COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the first time this season, four different teams are represented among the KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 12-18, 2026. Among the KJ Branding NCHC Week 3 honorees are a pair of two-time winners already this season:

• Forward – Ilia Morozov, Miami, So.
• Defenseman – Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth, Jr.
• Goaltender – Caleb Heil, North Dakota, Fr.
• Rookie – Adam Benák, Western Michigan, forward

Morozov earned his second career NCHC Forward of the Week award and first this season. Hanson claimed his second Defenseman of the Week nod this season and the fifth of his career, while Benák repeated as Rookie of the Week for his second NCHC award. This is the first career NCHC honor for Heil.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Ilia Morozov, Miami
Sophomore Forward
Moscow, Russia
 
Morozov had a monster weekend to power Miami to a home-and-home sweep of Robert Morris. The Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick scored two goals in both games against the Colonials, with all four goals coming in the first period. They were his first goals and points of the season. On Thursday, Morozov scored Miami’s first and third goals, both on the power play, in a 7-1 rout, which were his first two career goals tallied at home in Oxford. Two days later at RMU, he potted the RedHawks’ first two goals, both of which gave Miami the lead in an eventual 3-2 victory.
 
Morozov finished the weekend with four goals, which led all NCHC players, including three power play tallies. He now has four multi-goal games in his career, doubling his total entering the weekend. Morozov became the first RedHawk with back-to-back multi-goal games in the same season since Phil Knies in January of 2018. Along with his goals, Morozov fired seven shots on goal, posted a +2 plus/minus and went 27-20 on faceoffs in the sweep of Robert Morris.
 
Morozov’s four goals this season tie for the NCHC lead, while he’s the lone NCHC player averaging a goal per game so far.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth
Junior Defenseman
Hermantown, Minn.
 
Hanson was dominant again all over the ice to lead No. 8/9 Minnesota Duluth to a win and tie against in-state rival and then-20th ranked Minnesota. In Friday’s opener, the UMD co-captain scored a pair of power play goals in a span of 52 seconds in the second period to help the Bulldogs rout Minnesota, 7-1. The next night, Hanson fired six shots on goal and blocked two shots in a 2-2 overtime tie.
 
Hanson finished the series with two goals, the lone NCHC defenseman to score twice last weekend. He also fired 11 shots on goal, which led all NCHC skaters on the weekend. Hanson posted a +1 plus/minus against Minnesota, while blocking three shots and averaging 26:11 time on ice. He quarterbacked a UMD power play that went 4-for-7 in the series, while also helping the Bulldogs’ penalty kill finish 3-for-4.
 
On the season, Hanson has four goals and eight points, both of which lead all NCHC blueliners and rank second among all NCHC skaters. He’s the lone defenseman nationally with four goals on the year while his eight points tie for first among NCAA blueliners.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Caleb Heil, North Dakota
Freshman Goaltender
Victoria, Minn.
 
Heil made a perfect NCAA debut over the weekend, not allowing a single goal in No. 3 North Dakota’s sweep of Bentley. The Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick recorded back-to-back shutouts in his first two collegiate starts, becoming the first North Dakota freshman goaltender to ever do so. In Friday’s opener, Heil stopped all 14 shots he faced in a 5-0 win. A night later, he did it again, turning aside 15 shots in another 5-0 victory. Heil was named First Star of the Game both nights.
 
Heil completed the sweep making 29 saves on 29 shots faced for a perfect 1.000 save percentage and his first two NCAA wins. He also helped UND go a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill against Bentley, making five short-handed saves on the weekend. Heil’s two shutouts on the season tie with Western Michigan’s Quentin Miller for the early NCAA lead.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Adam Benák, Western Michigan
Freshman Forward
Plzen, Czechia
 
Benák repeated as NCHC Rookie of the Week after a three-point weekend to help No. 5 Western Michigan sweep Notre Dame and stay perfect on the season. In Friday’s series opener in Kalamazoo, the Minnesota Wild draft pick scored his first collegiate goal, which came on the power play and put WMU up 3-0 in an eventual 6-1 victory. The next night at Notre Dame, Benák recorded his second career multi-point game with an assist on WMU’s second goal while scoring the Broncos’ final goal early in the second period of a 4-0 shutout.
 
Benák finished the sweep with two goals and an assist, the lone NCHC rookie to tally two goals on the weekend. His three points tied for the NCHC freshman lead last weekend. He also posted a +3 plus/minus in the series, fired six shots on goal and won 13 of 24 faceoffs against the Fighting Irish.
 
On the season, Benák leads all NCHC rookies and is tied for third among all NCHC skaters with seven points this season (2g/5a). The seven points also tie for the NCAA freshman lead. He’s now riding a three-game point streak, as well.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Jack Beck, Arizona State
Cody Croal, North Dakota
Connor Hvidston, Colorado College
Nolan Roed, St. Cloud State
William Whitelaw, Western Michigan
 
Defenseman of the Week
Richard Baran, Arizona State
Brasen Boser, North Dakota
Cal Huston, Miami
Fisher Scott, Colorado College
Darels Uljanskis, St. Cloud State
Joona Väisänen, Western Michigan

Goaltender of the Week
Carl Axelsson, Minnesota Duluth
Matteo Drobac, Miami
Will Lacelle, Omaha
Quentin Miller, Western Michigan
Yan Shostak, St. Cloud State
Jackson Unger, Colorado College
Samuel Urban, Arizona State
 
Rookie of the Week
Connor Davis, North Dakota, F
Will Lacelle, Omaha, G
Zach Olsen, Colorado College, F
Victor Plante, Minnesota Duluth, F
Lukas Sawchyn, Arizona State, F
Ryan Seelinger, Miami, F
Darels Uljanskis, St. Cloud State, D