Three Questions Syracuse Men’s Ice Hockey Faces Entering 2025-26 Season

By Matthew Gray

Taken by Maria Kaffes / @mariakaffesimages

Last season, Syracuse men’s ice hockey came up just short of history. Despite heading into the postseason as the #5 seed, the team shocked everyone. Following gutsy multi-goal victories over Drexel and Stony Brook, the Orange advanced to the championship game where they fell just one goal shy of lifting the trophy.

While they didn’t take home any hardware, it marked yet another step in the right direction for a program that’s gradually emerged as a competitor in recent years.

Just three seasons removed from a 9-21-1 finish in 2022-23, Syracuse took home 16 victories and punched its ticket to the conference playoffs for the first time in five years in 2024-25. The Orange’s trip to the championship game could surely be a sign that the team has officially shifted out of its retooling phase.

Although SU retained many key pieces this past summer, there are still certain questions its new-look roster will need to answer in 2025-26. With the ESCHL now history, SU’s inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) brings with it a chance to establish itself right away as a true threat in the North Division. The kettle is hot, and it’s time for Syracuse to strike.

Here are the three biggest questions the Orange face ahead of this season:

What will Syracuse’s forward lines look like?

For the most part, Syracuse’s roster doesn’t stray too far from its runner-up team. Between the pipes, AJ Finta will reclaim his starting role with John Angelino likely backing him up. SU’s defensive corps is mostly still intact, now led by first-year captain Connor Chesner. Its offense, however, is a different story.

The attacking group that nearly led the Orange to a conference championship looks a bit different now. Half of the 12 forwards who suited up for the title game last spring departed, leaving some sizable holes for Head Coach Chris Timmons to fill. Among SU’s most notable losses up front are former Captain Sam Hutchinson, Brock Alvers and Evan Vassilovski, who combined for nearly 20% of SU’s points in their last campaign.

However, the unit still possesses a plethora of experienced weapons who are ready to emerge into even more prominent roles this year. Cameron Gaffney will likely return as SU’s No. 1 center potentially alongside winger Jack Alecia, who set a new career-high with 30 points this past year. Other key returners for the Orange up front include Jack Wren, Brendan Duffy, Kade Cook and Aiden Emery. Syracuse also acquired six freshmen forwards over the summer who will see action.

Most notably up front, Syracuse committed freshman Ben Brant out of the Victoria Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) where he posted an impressive 97 points in 46 games in his last season in action.

Similar to last season, SU will again need to lean on a mix of veterans and newcomers at the forefront of its attack to embark on another deep playoff run.

How will Syracuse’s power play step up again?

Without its strong effort on the power play last season, Syracuse may not have advanced all the way to the ESCHL title game. An important part of its makeup, SU’s man-up unit finished with 29 tallies in 2024-25 — good for second-best in the conference. At the same time, the group scored on about 20% of its chances during the regular season.

Similar to its five-on-five lines, Syracuse’s power play lines will be sprinkled with different combinations of young and older players in 2025-26. Despite losing man advantage aces like Hutchinson, and Vassilovski, SU’s unit still boasts a wealth of talent at both ends. 

The Orange can look to experienced special teamers like defensemen Ryan Thomas and Chesner to lead the newfangled bunch, who each notched five and three power play goals this past year, respectively.

How will Syracuse fare against its new divisional foe?

At first glance, the ACCHL’s North Division may seem like SU’s former conference with a new coat of paint. But look again, and you’ll notice in place of Drexel and Rhode Island now sits Oswego — an opponent Syracuse is already quite familiar with.

The two sides will square off for their first contest as divisional foes on Oct. 30 at Deborah F. Stanley Arena, and then in their first two-game series on Nov. 14 and 15 at Tennity Ice Pavilion. SU will have a passionate crowd behind it to celebrate Alumni Weekend. 

Across their previous three campaigns, the Orange have split their eight meetings with the Lakers, going 2-2-0 both on the road and at home during that span. The games included scores ranging from 6-0 blowouts to 4-3 shootout wins, proof that this North Division matchup will be unpredictable from the start.

If Syracuse wants to find success against Oswego, its new offensive depth will likely play a key role. In 2024-25, 13 Orange players found the back of the net against the Lakers, which helped it ultimately split the season series.

All home games are held at the Tennity Ice Pavilion on Syracuse University’s campus and are free for students and the general public. Home games are also streamed live on the SU Hockey Network.

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