COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the opening month of 2026 in the books, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced its Players of the Month for January on Wednesday, with four different teams represented for the first time this season. Garnering NCHC January monthly honors are:

• Forward – Ellis Rickwood, North Dakota, Sr.
• Defenseman – Mats Lindgren, Colorado College, Fr.
• Goaltender – Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, So.
• Rookie – David Deputy, Miami, F

These are the first career NCHC monthly honors for Rickwood, Lindgren and Deputy. Slukynsky gloved his first NCHC Goaltender of the Month accolade this month, after earning Rookie of the Month to end the season last year.
 
All four NCHC honorees are now eligible for Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) national January monthly awards, which will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 5.
 
FORWARD OF THE MONTH
Ellis Rickwood, North Dakota
Senior Forward
Brantford, Ont.
 
Rickwood helped lead No. 3 North Dakota to a 6-2-0 record in January, racking up a team-high 13 points in eight games. He averaged 1.63 points per game last month, with his 13 points ranking second in the NCHC in January. Rickwood recorded points in six of UND’s eight games last month, including three multi-point outings. The Clarkson transfer scored four goals and added nine assists in January, with six of the nine being primary helpers.
 
Rickwood opened the new year with a five-point weekend in a sweep of Mercyhurst, including a career-high four points (1g/3a) in the finale on Jan. 3. He tallied another goal the following Friday in an overtime loss at Colorado College, before scoring the game-winning goal in a 5-0 shutout of then-No. 9 Denver on Jan. 16. Rickwood wrapped up his month with a six-point weekend in a sweep at Arizona State on Jan. 23-24, earning him NCHC Forward of the Week honors. He matched his career high with four points in a series-opening, 7-4, win, including a short-handed goal, while dishing out two more assists in the finale.
 
In addition to his offense, Rickwood was dominant in the center circle, going 88-59 on faceoffs in January for a 59.9 win percentage, which was fourth in the NCHC. His 88 faceoff wins last month were sixth in the conference. Rickwood also posted a +5 plus/minus in January, while firing 14 shots on goal.
 
On the season, Rickwood is third on North Dakota’s team with 24 points in 21 games, scoring six goals and dishing out 18 assists. His 18 assists are second on the team and ninth in the NCHC.
 
DEFENSEMAN OF THE MONTH
Mats Lindgren, Colorado College
Freshman Defenseman
North Vancouver, B.C.
 
Lindgren joined the Tigers in late December over the winter break and has made an immediate impact, racking up eight points in his first eight collegiate games from the blue line. His four goals and eight points in January both tied for the NCHC lead among defensemen, while his four goals also tied for second nationally among blueliners in the month. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick averaged a point per game in his first month of college hockey, while averaging 0.50 goals per game, which was second among NCAA rearguards.
 
Lindgren recorded points in five of eight games in January, including a pair of multi-point and multi-goal games. He tallied his first collegiate point with an assist at Augustana on Jan. 3. In his first home game, he assisted on the overtime game-winner against then-No. 4 North Dakota on Jan. 9 in a 3-2 victory. The next night, he scored two goals in a 5-2 loss to the Fighting Hawks, which were the first two goals of his CC career and helped earn him Rookie of the Week honors. After an assist in a win at Omaha on Jan. 24, Lindgren tallied a career-high three points in an overtime loss to Arizona State on Jan. 30, including scoring two more goals. That earned him NCHC Defenseman of the Week accolades to close the month.
 
Lindgren put 23 shots on goal in January, while compiling a +4 plus/minus during the month. He also blocked five shots to go with his four goals and four assists.

GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
Sophomore Goaltender
Warroad, Minn.
 
Slukynsky was a workhorse for the Broncos in January, posting his best month of the season, while backstopping No. 4 Western Michigan to a 7-1-0 record in eight starts. The Los Angeles Kings draft pick led the NCHC with 241 saves last month, which was seventh nationally, while averaging an NCHC-high 30.13 saves per game, as well. Slukynsky racked up a .945 save percentage and a 1.75 goals-against average in January, both of which ranked second among NCHC goalies with at least three starts in the month. His seven wins tied for first in the NCAA in January, with four coming on the road at top-10 opponents.
 
Slukynsky opened January by recording back-to-back shutouts against Notre Dame, which earned him NCHC Goalie of the Week honors. He became the 25th NCHC netminder to record back-to-back clean sheets and the first since 2023, totaling 51 saves in the series. The following weekend he made a career-high 35 saves each night and allowed three goals total in a sweep at then-No. 7 Denver. Slukynsky made at least 30 saves each night in a pair of wins at then-No. 6 Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 23-24, as well, and finished his month with a pair of 28-save outings in a split with Omaha.
 
Slukynsky made 30 or more saves in five of his eight games and had at least 28 saves in seven of eight. His two shutouts led the NCHC and tied for third nationally in January. With his strong month, Slukynsky improved to 19-7-0 on the year, while upping his season save percentage to .910 and lowering his season GAA to 2.43.

ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
David Deputy, Miami
Freshman Forward
Gurnee, Ill.
 
Deputy was a goal-scoring machine in January, leading the RedHawks to a 5-1-0 record last month. The freshman scored five goals in six games in January, which led all NCHC rookies and tied for seventh among NCAA freshmen. Two of his five goals were game-winners, while he scored at least one goal in half of his January games. He also became the only NCHC freshman with a hat trick this season during the month.
 
Deputy began his month by scoring the overtime game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Arizona State on Jan. 9. A week later on Jan. 17, he potted three goals in a 6-2 win over Omaha for his first career hat trick. He tallied two of the goals on the power play and one short-handed, one of which was also the game-winner. That earned him NCHC Rookie of the Week honors. Deputy then closed out January by burying a nifty, breakaway goal in a 3-1 win at St. Cloud State on Jan. 31.
 
Deputy scored his five goals on 23 shots on goal, which led the RedHawks last month. He finished with a +1 plus/minus in January and blocked six shots, as well. On the season, Deputy now has 16 points (11g/5a) in 21 games, with the 11 goals second among NCHC rookies this year.
 
OTHER NOMINEES:
 
Forward of the Month
David Deputy, Miami
Cruz Lucius, Arizona State
Jayson Shaugabay, Minnesota Duluth
Liam Valente, Western Michigan
 
Defenseman of the Month
Jake Livanavage, North Dakota
Finn Loftus, St. Cloud State
Eric Pohlkamp, Denver
Michael Quinn, Miami
Samuel Sjolund, Western Michigan
 
Goaltender of the Month
Matteo Drobac, Miami

Rookie of the Month
Sam Alfano, Arizona State, F
Bobby Cowan, Western Michigan, F
Johnny Hicks, Denver, G
Cole Reschny, North Dakota, F
Yan Shostak, St. Cloud State, G