Large Announces Hockey Newcomers for 2023-24 Season

Canisius hockey head coach Trevor Large has announced the 13 newcomers that will join the Golden Griffin program for the 2023-24 season.

"We are excited about the potential in this class of newcomers to Canisius University," Large said. "They bring experience, skill and compete to a quality group of returning players. Our staff believes we have added depth in all positions and expect this class to round out our team to compete for another Atlantic Hockey Championship. With a large number of players graduating from last season, quality minutes must be filled by this group."

The group of newcomers features eight transfers and five true freshman. All told, the group represents six states (Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Vermont) and three Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario).

Complete bio information for all 13 newcomers can be found below.

Jack Budd | Freshman | Defenseman | 6-0 | 180 | Toronto, Ontario | Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played two seasons in the AJHL, splitting time between the Grande Prairie Storm and the Bonnyville Pontiacs (2021-23)
• Played 74 games for the Storm, recording seven goals and 26 assists before being traded to the Pontiacs during the 2022-23 season
• Notched 43 points (20g/23a) in 42 regular-season games with the Pontiacs
• Tallied seven goals and 13 assists in 16 postseason contests with Bonnyville, helping guide the squad to an appearance in the AJHL's North Division Championship
• Was teammates with fellow Canisius newcomers Trey Funk and Matteo Giampa while with the Pontiacs

Powell Connor | Senior | Defenseman | 6-2 | 190 | Chilliwack, British Columbia/Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)/Michigan State (Big 10)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Three-year letterwinner at Michigan State who appeared in 48 career games (2020-23)
• Recorded 75 blocked shots while with the Spartans
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree
• Krampade All-American Scholar for the 2020-21 season
• Spent a total of four seasons in the BCHL, splitting time between the Chilliwack Chiefs and the Trail Smoke Eaters (2016-20)
• Finished with 75 points (13g/62a) in 201 regular-season games played during his junior career. Chipped in nine points (2g/7a) in 46 postseason contests
• Helped guide Chilliwack to Fred Page Cup finals appearance in 2016-17
• Played for Canada West at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge

Luke Farthing | Senior | Defenseman | 5-10 | 180 | Stoutsville, Ohio/Chippewa Steel (NAHL)/Ferris State (CCHA)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played three seasons at Ferris State, recording three goals and nine assists in 64 career games played for the Bulldogs (2020-23)
• Appeared in 20 games for the Bulldogs during the 2022-23 season, scoring one goal and adding three assists
• Spent his final junior season with the Chippewa Steel (NAHL) during the 2019-20 season
• Helped the Steel to a 29-18-3-1 overall record and a second-place finish in the Midwest Division
• Paced all Chippewa defensemen with 13 goals and added 16 assists for 29 points
• Played with current Canisius teammates Jackson Decker and Killian Kiecker-Olson during his lone season with the Steel
• Spent the 2018-19 campaign with the Okotoks Oilers and Whitecourt Wolverines in the AJHL, where he tallied two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 53 games
• Began his junior career by spending four games with the NAHL's Brookings Blizzard in 2017-18

David Fessenden | Senior | Goaltender | 6-6 | 225 | Parker, Colo./Northeast Generals (NAHL)/New Hampshire (HEA)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played the previous two seasons at New Hampshire (2021-23), posting a .911 save percentage and a 2.53 goals against average in 36 appearances
• Appeared in 25 contests during the 2022-23 season, recording a .911 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average in more than 1400 minutes of action
• Began his collegiate career at Alabama Huntsville, playing two seasons with the Chargers (2019-21)
• Posted a .910 save percentage and a 2.93 goals against average in 2020-21 with 16 starts
Member of the 2020-21 WCHA All-Academic Team
• Tallied a career-high 42 saves in 2-0 shutout of Ferris State on Jan. 9, 2021
• Played three seasons (2016-2019) with the Northeast Generals (NAHL), appearing in a total of 112 career games
• Took part in a career-high 44 games with a .915 save percentage and 2.74 goals against average in 2018-19

