Miami Redhawks Pres

After ending with the worst record in program history, the Miami Redhawks arrived in the low season and needed a large schedule overhaul. Second -year head coach Anthony Noreen has brought in transfers, first -year students and returning players, and it is already clear that many players have taken big steps ahead.

Related: David deputy and Shika Gadzhiev talk to Miami Hockey

I had the chance to look at practice last Wednesday, where the new look Redhawks signed of that reset that began to take place. With the home opener on 3-4 October against Ferris State, here are my early collection restaurants and Wednesday training.

Ahead

• First -year attacker Kocha Delic was one of the clear highlights on Wednesday. Shifty and fast with the puck, he has a dangerous wrist, makes a tight play and was very vocal with teammates on the ice. His defensive match has also been improved compared to last season with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), with many sticks to win back Pucks. He looks like a top-six player, most likely on the Top Power Play unit, and he has deposited eight pounds this season (198 to 190).
• First -year student Ilia MorozovOnly 17, looks part of a future NHL -Pick (projected as the first to third round in 2026). He scored a slick wrist shot on a two-on-one in a three-on-three exercise, with his long range, pass and ability to dang up on 6-foot-3. He is also a strong passer -by, although he has to adapt to the physical side of college hockey, given that he is a 200 -feet player. He added four pounds this season (196 to 200), including a number of noticeable muscles, and will be the youngest player in college hockey this season.
• First -year attacker Justin Stupka looked faster than last season with Sioux City in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He brings size to 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and showed improvements defensive in practice in the rear control. He projects a deep center option this season.
• First -year student Bradley Walker looks like he will bring some toughness into the line -up. He was physically past the boards who all practice for a long time and hard. He projects as a Bottom-Six player who makes every team 100% efforts. Noreen has said earlier that he is a man you just want in your dressing room.
• Sophomore attacker John Emmons showed steps in his defensive match on Wednesday. Strong on the backcheck and forechacking for turnover, he looks like a candidate for a fine-killing role.
  Noreen loved his efforts last season, even though he started low on the depth map, and he will be on Ice Age again this season. He will most likely roll in a third or fourth line.
• Sophomore attacker Casper Nassen looked slimmer, faster and a more well -rounded winger. On 6-foot-4 with a long pass, he scored in a three-on-three exercise. He dropped 15 pounds in the low season (214 to 199) and seems planned for a top six roll with Power Play minutes.
• Sophomore Forward Transfer Nick Mikan brings size and toughness. On 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he is physically and not shy to throw his weight around. He even became a little chippy with Walker during the training in the corner. Coming from a injuries season in St. Thomas, where he only played five games, he dropped nine pounds in the low season (229 to 220) and should be the team’s enforcer.
• Sophomore Forward Transfer Ryan Smith from Quinnipiac is substandard on 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, but makes up for speed and effort. He had a nice stuck lift on Delic during an exercise to keep the puck in the attacking zone, showed a relentless pre-check and looks like a bottom-six attacker who can kill punishment but can still play physically despite his size.
• Junior Forward Transfer Matteo Giampa from Canisius University stood out for his speed and hands on Wednesday and was generally the most impressive attacker. He blew past a defender to score a slick backhand-for-forefhand goal Matteo DrobacLater in a goal of a pass tight during a three-on-three exercise. With his skills he looks like a lock for the top six and power play.
• Junior Forward Transfer Doug Grimes from Boston University looks stronger after setting up muscles, now at 213 pounds (from 205). His 2024-25 season was demolished in January due to an injury, which limited him to 15 games, but he is now healthy. He is a hard pre-checker and looks like a Bottom-Six attacker who can offer depth score.
• Graduated forward transfer Max Helgeson from Alaska-surchorage is a fast, physical pre-checker that is not afraid to go to the net. He is willing to screen goalkeepers, pucks and fighting in the paint, all seen on Wednesday. He looks versatile enough to play everywhere in the line -up.

Defenders

• First -year defender Ryder Thompson was the most impressive on the back. He was quickly grabbed, broke them clean and made fresh steps in all three zones. He remained vocal, used his body to protect pucks and showed off the blue line with a heavy and accurate blow. He looks mobile and can immediately go in a top four role as a first -year student in steps.

