St. Cloud State has many hockey players who have gone on to play at the professional level, including ten players currently in the ECHL.
Chase Brand (2019-23)
Forward Chase Brand spent four seasons at St. Cloud State, where he played in 117 games. Brand had 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points. He had 63 penalty minutes and a +4. Brand ended his career as a Husky with 82 shots and 35 blocks. He had two power play goals, two shorthanded goals, and two game-winning goals. Brand scored a shorthanded goal in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals, which eventually became the game-winning goal against Minnesota Duluth. Brand was a part of the Husky team that won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in 2023 and also made a visit to the Frozen Four in 2021, where they lost in the final to the University of Massachusetts.
Brand transferred to Augustana University for his fifth year before he started his professional career in the ECHL at the end of the 2023-24 season. Brand has played with the Reading Royals, Adirondack Thunder, and Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL. In 59 games thus far, Brand has four goals and five assists for nine points with 24 penalty minutes and a -4.
This season, Brand has played 52 games between the Thunder and Mavericks, where he has four goals and five assists with 24 penalty minutes and a -5.
Brand is in his second professional season, although it is still considered his rookie season as he played less than 25 games last season. This is his first season with the Kansas City Mavericks.
Easton Brodzinski (2017-22)
Forward Easton Brodzinski played in five seasons with the Huskies playing in 176 collegiate games. Brodzinski had 67 goals and 58 assists for 125 points. He had 198 penalty minutes and a +0. Brodzinski finished his time at St. Cloud State with 41 blocks and 410 shots, with 25 games where he had five or more shots. He had 26 multipoint games with one hat-trick, and he had 21 power play goals and 12 game-winning goals.
In 2021, Brodzinski was named to the NCAA Northeast Regional All-Tournament Team and was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team in 2018. He was also named NCHC Rookie of the Week for November 12-18, 2018. Brodzinski and the Huskies were the NCHC Regular Season Champions in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
After completing his collegiate career in the 2021-22 season, Brodzinski played in one game in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Since then, Brodzinski has spent his time in the ECHL, where he has played for the Jacksonville Icemen, Allen Americans, and now the Tulsa Oilers. In 150 ECHL games, Brodzinski has 45 goals and 48 assists for 93 points with 162 penalty minutes and a -27. Brodzinski also got some playing time in the playoffs with the Americans and Icemen. In six playoff games, Brodzinski has two goals and three assists for five points with two penalty minutes and a -3.
Brodzinski did get an AHL call-up this season to the San Diego Gulls. In nine games with the Gulls, he had one goal with 17 penalty minutes and a -3.
This season, Brodzinski has played in 52 games between the Americans and Oilers, where he has 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points. He has 37 penalty minutes and a -26.
Brodzinski is in his third full professional season and third season in the ECHL.
Jaxon Castor (2018-23)
Castor spent five seasons at St. Cloud State, spending his freshman season on the University’s DII Club team. Castor joined the DI team in the 2019-20 season. In 44 games as a Husky, Castor had a record of 20-16-1 with four shutouts. He faced 977 shots, where he had 889 saves and 88 goals against for a save percentage of .910 and a goals against average of 2.38. Castor finishes his career in the Huskies’ record book ranked fifth for goals against average, eighth for save percentage, and 15th for wins. Castor is also tied for eighth in shutouts for a Husky goaltender.
In the 2022–23 season, Castor backstopped the Huskies to an appearance in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship, where he and his team shut out Colorado College. With that performance, Castor became only the second goaltender in NCHC history—and the first in Huskies history—to record a shutout in the conference championship game. He also helped lead the Huskies to the NCAA Regional Final, earning a win over Minnesota State before falling 4–1 to the University of Minnesota. For his standout play, Castor was named to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team and earned NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors for the week of January 2–8, 2023.
In his three professional seasons, Castor has played for the Florida Everblades, Atlanta Gladiators, and Wheeling Nailers. He has also spent time in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In the ECHL, Castor has played in 30 games, where he has a record of 15-10-2. Castor has faced 802 shots, saving 711, and has allowed 91 goals, giving him a save percentage of .887 and a 3.11 goals against average. In eight playoff games with the Nailers, Castor has a record of 4-3-1 with one shutout. After facing 242 shots, Castor saved 221 and allowed 21 goals for a save percentage of .913 and a goals against average of 2.73. In the 2023-24 season, Castor won the ECHL Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades.
This season, Castor has appeared in 12 games for the Wheeling Nailers, posting a 5-6-1 record. He has faced 344 shots, allowing 45 goals and making 299 saves, resulting in a 3.76 goals-against average and a .869 save percentage.
The 2024–25 campaign marks Castor’s third professional season and his second with the Nailers.
Kyler Kupka (2019-24)
Forward Kyler Kupka spent five seasons with the St. Cloud State Huskies, appearing in 145 games and recording 32 goals and 53 assists for 85 points. He also tallied 38 penalty minutes and finished with a +19 rating. Throughout his collegiate career, Kupka registered 19 multi-point games, 41 blocked shots, two game-winning goals, two game-tying goals, nine power-play goals, three empty-net goals, and one shorthanded goal. He fired 218 shots, including five games with five or more shots on goal.
