FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks hockey team and the Face-Off Club are set to host the 2026 Blue/Gold scrimmage on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Patty Ice Arena on the UAF Campus. Puck drops at 7:07 p.m. and gives fans their first chance to see the 2026-27 Nanooks hockey team. 

Saturday, Sept. 19
Blue/Gold | 7:07 p.m.
Fairbanks | Patty Ice Arena

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Ticketing
The Blue/Gold scrimmage is brought to you by the Nanooks official booster club, the Face-Off Club. The FOC will handle all tickets at the door with adult tickets for $10, kids tickets at $5 and family plans at $25. Cash and card will be accepted at the door, there will not be presale tickets available. UAF students with their Polar Express ID cards will get in for free. 

New Look 'Nooks
The Nanooks enter 2026-27 with 16 newcomers. They welcomed eight freshmen and eight transfers. The transfers include; Dominik Bartecko (Mercyhurst), Grady Gallatin (Western Michigan), Lukas Klemm (Mercyhurst), Joel Lehtinen (Stonehill), Jack Rogers (St. Cloud State), Max Rud (Minnesota), Joseph Serpa (Mercyhurst), and Tyler Shea (Brown). The incoming freshmen include: Simon Binkley (Fairbanks, Alaska), Linden Burrett (Surrey, B.C.), Sam Elliott (White Rock, B.C.), Seth Fryer (Victoria, B.C.), Zach Howard (New Richmond, Wisc.), Jack Plandowski (Halifax, N.S.), Kyle Powers (Ottawa, Ont.), and Taisetsu Ushio (Hokkaido, Japan).

Coaching Addition
The Nanooks welcomed John McElaney as their newest assistant coach this offseason. McElaney joined the Nanooks following one season as an assistant coach at Colby College, where he was responsible for leading the program's recruiting efforts, player evaluation and admissions coordination. He also developed video breakdowns and pre-scouts, ran individual and small-group skill development sessions and coached the defensive corps while assisting with in-game strategy and adjustments. As an assistant coach at Alaska, McElaney will help direct the program's recruiting strategy, including prospect identification, evaluation, and admissions coordination. He will also utilize Sportlogiq and video analysis for opponent pre-scouting, player evaluation and development while leading individual skill sessions and assisting with team practice design. He will work primarily with the Nanooks' forward group while assisting with bench management, game strategy and special teams. He was a two-year captain of the Colby men's hockey team where he earned All-NESCAC and NESCAC All-Sportsmanship honors, alongside AHCA academic selections. 

The Largen Tape
Head coach Erik Largen returns to the bench for the Nanooks this season. Largen enters his ninth year as the Nanooks head coach after leading them to a 15-15-3 record a season ago. Last year's 'Nooks found succcess at home, going 7-4-1 at the Carlson Center while also going 3-0-1 on neutral ice. The 3-0-1 neutral site record proved worthy in the Adirondack Winter Invitational and the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup. Alaska won the Adirondack, defeating St. Lawrence on Nov. 28, 2-0, before beating Clarkson for the title on Nov. 29 with a 3-2 win. At the UCHC, the Nanooks tied with Stonehill in the semifinals but won the shootout to advance to the finals against host school Lindenwood. They knocked the Lions off in OT, 4-3. Captain Chase Dafoe scored the game-winner early in the OT period to secure the trophy for the Nanooks. Finally, the Nanooks also claimed the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup for the 15th straight season. They finished the year 6-1-1 against UAA, winning the cup in commanding fashion. 

Saturday's Festivities
The Blue/Gold scrimmage will feature two 25-minute periods with running clock. Inbetween periods, the Nanooks will host a skills competition, beginning at 7:50 p.m. They will open with the fastest skater quarterfinals with four head-to-head matchups. That will be followed by five hardest shot contestants before the semifinals of the fastest skater contest. A skills relay race and shootout before the finals of the fastest skater will wrap up the skills contest before the second period of play. Below you'll find the matchups and participants in each skill. 

Fastest Skater - One Lap - Quarterfinals

1. Carson Reed vs. Grady Gallatin
2. Misha Danylov vs. Rylen Roersma
3. Simon Binkley vs. Dominik Bartecko
4. Dean Spak vs. Taisetsu Ushio

Hardest Shot

1. Jackson Anderson
2. Carson Reed
3. Grady Gallatin
4. Max Rud
5. Seth Fryer

Skills Relay Race

1. Blue: Jhett Larson, Joseph Serpa, Jack Plandowski
2. Gold: Linden Burrett, Dylan Sydor, Joel Lehtinen

Shootout Order

1. William Fleet
2. Beau Courtney
3. Dominik Bartecko
4. Jack Rogers
5. Jackson Anderson
6. Nathan Rickey
7. Linden Burrett
8. Jack Plandowski
9. Kyle Powers
10. Sam Elliott
11. Lukas Klemm

Skate with the 'Nooks
Following the conclusion of the Blue/Gold scrimmage there will be the first Cookie Social and Skate with the 'Nooks, brought to you by the Face-Off Club. Bring your skates and meet your favorite Nanooks! 

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