After completing their final games at Western Michigan University with two losses in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) quarterfinal, the Tigers ended their season with more losses than wins. The win-loss-tie record ended at 13–17–6. Following the end of the season, four Tiger players were awaiting transfers in the months that followed. The portal was open from April 13 through 27, with players committing to schools before and after the portal closed.
In an interview with the Gazette, Coach Kris Mayotte commented, “We’re in a completely different space than we were last year. Our culture is so healthy right now, our program is so healthy, our guys can’t wait for next year and all these guys are committed to each other. I don’t want to pretend like they’re committed to me. They’re committed to each other. They have a care for each other, which I think you could see in the way that they played.”
Of the 28 players on this year’s roster, 13 were freshmen, who possessed some very promising talent. In June 2025, Colorado College was ranked 11th in the nation for its incoming class. One freshman, Wilson Bjorck, was named to Team Sweden for the 2026 World Junior Championships held in St. Paul, Minnesota, and claimed the gold medal.
As the 2026-27 season comes into view, a few Tiger players will be missing from the lineup. Two seniors graduated this year, including Ryan Alexander ‘26, who was recruited to play this year after playing his first three seasons with Arizona State University (ASU). He recorded four goals and eleven assists for the Tigers.
The other senior is beloved goalie Kaiden Mberko ‘26, who has had a significant impact on the CC hockey program. In his freshman year alone, he led the country among freshman netminders and was fifth overall with a 0.925 save percentage. He was also named in his 2023-24 season a unanimous selection of the NCHC Goaltender of the Year. It was announced recently that Kaiden signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones, moving up to the ECHL.
The Tiger players who have entered the transfer portal and signed with other colleges are forward Gavin Lindberg ‘28, defender Matteo Mann ‘29, forward Merril Steenari ‘29 and forward Shane Kozlina ‘29. Three have already committed to other college programs.
Lindberg has been a crucial part of the team in his two years with the program. In his freshman year, he appeared in all 37 games and put up 5 goals and 5 assists. Lindberg was also eighth in the NCHC in faceoff percentage at 55.6% in the 24-25 season. He was also named a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete by the NCHC and a member of the all-academic team. In his sophomore year, he doubled his points, reaching his career high of 21 points with 6 goals and 15 assists.
Lindberg was seeking a fresh start when he entered the transfer portal.
“I felt a fresh start would be the best decision for my career…when the portal opened, it crossed my mind and I started talking to my family and advisors…[after that] the process happened quickly.”
Lindberg will be transferring to the University of North Dakota next season, which is part of the NCHC, so he will be returning to CC to play against his former teammates.
“When I went into the portal, I knew I wanted to be closer to home and luckily UND’s campus is only an hour away [from home],” Lindberg said. “I am looking forward to being able to play with my brother at UND. We haven’t played together, and it is really special for our family.”
When asked what he will miss most about Colorado College, Lindberg easily answered, “My teammates. Such a great group and that was the hardest part about the process…[they are] such a special group to be around and I made a lot of great lifelong friends.”
He also added that he had a great time outside of hockey, “I loved the intramural sports and just enjoying the weather.”
Lindberg ended his interview with this to say, “CC is a very special place for me and I’m grateful for the last two years there. I’m excited for the next chapter at UND.”
Mann played in 28 games as a freshman defender and collected two assists in two games. He was drafted as a seventh-round draft pick for the 2023 NHL Draft and was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers. Before Colorado College, Mann played for the St. John Sea Dogs and had 27 points with 12 goals. Mann will be joining Lake Superior State University next year, which is a part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Conference (CCHC).
Steenari played in 16 games and had a career high of three shots at Air Force and vs. Providence. Before coming to CC, he played for the Fargo Force of the USHL for two seasons, scoring 54 points (38 goals). Steenari is signed with Northern Michigan University next year and will also join the CCHC.
Kozlina did not play in any games at CC. Before his CC career, he played for the Maine Nordiques for three seasons, totaling 81 points and 28 goals. Kozlina has not committed to a team for next season yet.
As of right now, the Tigers have only signed one new player from the transfer portal, forward Carmelo Crandall, a freshman from ASU.
Next season, there will be 10 teams in the NCHC as the University of St. Thomas joins the league. This comes as the second addition to the NCHC in two years, after ASU was also recently added in 2024. St. Thomas has a very new Division I hockey team, and this past season made it to the Mason Cup Finals, getting beaten out by Minnesota State to advance to the Frozen Four b racket. Former CC player Carsen Musser will be goaltending for St. Thomas, facing off against his former teammates.