COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Starting 2026 strong, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week presented by KJ Branding for the week of Dec. 30, 2025 through Jan. 4, 2026 all led their teams to tournament titles or series sweeps. Four different teams are represented among the KJ Branding NCHC Week 13 honorees, including a trio of sophomores:

• Forward – Cullen Potter, Arizona State, So.
• Defenseman – Finn Loftus, St. Cloud State, So.
• Goaltender – Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, So.
• Rookie – Jack Kernan, North Dakota, F

Potter picked up his second Forward of the Week nod this season and of his career, while these are the first career NCHC honors for both Loftus and Kernan. Slukynsky repeats as Goaltender of the Week, gloving the accolade for the fourth time this season. He was also a three-time NCHC Rookie of the Week last year.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Cullen Potter, Arizona State
Sophomore Forward
Minneapolis, Minn.
 
Potter was dominant in leading Arizona State to its third straight Desert Hockey Classic title, pacing the NCHC with six points on the weekend. In Friday’s 7-2 semifinal win over Alaska Anchorage, Potter tallied a career-high four points, including his first career hat trick. The Calgary Flames draft pick’s first goal of the night was the game-winner, while he also dished out an assist on the Sun Devils’ first tally that tied the game. The next night, Potter recorded multiple points again, scoring ASU’s opening goal and setting up its second to help Arizona State down Air Force, 5-2, and capture the Desert Hockey Classic championship.
 
With markers in both games, Potter stretched his goal-scoring streak to five games, which ties for the longest in ASU program history and ties for the longest in the NCHC this season. He finished the tournament with four goals, which led the NCHC on the weekend, and two assists. Potter also posted a +5 plus/minus, tying with his teammates for best in the NCHC on the weekend. He fired seven shots on goal in the Desert Hockey Classic, while going 18-for-36 in the faceoff circle (50 percent).
 
On the season, Potter now has 25 points, which ties for fifth in the NCHC and third on the team, while his 12 goals rank fourth in the conference and tie for the team lead. He now has seven goals in his last five games and 10 goals in his last nine outings.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Finn Loftus, St. Cloud State
Sophomore Defenseman
Blaine, Minn.
 
Loftus had the best weekend of his college career to help lead St. Cloud State to the Cactus Cup championship in Palm Desert, Calif. The UMass transfer totaled four points to lead all NCHC defensemen on the weekend. Loftus recorded back-to-back multi-point games, which marked the first two multi-point games of his career. In Friday’s semifinal against Yale, he scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 6-2 victory. The next night in the championship game, Loftus handed out assists on SCSU’s first two goals – one on the power play and one short-handed – as the Huskies topped UMass Lowell, 3-2, for the title. It was his first career multi-assist game, as well.
 
Loftus finished the tournament with a goal and three assists, with the trio of helpers tying for the NCHC defenseman lead on the weekend. He also posted a +1 plus/minus, blocked a shot and fired three shots on goal, while averaging 18:04 time on ice at the Cactus Cup. Loftus is now riding a career-best three-game point streak, while he has 10 points (3g/7a) in 20 games this season, tying for the SCSU defenseman scoring lead.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
Sophomore Goaltender
Warroad, Minn.
 
Slukynsky continued his strong play of late and was perfect on the weekend, blanking Notre Dame on back-to-back nights to earn two wins. In doing so, the Los Angeles Kings draft pick became the first goalie in WMU program history to have back-to-back shutouts against the same team. Slukynsky is the first NCHC goalie to record back-to-back shutouts on the same weekend since former Denver netminder Freddie Halyk against Yale on Nov. 24-25, 2023. After stopping all 18 shots he faced on Friday in South Bend, the Preseason All-NCHC pick made a career-high-tying 33 saves on Saturday in Kalamazoo to cap the home-and-home sweep with both wins by 4-0 scores.
 
Slukynsky finished the series with a sparkling 1.000 save percentage and a 0.00 goals-against average, both of which led the NCHC on the weekend, while totaling 51 saves. He also helped the Broncos go a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill against the Irish. Slukynsky improved to 14-6-0 on the season with the two wins, while his three shutouts on the season tie for the NCHC lead. He upped his season save percentage to .901 and lowered his season GAA to 2.46 with the two clean sheets, while passing the 1,000-save mark for his career on Friday.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jack Kernan, North Dakota
Freshman Forward
Maple Grove, Minn.
 
Kernan had a breakout weekend for the Fighting Hawks, totaling four points to help North Dakota sweep Mercyhurst. He recorded multiple points both nights against the Lakers, which were the first multi-point games of his college career. In Friday’s opener, Kernan had a hand in both goals in a 2-0 win, tallying the primary assist on UND’s opening goal in the first period, before sealing the victory with a goal of his own late in the third period. The next night, he logged his first multi-goal game, scoring the game-winning goal to break a 1-1 tie in the second period, before capping the 6-1 victory with NoDak’s final goal.
 
Kernan completed the series with three goals and an assist. His three tallies led all NCHC rookies on the weekend, while his four points tied for the NCHC freshman lead. He posted a +1 plus/minus against Mercyhurst and fired six shots on goal, while going 19-6 in the faceoff dot (76.0 percent). On the season, Kernan now has nine points (5g/4a) in 17 games, including six points (4g/2a) since moving to center on Dec. 5.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Kyle Chyzowski, Denver
Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State
Zach Nehring, Western Michigan
Ellis Rickwood, North Dakota

Defenseman of the Week
Jake Livanavage, North Dakota
Samuel Sjolund, Western Michigan

Goaltender of the Week
Jan Špunar, North Dakota
 
Rookie of the Week
Kyle Chyzowski, Denver, F
Jérémy Loranger, Omaha, F
Noah Urness, St. Cloud State, F
Colby Woogk, Western Michigan, D