Canisius eyes a playoff resurgence with new talent and a championship-tested goalie in Chase Clark.
2024-25 Review:
The Canisus Golden Griffins earned a record of 12-23-2, and came up short to eventual Atlantic Hockey America Champion Bentley in the quarterfinals in two games
Key Departures:
Three important figures left via the transfer portal or to the ECHL after the 2024-25 campaign. Matteo Giampa departed to Miami University for his junior season. Giampa led the Golden Griffins with 22 points and 30 assists. Kyle Haskins inked a one year deal with ECHL’s Reading Royals. The Huntington, VT native earned a team high 11 goals before signing a contract with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears on March 10. Haskins subsequently was traded 10 days later to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits before signing the aforementioned contract with Reading. Defenseman Alex Cicero took his talents to the Worcester Railers on March 12. Cicero finished first on Canisius in penalty minutes by notching 33 in 34 games. The Worcester Railers are in the same ECHL North Division as the Reading Royals, so Cicero will see his old teammate Haskins quite a bit in 2025-26.
Next Men Up:
Chase Clark is a significant addition between the pipes for the Golden Griffins. Clark is a proven winner, backing up the Quinnipiac Bobcats as a freshman to their 2023 NCAA National Championship in addition to a 2021 NCDC Championship. The 2021 6th Round NHL Draft Pick of the Washington Capitals has made stops at Sacred Heart University and American International College (AIC) before landing at Canisius after AIC’s transition to Division II. Currently, Clark has won his first four starts this year with .953 save percentage and a staggering 1.48 goals allowed average. Freshman Cole Miller arrives from the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. His multitude of shot types and powerful stride allows him to be sneaky in all three zones. Miller won a WHL Championship with Edmonton in 2022 and could potentially help Canisius down the stretch into the playoffs. A junior transfer from Robert Morris University, Walter Zacher has offensive potential in Atlantic Hockey America. The goals leader for the 2024-25 Colonials had 15 tallies in 35 contests, while tying for first among his squad earning 24 points. Zacher looks to mesh with returning senior Grant Porter, who he has been on a line with early this season.
The Road Ahead:
The Golden Griffins want to rebound after last year’s disappointing finish. With an upgrade between the pipes, a solid returning group with some defensive minded freshmen, Canisius could go even further in 2025-26