2026-27 NCDC Season Preview: Colonial Conference

The 2026-27 NCDC Season Preview Series continues with a look at the newly formed Colonial Conference.

The conference brings together established NCDC programs, organizations beginning new chapters and teams looking to build on what they accomplished last season. With player development and advancement at the forefront, the Colonial Conference will feature plenty of new matchups and competition throughout its inaugural season.

Here is a team-by-team look at the Colonial Conference entering 2026-27.

Connecticut Chiefs

Head Coach: Greg Heffernan
2025-26 Record: 20-33-1-4, 45 points

The Connecticut Chiefs enter the season with a roster featuring a combination of experience and new talent.

“We have a great blend of veterans and rookies,” Heffernan said. “It should make for exciting hockey.”

Liam Cripps is one returning player the Chiefs believe could take an important step this season. Newcomers Jack Grahling and Tygar Lister both tendered with the organization early and even appeared in games last season, giving the Chiefs familiarity with what each can bring.

“Two very different players, but both have upside in their roles,” Heffernan said.

Connecticut focused on improvement throughout the organization during the offseason, including adding an experienced assistant coach and placing a significant emphasis on recruiting.

The Chiefs expect to play an up-tempo, hardworking and process-oriented style.

“Consistency. Staying emotionally balanced,” Heffernan said of the keys to competing within the Colonial Conference.

Ultimately, the organization will measure success through advancement.

“Every player advances to the place they are trying to get to,” Heffernan said.

 

Connecticut RoughRiders

Head Coach: Tomasz Piątek
2025-26 Record: First NCDC Season

The Connecticut RoughRiders enter the NCDC with a roster built around depth, balance and competition throughout the lineup.

“Our biggest strength is the overall depth and balance of the roster,” Piątek said. “We have a good combination of returning players who understand our expectations and standards, along with young new players who bring energy, skill and competition to the team.”

Houston Gilcrease, Cameron Gardner, Olli Alamikkelä and goaltender Sebastianos Sakalis are among the returning players expected to take on increased responsibilities.

The RoughRiders also added a group of newcomers that includes Albin Eriksson, Georges Vergnion, Marek Spálenka, Vojtěch Klučák and goaltender David Kroupa.

“Overall, this is a group that gives us more depth, more internal competition and more options throughout our lineup,” Piątek said. “If they continue to adapt quickly to the pace and physicality of the NCDC, several of them will earn important roles early in the season.”

During the offseason, Connecticut focused on improving the overall quality and depth of its roster while also evaluating its player monitoring, leadership structure and development environment.

The RoughRiders want to establish an identity built around pace, intelligence and competitiveness.

“We want to be a fast, competitive, intelligent team that plays with an identity,” Piątek said. “We want to attack with pace, make plays at speed and be aggressive without sacrificing structure.”

Consistency will be crucial as Connecticut adjusts to the NCDC.

“In the NCDC, you cannot afford to have major differences in your level of preparation or compete level from game to game,” Piątek said. “Ultimately, our ability to compete every night and execute our identity under pressure will determine how successful we are.”

Player development remains the priority.

“We want our players to become better hockey players, better teammates and more accountable young men,” Piątek said. “If we can build a team that plays the right way and helps our players advance to college opportunities, then we will consider the season successful.”

 

 

New York Dynamo

Head Coach: Ron Kuhl
2025-26 Record: 20-32-1-1, 42 points

The New York Dynamo enter their second NCDC season with a strong returning leadership group, depth throughout the lineup and experienced goaltending.

TJ Pisano, Nick Ferrari and Lincoln Emmerson are among the returning forwards expected to take on larger roles, while Logan Goodman, Chase Ullrich and Max Richler provide experience on defense.

Newcomers Trevor Jensen, Anders Forrest and Thomas Fellman add skill and speed up front, while McKay Johnson and Patrick Neton join the defensive group. Kuhl also pointed to the leadership backgrounds of the incoming players.

“Each of them were leaders or captains on the teams we recruited them from,” Kuhl said. “High-character players with a super high compete level.”

On the ice, the Dynamo plan to be organized in all three zones, tenacious on the puck and capable of playing a fast, structured and physical style.

“Staying on brand every night will be the key to a great season,” Kuhl said. “All the teams in our conference will be well coached, so we will need to be consistent every night in all phases of the game.”

After establishing the foundation of the program last season, Kuhl wants the Dynamo to take a significant step forward in Year 2.

“This is the year we need to make the jump to an elite-level organization and team,” Kuhl said. “Our goals are simple: win the conference, win each playoff series we are a part of and earn our way to the Dineen Cup.”

 

 

Red Bank Generals

Head Coach: Jack Callahan
2025-26 Record: First NCDC Season

The Red Bank Generals begin a new chapter in 2026-27 as the organization elevates to the NCDC.

“With the elevation to NCDC, this is an exciting year for our organization,” Callahan said. “It’s a blank canvas for guys to come in and earn their roles within the team.”

Callahan sees size, skill and competitiveness as early strengths of the roster.

