GRAND FORKS — The UND hockey team took a trip to Davos, Switzerland, over Christmas break in 1982 to play in the Spengler Cup. It added two additional exhibitions in Kreuzlinger and Lucerne on that trip.
More than 40 years later, the Fighting Hawks may head overseas again.
UND has been exploring the possibility of competing in the 2027 Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
No contract has been signed and nothing has been finalized. But UND has made significant progress on it over the last several months, according to multiple sources.
The Friendship Four is a regular-season tournament held annually on Thanksgiving weekend. It is played at the home of the Belfast Giants, who compete in the top United Kingdom-based league. Their arena seats about 11,000.
Three former UND players suited up for Belfast last season — Jordan Kawaguchi, Grant Mismash and Gabe Bast.
Boston University won the 2024 Friendship Four and eventually made a run to the NCAA Frozen Four. Quinnipiac won the 2022 event en route to its first national championship.
This season, Miami, Sacred Heart, RIT and Union are participating.
The NCAA allows teams to do a foreign trip once every four years.
This is not the first time UND has looked into playing overseas in recent years — but the other attempts fell through.
UND was close to scheduling exhibition games in Finland when the 2020 coronavirus pandemic hit. Those competitions were scratched due to the pandemic.
UND also looked into previous Friendship Fours, but they didn’t work out.
If 2027 happens, it could be a strong field.
Other potential participants include Quinnipiac and Northeastern, who have both played in the event twice already. The Friendship Four field is generally announced in the fall.
UND has two nonconference games left to fill for 2027-28, so it works scheduling-wise. The Fighting Hawks are set to play two-game series against Bemidji State, Augustana, Minnesota and Wisconsin that season.
The Fighting Hawks already have a destination game on the books for the previous year. They will play Michigan State in Austin, Texas, on Halloween 2026.
Where will Gavin McKenna end up?
College hockey’s biggest ongoing story is the recruitment of Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft.
McKenna will likely enter the season as the Hobey Baker Award frontrunner wherever he lands, which is extra notable considering last year’s winner, Isaac Howard of Michigan State, is planning to return to school.
Although there’s been plenty of buzz on social media about UND being a top contender for McKenna, as of last week, the Fighting Hawks still had not been able to crack that door open.
Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan — all with significant NIL resources and offers — have long been considered the front-runners. Denver also is in the picture. UND would like to be — who wouldn’t? — but the Fighting Hawks haven’t been in the mix to this point.
McKenna is expected to join UND incoming freshman defenseman Keaton Verhoeff as top 2026 NHL Draft prospects who are enrolling into college a year early.
Several other top players have done that in recent years, including freshman Hobey Baker Award winners Macklin Celebrini of Boston University (2024) and Adam Fantilli of Michigan (2023).
Gordon talks about Tech return
Forward Isaac Gordon committed to UND out of the NCAA transfer portal in late April, but reversed course a couple weeks ago and opted to stay at Michigan Tech.
Gordon, a junior forward from Manitoba, talked about his decision on the Pucks in Deep podcast this week.
“Initially, I was super excited to go to North Dakota,” Gordon told Pucks in Deep. “Obviously, it’s close to home. But I kind of made a home at Michigan Tech. I’ve grown to love it. The place is really special. When I saw they were making some changes and stuff, I went back, and was like, ‘I would have liked to know (that before). I maybe would have thought a little differently.'”
Gordon’s change of heart came shortly after Michigan Tech fired head coach Joe Shawhan and replaced him with Lindenwood head coach Bill Muckalt.
Muckalt previously had success as an assistant at Michigan Tech and Michigan.
Gordon said Michigan Tech was too structured under Shawhan and “it was a grind to create any offense.”
“(Muckalt) is a super modern hockey thinker,” Gordon said on the podcast. “Very creative.”
Gordon also indicated playing time could have been a factor.
“There’s something to say about being comfortable where you are,” he said.
Without Gordon, UND is now searching for two forwards to fill out the 2025-26 roster.
The Fighting Hawks likely have some flexibility on whether they’ll add centers or wingers. Gordon was projected to play wing.
Right now, UND has 13 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies set for this season’s roster.
Former UND players nab major award votes
A few former UND players collected votes for major NHL awards this season.
Defenseman Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators finished 10th in voting for both the Lady Byng Trophy (best sportsmanship combined with playing talent) and the Norris Trophy (best defenseman).
Forward Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes finished ninth in voting for the Calder Trophy (best rookie).
Schneekloth moves to the NHL
Former UND defenseman Aaron Schneekloth has been named an assistant coach with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.
Schneekloth has spent the last 19 years with the Colorado Eagles organization — seven as a player, 12 as a coach.
The Eagles have gone from the Central Hockey League to the ECHL to the American Hockey League during his time.
He was a player when the organization transitioned from the CHL to ECHL. He was a coach when they went from the ECHL to the AHL.
Schneekloth was Colorado’s head coach the last two seasons.
- Former Grand Forks Central and UND defenseman Paul LaDue has signed with Rögle BK in Ängelholm, Sweden, for next season. Rögle BK plays in Sweden’s top league. LaDue scored five goals and tallied 17 points in 50 games last season for MoDo in Sweden’s top league.
- UND incoming freshman defense Sam Laurila, expected to be a mid-round NHL Draft pick on June 28,
about going undrafted a year ago. Laurila said: “I think it was really good for me. Kind of makes you mad and kind of makes you want to get back to work.”
- The Athletic’s hockey prospect expert
Corey Pronman posted a seven-round mock
draft this week. Among the incoming/future UND players on the list: Cole Reschny (18), Cooper Simpson (77), Laurila (136), Andrew O’Neill (166) and Ashton Schultz (171).
- FloHockey’s prospect expert
Chris Peters posted his top 100
for the draft. UND players on his list: Reschny (15), Laurila (74) and Simpson (94).
- Christian Wolanin tallied an assist Tuesday night as the Abbotsford Canucks took a 2-1 series lead on the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL’s Calder Cup Finals. Matt Kiersted and Riese Gaber (injured) play for Charlotte.
- Vancouver picked Ashton Bell with the first pick of the PWHL Expansion Draft. Bell was signed to play at UND when the women’s program was cut. Bell had been playing in Ottawa.
