COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the 2023-24 season getting underway last weekend, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) has announced its first set of KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week for games on Oct. 7-8, 2023. Three teams are represented among the KJ Branding NCHC weekly honors for Week 1:

• Forward – Jack Devine, Denver, Jr.
• Defenseman – Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State, 5th Yr.
• Goaltender – Zach Stejskal, Minnesota Duluth, Sr.
• Rookie – Anthony Menghini, Minnesota Duluth, Forward

This is Devine’s second career NCHC Forward of the Week nod and fourth career NCHC weekly honor. This is also Anhorn’s second career NCHC Defenseman of the Week award and Stejskal’s second career NCHC Goaltender of the Week honor.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Jack Devine, Denver
Junior Forward
Glencoe, Ill.
 
Devine powered Denver to a season-opening sweep at Alaska with a six-point weekend. He tallied four goals in the series, scoring two in each game, including the game-winning goal both nights. In Saturday’s season-opening, 7-3 win, the Florida Panthers draft pick tied a career high with four points. He dished out two assists to go with his pair of tallies, including one power play goal. The next night, Devine scored twice more, back-to-back on the power play in the second period, to put DU up 4-1 in an eventual 5-2 win on Sunday.
 
Devine scored three of DU’s four power play goals on the weekend, as the Pioneers went 4-for-14 on the man advantage. Devine’s six points rank second in the NCHC early in the season behind only his teammate, junior Massimo Rizzo, who had seven assists in the sweep over the Nanooks. Devine’s four goals lead the country after one weekend.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State
Fifth-Year Defenseman
Calgary, Alta.
 
Anhorn played a key role in helping St. Cloud State open the season with a split against in-state rival St. Thomas. In Saturday’s season opener, the SCSU captain tallied two points and fired five shots on goal in a 5-4 overtime loss. He had a hand in each of the Huskies’ first two goals of the season, assisting on the opener before scoring their second goal on the power play to break a 1-1 tie. The next day at St. Thomas, Anhorn helped SCSU record a shutout in a 1-0 victory and put two shots on net.
 
Anhorn anchored a penalty kill that finished 8-for-10 on the weekend, including killing a major penalty and a 5-on-3 Tommies advantage on Saturday. He also helped SCSU’s power play go 4-for-11 in the series.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Zach Stejskal, Minnesota Duluth
Senior Goaltender
Cohasset, Minn.
 
Stejskal was strong in net in Minnesota Duluth’s season opener, backstopping the Bulldogs to a 2-2 overtime tie and shootout win against then-No. 10 Michigan Tech in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game on Saturday. Stejskal made 32 saves on 34 shots faced for a .941 save percentage, which led all NCHC netminders on the weekend. He made 14 saves in the second period and four more in overtime, while stopping six shots short-handed as UMD was a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
 
Following overtime, Stejskal made two more saves in the three-person shootout to give UMD the shootout win and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game trophy. His 1.85 goals-against average was also tops in the NCHC on opening weekend.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Anthony Menghini, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Forward
Baxter, Minn.
 
Menghini started his college career with a bang, scoring a goal and a shootout goal in a 2-2 overtime tie against then-No. 10 Michigan Tech on Saturday. The freshman scored his first collegiate goal 3:16 into the third period to break a 1-1 tie and put the Bulldogs in front. After the game ended in a 2-2 draw, Menghini delivered again, scoring the shootout-winning goal as the last shooter to allow UMD to lift the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game trophy.
 
Along with his goal, Menghini fired three shots on goal against the Huskies, while posting a +1 plus/minus and blocking a shot in the Bulldogs’ only game last weekend.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Frankie Carogioiello, Miami, So.
Luke Loheit, Minnesota Duluth, Gr.
Veeti Miettinen, St. Cloud State, Sr.
Massimo Rizzo, Denver, Jr.

Defenseman of the Week
Kent Anderson, Denver, So.
Jack Clement, Miami, Gr.
Owen Gallatin, Minnesota Duluth, Jr.

Goaltender of the Week
Dominic Basse, St. Cloud State, Sr.
Matt Davis, Denver, Jr.
Logan Neaton, Miami, Gr.
 
Rookie of the Week
Boston Buckberger, Denver, Defenseman
Barrett Hall, St. Cloud State, Forward