Cade Anderson, Chase Gittens, Mitch Nelson, Dion Gargagliano and Logan Pastorius are among the players making the move from Red Bank’s Premier team to the NCDC.

“We’re very excited for them to make a name for themselves at the next level,” Callahan said.

Rather than targeting one specific area during the offseason, the Generals focused on evaluating the program as a whole and finding ways to improve.

“Our main focus in every offseason is to evaluate as a staff what we can do better and implement those things in the following season,” Callahan said.

Red Bank enters the season excited and ready to compete, with preparation serving as one of its biggest priorities.

Callahan will measure the year by more than the standings.

“Did our players grow as players and evolve as humans? That is what our culture is all about,” Callahan said.

As for the move to the NCDC, Callahan added, “It is very exciting, and we look forward to the season ahead.”

 

 

Springfield Pics

Head Coach: Rob Bonneau
2025-26 Record: 18-32-2-2, 40 points

The Springfield Pics enter the 2026-27 season looking to build their identity around a strong forward group and a gritty style of play.

Adam Botlo, Jayson Audet and Maverick Labonte are among the returning players expected to take on larger roles this season, while newcomers Elliot Turgeon and Luc Gravel could make an immediate impact.

During the offseason, Bonneau and the Pics placed an emphasis on strengthening the team’s culture.

“We want to be gritty,” Bonneau said.

For Springfield, one of the biggest keys to competing in the newly formed Colonial Conference will be establishing its game early and maintaining that level throughout the night.

“We need to get off to fast starts and play the entire 60 minutes,” Bonneau said.

The goal for the Pics in 2026-27 is to turn that consistency into postseason success, with Bonneau pointing to a long playoff run as the benchmark for a successful season.

 

 

Syracuse Lightning

General Manager: James Henry
Head Coach: Bob Shattell
2025-26 Record: First NCDC Season

The Syracuse Lightning enter their first NCDC season looking to establish themselves through speed, size and a relentless work ethic.

With no returning players from an NCDC roster, Syracuse is building its team from the ground up. General Manager James Henry and Head Coach Bob Shattell highlighted Patrick Cooley and Mason Montagna as two newcomers who could make an immediate impact.

The organization placed an emphasis on recruiting from its own region during the offseason. 

“We did our best to add players from Central and Western New York,” Shattell said. “Growing our team locally was important.”

Henry and Shattell expect the Lightning to play a fast-paced, hardworking and relentless style.

Getting off to a strong start will be particularly important for a new group learning to compete together at the NCDC level.

The goal for Syracuse in its inaugural season is straightforward.

“Competing for a playoff spot.”

 

 

Utica Jr. Comets

Head Coach: Lou Educate
2025-26 Record: 42-7-2-3, 89 points – New England Central Division Champions

The Utica Jr. Comets enter the Colonial Conference after a dominant 2025-26 regular season that saw the team win 42 games, earn 89 points and finish atop the New England Central Division.

Utica will bring back a strong core from that group.

“We have a great returning group coming back, full of leaders,” Educate said. “Everyone has the same goals in mind coming into the season. The leadership and maturity of our group should put us in a position where we can win every night.”

Educate expects each returning player to elevate his game, while newcomers will have an opportunity to earn significant roles.

“Every year new players come in and have huge impacts on our team,” Educate said. “It’s the guys that buy into what we are doing as a team that will have the most success.”

The Comets focused on keeping their core intact during the offseason and maintaining the hunger that helped drive last season’s success.

“We wanted to keep a core group of players intact and make them excited for the upcoming season,” Educate said. “We have some hungry hockey players coming into the season.”

Utica plans to play with pace and an edge while consistently putting opponents under pressure.

“We play with pace and an edge,” Educate said. “We will constantly have teams on their heels.”

The challenge will be bringing that identity every night.

“Having the same approach every night. Sticking to who we are,” Educate said.

After winning its division last season, Utica has an even bigger goal in mind for 2026-27.

“Winning the Dineen Cup,” Educate said.

 

 

Vermont Universal

Head Coach: Kyle Hood
2025-26 Record: 15-31-5-2, 37 points

Vermont Universal enters its second NCDC season looking to build on a year Hood described as one centered around learning and growth.

Leadership is expected to be one of the program’s biggest strengths. Olivier Touchette, Sam Cardinal, Milan Turena and Logan Charby are among the returning players expected to take on larger roles.

“Our leadership, we have a very strong core of great people,” Hood said.

After its first season, Universal evaluated the program from top to bottom and made several improvements away from the ice as well.

“We looked at all areas after our first season and made drastic improvements, including accommodations, travel and arena upgrades,” Hood said.

On the ice, Vermont wants to establish a fast, up-tempo style built around compete level and discipline.

“Competing and being relentless will be a big part of our focus,” Hood said. “Last season was a learning and growth season. We are looking forward to being hard to play against with good discipline and a play-fast structure.”

Consistency throughout games will be important in the new Colonial Conference, particularly when momentum begins to shift.

For Hood, advancement remains one of the biggest measures of success.

“To be able to move 50 percent of our players on to the next level,” Hood said.