COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Freshmen were on full display in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) this season and six standouts have been selected to the 2023-24 NCHC All-Rookie Team announced on Tuesday. Five teams are represented on the squad, led by a pair of Denver Pioneers who were unanimously chosen.
 
DU forward Miko Matikka and Denver defenseman Zeev Buium were both unanimous selections to the NCHC All-Rookie Team with 15 first-team votes. Western Michigan forward Alex Bump was nearly unanimous, as was North Dakota defenseman Jake Livanavage, each missing it by one vote. Omaha’s Tanner Ludtke rounds out the All-Rookie forward group with nine first-team votes, while St. Cloud State’s Isak Posch earned the nod as the All-Rookie goaltender, also with nine first-team votes.
 
Matikka (Helsinki, Finland) tallied 11 goals in conference play this season to tie for the rookie lead, while his 20 points in 23 NCHC games tied for second among freshmen and first among rookie forwards. Overall, Matikka has scored 16 goals this season, which is tops among NCHC freshmen and tied for ninth in the conference. The Arizona Coyotes draft pick was a four-time NCHC Rookie of the Week this season, the most of any freshman, and the November NCHC Rookie of the Month. Matikka has 27 points overall this season in 35 games, ranking third in NCHC rookie scoring.
 
Bump (Prior Lake, Minn.) potted eight goals, including two game-winners, in 24 NCHC games to rank third among rookies in goals, while adding 12 assists. The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick matched Matikka with 20 points in conference play to tie for second among freshmen. In 34 total games this season, Bump has 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points, ranking second behind Buium in NCHC freshman scoring. Bump is the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Month for February, and also earned Rookie of the Week once this season.
 
Ludtke (Elko, Minn.) equaled Matikka and Bump with 20 points in conference play to tie for second among NCHC freshmen. Also a Coyotes draft pick like Matikka, Ludtke dished out 13 assists in 24 NCHC games to rank third among rookies, while potting seven goals. Including non-conference play, he has 10 goals and 25 points in 34 games, ranking fourth in NCHC freshman scoring overall. Ludtke was tabbed Rookie of the Week once this season as part of an 8-game point streak from Jan. 6-Feb. 2 (5g, 6a).
 
Buium (San Diego, Calif.) has dazzled in his first season at Denver, leading all NCHC defensemen and ranking second overall with 31 points in 24 conference games, the second-most ever by a NCHC blueliner (Scott Perunovich had 32 in 2019-20). The 18-year-old scored six goals in NCHC action, tying with his brother, Shai, for the most from a blueliner, while dishing out 25 assists. The 25 helpers in conference play were also second among all skaters and first among defensemen. His +14 plus/minus tied for first among D-men in conference play, as well. Buium has racked up the awards this season, capturing Defenseman of the Week three times and Rookie of the Week once. He was also NCHC and Co-National Player of the Month for November. Overall this season, the draft eligible blue liner leads all NCHC defensemen in goals (9), assists (34) and points (43), with his 43 points 12 more than any other NCHC rearguard and tied for first nationally.
 
Livanavage (Phoenix, Ariz.) was among the top-scoring defensemen in the NCHC as well, racking up 18 points in 24 conference games to rank second behind Buium among freshman blueliners and fifth among all NCHC D-men. He tallied two goals and dished out 16 assists, which tied for sixth among all NCHC skaters in conference play and second among rookies. Livanavage has 25 points overall this season in 36 games, including 22 assists to tie for ninth among all NCHC players. He has won a trio of NCHC weekly awards this season, including Defenseman of the Week twice, and was the NCHC January Rookie of the Month.
 
Posch (Umea, Sweden) started eight games in net in NCHC play, posting a 2-4-2 record. He logged his first career shutout on Feb. 24 against Western Michigan, helping him earn NCHC Rookie of the Week. Posch compiled an .881 save percentage and 3.29 goals-against average in NCHC play, making a career-high 33 stops in a tie at Denver on Jan. 13. Overall this season, Posch has appeared in 10 games with nine starts, posting an .897 save percentage and a 2.82 GAA, while compiling a 3-4-2 record in goal.
 
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 (45 points) the maximum a player can receive.
 
The NCHC will announce its All-Conference Teams on Wednesday and its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be announced at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration in Saint Paul, Minn. on Thursday, March 21 on the eve of the 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
 
2023-2024 NCHC All-Rookie Team
F: Miko Matikka, Denver – 45 points (15 first-team votes) – unanimous
F: Alex Bump, Western Michigan – 43 (14)
F: Tanner Ludtke, Omaha – 32 (9)
D: Zeev Buium, Denver – 45 (15) – unanimous
D: Jake Livanavage, North Dakota – 43 (14)
G: Isak Posch, St. Cloud State – 33 (9)