COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its KJ Branding NCHC Players of the Week on Monday for the week of Jan. 6-12, 2025, with all four honorees leading their teams to series sweeps. Three teams are represented among the KJ Branding NCHC Week 13 honorees, with two from Omaha, while a pair of netminders nabbed awards:

• Forward – Brady Risk, Omaha, Gr.
• Defenseman – Zeev Buium, Denver, So.
• Goaltender – Simon Latkoczy, Omaha, Jr.
• Rookie – Klayton Knapp, Minnesota Duluth, goaltender

These are the first career NCHC weekly honors for both Risk and Knapp. Buium bagged his second Defenseman of the Week nod this season and fifth of his career. Similarly, Latkoczy gloved his second Goalie of the Week honor this season and fifth of his career.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Brady Risk, Omaha
Graduate Student Forward
Medicine Hat, Alberta
 
Risk racked up four points to power Omaha to a sweep of then-No. 13 Colorado College. In Friday’s 5-2 win over CC, the Alaska Fairbanks transfer notched his second collegiate hat trick and first as a Maverick. He scored Omaha’s first, third and fifth goals in the series opener, with his second goal serving as the game-winner. Risk was named First Star of Friday’s game. On Saturday, he handed out an assist on the game-winning goal, which broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as UNO went on to a 3-1 victory.
 
Risk finished the series against the Tigers with three goals and an assist, while having a hand in both game-winning goals. His four points tied for the NCHC lead on the weekend. He fired eight shots on goal over the weekend, including seven when he recorded his hat trick Friday. Risk posted a +2 plus/minus in the series.
 
Risk doubled his goal total with his hat trick, giving him six on the season. He now has 10 points in 20 games this year, tying for fourth on the Mavericks in points and third in goals.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Zeev Buium, Denver
Sophomore Defenseman
San Diego, Calif.
 
Buium was once again a force at both ends of the ice for Denver, chipping in four points to lead all NCHC defensemen, while helping limit Miami to three goals in a sweep. In Friday’s 4-1 win, the Minnesota Wild draft pick tallied his third three-point game of the season with a goal and two assists. Buium set up DU’s first and third goals Friday before sealing the win with an empty-net goal after thwarting an attempted clearance from Miami. The World Juniors gold medalist was named Second Star of the Game Friday. The next night, Buium assisted on a power play goal to make it 2-0 in an eventual 6-2 win.
 
Buium ended the sweep with a goal, three assists and two blocked shots. He also fired three shots on goal and finished with a +1 plus/minus, while running a power play that went 4-for-8 against Miami. On the season, Buium leads all NCHC defensemen with both 19 assists and 24 points through 20 games, while adding five goals. He now has six multi-point games this season.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Simon Latkoczy, Omaha
Junior Goaltender
Trencin, Slovakia
 
Latkoczy piled up the saves and wins in backstopping Omaha to a sweep of then-No. 13 Colorado College over the weekend. The Slovak averaged 37.5 saves per game against the Tigers, including 42 saves in a 5-2 win in Friday’s series opener. Latkoczy made 15 saves in the third period, with the 42 total stops his third-most this season and fourth time topping the 40-save mark. On Saturday, he made 33 more saves, including 12 in the final frame, as UNO pulled out a 3-1 win with a pair of third period goals. Latkoczy was named the game’s Second Star in the series finale.
 
Latkoczy finished the weekend with an NCHC-best 75 saves, while his .962 save percentage was second in the NCHC and tops among goalies with two games played. He allowed only three goals in the series for a 1.50 goals-against average. The junior also helped Omaha finish a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill with eight short-handed saves against the Tigers.
 
Latkoczy improved to 8-9-0 in 17 starts this season. He now carries a .932 save percentage on the year, which ranks third in the NCHC, while lowering his season GAA to 2.32.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Klayton Knapp, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Waterville, Ohio
 
Knapp started his fourth and fifth straight games, backstopping the Bulldogs to a sweep of in-state rival and then-No. 10 St. Cloud State, while allowing only two goals all weekend. In Friday’s opener, the freshman recorded his first career shutout, turning aside all 28 shots he faced in a 2-0 UMD victory. He was named First Star of the Game for his efforts. In Saturday’s finale, Knapp totaled 20 saves in a 5-2 victory.
 
Knapp compiled 48 saves on 50 shots faced against SCSU for a .960 save percentage, which was third in the NCHC on the weekend and second among goalies with two games played. His 1.00 goals-against average led all NCHC netminders on the weekend. Knapp made five of his saves short-handed to help UMD go 5-for-6 on the penalty kill in the series.
 
With the first back-to-back wins of his college career, Knapp improved to 3-2-1 in eight games this season (six starts). He upped his season save percentage to .915 and lowered his GAA to 2.08, which is sixth in the NCHC.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Dylan James, North Dakota
Artem Shlaine, Arizona State
Aidan Thompson, Denver

Defenseman of the Week
Aaron Pionk, Minnesota Duluth
Abram Wiebe, North Dakota

Goaltender of the Week
Gibson Homer, Arizona State
Klayton Knapp, Minnesota Duluth
 
Rookie of the Week
Sacha Boisvert, North Dakota
Myles Hilman, Omaha
Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
Michael Quinn, Miami