Miami finished second-last in the NCAA last season in scoring, averaging just 1.85 goals per game and only 1.58 in conference play.
But the RedHawks have added 11 new forwards from all over the hockey spectrum, many of which have serious offensive potential.
Only five skaters return up front from 2024-25, led by alternate captain Blake Mesenburg, and those skaters combined for just 11 goals last season.
“We believe in this group and the foundation we’ve built, that they’re going to be a group that’s going to be able to be more productive offensively,” Miami head coach Anthony Noreen said. “As with all of the positions, we are extremely green and there’s not a lot of college hockey games (of experience) played, but we do think, things we’re seeing in practice and just being able to connect some dots and being able to shoot off the pass and being able to create off the rush, there is certainly some ability. But our non-negotiables have to be where we start, and again, we have to be physical and we have to be able to roll after our lines, one after another and come after teams that way.”
VFG takes a look at Miami’s 2025-26 forward class in Part I of our three-part preview series:
WHO’S BACK: Srs. (2): Blake Mesenburg, Brayden Morrison; Sophs. (3): John Emmons, David Grosek, Casper Nassen.
WHO’S GONE (transfers in parentheses): Colby Ambrosio, Tanyon Bajzer, Frankie Carogioiello (St. Lawrence), Matt Choupani, Max Dukovac (Ferris State), Christophe Fillion, Teodor Forssander, William Hallen, Ryan Sullivan, Artur Turansky, Raimonds Vitolins, Johnny Waldron (Arizona State).
WHO’S NEW (transfers’ previous teams in parentheses, others are freshmen): Sr. (1): Max Helgeson; Jrs. (2): Matteo Giampa (Canisius), Doug Grimes (Boston U.); Sophs. (2): Nicholas Mikan (St. Thomas), Ryan Smith (Quinnipiac); Fr. (6): Kocha Delic, David Deputy, Ethan Hay, Ilia Morozov, Justin Stupka. Bradley Walker.
ANALYSIS: Miami obviously struggled to put pucks in the net last season, but the RedHawks have added some forwards with major potential, a couple with established NCAA track records and some complete wild cards, having either come from the CHL or having been stuck in lineup logjams elsewhere.
And then there’s the six freshmen.
The most established Division I player transferring in is junior Matteo Giampa, who was Canisius’ leading scorer his first two collegiate seasons, tallying 65 total points. Giampa also impressed at the public scrimmage last weekend.
“The combination of size, skating and skill — he’s extremely competitive, he…takes care of his body and the extra work that he puts in – he’s elite in that department,” Noreen said. “You’re watching a guy from distance on video but once you see him here first-hand and see just that combination, he’s a guy that we feel could play the game for a really long time at a really high level. Really excited to have a chance to work with him.”
Max Helgeson will be a senior this season after notching 72 points in three seasons with Alaska-Anchorage. He averaged 11 goals with the Seawolves.
Also coming to Miami from other NCAA teams are junior Doug Grimes and sophomores Ryan Smith and Nicholas Mikan.
Grimes logged 38 games in two seasons with Boston University after going 24-25-49 his final season in the USHL.
Smith played 33 games at Quinnipiac and went 2-3-5, and Mikan dressed for five contests with St. Thomas and did not record a point, although he was hurt for part of the season.
From the USHL — the top American juniors feeder leader to Division I — Miami added freshmen Ilia Morozov, David Deputy, Justin Stupka and Bradley Walker.
Morozov turned 17 in August but is 6-feet-3 and scored 11 goals and added 11 assists for 22 points at Tri-City last season. He has enormous upside and could develop into a first-round draft pick for 2026.
Deputy scored 21 goals and dished for 36 assists with Omaha and Muskegon last season, and his 10 goals in 14 playoff games helped lead the Lumberjacks to a Clark Cup title.
Stupka is a bigger player who took a major step forward last season, scoring 15 goals and adding 11 assists for Sioux City, and Walker went 7-6-13 and scored a pair of postseason goals as Waterloo team reached the Clark Cup finals.
Under new NCAA guidelines, Miami has also added two players from Canadian juniors who were previously considered ineligible.
Kocha Delic scored 91 goals and racked up 125 assists for 216 points in four seasons with Sudbury of the OHL.
Ethan Hay also played four OHL seasons with Flint, Saginaw and Kingston and finished his with 50 goals and 51 helpers. Both he and Delic will be considered freshmen.
Just four of Miami’s returning forwards were lineup regulars last season, which means the 11 newcomers up front will vie for eight spots each night.
Sophomore Casper Nassen tied for second on Miami with six goals last season and finished with 10 points. Mesenburg, a senior alternate captain last season, scored four times and picked up three helpers.
Senior Brayden Morrison — son of former Vancouver Canucks standout Brendan Morrison — played 23 games and ended the season with two assists, and sophomore John Emmons scored once in 21 games, but both were high-energy guys with impeccable work ethics.
David Grosek also returns for his sophomore season, but he did not dress in 2024-25.
In addition to better offensive numbers 5-on-5, Miami is expecting a rejuvenation on the power play, as the RedHawks’ 16.5-percent clip was 49th in the NCAA and dead last in the league.
“I think there’s depth there,” Noreen said. “I don’t know if we’re going to be a group that’s going to have a first line that really separates per se, I think we’re going to have to score by committee. We’re going to need different guys to step up on different nights, but we’re going to have to be really consistent in how detailed we are and how physical we are as a group. We can’t have a line that tries to be cute or is perimeter or isn’t consistently hard or physical or working. We’re not built that way. We need four lines of guys that are rolling, and skating, and physical, and engaged, and detailed and wearing teams down if we’re going have a chance to create offensively with this group.”
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