COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the second straight week, four different teams are represented among the KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week. Earning KJ Branding NCHC honors for Week 4 (Oct. 20-26, 2025) of the season are:

• Forward – Ryan Smith, Miami, So.
• Defenseman – Aidan de La Gorgendiere, Omaha, Jr.
• Goaltender – Adam Gajan, Minnesota Duluth, So.
• Rookie – Nolan Roed, St. Cloud State, Forward

These are the first career NCHC honors for Smith, de La Gorgendiere and Roed. Gajan gloved his second Goaltender of the Week nod this season and third of his career, while it’s his fourth career NCHC weekly honor (Rookie of the Week once). Roed is the second straight Husky to earn Rookie of the Week after goalie Yan Shostak last week, while Smith is the second RedHawk to win Forward of the Week in three weeks (Ilia Morozov).
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Ryan Smith, Miami
Sophomore Forward
Pendleton, N.Y.
 
Smith had a career weekend to lead Miami to a sweep at Lindenwood, totaling five points in a pair of overtime wins. The Quinnipiac transfer scored his first goal as a RedHawk in Friday’s 5-4 OT win, tying the game late in the second period. He then erupted for a career-high four points, including his first career hat trick, in Saturday’s 5-4 victory. Smith potted Miami’s first two goals in the finale, set up the tying goal and then scored the overtime game-winner to complete his hat trick and give the RedHawks their first back-to-back OT wins in a series in program history. It was Miami’s first hat trick since 2022.
 
Smith finished the series with four goals and five points, both of which led the NCHC on the weekend. He totaled 12 shots on goal against the Lions, including a career-high eight on Saturday. He also finished +3 in the series and blocked three shots. On the season, Smith now has six points in six games with four goals and two assists.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Aidan de La Gorgendiere, Omaha
Junior Defenseman
Langley, B.C.
 
De La Gorgendiere contributed at both ends of the ice to help Omaha split with then-No. 13 UMass over the weekend. In Friday’s 5-4 defeat, the University of Alberta transfer handed out an assist. A night later, he tallied a season-high three points as the Mavericks downed the Minutemen, 5-2. De La Gorgendiere scored Omaha’s second goal of the game on the power play, then dished out two primary assists in the third period, including on the game-winning goal on Saturday to break a 2-2 tie.
 
De La Gorgendiere tied for the NCHC defenseman scoring lead over the weekend with four points on a goal and three assists. He blocked three shots in the series, fired eight shots on goal and posted a +3 plus/minus, including +2 on Saturday. He also did not commit a penalty against UMass. In his first season with the Mavericks, de La Gorgendiere now has six points (2g/4a) in four games.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Adam Gajan, Minnesota Duluth
Sophomore Goaltender
Poprad, Slovakia
 
Gajan continued his strong start to the season, backstopping the Bulldogs to a sweep at in-state rival and then-No. 12 Minnesota, while allowing only one goal all weekend. In Friday night’s series opener, the Chicago Blackhawks draft pick stopped all 17 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season and second of his career, but first against a ranked team. The next night, Gajan compiled 28 saves and surrendered only a second period goal in a 4-1 win to cap the road sweep.
 
Gajan totaled 45 saves on 46 shots against the Gophers for a .978 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average, both tops among NCHC goalies with two starts on the weekend. He also helped UMD’s penalty kill finish a perfect 4-for-4 in the series. Gajan is one of only three NCAA men’s netminders to have played eight games so far this season, posting a 7-1-0 record. His seven wins tie for first nationally, while his 1.25 GAA ranks third and his .938 save percentage on the year is tied for ninth in the NCAA and second in the NCHC.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nolan Roed, St. Cloud State
Freshman Forward
White Bear Lake, Minn.
 
Roed played a key role in helping St. Cloud State sweep Alaska Anchorage last weekend, tallying three points while being dominant in the faceoff dot. In Friday’s 5-2 win, the Colorado Avalanche draft pick scored the game’s first goal, then handed out the primary assist on SCSU’s second goal, which came on the power play, for his second career multi-point game. The next night, Roed again handed out the primary helper on the Huskies second goal, which was the game-winner in a 5-1 victory.
 
Roed’s three points in the series tied for the NCHC freshman lead on the weekend, as he finished with a goal and two assists. The center went 19-14 on faceoffs against the Seawolves for a 57.6 win percentage, winning at least nine faceoffs each night. Roed also fired four shots on goal against UAA and ended the series +2. On the season, he ranks third among NCHC freshmen with seven points (2g/5a) in seven games, while tallying a point in five of seven games. He’s also 68-53 on faceoffs this season for a 56.2 win percentage in the dot.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State
Maxime Pellerin, Omaha
Grant Slukynsky, Western Michigan

Defenseman of the Week
Vladislav Lukashevich, Miami
Zack Sharp, Western Michigan
Cooper Wylie, St. Cloud State

Goaltender of the Week
Patriks Berzins, St. Cloud State
Matteo Drobac, Miami
Simon Latkoczy, Omaha
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
 
Rookie of the Week
Hunter Anderson, Minnesota Duluth, F
Bobby Cowan, Western Michigan, F
Ilia Morozov, Miami, F
Jan Špunar, North Dakota, G