Trey Funk | Freshman | Forward | 6-1 | 180 | Redwood Meadows, Alberta/Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played three seasons for the Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL), amassing 84 points (38g/46a) in 119 career games played (2020-23)
• Served as team captain of the Pontiacs for the 2022-23 season, registering career highs in goals (22), assists (24) and points (46) in 52 games played
• Recipient of Bonnyville's Top Defensive Forward award during the 2022-23 campaign
• Chipped eight goals and nine assists during 16 postseason contests for the Pontiacs, helping guide the squad to an appearance in the AJHL's North Division Championship
• Junior teammates with fellow Canisius newcomers Matteo Giampa and Jack Budd

Matteo Giampa | Freshman | Forward | 6-0 | 175 | Virgil, Ontario/Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played two seasons for the Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)
• Tallied 135 points (45g/90a) in 107 regular-season contests with the Pontiacs
• Led Bonnyville in scoring during the 2022-23 season, registering 92 points on 27 goals and 65 assists
• Chipped in 22 points (7g/15a) in 16 postseason contests for the Pontiacs, helping guide the squad to an appearance in the AJHL's North Division Championship
• Claimed Bonnyville's Top Scorer Award and was named both the team's regular-season MVP and the Neil Crawley Plus Minus Award recipient in 2022-23
• Was teammates with fellow Canisius newcomers Jack Budd and Trey Funk while in Bonnyville
• Spent the 2019-20 season at the Frederick Gunn School, tallying 19 points (9g/10a) in 35 games played
• Took part in development camp with the Florida Panthers during the 2023 offseason

Kyle Haskins | Senior | Forward | 5-10 | 185 | Huntington, Vt./Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)/Michigan State (Big 10)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played three seasons at Michigan State, amassing one goal and five assists in 57 career games (2020-23)
• Also blocked 24 shots while with the Spartans
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection
• Spent two seasons with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL, recording 23 goals and 20 assists in 106 regular-season contests (2018-20)
• Played three seasons at Selects Hockey Academy (2015-18)
• Racked up 80 points (30g/50a) in 54 games as a midget in 2017-18, helping the team to the U-18 national championship

Killian Kiecker-Olson | Sophomore | Forward | 6-1 | 190 | Andover, Minn./Lincoln Stars (USHL)/Maine (HEA)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Spent the 2022-23 season at Maine, tallying five points (1g/4a) in 24 games played
• Named to Hockey East Men's All-Academic Team
• Played parts of three seasons (2019-22) in the USHL, splitting time between the Chicago Steel, Des Moines Buccaneers and Lincoln Stars
• Recorded 29 points (16g/13a) in 68 games played for Des Moines
• Finished the 2021-22 season with Lincoln, recording 10 points (5g/5a) in 19 regular-season games before adding three goals in three playoff contests
• Spent two seasons (2018-20) with the Chippewa Steel in the NAHL, notching 77 points (29g/48) in 96 games
• Played with current Canisius teammates Jackson Decker and Luke Farthing while on the Steel during the 2019-20 season

Robert Kincaid | Sophomore Defenseman | 6-2 | 185 | Barrhead, Alberta/Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)/Maine (HEA)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Spent the 2022-23 season at Maine, appearing in eight games for the Black Bears
• Played parts of three seasons with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL (2018-2022)
• Tallied 18 goals and 58 assists for 75 points in 121 regular-season contests with the Kodiaks
• Added 15 points (2g/13a) in 24 postseason games with the franchise
• Spent the 2020-21 season with the NAHL's Minot Minotauros, recording 11 points (1g/10a) in 26 regular-season games before notching three assists in five playoff contests

