COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Recognizing those with exceptional achievement in the classroom, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) unveiled its new Academic All-Conference Team for the 2025-26 season on Thursday. The new NCHC Academic All-Conference Team consists of nine upperclassman student-athletes, with one representative from each member school.
 
The student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average on each NCHC team earns a spot on the new Academic All-Conference Team. Recipients must be at least a junior in school and have spent a full academic year at their current institution (no first-year transfers).
 
The members of the first NCHC Academic All-Conference Team for 2025-26 are:

• Riley Bodnarchuk, Minnesota Duluth, Sr., D
• Boston Buckberger, Denver, Jr., D
• Will Craig, Omaha, Jr., G
• Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Western Michigan, Jr., D
• Dylan James, North Dakota, Sr., F
• Drew Montgomery, Colorado College, Jr., F
• Brayden Morrison, Miami, Sr., F
• Mason Reiners, St. Cloud State, Sr., D
• Kyle Smolen, Arizona State, Jr., F

Bodnarchuk, who was named a finalist for the NCHC’s Senior Scholar-Athlete Award on Wednesday, carries a 3.97 grade-point average while majoring in exercise and rehabilitation science. The senior defenseman has made Dean’s List every semester at Minnesota Duluth and is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete.
 
Buckberger boasts a 3.94 GPA while majoring in accounting with a finance minor. The junior defenseman won the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award with the Pioneers at the 2025 Frozen Four, while he is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete. Buckberger also earned Denver’s Dr. Art Mason Top Scholar-Athlete Award last season.
 
Craig is a business administration major at Omaha with a 3.96 GPA. The Mavericks back-up goaltender is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and three-time member of the NCHC Honor Roll.
 
Crusberg-Roseen carries a 3.88 GPA while majoring in marketing and minoring in business at Western Michigan. The junior blueliner is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and a two-time AHCA All-American Scholar. Crusberg-Roseen also garnered CSC Academic All-District honors as a sophomore last season and is a member of WMU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) this year.
 
James boasts a 3.89 GPA while majoring in kinesiology at North Dakota and minoring in communications. Like Bodnarchuk, he is one of three finalists for the NCHC Senior Scholar-Athlete Award this year. James is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and a three-time AHCA All-American Scholar. He is also a finalist for NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year this season.
 
Montgomery has compiled a 3.88 GPA in his junior year at Colorado College while majoring in business, economics and society. The forward is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and three-time member of the NCHC Honor Roll, as well.
 
Morrison carries a 3.78 grade-point average while majoring in economics and minoring in entrepreneurship. Now in his third year at Miami, the senior forward is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and a member of the RedHawks’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
Reiners has a perfect 4.0 GPA in graduate school while working towards his master’s degree in business administration. The senior defenseman is a four-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, a three-time AHCA All-American Scholar and was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team last season.
 
Smolen is a criminology and criminal justice major at ASU with a 3.75 GPA. The junior forward is a two-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, earning the accolade both years the Sun Devils have been an NCHC member. Smolen also served as a co-captain for ASU this season.
 
The cumulative GPAs used to determine this award are based on grades at the end of the fall/first semester for the current 2025-26 academic year. There is no athletic component connected to this award and no voting was involved.
 
The previous NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, which recognized student-athletes with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better, is now referred to as the NCHC Honor Roll, and was announced in February, along with NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes.
 
On Friday, the NCHC will reveal its 2026 Media Excellence Award Winner.  The 2025-26 NCHC All-Rookie Team will be unveiled next Monday, March 9, while the NCHC’s three All-Conference Teams will be announced on Tuesday, March 10. Individual award winners will then resume being released on March 11 and last through Thursday, March 19.