PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the fourth time in five seasons, the Providence College men's hockey program opened the season ranked in the top-10 of the USCHO.com poll. The Friars placed fifth in the poll with 698 points, trailing Minnesota Duluth (982), Notre Dame (857), Ohio State (835) and Michigan (790).
Coming off their fifth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and a 24-win campaign in 2017-18, the Friars return key contributors to the lineup for the 2018-19 season. Second Team All-American
Jacob Bryson (London, Ont.) and Second Team Hockey East All-Star goaltender
Hayden Hawkey (Parker, Colo.) highlight the strong group of returning players. In total, four players who posted double-digit goal totals return for the upcoming season (Kasper Björkqvist,
Josh Wilkins,
Scott Conway and
Vimal Sukumaran).
A promising incoming class boasts four NHL draft picks –
Michael Callahan (ARZ),
Jack Dugan (VGK),
Mikael Hakkarainen (CHI), and
Jay O'Brien (PHI).
The 2018-19 season kicks off on Saturday, October 6 against American International College. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. at Schneider Arena.
For more updates on the Providence College men's hockey program, follow the team on Twitter
@FriarsHockey.