COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Six netminders from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) have been named to the 2026 Mike Richter Award Watch List, as the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) revealed 29 goaltenders who will compete for the annual honor presented to the top goalie in NCAA men’s hockey.
 
The six NCHC goaltenders on the Richter Award Watch List tie with Hockey East for the most from one conference. To qualify for the Watch List, a goaltender must have compiled a 2.40 goals-against average or lower, or a .917 save percentage or higher, while playing at least 33 percent of their team’s minutes in net.
 
Among the six netminders from the National on the Watch List, three are freshmen in Denver’s Quentin Miller, North Dakota’s Jan Špunar and Arizona State’s Samuel Urban. Two of the six are sophomores in Minnesota Duluth’s Adam Gajan and Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky, while Arizona State senior Connor Hasley rounds out the NCHC sextet on the Watch List and gives the Sun Devils two honorees.
 
Hasley, who played at Bentley last year, and Slukynsky are among only eight goalies on the Watch List for a second straight season. Arizona State is one of only three teams, along with Sacred Heart and Dartmouth, with two goalies on the Watch List.
 
Gajan (Poprad, Slovakia) is a three-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week and was the NCHC October Goaltender of the Month this season. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick has had a bounce-back season with UMD, posting a 15-6-0 record as a sophomore with two shutouts. He ranks second in the NCHC and ninth nationally with a 1.98 GAA, while posting a .917 save percentage in 21 starts. Gajan played for the U.S. Collegiate Selects in December, helping them earn silver at the Spengler Cup, and will represent his native country with Team Slovakia at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
 
Hasley (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) has found success in his first season with the Sun Devils, sharing the net with Urban while posting an 8-7-0 record. His .920 save percentage this year is second in the NCHC and 17th in the NCAA, while he carries a 2.59 GAA in 17 games.
 
Miller (Montreal, Quebec) has starred for Denver as a freshman, earning three NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors this year and one Rookie of the Week, while gloving back-to-back Goaltender of the Month awards from the NCHC in November and December. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick has compiled an 11-8-2 record while tying for the NCAA lead with three shutouts. In 21 starts, Miller boasts a .919 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA, both of which rank third in the NCHC and in the top 18 nationally.
 
Slukynsky (Warroad, Minn.), who was a Preseason All-NCHC selection this year after earning Second-Team All-Conference last year, is heating up. He and the Broncos are on a seven-game winning streak, upping his record to 16-6-0 on the year, with the 16 wins tops in the NCHC and second in the NCAA. The Los Angeles Kings draft pick has compiled a 2.37 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 22 starts this season, with his three shutouts tied for first nationally. Slukynsky is a four-time NCHC Goalie of the Week this season.
 
Špunar (Olomouc, Czechia) started his North Dakota career on fire, beginning with a 10-0-0 record before suffering his first loss last weekend, while he now sits at 11-1-0 in 12 starts as a freshman. The Czech leads the entire NCAA with his 1.67 GAA, while his .929 save percentage is first in the NCHC and 10th nationally. Špunar has earned NCHC Rookie of the Week once this season, while posting a pair of shutouts.
 
Urban (Dolne Kockovce, Slovakia) has shared the ASU net as a freshman with Hasley, starting nine games with a 4-4-1 record. He recorded his first career shutout last Saturday against Miami, and now carries a .917 save percentage, which is fourth in the NCHC, to go with a 3.02 GAA.
 
Other goaltenders may be added for consideration for the Mike Richter Award before the first formal vote. A committee of voters — made up of a cross section of coaches, administrators, scouts and media — will pare the Watch List down to approximately a dozen semifinalists within the next three weeks and then ultimately choose a winner, who will be announced on Friday, April 10 during the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four.
 
The NCHC is home to two previous Mike Richter Award winners. Former North Dakota goalie Zane McIntyre was the first from the NCHC to win it in 2015, while Denver’s Tanner Jaillet gloved the Richter Award in 2017. The Mike Richter Award has been presented annually to men’s college hockey’s top goaltender since 2014.
 
NCHC Goaltenders on 2026 Mike Richter Award Watch List

• Adam Gajan, Minnesota Duluth, So., Poprad, Slovakia
• Connor Hasley, Arizona State, Sr., North Tonawanda, N.Y.
• Quentin Miller, Denver, Fr., Montreal, Quebec
• Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, So., Warroad, Minn.
• Jan Špunar, North Dakota, Fr., Olomouc, Czechia
• Samuel Urban, Arizona State, Fr., Dolne Kockovce, Slovakia