COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following a phenomenal freshman campaign, North Dakota forward Cole Reschny has been named the winner of the 2025-26 NCHC Rookie of the Year award, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced on Tuesday.
 
Reschny is the second straight Fighting Hawk to earn NCHC Rookie of the Year and the third in four seasons, after Sacha Boisvert took home the honor last season and current Carolina Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake captured Rookie of the Year in 2022-23. Reschny is the fifth North Dakota player to win NCHC Rookie of the Year in the conference’s 13-year history, with current Vancouver Canuck Brock Boeser (2015-16) and current Ottawa Senator Shane Pinto (2019-20) also claiming the award.
 
Reschny was a near-unanimous NCHC All-Rookie Team selection this year after leading all NCHC freshmen with 31 points and 26 assists in 30 regular-season games, while scoring five goals. The Calgary Flames draft pick is now up to 34 points and 29 assists in 33 games (1.03 ppg), both of which still lead all NCHC rookies. He is riding an eight-game point streak into the NCAA Tournament after tallying assists in all three NCHC Tournament games.
 
Reschny has also been strong in the faceoff dot, ranking third among NCHC rookies with 276 faceoff wins this season, while his 54.9 win percentage is second among NCHC freshman centers. The Macklin, Saskatchewan native led all NCHC rookies with a +12 plus/minus during the regular season, as well.
 
In conference play, Reschny also led freshmen with 23 points and 19 assists, scoring four of his five goals in NCHC action, including a game-winner. Overall, he recorded nine multi-point games in the regular season and has at least one point in 23 of 33 outings to date. He was twice named NCHC Forward of the Week and once Rookie of the Week this year.
 
Reschny’s teammate, North Dakota goaltender Jan Špunar, was the runner-up for NCHC Rookie of the Year this season. Špunar was tabbed NCHC Goaltender of the Year last Thursday. NCHC Rookie of the Year and all playing awards are voted on by each of the NCHC’s nine head coaches and one media member covering each of the NCHC’s nine programs (18 voters total). Voting was conducted and completed following the regular season and prior to the beginning of the postseason.
 
On Wednesday, the NCHC will announce its Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, while the final NCHC individual award for 2025-26 will be handed out on Thursday, which will go to the Conference’s Player of the Year. Finalists for NCHC individual awards were announced on March 4.
 
2025-26 NCHC Individual Award Winners announced so far:

• Media Excellence Award - Matt Wellens, Duluth News Tribune
• Three Stars Award – Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan
• Sportsmanship Award – Blake Mesenburg, Miami
• Goaltender of the Year - Jan Špunar, North Dakota
• Offensive Defenseman of the Year – Eric Pohlkamp, Denver
• Defensive Defenseman of the Year – Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth
• Forward of the Year – Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
• Defensive Forward of the Year – Tyson Gross, St. Cloud State
• Senior Scholar-Athlete Award – Kent Anderson, Denver
• Rookie of the Year – Cole Reschny, North Dakota