Griffin Loughran | Senior | Forward | 5-6 | 145 | West Seneca, N.Y./Fargo Force (USHL)/Michigan State (Big 10)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Spent season in residence at Canisius as an academic redshirt
• Played the 2021-22 season for Michigan State, recording three goals and nine assists in 22 games played
• Began his collegiate career at Northern Michigan, appearing in 88 games over three seasons (2018-21)
• Recorded 35 goals and 37 assists for 72 points with the Wildcats
• Led NMU as a sophomore in 2019-20 with 39 points, while his 23 goals were tied for second most in the nation as he was voted to the All-WCHA second team
• Had 10 multi-point games and a seven-game point streak in 2019-20
• Played in the USHL for the Fargo Force in 2017-18 where he had 18 goals and 24 assists in 50 games
• Named playoff MVP, helping Fargo claim USHL's Clark Cup title in 2018

Jackson Nieuwendyk | Freshman | Forward | 6-1 | 175 | Dallas, Texas/Penticton Vees (BCHL)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played two seasons for the Penticton Vees (BCHL), helping lead the squad to back-to-back Fred Page Cup titles (2021-23)
• Amassed 29 goals and 34 assists for 63 points in 103 regular-season contests with the Vees, highlighted by a 2022-23 season that saw him post career highs in goals (20), assists (21) and points (41)
• Chipped in 16 points (9g/7a) in 34 postseason games with Penticton
• Junior teammates with current Canisius forward Stefano Bottini on the Vees for the 2021-22 campaign
• Began his junior career with the Sioux City Musketeers, registering two goals and 10 assists in 93 games played over two seasons (2019-21)

Grant Porter | Sophomore | Forward | 5-11 | 180 | Weston, Mass./Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)/Providence (HEA)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played one season at Providence, making his collegiate debut against Yale on Dec. 30, 2022
• Totaled nine goals and 11 assists in 57 games with Youngstown (USHL) in 2021-22
• Recorded 44 points on 17 goals and 27 assists with the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (NCDC) in 2020-21
• Played three seasons of prep hockey at Proctor Academy (N.H.) and the Rivers School (Mass.) from 2017-20, amassing 23 goals and 26 assists in 90 career games

Ethan Robertson | Freshman | Goaltender | 6-1 | 170 | Courtice, Ontario/Austin Bruins (NAHL)

BEFORE CANISIUS
• Played the last two seasons in the NAHL, splitting time between the Springfield Jr. Blues and the Austin Bruins (2021-23)
• In 44 appearances in the NAHL, fashioned a .907 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average to go along with a 19-10-5 overall record
• Played in 27 games during the 2022-23 season for the Bruins, posting a .915 save percentage, a 2.15 goals against average and a 13-5-2 record
• Began his junior career with the Cobourg Cougars (OJHL), turning in a .914 save percentage, 2.83 goals against average and an 11-11-1 record during the 2019-20 campaign

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Players Mentioned

#26 Stefano Bottini: F; 6' 2"; Sophomore; L

#24 Jackson Decker: D; 5' 10"; Senior; L

#5 Robert Kincaid: D; 6' 2"; Sophomore; L

#8 Matteo Giampa: F; 6' 1"; Freshman; R

#9 Kyle Haskins: F; 6' 0"; Senior; L

#12 Luke Farthing: D; 5' 10"; Senior; R

#13 Griffin Loughran: F; 5' 6"; Senior; R

#14 Trey Funk: F; 6' 2"; Freshman; R

#25 Jackson Nieuwendyk: F; 6' 1"; Freshman; L

#27 Powell Connor: D; 6' 2"; Senior; R

Players Mentioned

#26 Stefano Bottini
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; L
: F

#24 Jackson Decker
: 5' 10"; Senior; L
: D

#5 Robert Kincaid
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; L
: D

#8 Matteo Giampa
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R
: F

#9 Kyle Haskins
: 6' 0"; Senior; L
: F

#12 Luke Farthing
: 5' 10"; Senior; R
: D

#13 Griffin Loughran
: 5' 6"; Senior; R
: F

#14 Trey Funk
: 6' 2"; Freshman; R
: F

#25 Jackson Nieuwendyk
: 6' 1"; Freshman; L
: F

#27 Powell Connor
: 6' 2"; Senior; R
: D