Kupka was named a Hobey Baker Award nominee in the 2023–24 season. During the 2020–21 Frozen Four Semifinal, he notched a goal and an assist against Minnesota State, helping the Huskies advance to the national championship game. He also scored in the team’s 5–4 loss to Quinnipiac in the 2021–22 NCAA Regional Semifinal. Kupka and the Huskies captured the NCHC Frozen Faceoff title in the 2022–23 season.
Professionally, Kupka has played in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays, appearing in 58 total games and posting 29 goals and 28 assists for 57 points, along with 33 penalty minutes and a +24 rating. He also earned an AHL call-up to the Calgary Wranglers, where he appeared in 12 games and recorded two assists, two penalty minutes, and a -3 rating.
So far this season with the Stingrays, Kupka has played in 51 games, contributing 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points, with 33 penalty minutes and a +24 rating.
The 2024–25 season marks Kupka’s first full professional campaign and his first full season with the South Carolina Stingrays.
Josh Luedtke (2021-25)
Defenseman Josh Luedtke spent four seasons at St. Cloud State, appearing in 138 games and tallying 12 goals and 32 assists for 44 points. He recorded 95 penalty minutes and finished with a +24 rating. Over his collegiate career, Luedtke notched six multi-point games, two power-play goals, one shorthanded goal, and one game-winning goal. He also totaled 141 blocked shots and 211 shots on goal, including nine games with five or more shots—highlighted by a seven-shot performance against the University of Nebraska-Omaha on December 7, 2024.
In the 2022–23 season, Luedtke scored a goal against Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC Quarterfinals, helping the Huskies advance to win the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship. The following year, he added a goal and an assist in the 2023–24 NCHC Quarterfinals victory over Western Michigan. Luedtke served as an assistant captain in 2023–24 before wearing the “C” as team captain for the 2024–25 season. That same season, he was recognized as a finalist for both the NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the NCHC Sportsmanship Award.
Following the conclusion of his college career, Luedtke signed with the Savannah Ghost Pirates, making his professional debut in the ECHL. So far, he has appeared in three games, recording two penalty minutes and a -5 rating while still seeking his first professional point.
The 2024–25 season marks Luedtke’s first year playing professionally and his first season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
Micah Miller (2018-23)
Forward Micah Miller spent five seasons with the St. Cloud State Huskies, appearing in 171 games and recording 29 goals and 42 assists for 71 points. He added 58 penalty minutes and finished with an impressive +33 rating. Miller tallied eight multi-point games during his collegiate career, along with five shorthanded goals, four game-winning goals, and four empty-netters. He totaled 302 shots on goal, including 13 games with five or more shots.
Miller scored the game-tying goal against Boston University in the 2020–21 NCAA Regional Semifinals and added another goal in the Regional Final against Boston College. His four shorthanded goals in the 2021–22 season ranked third-most for a single season in program history. A finalist for NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year in 2022–23, Miller also helped lead the Huskies to the 2018–19 NCHC Regular Season Penrose Cup and the 2022–23 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship. He served as an alternate captain in 2022–23 and finished his college career tied for fourth all-time in games played at St. Cloud State.
Since turning pro, Miller has seen time in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners and Hershey Bears but has spent the majority of his career in the ECHL with the Atlanta Gladiators and South Carolina Stingrays. In seven AHL appearances, he has recorded one assist and a -2 rating.
In the ECHL, Miller has played in 129 games, registering 44 goals and 46 assists for 90 points, along with 40 penalty minutes and a +8 rating. This season with the Stingrays, he has played in 66 games, recording 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points, with just 14 penalty minutes and a +29 rating.
The 2024–25 season marks Miller’s third as a professional and his first full season with the South Carolina Stingrays.
Patrick Newell (2015-19)
Forward Patrick Newell spent four seasons with the St. Cloud State Huskies, appearing in 145 games and recording 38 goals and 82 assists for 120 points. He added just 16 penalty minutes and finished with a remarkable +66 rating. Over the course of his collegiate career, Newell posted 32 multi-point games, eight power-play goals, two shorthanded goals, one empty-net goal, and nine game-winning goals. He also registered 289 shots—including 12 games with five or more—and tallied 26 blocked shots. His 82 assists rank tenth all-time among Huskies players.
Newell was part of two championship teams at St. Cloud State, winning the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in 2015–16 and the NCHC Regular Season title in 2017–18. His standout senior campaign in 2018–19 earned him a slew of accolades: NCHC Forward of the Year, NCHC Scoring Champion, NCHC Sportsmanship Award winner, and Hobey Baker Award finalist. He was also named to the All-NCHC First Team, the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team, and the NCAA West First All-American Team. In addition, he earned NCHC Player of the Week honors twice and was named NCHC Player of the Month in February 2019.
