One week after the College Hockey season concluded, the roster movements began with multiple players opting to turn pro or take their talents to the transfer portal.
The University of North Dakota is not immune to the transfer portal. While there has not been as much movement as there was last year, there have been some substantial changes to the roster fans came to know and love. Here are some of the big roster moves.
OUT: Jackson Blake, Riese Gaber, Garrett Pyke, Ludvig Persson, Keaton Pehrson, Hunter Johannes, Griffin Ness, Logan Britt, Carson Albrecht and Nate Benoit
NHL: Jackson Blake
Sophomore Forward and Hobey Baker Finalist Jackson Blake signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. He made his NHL debut on April 16, 2024, becoming the 111th UND player to play an NHL game.
The third-ranked Canes lost 6-3 to the 29th ranked Columbus Blue Jackets in Blake’s debut, which was also the final Canes game of the season. Blake played on the fourth line with Brendan Lemieux and Jordan Martinook, who registered 15:18 playing time. He scored no goals and no assists for no points and was minus-two on the night defensively.
AHL: Riese Gaber, Garrett Pyke and Hunter Johannes
Former UND Captain Riese Gaber signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Charlotte Checkers, the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate.
The contract takes effect next season, and Gaber will rejoin the team next year after he was released from his ATO (amateur tryout) ahead of the Calder Cup playoffs.
At 5’8” and 170 lbs., Gaber is a small, skilled forward with three consecutive thirty-point seasons while playing for the Fighting Hawks.
Garrett Pyke signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche AHL affiliate.
Pyke is a skilled puck-moving defenseman who served as the quarterback of the second powerplay unit for UND after playing his previous four seasons at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In his final season with the Nanooks, Pyke also served as captain.
In his final season with the Fighting Hawks, Pyke was +11 with three goals and 22 assists.
Hunter Johannes signed an ATO and a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wing’s affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Johannes has played five games with the Griffins, and he remains with them going into the Calder Cup.
In his 88 college hockey games played, Johannes scored 29 goals and 28 assists.
ECHL: Griffin Ness, Logan Britt and Ludvig Persson
Griffin Ness signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins’ ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners.
The contract, which extends through the year, allows Ness to join the Mariners for a Kelly Cup playoff run.
Logan Britt signed with the Los Angeles Kings’ ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Britt has played four games with the Swamp Rabbits and has one assist for one point. He will join them in their quest for a Kelly Cup.
In his final season with the Hawks, Britt had 14 points and seven goals. Britt played a key role alongside Bennett Zmolek as UND’s shutdown pairing.
Ludvig Persson signed an ATO with the Wheeling Nailers and has been added to their playoff roster for their Kelly Cup push.
Persson, who came to UND for one season via the University of Miami, Ohio, played 34 games for UND and had a .904 sv% and 2.52 goals against average. He also posted five shutouts.
Transfer Portal: Nate Benoit
Nate Benoit played a sheltered role as an extra-defenseman, often coming in as the extra skater or when other defensemen were injured. He played 19 games for UND and had one assist for one point. He finished with a plus-minus of minus-one.
IN: T.J. Semptimphelter, Carter Wilkie and Caleb MacDonald
T.J. Semptimphelter is a 6’1” and 190-pound goaltender and joins the Fighting Hawks after one season at Northeastern and two with Arizona State.
In his three seasons of NCAA hockey, he has never had a sub-.900 SV% season. This season, he had a .908 SV% and 2.52 goals against average in 26 games. In his previous two seasons in the NCAA, he has had a .934 SV% in eight games and a .913 SV% in 36 games.
Carter Wilkie, a 6’2” 205-pound forward, will join the UND hockey team for his final season of eligibility after playing his previous three seasons at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
He was the highest scoring player to enter the transfer portal with 111 points in his three seasons with the Tigers, including back-to-back 40-point seasons.
Caleb MacDonald is a rising sophomore left shot defenseman from the Alaska Nanooks.
He played 31 games for the Nanooks this season and had four goals and ten assists for 14 points. MacDonald finished with a plus 13 on the season.
Maeve Hushman is a Dakota Student Sports Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].
