COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After unveiling its All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its two All-Conference Teams on Wednesday, with four different teams represented on the 2022-23 All-NCHC First Team, including a trio of Denver Pioneers.
 
The three Pioneers to earn First-Team All-NCHC honors are sophomore forward Massimo Rizzo, junior defenseman Mike Benning and senior goaltender Magnus Chrona. Benning was a Second-Team All-NCHC pick last year, while Chrona was Honorable Mention. The other First-Team forwards are Western Michigan senior Jason Polin and St. Cloud State senior Jami Krannila, while North Dakota grad student Chris Jandric rounds out the First-Team blue line.
 
The All-NCHC Second Team features players from five different teams, including a pair of Fighting Hawks. UND freshman Jackson Blake and UND junior Riese Gaber are joined by Denver sophomore Carter Mazur to make up the Second-Team forwards. Gaber earned First-Team All-NCHC honors last year. On the Second-Team blue line are St. Cloud State sophomore Jack Peart and Minnesota Duluth junior Wyatt Kaiser, while Colorado College freshman goaltender Kaidan Mbereko rounds out the All-NCHC Second Team. Mbereko and Blake were both named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, as well.
 
Polin was a near unanimous selection to the First Team, earning 14 of 15 possible first-team votes and 43 points in voting. Rizzo (36 points) and Krannila (30) received 12 and nine first-team votes, respectively. Benning was the top vote-getter among defensemen with 11 first-team votes and 35 points, while Jandric (24 points) had seven first-team nods. Chrona narrowly earned First-Team goaltender honors with 26 points and eight first-team votes.
 
Mbereko was just behind Chrona with 25 points and six first-team votes to land on the Second Team. Mazur was fourth among forwards with 27 points and seven first-team votes, while Blake (16 points) and Gaber (10) picked up a combined three first-team votes. Peart was third in voting among defensemen with 19 points and five first-team votes, while Kaiser (12 points) earned three first-team votes. In addition to the two all-conference teams, eight additional student-athletes earned Honorable Mention honors from the NCHC, which are listed at the bottom.
 
Polin (Holt, Mich.) is the leading goal-scorer in the NCAA with 29 goals, tying the NCHC single-season record. He is tied for second in the NCHC with 45 points overall, while his 29 points in conference play also tied for second. Polin scored 17 of his 29 goals in NCHC action, tying for the goal-scoring title and tying for the third-most goals in conference play in NCHC single-season history. The WMU captain tallied two hat tricks in NCHC play and has an NCHC record five on the season. Polin was a two-time NCHC Forward of the Week and the November Player of the Month this season.
 
Rizzo (Burnaby, B.C.) captured the NCHC scoring title with 31 points in conference play, scoring 11 goals and dishing out a NCHC-best 20 assists in 24 games. The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick also leads the NCHC in overall scoring with 46 points in 36 games, averaging an NCHC-leading 1.28 points per game. Rizzo has 17 goals and 29 assists on the year, with the 29 helpers second in the NCHC. The two-time NCHC Forward of the Week’s +24 plus/minus is second among NCHC forwards behind only Polin’s +26.
 
Krannila (Nokia, Finland) matched Polin in conference play with both 17 goals and 29 points in 24 games, with the goals tying for first and the points tying for second. The 17 goals also tie for the third-most in NCHC single-season history in conference play. Krannila’s +17 plus/minus led all forwards in NCHC play, as well. Overall, the Finn has put up 37 points in 34 games this year, scoring 19 goals and adding 18 assists, ranking in the top six in the NCHC in points and goals. Krannila was also the NCHC’s Player of the Month in January.
 
Benning (St. Albert, Alta.) leads all NCHC defensemen with 13 goals and 33 points in 36 games this season, tying for first among NCAA blueliners in goals and ranking third in points. A Second-Team All-NCHC pick last year, Benning was second in conference play this year with 20 points, while his nine goals were three more than any other defenseman in NCHC action. The Florida Panthers draft pick posted a +17 plus/minus in conference play, which ranked second. Benning is a two-time NCHC Player of the Month and two-time Defenseman of the Week this season.
 
Jandric (Prince George, B.C.) led all NCHC blueliners in conference play with 21 points in 24 games, while his 18 assists tied for first among defensemen and tied for third among all skaters. In all games, Jandric ranks one point behind Benning with 32 points in 35 games. He has four goals on the year, while his 28 assists lead all NCHC defensemen and rank third among all NCHC players.
 
Manning the net for the First Team is Chrona (Stockholm, Sweden), who posted a 17-4-0 record in 22 starts in NCHC play, with the 17 wins leading all goalies. His 2.23 goals-against average in NCHC action ranked second, while his .915 save percentage was third. The San Jose Sharks prospect led the league with four shutouts in conference play. Overall, Chrona is 22-7-0, with an NCHC-best 2.22 GAA and a .914 save percentage, ranking fourth in the NCHC. He was twice the NCHC Goalie of the Week this year.
 
