FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks hockey team opens up their 2026-27 regular season with the Boston University Terriers in a pair of games at the Carlson Center.
Friday, Oct. 2
vs. No. 15/16 Boston University | 7:07 p.m.
Fairbanks | Carlson Center
Alumni & HOF Night
Saturday, Oct. 3
vs. No. 15/16 Boston University | 7:07 p.m.
Fairbanks | Carlson Center
Go Pink with the 'Nooks
Watch Live ($$)
Listen Online
KSUA 91.5 FM
Tickets
Ticketing
Fans can purchase home tickets all season long through the official ticket system of the Alaska Nanooks hockey program and the Department of Athletics, vivenu.
FloHockey TV & KSUA 91.5 FM
The Nanooks return to FloHockey TV and KSUA 91.5 FM for the 2026-27 season. Fans can subscribe to FloHockey TV
HERE and watch all home games or they can tune into KSUA 91.5 FM and listen to
Bruce Cech all season long, bringing you all home and away games.
Last Time Out
The Nanooks hosted a pair of exhibition games last weekend at the Carlson Center. On night one, they posted 11 goals on the UMary Marauders.
Seth Fryer,
Misha Danylov, and
Dylan Sydor all scored in the first giving Alaska a 4-0 lead. Danylov posted back-to-back goals less than three minutes apart.
Jack Plandowski and
Dean Spak added a pair of goals in the second for the Nanooks before Danylov, Sydor,
Joseph Serpa, and
Zach Howard scored in the third. Danylov capped off his hat trick while Serpa scored a pair of goals for the 11-0 win.
Tyler Shea shutout UMary in the exhibition with eight saves. Alaska posted 53 shots-on-goal. On night two, the Nanooks defeated Mount Royal 5-0.
Jhett Larson posted the only goal in the first, scoring on the power play.
Simon Binkley then scored the only second-period goal for Alaska. Three goals in the third closed out the exhibition win for the 'Nooks as
Jack Rogers scored 54 seconds into the third before Serpa made it 4-0 on the power play, and
Dominik Bartecko closed out the night with the fifth goal.
Tyler Shea, once again, shut out the opposition behind 23 saves.
Alumni Night
Wear blue and gold for Alumni Night on Friday! During the first intermission, the Nanooks will welcome out members of the Nanook Hall of Fame Class of 2026 for a special on-ice presentation. Additionally, UAF alumni can receive 50% discounted and limited free tickets when reaching out to the UAF Alumni Association at uaf-alumni@alaska.edu. Limited tickets available, so act fast!
Go Pink with the 'Nooks!
Wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Saturday night! BCDC of Alaska will be in attendance, tabling on the mezzanine level of the Carlson Center with pink giveaways, specialty t-shirts for sale, and a Go Pink with the 'Nooks jersey, available to win through raffle.
Hockey Scoreboard Campaign
On Sept. 25, the Alaska Nanooks announced a transformative gift they received from ConocoPhillips Alaska worth $500,000 in support of the Alaska Nanooks hockey scoreboard project. This anchor gift propels the initiative forward and launches the final fundraising effort to raise the remaining $300,000 needed to complete the project.
Donors can make gifts online or pledge via check, DAF, and other related methods. To make an offline donation or learn more, please contact Associate AD of External Relations, Marisa Sharrah, via email at mksharrah@alaska.edu or call at (907) 474-6807. Offline donations will still be added to the scoreboard crowdfunding page.
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
#NookNotes
- Coach Largen returns for another season as the Nanooks' bench boss. He enters his ninth year at the top and is 98-114-27 in his career and 80-107-24 with Alaska.
- Rylen Roersma is the leading returning scorer for the Nanooks. The sophomore posted 22 points as a rookie a year ago, posting nine goals and 13 assists.
- Nathan Rickey returns to the blue-line for the 'Nooks. The junior led defensemen in scoring a year ago with 16 points on three goals and 13 assists.
- Zak Brice and Calvin Vachon return for the Nanooks in net. Brice appeared in just one game last season, making five saves.
