COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After consistently shining in conference play throughout the season, Western Michigan sophomore goaltender Hampton Slukynsky has been named the winner of the 2025-26 NCHC Three Stars Award, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced on Wednesday.
 
Slukynsky earns the honor after being named one of three ‘Stars of the Game’ in eight conference contests this year, including First Star of the Game four times, tying for the most in the NCHC. He was also tabbed Second Star of the Game twice and Third Star of the Game twice for a total of 28 ‘Three Stars’ points, tops in the conference.
 
The Three Stars Award winner is based on the highest total of ‘Stars of the Game’ points accumulated during conference games only using a 5-3-1 scale (5 for first star, 3 for second star, 1 for third star). Slukynsky becomes the second Bronco to claim the award, joining fellow netminder Ben Blacker, who won it as a freshman in 2016-17. Slukynsky is the sixth goaltender to glove the NCHC’s Three Stars Award in its 11-year history, but first since 2022-23.
 
On Tuesday (yesterday), Slukynsky garnered Second Team All-NCHC honors for the second straight season. The native of Warroad, Minn. led all NCHC netminders with 1,450 minutes logged in conference play in 2025-26. He was one of only two goalies to start all 24 NCHC games, posting a 16-7-1 record – four more wins than any other goalie. His 2.57 goals-against average in conference action ranked fifth, while he was sixth with a .908 save percentage. 
 
Slukynsky has started all 36 games for the Broncos this season, while leading the entire NCAA with 26 wins (24 in the regular season). The Los Angeles Kings draft pick finished the regular season third in the NCHC with a 2.32 GAA and fourth with a .913 save percentage. He is tied for the NCHC lead with four shutouts on the year. 
 
Slukynsky was a five-time Goalie of the Week this year, the NCHC Goaltender of the Month in January, and is a finalist for NCHC Goaltender of the Year, which will be announced on Thursday.
 
Slukynsky will backstop the fourth-ranked Broncos in the 2026 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals this Saturday against No. 6 Denver at Magness Arena. WMU is looking to defend its 2025 Frozen Faceoff title.
 
Miami freshman forward David Deputy was the runner-up for the 2025-26 NCHC Three Stars Award with 27 ‘Three Stars’ points, also landing First Star of the Game four times. There was a four-way tie for third place in the NCHC Three Stars standings between Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante, North Dakota senior forward Ben Strinden, WMU junior forward William Whitelaw and UND freshman forward Will Zellers.
 
On Thursday, the NCHC Goaltender of the Year will be announced, while on Friday, the Conference’s two defenseman awards will be doled out – Offensive Defenseman of the Year and Defensive Defenseman of the Year. Individual NCHC award winners will continue to be revealed through Thursday, March 19.