COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three different teams are represented on the 2024-25 Preseason All-NCHC Team, as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference unveiled the six-man squad selected by media on Tuesday, two days ahead of its annual Media Day. Colorado College, Denver and North Dakota each have two players on the Preseason All-Conference Team, with two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors composing the squad.
 
CC junior forward Noah Laba and Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium were both unanimous selections to the Preseason All-NCHC Team, landing on all 30 media ballots. CC junior goaltender Kaidan Mbereko was a repeat pick on the Preseason All-Conference Team, earning 22 of a possible 30 votes from the media. Rounding out the forward group are Denver senior Jack Devine (26 votes) and UND senior Cameron Berg (11 votes). Fellow Fighting Hawk sophomore Jake Livanavage (25 votes) joins Buium on the blue line to complete the Preseason All-NCHC Team.
 
Laba, Devine, Buium and Mbereko were all First-Team All-NCHC selections in 2023-24, while Berg and Livanavage were both Honorable Mention All-NCHC honorees a season ago.
 
Laba (Northville, Mich.) was the NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year last season along with his First-Team accolades, while garnering Second-Team All-America from the AHCA. The New York Rangers draft pick totaled 37 points in 36 games last season, including 20 goals. His 16 goals in conference play led the NCHC, as did his seven game-winning goals overall.
 
Devine (Glencoe, Ill.) was a First-Team All-American and Hobey Baker finalist last season after leading the NCHC with 27 goals and ranking fourth nationally. His 56 points last year were seventh in the country and second in the NCHC. The Florida Panthers prospect was third in conference play with 28 points last season, while helping DU win its 10th National Championship.
 
Berg (West Fargo, N.D.) finished second in conference play with 15 goals last season behind only Laba, while his 20 goals overall tied for sixth in the NCHC. The New York Islanders draft pick played in all 40 games in his first year with the Fighting Hawks, totaling 37 points, which was 10th in the NCHC.
 
Buium (San Diego, Calif.) is the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year after helping Denver capture the NCAA Championship alongside Devine. The Minnesota Wild first round draft pick led all NCHC blueliners and was third overall with 50 points last season on 11 goals and 39 assists. The First Team All-American’s +33 plus/minus led the entire NCHC as a freshman. Buium’s 31 points in conference play were also tops among defensemen and second in the NCHC.
 
Livanavage (Phoenix, Ariz.) was named to the 2023-24 NCHC All-Rookie Team, along with Buium, in addition to his all-conference honors. He totaled 29 points in 40 games to rank sixth among NCHC rearguards, including 24 assists. In conference play, Livanavage racked up 18 points in 24 games, which were fifth in the NCHC.
 
Mbereko (Aspen, Colo.) was named a First-Team All-American and NCHC Goaltender of the Year last season after leading the conference with both a .927 save percentage and 2.15 goals-against average in NCHC games. He went 14-8-2 in net, while starting all 24 NCHC games. Overall, Mbereko compiled a .915 save percentage and a 2.40 GAA, which were both second in the NCHC, posting a 21-13-3 record.
 
Media members voted for three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender on their ballot with each vote worth one point. The top three vote-getters at forward, top two defensemen and highest vote-getting goaltender made up the preseason all-conference team. A total of 30 ballots were submitted by media members covering each team, as well as select national college hockey media.
 
On Wednesday afternoon, the 2024-25 NCHC Preseason Poll will be revealed. It will first be counted down on the NCHC’s Twitter account, @TheNCHC, beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.
 
NCHC Media Day then takes place the following day on Thursday, Sept. 12 at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn., the home of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. Fans will be able to take part in 2024 NCHC Media Day by asking questions for student-athletes during ‘Twitter Takeovers’ in the morning, streaming the State of the Conference address for free on NCHC.tv and more. Click HERE for more on Media Day activities.
 
2024-25 NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team
F: Noah Laba, Jr., Colorado College – 30 votes (unanimous)
F: Jack Devine, Sr., Denver – 26
F: Cameron Berg, Sr. North Dakota – 11
D: Zeev Buium, So., Denver – 30 (unanimous)
D: Jake Livanavage, So., North Dakota – 25
G: Kaidan Mbereko, Jr., Colorado College – 22