Professionally, Newell has competed in both the AHL and ECHL. In 87 AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he recorded 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points, along with 18 penalty minutes and a -4 rating. In the ECHL, he has played in 82 games, collecting 14 goals and 37 assists for 51 points, with just six penalty minutes and a +5 rating.
This season with the Tahoe Knight Monsters, Newell has appeared in 64 games, tallying 10 goals and 27 assists for 37 points, along with six penalty minutes and a +8 rating.
The 2024–25 season marks Newell’s seventh as a professional, his second in the ECHL, and his first with the Tahoe Knight Monsters.
Zach Okabe (2019-24)
Forward Zach Okabe spent five seasons at St. Cloud State, where he appeared in 176 games and recorded 52 goals and 67 assists for 119 points. He added 81 penalty minutes and finished with a +13 rating. Okabe registered 23 multi-point games during his collegiate career, along with 16 power-play goals, one empty-netter, and nine game-winning goals. He also logged 39 blocked shots and fired 349 shots on goal, including nine games with five or more shots. Notably, Okabe became the only player in program history to record multiple natural hat tricks and is tied for second all-time in games played at St. Cloud State.
His list of accolades includes being named NCHC Rookie of the Week once and NCHC Forward of the Week twice. In the 2022–23 season, he earned All-NCHC Honorable Mention honors and was selected to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team. That same season, Okabe scored the overtime game-winning goal against the University of North Dakota to send the Huskies to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship, where they defeated Colorado College in a shutout. He also scored in the Huskies’ 4–0 win over Minnesota State in the NCAA Regional Semifinals. Okabe served as an alternate captain in his final season and helped lead St. Cloud State to the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff title.
Since turning professional, Okabe has had a brief stint in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters before signing with the Abbotsford Canucks. He has spent the 2024–25 season in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings. With the Monsters, he played in nine games, posting two goals and one assist for three points, along with two penalty minutes and a +1 rating.
In his first full season with the Wings, Okabe has appeared in 69 games, recording 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points, with 21 penalty minutes and a -19 rating.
The 2024–25 season marks Okabe’s first full professional campaign and first full year with the Kalamazoo Wings.
Mason Salquist (2021-25)
Forward Mason Salquist spent four seasons at St. Cloud State, appearing in 145 games and recording 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points. He added 57 penalty minutes and finished with a +1 rating. Over his collegiate career, Salquist registered four multi-point games, two power-play goals, one shorthanded goal, one empty-net goal, four game-winning goals, and one game-tying goal. He totaled 71 blocked shots and 200 shots on goal, including three games with five or more shots.
Salquist was a standout in the faceoff circle, going 1,187–909 during his time with the Huskies. His senior season alone saw him post a 367–275 faceoff record, establishing him as one of the top faceoff specialists in NCAA Division I hockey and helping the Huskies become one of the nation’s best faceoff teams.
In the 2021–22 season, Salquist was named NCHC Rookie of the Week. During the 2022–23 NCHC Quarterfinals, he tallied two assists in a win over Minnesota Duluth, contributing to the Huskies’ run to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship.
After concluding his collegiate career, Salquist signed with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. In his first three professional games, he has recorded one assist and holds a +1 rating.
The 2024–25 season marks Salquist’s first professional campaign and his first season with the Wheeling Nailers.
Jake Wahlin (2016-20)
Forward Jake Wahlin spent four seasons at St. Cloud State, where he appeared in 127 games, tallying 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points, along with 44 penalty minutes. He recorded six multi-point games over his collegiate career, along with 14 blocked shots, three game-winning goals, and one power-play goal. Wahlin totaled 155 shots, including two games with five or more shots on goal.
He was named NCHC Player of the Week once during his time with the Huskies and was part of two NCHC Regular Season Championship teams in 2017–18 and 2018–19.
After college, Wahlin began his professional career in the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush before joining the Pensacola Ice Flyers in the SPHL. With the Ice Flyers, he played in 37 games and recorded 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points, along with 18 penalty minutes and a +16 rating. He also contributed one goal and three assists in four playoff games, helping Pensacola capture the 2020–21 SPHL Championship. Wahlin earned SPHL Rookie of the Year honors and was named to both the SPHL All-Rookie Team and SPHL First All-Star Team.
Wahlin later returned to the ECHL, rejoining the Rapid City Rush and eventually signing with the Wichita Thunder. Over 280 career ECHL games, he has posted 47 goals and 72 assists for 119 points, with 78 penalty minutes and a -12 rating. In the 2022–23 season, he was recognized as the Unsung Hero of the Wichita Thunder.
In the 2024–25 season, Wahlin has played in 63 games with Wichita, contributing nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points, along with 14 penalty minutes and a -5 rating.
The 2024–25 season marks Wahlin’s fifth as a professional and his fourth with the Wichita Thunder.
ITR 34: End Of The Road – Inside The Rink
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