The 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons share a lot of differences for ASU hockey. Seven wins, 25 points and the mood following the final period separate the two years. However, both seasons ended the same way: a loss against Denver.
As the Sun Devils skated off the ice against the Pioneers at the end of a season with its lowest winning percentage since 2020-21, the offseason gives ASU time to reflect and look ahead to next season.
Last season saw the 21-14-2 Sun Devils play their first playoff game in six seasons. ASU placed second in the NCHC in its first year in the conference, and after being ranked No. 16 nationally, spirits were high in Tempe.
Starting the season ranked No. 14, a young ASU roster struggled to make up for the loss of 10 seniors and graduate students from the previous season's team. This contributed to underperformance in 2025-26, something that head coach Greg Powers did not see coming.
"A year ago, at this point, we were still fighting to win the damn thing," Powers said. "It's crazy. We never thought we'd be here, but here we are."
Despite the preseason rankings, the Sun Devils came out slow, being swept against No. 6 Penn State and No. 15 Augustana during their opening six games. ASU continued to struggle, going 1-2-1 in their following four games against Miami and Colorado College.
However, the Sun Devils then picked up momentum, going 8-4 from Nov. 14 through Jan. 3, but these positive results didn't stick past January.
"You have to really keep your foot on the gas for the results that you want consistently," Powers said. "We all learned that the hard way so far this year."
One of the main causes of the inconsistent momentum was star forward Cullen Potter picking up a season-ending injury.
With Potter out, the Sun Devils did not give up. Through a rough run of form following the injury, senior forward and captain Bennett Schimek emphasized how leadership motivated the rest of the roster.
"We're just stressing how important every game is," Schimek said. "Stressing that by any means we're not out of it. We feel like we're making a push."
However, the loss of Potter proved to be too much to come back from. After the first round NHL draft pick's injury on Jan. 10, ASU went 2-10 to finish out the season, placing last in the NCHC. To rub salt into the wound, they were the sole team to miss out on the conference tournament.
Powers said the team lacked resiliency seen in prior seasons, which contributed to their tumultuous run.
"For whatever reason, this team just hasn't had the resiliency that we've seen out of our group the last couple years," Powers said. "When you get punched, you get punched back, and we just seem to keep taking punches."
One of the biggest positives of the season was Schimek and senior forward Cruz Lucius finishing in the top three for points scored in NCHC play, with Lucius winning the conference scoring title and earning a nomination for NCHC Forward of the Year.
The two grew up playing hockey together and joined ASU in 2024-25. While their time in Tempe has come to an end, Lucius was still grateful for the experience the school gave them.
"It's hard to put into words what this program means to us," Lucius said. "We kind of came here on a limb. Speaking for both of us, we gave up a secure place with friends. We were new to the school. It's kind of a leap to come here ... looking back on our time here, I don't think we hesitate to do it again, and we're super grateful."
While ASU lost 30% of its scoring production in Lucius and Schimek, the team only says goodbye to four seniors of its 25-man roster.
This leaves many important players still in Tempe. Eleven players set to return for 2026-27 tallied double-digit point seasons, alongside freshman goaltender Samuel Urban, who finished second in the NCHC in saves per game.
The Sun Devils will also be welcoming in 13 freshmen, per EliteProspects, including forward Nathan Behm, who has tallied 79 points in 59 games for the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL.
While 2025-26 was not ideal for ASU, Lucius believes the program only has room to grow.
"ASU will be a place that every single kid will want to come to and thrive," Lucius said. "Thrive under Coach Powers and the whole staff. It's a special place."
Edited by Niall Rosenberg, Senna James and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
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