courtesy of University of Denver Athletics

Matt Davis

Goaltender Matt Davis’ stats in the Frozen Four tournament this past season speak for themselves: He stopped a whopping 33 shots in DU’s semifinal win over Boston University and had 35 saves and recorded a shutout versus BC in the championship. But if you really want to get a sense of how dominant the Canadian-born athlete was during the team’s title run, Google “Matt Davis save of the tournament” to see a clip of the now senior diving across the goal to make a spectacular save against BC.

Samu Salminen
Photo courtesy of University of Connecticut via DU Athletics

Samu Salminen

Captain of the U18 Finnish team at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in 2021, star forward Samu Salminen spent his first two years of college at the University of Connecticut, notching 17 points for the Huskies last season. But Salminen, whose potential enticed the New Jersey Devils to make him the 68th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, wanted to play for the Pios, where he’d originally committed as a freshman before running into unspecified admissions issues.

Tory Pitner
Photo courtesy of University of Denver Athletics

Tory Pitner

The freshman defenseman comes to the Pios from the San Francisco Bay Area with an already impressive résumé: The Colorado Avalanche selected Tory Pitner 185th overall in this year’s draft. Although he’s a California kid, Pitner graduated from South Kent School, a Connecticut boarding school known for its dominant hockey program. He also played for the junior Youngstown (Ohio) Phantoms in the United States Hockey League, where he tallied 24 points and drew raves from analysts and scouts for his physicality and attention to detail.

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