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The Bulldogs are skating into 2025-26 with three undersized sophomore forwards running the show.
Call them what they are: the Kenny Linsemans of college hockey.
Max Plante. Zam Plante. Jayson Shaugabay.
They don’t look like much when they line up for the anthem. But once the puck drops, they’re pests, playmakers, and pot-stirrers all rolled into one. Rubber balls on skates. You can check them into the boards, and they’ll bounce right back up with a smirk and a toe-drag.
That’s their gift, and that’s their curse for every opponent in the NCHC. Nobody wants to deal with them for 20 minutes a night.
Ken “The Rat” Linseman made a 14-year NHL career out of that act. Five-foot-ten, 807 points, 88 more in the playoffs. He chirped, hacked, stirred, scored, and set up teammates until the buzzer. Everyone hated playing against him, everyone who played with him loved him, and the stat line says he was a whole lot more than a pest.
That’s the blueprint. That’s the standard. That’s why calling the Bulldogs’ top line the Kenny Linsemans of college hockey isn’t an insult — it’s a badge of honor. These three will make life miserable for anyone in their way, and they will do it with speed, skill and a little grin. The old timers will nod and say, “Yep, those three Smurfs are the flies in the soup. Every shift.”
Scott Sandelin leaned on them hard in the playoff series against Arizona State, and they rewarded him with control and production. They were just freshmen. Now they’re back as sophomores, still undersized but stronger, smarter, and ready to carry this team. If Duluth’s going anywhere, it’s on their shoulders.
They’re not alone, of course. Sandelin brought in help through the transfer portal, and it wasn’t random. Scout Truman, who has over 100 games in Hockey East, brings mileage and some scoring touch. Kyler Kovich, Cornell faceoff guy, comes in with strength and a reputation for grinding. Kyle Gaffney from Alaska adds sturdiness down the middle, the type of player you want in a league where every faceoff feels like a scrum.
None of them are Kenny Linsemans, but that’s not the point. They’re here to protect the Kenny Linsemans, to add size, moxie and experience so the pests can keep doing their thing without being squashed.
After that, the lineup is a work in progress. Callum Arnott needs to take the leap. Daniel Shlaine is the freshman everyone is curious about, and he’ll likely get veteran help on a wing to ease him into the league. Hunter Anderson and Luke Bibby are kids who could develop into something but may not be ready right away. There’s depth, but it’s green and it’s untested.
On defense, things look steadier. Ty Hanson and Adam Kleber are already the No. 1 pair, even as sophomores. They took their lumps last year, but they didn’t crack. That’s half the battle in this league. Aaron Pionk is due for a jump, and freshman Grayden Siepmann could step right into big minutes if he adjusts quickly.
Brady Cleveland provides the mean streak, the penalty killing, the toughness around the net that every team needs. Seniors Joey Pierce and Riley Bodnarchuk won’t grab headlines, but they’re the glue and the grinders that keep the room intact. This isn’t the most dynamic blue line UMD has iced, but it’s got enough steel to back up the forwards.
The crease is the easiest call of all. Adam Gajan. Period.
He dazzled at World Juniors. He’s drafted. He’s the guy. If he plays like a pro, UMD can go places. If he’s ordinary, this is another fifth-place team grinding to .500. Ethan Dahlmeir and Cole Sheffield will be in uniform, but the less they’re needed, the better for everyone.
That’s the roster. Young, undersized up top, steadier on the blue line, and a goalie who could make or break the season. Now zoom out to the league.
Denver is Denver. They’re Walmart, with shelves stocked with shiny first-round picks and no idea where Duluth is on a map.
North Dakota has another fresh batch of transfers. They’ll look unbeatable in October, stumble in March, and still sell out the Ralph waving towels from 1987.
Western Michigan is the usual bar fight. Half the roster belongs in the AHL, half belongs in a beer league, and they’ll still beat you 7–3 on a Friday before losing 6–1 on Saturday.
St. Cloud? The same story every year. Good roster, good coach, good regular season, and then they collapse like a lawn chair at a graduation party.
Colorado College is once again the “sleeper” team, which means they’ll be predicted to finish sixth, finish sixth, and call it progress.
Omaha is sneaky, sure, but “better than you think” usually means seventh.
Miami? Still a free power-play weekend for the rest of the league.
So where does Duluth fit? Fifth. Maybe sixth. That’s the poll. That’s the consensus.
But that ignores the Kenny Linsemans. Three rubber balls with sticks who will stir the pot every single night, bounce off checks, toe-drag through traffic, and chirp you all the way back to the bench. Opponents will hate them, but they won’t stop them.
And if Gajan plays like the goalie who stunned the hockey world for Slovakia, Duluth’s whole outlook changes. Suddenly fifth feels low, suddenly they’re in the top four, suddenly they’re the matchup nobody wants come March.
It could unravel, sure. The depth might not score. The defense might sag. Gajan might be human. That script is always there.
But it could also be the season the Kenny Linsemans of college hockey put Duluth back on the map.
And if you’re a fan of old-school, pot-stirring hockey, that’s the script worth betting on.
Howie’s NCHC Preseason Rankings
- Denver – The Walmart of college hockey. Aisle 3: another first-round pick.
- North Dakota – Transfer U. Great in November, tee times in March. Towel sales remain brisk.
- Western Michigan – Every game is a street fight. Some nights they win, some nights they swing and miss.
- St. Cloud State – The choke artists of March. Trademark pending.
- Arizona State – Nice weather. Over-achievers.
- Minnesota Duluth – The Kenny Linsemans. Flies in everyone’s soup, and proud of it.
- Colorado College – The trendy sleeper. Snooze button set for sixth place again.
- Omaha – Always “better than you think.” Which means seventh, again.
- Miami – Once a hockey school. Now a weekend scrimmage for the rest of the league.