- Vachon appeared in nine games, making eight starts. He went 2-6-0 in goal with one shutout.
- Alaska went 7-4-1 on home ice a year ago. They were undefeated on neutral ice, going 3-0-1 before finishing 15-15-3 on the season.
- Jhett Larson and Misha Danylov return for the Nanooks. They joined Roersma as double-digit point scorers as rookies a year ago. Larson posted 14 points on seven goals and assists while Danylov had 11 points on four goals and seven assists.
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.
Nanook Hall of Fame
Two former Nanooks will head into the Nanook Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 2. Former defensemen and captains, Jordan Hendry and Colton Parayko will be enshrined amongst the Nanooks greatest after their incredible careers in Fairbanks.
Jordan Hendry made a lasting impact on Alaska Nanooks hockey during his four-year career from 2002-06, helping the Nanooks capture four Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup titles while becoming a key leader on the Nanooks blue line. Hendry appeared in 112 games during his career, recording 36 points on 11 goals and 25 assists. He earned the Doug Desourcie Top Rookie award in 2003 and was named the Shawn Chambers Best Defenseman in 2006. Hendry served as an assistant captain during his final two seasons. Following his Alaska career, Hendry went on to a nine-year professional career that included 131 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks, along with 263 AHL games. In 2010, he helped the Chicago Blackhawks capture the Stanley Cup. Hendry has remained connected to the Nanooks and the Fairbanks hockey community since his playing days, continuing to support UAF hockey and giving back to the sport through coaching youth hockey with Hockey Club Fairbanks.
Colton Parayko established himself as one of the most dominant defensemen in Alaska Nanooks hockey history during his three-year career from 2012-15. Parayko appeared in 104 games at Alaska, recording 66 points on 17 goals and 49 assists while posting a career-best +16 rating. He served as an assistant captain in 2013-14 before being named captain as a senior in 2014-15. Parayko was twice named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and earned WCHA First All-Star Team and NCAA West Second All-American honors in both 2014 and 2015. He was also a two-time recipient of UAF's Shawn Chambers Best Defenseman award and earned numerous team honors, including the 2015 Chad Staley Team Player Award. Following his Nanooks career, Parayko quickly established himself in the NHL, earning All-Rookie Team honors in 2015-16 and becoming a key member of the St. Louis Blues. In 2019, he helped the Blues capture the Stanley Cup. Parayko has continued to represent Canada internationally, earning World Championship honors and a silver medal at the 2026 Olympics. Parayko's impact on hockey in Fairbanks has extended well beyond his playing career. He regularly returns to host the Colton Parayko Hockey Camp at Patty Ice Arena, working with young players of all ages and skill levels while giving back to the community that helped shape his career.
Fans can still purchase tickets to the Hall of Fame Luncheon happening next Friday, Oct. 2, in the Binkley Room at Pike's Waterfront Lodge CLICKING HERE.
Meet the Opponents
Boston University (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East)
Head Coach:
Jay Pandolfo (5th Season, 98-52-6)
Jay Pandolfo leads the Terriers to Fairbanks for the first-ever matchup with the Nanooks. BU went 17-17-2, 12-12-0 a year ago, falling in the second round of the Hockey East Tournament to UConn. Boston's top-returning scorer is Jack Harvey, who last season posted 21 points on 13 goals. Kamil Bednarik is their top-returning assist leader, posting 11 assists last year. In net, the Terriers were led by Mikhail Yegorov. He started in 35 games and posted a GAA of 2.73, a save percentage of .904 and recorded 16 wins with a pair of shutouts last year. Boston University comes into this week ranked No. 16/15 in the two NCAA hockey polls.
What's to Come
After hosting Boston University this week, the Nanooks will head to the Boston-area next week for a matchup at Boston College on Friday, Oct. 9. They'll then travel to Schenectady, N.Y. for a game at Union on Saturday, Oct. 10. Both games are scheduled for 3 p.m. AKST and can be watched on ESPN+.
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