COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three teams are represented among the KJ Branding National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 19-25, 2026, as the NCHC announced its weekly winners on Tuesday. Among the KJ Branding NCHC Week 4 honorees are a pair of Bulldogs, a pair of freshmen and a repeat recipient, all of which helped their teams to a series sweep:

• Forward – Carmelo Crandell, Colorado College, So.
• Defenseman – Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth, Jr.
• Goaltender – Carl Axelsson, Minnesota Duluth, Fr.
• Rookie – Cal Huston, Miami, defenseman

These are the first career NCHC honors for Crandell, Axelsson and Huston. Hanson, meanwhile, repeats as Defenseman of the Week and wins it for the third time in four weeks this season. He is now a six-time NCHC Defenseman of the Week for his career.
 
FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Carmelo Crandell, Colorado College
Sophomore Forward
St. Albert, Alberta
 
Crandell had the best weekend of his college career to help No. 9 Colorado College sweep crosstown rival Air Force and retain the Pikes Peak Trophy. The Arizona State transfer tallied four points in the series, with two each night. In Friday’s opener at Robson Arena, Crandell scored CC’s third goal, which served as the game-winner and was his first as a Tiger, before setting up a power play goal four minutes later. He was named First Star of the Game in the 6-2 win Friday. The next night at the Air Force Academy, Crandell scored two goals in a 4-0 victory for his second collegiate multi-goal game (both against Air Force).
 
Crandell finished the weekend with three goals, tops among NCHC forwards, while adding one assist. He posted a +3 plus/minus in the series and fired seven shots on goal. Crandell now has a team-best six points on the season with his three goals tying for the CC team lead.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Ty Hanson, Minnesota Duluth
Junior Defenseman
Hermantown, Minn.
 
Hanson continued his hot start to the season with a four-point weekend in No. 7 Minnesota Duluth’s sweep of Bemidji State. The UMD co-captain tallied two points both nights against the Beavers, giving him four multi-point games already this season. In Friday’s 4-1 win in Duluth, Hanson assisted on UMD’s second goal, which was the game-winner early in the third period, before scoring the Bulldogs’ final goal. The next night in Bemidji, Hanson scored UMD’s first two goals, both in the second period, in a 3-0 shutout. His first goal Saturday was the game-winner while he now has two multi-goal games this season.
 
Hanson finished the series with three goals and an assist, tying for the NCHC lead in goals on the weekend. He posted a +4 plus/minus, which tied for tops among NCHC blueliners, while putting six shots on goal against BSU and blocking one. Hanson also anchored a UMD penalty kill unit that went 4-for-4 against the Beavers while allowing only one goal.
 
On the season, Hanson leads all NCAA blueliners with 12 points (7g/5a) in eight games, while his seven goals are second nationally among all skaters and tops among defensemen. His 12 points also tie for the NCHC lead in scoring.
 
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Carl Axelsson, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman Goaltender
Danderyd, Sweden
 
Axelsson continued his strong start to his college career, nearly going perfect on the weekend while backstopping No. 7 Minnesota Duluth to a sweep of Bemidji State. The Utah Mammoth draft pick allowed only one goal all weekend while recording his second shutout of the season. In Friday’s opener in Duluth, Axelsson made 26 saves in a 4-1 win with BSU’s lone goal coming with 22 seconds remaining in the game. A night later in Bemidji, he earned his clean sheet by turning aside all 22 shots he faced in a 3-0 victory.
 
Axelsson completed the series with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .980 save percentage, both tops among NCHC netminders on the weekend. He totaled 48 saves on 49 shots faced against the Beavers, six of which came while UMD was short-handed as the Bulldogs went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
 
Axelsson is now 4-0-2 on the season and tied for the NCAA lead with two shutouts while his 0.81 GAA leads the country among goalies with at least three games played. He also carries a .962 save percentage, which leads the NCHC and is second nationally among goalies with at least three games played.
 
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Cal Huston, Miami
Freshman Defenseman
Youngstown, Ohio
 
Huston posted the best weekend of his young college career, totaling three points from the blue line to help Miami sweep Alaska Anchorage. In Friday’s 5-1 victory, he dished out two assists for the first two helpers of his college career and first multi-point game. Huston set up Miami’s first and last goals, with the first coming short-handed. On Saturday, Huston came up clutch, scoring the game-winner 20 seconds into overtime in a 3-2, sweep-clinching victory. He was named First Star of the Game Saturday and stretched Miami’s win streak to five games.
 
Huston finished the series with a goal and two assists. He also posted a +2 plus/minus on the weekend and put two shots on goal. On the season, Huston now has two goals and two assists for four points in six games to lead Miami defensemen.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Week
Clarke Caswell, Denver
David Deputy, Miami
Cole Reschny, North Dakota
Sean Tschigerl, Omaha
 
Defenseman of the Week
Parker Berge, Omaha
Cal Huston, Miami
Colton Roberts, Colorado College
Daxon Rudolph, Denver

Goaltender of the Week
Matteo Drobac, Miami
Jackson Unger, Colorado College

Rookie of the Week
Carson Carels, North Dakota, D
Zach Olsen, Colorado College, F
Daxon Rudolph, Denver, D