Head coach Erik Largen speaks at the 2024-25 FOC Hockey Banquet
Kristen Pearson

Men's Ice Hockey Alex Dean - Assistant Sports Information Director

Nanooks Hockey and Face-Off Club Celebrate 2024-25 Season with End-of-Year Banquet

FAIRBANKS - The Face-Off Club and the Alaska Nanooks hockey team celebrated the 2024-25 season on Saturday, March 8, at the Westmark Hotel with their end-of-year banquet. The Nanooks handed out 12 awards to student-athletes and alumni, highlighting their success and contributions to the program, both on and off the ice.

2024-25 Nanooks Hockey Team Awards

Fans Choice Award Matt Hubbarde
Keith Street Top Scorer Matt Hubbarde
Tavis Macmillan Alumni Award Paul Burke and Sean Jones
Ryan Reinheller Award Matt Koethe
Dirk Anderson Scholar Athlete Braden Birnie
Pat and Gerry Shields Award Russ Knapp
Dean Fedorchuk Most Improved Player Trenton Penner
Don Jamieson Unsung Hero Adam Cardona
Rick Pitta Most Dedicated Player & Chad Staley Team Player Award Braden Birnie
Doug Desorcie Top Freshmen Brendan Ross and Peyton Platter
Shawn Chambers Top Defenseman Broten Sabo
Steve Moria Most Valuable Player Kyle Gaffney
 

The Nanooks concluded their 2024-25 season with a 12-14-6 record, going 3-3-1 at home, 8-10-5 on the road and 1-1-0 in neutral site contests. They were led by senior transfer Matt Hubbarde, who made an impact in his one year at Alaska. The forward tallied 13 goals and 10 assists for a team-high 23 points. He was one of two double-digit goal scorers for the Nanooks this season, with Chase Dafoe notching 11 to go along with six assists for 17 points. Dafoe led Alaska in face-off wins, posting a career-high 259, and notched a team-best five power-play goals. Kyle Gaffney and Broten Sabo joined Hubbarde with 20+ points; Gaffney posted a team-high 14 assists along with six goals for 20 points, and Sabo finished with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. Sabo's two overtime goals were the most on the team, with the blueliner picking up the game-winners at Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 15, 2024, and Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 4, 2025.

The Nanooks had two rookies post double-digit points during their freshman seasons, with Brendan Ross and Peyton Platter tallying 14 and 13 points, respectively. The two freshmen tied for third with 11 assists each.

The 2024-25 season saw the Nanooks claim the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup for the 14th straight season, winning the cup after a shootout victory over Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 8, 2025. After starting the season 0-5-0, the Nanooks posted a six-game unbeaten streak, earning wins over #18/18 Notre Dame, RV Clarkson and RV/#20 Union. They grabbed a shootout win on the road at #3/4 Minnesota on Nov. 30, 2024, and swept #20/RV Augustana in the penultimate series of the season, defeating the Vikings by final scores of 2-1 and 5-3.

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Players Mentioned

Broten Sabo

#7 Broten Sabo

D
6' 3"
Sophomore
L
Adam Cardona

#12 Adam Cardona

D
6' 2"
Sophomore
R
Braden Birnie

#15 Braden Birnie

F
6' 3"
Junior
L
Trenton Penner

#16 Trenton Penner

F
6' 2"
Freshman
L
Brendan Ross

#18 Brendan Ross

F
6' 3"
Freshman
R
Peyton Platter

#24 Peyton Platter

F
6' 2"
Freshman
L
Kyle Gaffney

#34 Kyle Gaffney

F
6' 0"
Junior
L
Chase Dafoe

#37 Chase Dafoe

F
6' 3"
Junior
L
Matt Hubbarde

#39 Matt Hubbarde

F
6' 1"
Senior
R
Matt Koethe

#40 Matt Koethe

F
5' 10"
Senior
R

Players Mentioned

Broten Sabo

#7 Broten Sabo

6' 3"
Sophomore
L
D
Adam Cardona

#12 Adam Cardona

6' 2"
Sophomore
R
D
Braden Birnie

#15 Braden Birnie

6' 3"
Junior
L
F
Trenton Penner

#16 Trenton Penner

6' 2"
Freshman
L
F
Brendan Ross

#18 Brendan Ross

6' 3"
Freshman
R
F
Peyton Platter

#24 Peyton Platter

6' 2"
Freshman
L
F
Kyle Gaffney

#34 Kyle Gaffney

6' 0"
Junior
L
F
Chase Dafoe

#37 Chase Dafoe

6' 3"
Junior
L
F
Matt Hubbarde

#39 Matt Hubbarde

6' 1"
Senior
R
F
Matt Koethe

#40 Matt Koethe

5' 10"
Senior
R
F