On the All-NCHC Second Team, Mazur (Jackson, Mich.) is second behind Polin in the NCHC with 22 goals overall and has 35 points in 36 games this year. His six game-winning goals lead the NCHC. In conference play, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick potted 15 goals, fourth in the NCHC, and had 24 points in 24 games. Blake (Eden Prairie, Minn.) tied for second in conference play with 29 points, scoring 10 goals and adding 19 assists. Overall, the Hurricanes draft pick is fourth in the NCHC with 40 points on 15 goals and 25 assists. Blake’s teammate, Gaber (Gilbert Plains, Manitoba), was sixth in conference play with 13 goals, while totaling 23 points in 24 NCHC games. Overall, he has 34 points in 35 games, including 19 goals, which ties for fifth in the NCHC.
 
On the Second-Team blue line, Peart (Grand Rapids, Minn.) tied with Benning for second in defenseman scoring in conference play with 20 points, including 18 assists, tying with Jandric for the lead among blueliners. Overall, the Minnesota Wild draft pick has 23 points and 21 assists in 32 games this season. Kaiser (Ham Lake, Minn.) compiled 13 points in conference play, including 12 assists in 23 games. Overall, the Chicago Blackhawks draft pick has four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 32 games this year.
 
In goal on the Second Team, Mbereko (Aspen, Colo.) started 22 of 24 NCHC games with three shutouts. He posted a .930 save percentage in NCHC play, which was second, while his 2.26 goals-against average was third. His 609 saves were the most in conference play this season, averaging 27.7 saves per NCHC game. Overall, Mbereko has played in 26 games this season with an NCHC-best .923 save percentage and carries a 2.43 GAA. He is a two-time NCHC Goalie of the Month this year, as well.
 
Along with the two All-Conference Teams, eight other players earned Honorable Mention All-NCHC, which is made up of the next highest point totals in voting at each position (plus ties) after the First and Second Teams. Receiving Honorable Mention All-NCHC at forward are Colorado College junior Hunter McKown, Minnesota Duluth freshman Ben Steeves, Omaha senior Jack Randl, Western Michigan freshman Ryan McAllister and St. Cloud State senior Zach Okabe. In addition, Denver sophomore defenseman Sean Behrens, SCSU senior blueliner Dylan Anhorn and Omaha freshman netminder Simon Latkoczy garnered Honorable Mention All-NCHC.
 
Voting was conducted by the eight head coaches at each institution and eight media members, one covering each member school. Coaches and media voted for six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders, awarding first-team votes for six players (three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender) and second-team votes for the other six selections. Three points were awarded for a first-team vote while one point was awarded for a second-team vote, with the most points at each position earning the honors. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players, making 15 first-place votes the maximum a player can receive.
 
The NCHC will announce its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be announced at the NCHC Awards Celebration in Saint Paul, Minn. on Thursday, March 16 on the eve of the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
 
2022-23 First-Team All-NCHC
F: Jason Polin, Sr., Western Michigan - 43 points (14 first-team votes)
F: *Massimo Rizzo, So., Denver – 36 (12)  
F: Jami Krannila, Sr., St. Cloud State – 30 (9)
D: ^Mike Benning, Jr., Denver – 35 (11)
D: Chris Jandric, Gr., North Dakota – 24 (7)
G: *+Magnus Chrona, Sr., Denver – 26 (8)
 
2022-23 Second-Team All-NCHC
F: *Carter Mazur, So., Denver – 27 (7)
F: *Jackson Blake, Fr., North Dakota – 16 (2)
F: *%Riese Gaber, Jr., North Dakota – 10 (1)
D: Jack Peart, So., St. Cloud State – 19 (5)
D: *~Wyatt Kaiser, Jr., Minnesota Duluth – 12 (3)
G: *Kaidan Mbereko, Fr., Colorado College – 25 (6)
 
2022-23 Honorable Mention All-NCHC
F: Hunter McKown, Jr., Colorado College – 6 (1)
F: *Ben Steeves, Fr., Minnesota Duluth – 5 (1)
F: Jack Randl, Sr., Omaha – 4 (1)
F: *Ryan McAllister, Fr., Western Michigan – 4 (0)
F: Zach Okabe, Sr., St. Cloud State – 4 (0)
D: *Sean Behrens, So., Denver – 10 (2)
D: Dylan Anhorn, Sr.,  St. Cloud State – 7 (1)
G: Simon Latkoczy, Fr., Omaha – 7 (1)
 
*All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman
% 2021-22 First-Team All-NCHC
^ 2021-22 Second-Team All-NCHC
+ 2021-22 Honorable Mention All-NCHC
~ 2020-21 Honorable Mention All-NCHC