COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After being named Most Outstanding Player of the Men’s Frozen Four on Saturday and the NCHC Player of the Month for March/April on Tuesday, Denver sophomore defenseman Mike Benning added one final 2021-22 honor on Thursday by earning HCA Men’s National Player of the Month, as the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) announced the winners for March/April. Benning wasn’t the only member of the DU hockey program honored Thursday, as Denver head coach David Carle was tabbed USCHO Coach of the Year for 2021-22 by USCHO.com today, as well.

Benning is the second straight Pioneer to win HCA Men’s National Player of the Month, after junior forward Bobby Brink did so for February, and the third Pioneer this season, along with senior forward Brett Stapley in December. Benning is also the fifth National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) player to earn HCA Men’s National Player of the Month out of six months this season, with Omaha senior forward Taylor Ward (October) and St. Cloud State senior defenseman Nick Perbix (co-January) also being recognized this season by the HCA.

Benning (St. Albert, Alta.) led all NCAA skaters in scoring in March and April, totaling 11 points and doling out an NCAA-best nine assists over the final month and a half of the season. The Florida Panthers draft pick also scored two goals, including the game-winner in the National Championship game, to help lead Denver to the 2022 NCAA title, while being named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team along with Most Outstanding Player. The Second-Team All-NCHC selection had a point in seven of his final nine games this year, including four multi-point games, all coming in the NCHC Quarterfinals and the Frozen Four. Benning was +9 in March and April, leading all NCHC skaters in plus/minus during those months. He also blocked nine shots, including seven in the NCAA Tournament.

Benning opened March with an assist in each victory over rival Colorado College to close the regular season March 4-5, as he helped DU clinch its first Penrose Cup since 2017. The following weekend he chipped in four points to lead the Pioneers to a sweep of Miami in the NCHC Quarterfinals, including a goal and an assist in the series-clincher on March 12.

Benning then compiled five points during Denver’s NCAA Tournament run, including the primary assist on DU’s second goal in a 3-2 win over UMass Lowell on March 24 to open the tournament. He dished out two more assists in DU’s 3-2 Frozen Four win over Michigan last Thursday in Boston, with the first a primary helper on the Pioneers second goal and the other on the overtime game-winner. Benning capped his season with two more points in the National Championship. He set up DU’s first goal to tie the game with a blast that caused a rebound, before scoring the game-winner in the third period to break a 1-1 tie with a rocket as Denver went on to top Minnesota State, 5-1, last Saturday, April 9.

Benning finished the season second nationally among defensemen with 38 points in 41 games, while his 15 goals were also second among NCAA blue liners. He chipped in 23 assists and was +32 on the season, tying for fourth nationally. Benning was also named to the All-USCHO Second Team on Tuesday.

Minnesota State senior Dryden McKay repeated as HCA Men’s National Goaltender of the Month, while Michigan defenseman Luke Hughes picked up Men’s National Rookie of the Month for March/April. Minnesota Duluth junior Ryan Fanti was the runner-up for National Goalie of the Month in March/April, while Denver forward Carter Mazur was runner-up for National Rookie of the Month.

Carle becomes the fifth NCHC head coach to be named USCHO Coach of the Year, joining North Dakota’s Brad Berry (2015-16 and 2019-20), Minnesota Duluth’s Scott Sandelin (2017-18) and former DU head coach Jim Montgomery (2016-17).

Carle, now in his fourth year as DU’s bench boss, guided Denver to the program’s ninth NCAA National Championship in 2022, topping Minnesota State in the title game last Saturday. DU ties Michigan for the most national titles in men’s college hockey history in doing so. Carle became the fourth-youngest head coach to win the D-I Men’s NCAA Hockey National Championship at the age of 32 and the youngest since North Dakota’s Barry Thorndycraft in 1963.

Carle oversaw a DU team that won only 10 games last year and led them to a 31-9-1 overall record this season, including winning the Penrose Cup as NCHC co-regular-season champions. The Pioneers were picked fourth in the NCHC Preseason Poll but went on to win their first Penrose Cup since 2017 under Carle’s tutelage. Denver also had the highest-scoring offense in the nation this season, averaging 4.27 goals per game.

Carle was a finalist for both NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year (won by UND’s Berry) and the AHCA’s Spencer Penrose Award, given to the D-I Men’s National Coach of the Year, which was won by Minnesota State’s Mike Hastings, who Carle defeated in the National Championship Game.

USCHO Coach of the Year is selected by the staff at USCHO.com after the Frozen Four. Six NCHC players, including Benning, earned All-USCHO honors on Tuesday.

NCHC HCA NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE MONTH IN 21-22
October - Taylor Ward, Sr., F, Omaha
December - Brett Stapley, Sr., F, Denver
January (co) - Nick Perbix, Sr., D, SCSU
February - Bobby Brink, Jr., F, Denver
March/April – Mike Benning, So., D, Denver

--#NCHChockey--