• First-year defender Shaun McEwen seems ready to have an immediate impact as a 21-year-old first-year student. On Wednesday he was quickly, physically and easily the best in shoulder control on the ice. Noreen has a close relationship with him that goes back from their time with the Tri-City Storm, and that trust appears. McEwen cut back from 192 pounds to 180, making it more mobility on his way to this season. A three-year-old captain in Tri-City and Noreen’s first commit after taking the Miami job, McEwen seems ready to immediately step into an important role.
• Sophomore defender Michael Quinn was solid and scored a goal of a rebound for the net on Wednesday. This season, Quinn was able to fulfill a soil pair roller after leading the defensive core in points last season with 12.
• Graduated defender Owen Lalonde has another season of being eligible and projects to play an important leading role in the defensive group. The death of Lalonde took me out on Wednesday, so that they make all the exercises accurate steps, draw up a few assists in the exercises. Lalonde will be 26 by the end of the season, which means that Miami will have a 17-year-old and a 26-year-old in the same team, something fairly rare in college hockey. I expect a mobile defender to play a lot of minutes this season, probably with the first or second pair.

Goalkeepers

• Not many Pucks passed the goalkeepers on Wednesday. Sophomore Drobac flashed a sharp glove and closed the five-hole well, while first-year Benjamin Motow his athletics and the ability to move over the fold quickly. A split between Shika Gadzhiev and Drobac will probably remain this season.

Observations

• Noreen is not rumbling this season. The exercise on Wednesday was intense and even the smallest mistakes stood out. He was not afraid of being vocal with his team when they happened.

• Noreen spent a lot of time coaching McEwen and clearly has a close relationship with him. Noreen has said that bringing in former players was a large part of building this schedule. He wanted players he already knew and trusted, and there are five former Tri-City players in the team this season (Kyle Aucin, Nick Donato, Vladislav Lukashevich, Smith and Morozov).
• Noreen wants this group to be much more vocal on ice. Last season the Redhawks struggled with communication and had trouble getting Pucks out of their own ending.

Scheduling updates

• Ryan Seelinger will not come this season. Noreen saw a goal to give him an overage season in the Ushl. Last season he posted 33 points in 62 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers and plays another season with them.
• Brecken Smith, an attacker, went to Tri-City at the beginning of August in a large USHL trade. He was at the Youngstown Phantoms last season and placed 23 points over 64 games.
• Cal Huston, a defender, had an injury last season and will return in November halfway through the season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the Ushl. He gets another season to develop and recover before he makes the leap.
• Defenseman Branko Vukas of the Omaha Lancers and Vooruit Charles Blanchard of the Cedar Rapids Roughriders will not come this season either.

More news

• Expect a complete schedule release soon. It was actually filled in, apart from a possible addition to the fourth goalkeeper, which assistant coach Jimmy Spratt told me last month.
• The annual Meet the team / skills competition will be held on September 20, organized by the Miami Hockey Blue Line Club. Tickets are $ 10 for adults, $ 5 for children under twelve and free for children under five. With so many new faces this season, it is a great opportunity for fans to become familiar with the team.
• Home Game Times are set: Friday matches at 7:05 pm et and Saturday games at 6:05 pm et.
• This season Miami is taking part in two tournaments in the season: The Friendship Four (28-29 November) and the Great Lakes Invitational (28-29 December).
• Spencer Anderson, a Vooruit van Thief River Falls, Minnesota, dedicated to Miami on 8 September. He just turned 16 and is already a four -star perspective according to Neutral zone. On 6-foot-2 and 187 pounds, Anderson posted 27 points last season in 21 games with the Thief River Falls Prowlers (MNHS). Another child in Minnesota on his way to Oxford, he is a major addition to the much improved recruitment pipeline.
• The Redhawks are slept in early ACHC Power rankings and are ninth in every ranking I have seen on social media.
• The incoming group of Miami was arranged in seventh place in the PuckPreps class of 2025 rankings, a place that feels a bit disputable.

After the results of last season and on social media, this team has plenty to prove. I will continue to roll out updates while the schedule is being completed, because I am planning to view another exercise and catch up before the season starts in just over three weeks.

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