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Mavericks in the NHL

Selected in the 2001 National Hockey League draft by Columbus, forward Tim Jackman made his NHL debut Dec. 20, 2003 when Columbus played the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul, Minn. In doing so, Jackman became the first former Minnesota State player to play in the NHL. The Brooklyn Center, Minn., native (he was born in Minot, N.D.), who scored 25 goals and had 28 assists for 53 points in 73 games in two seasons with MSU (2000-01 and 2001-02), had been playing with the Blue Jackets' American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse, N.Y., before getting the call from the Blue Jackets. He became the first former Minnesota State player to play in the NHL when he played against the Wild in St. Paul. Jackman played three years in the Columbus system before being traded to Phoenix. After spending parts of two seasons with the Coyotes in which he saw eight games with the parent club, he was traded to Los Angeles. While a member of the Kings' organization Jackman played in five NHL games. He then signed a free agent contract with the New York Islanders prior to the start of the 2007-08 campaign and then joined Calgary in for the start of the 2009-10 season. He retired from pro hockey following the 2015-16 season following three seasons with Anaheim. Jackman totalled 32-43--75 in 483 NHL games during the course of his professional career.

Grant Stevenson (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Grant Stevenson, a Spruce Grove, Alta., native, was in his third season with the San Jose Sharks organization when he made his NHL debut in a game against the Calgary Flames Nov. 23, 2005 in Calgary. Stevenson spent two years with Minnesota State before signing a free agent contract with the Sharks following the 2002-03 collegiate season. As a sophomore at MSU in 2002-03, Stevenson was named a Jofa Second Team All-American and was selected 2002-03 All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association First Team after racking up 27 goals and 36 assists for 63 points. Stevenson helped lead the Mavericks to a second-place finish in the WCHA regular season standings and their first-ever invitation to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Stevenson totalled 35-44--79 in 76 career games with Minnesota State.

David Backes (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Former Minnesota State forward David Backes made his National Hockey League debut Dec. 19, 2006 when he suited up for St. Louis in a game at Pittsburgh. Backes, who completed his MSU career totaling 46 goals and 73 assists for 119 points in 115 games 2003-06, was called up by the Blues after playing 27 games with their American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria. He tallied 10-13--23 in 49 games with St. Louis in 2006-07. He totalled 13-18--31 in his sophomore year with the Blues in 2007-08, before tallying 31-23--54 in 2008-09. Named a 2005-06 RBK Second Team All-American, Backes missed one game in his three-year collegiate career. A native of Blaine, Minn., Backes was named 2005-06 All-WCHA Second Team, was a member of the 2004-05 All-WCHA Third Team and a member of the 2003-04 WCHA All-Rookie Team. The two-time WCHA All-Academic selection totalled 46-73--119 in 115 career games to rank 23rd on MSU's all-time scoring list. He was a two-time team MVP and two-time team scoring champion. Backes, who graduated from Minnesota State with a degree in Organizational Studies in 2014, was named First Team Academic All-American in 2005-06. Selected by the Blues in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2003 NHL draft. A two-time Olympian (Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014), he was named captain of the Blues prior to the start of the 2011-12 season.

Ryan Carter (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Called up by Anaheim on May 17th, 2007 during its Western Conference championship series versus Detroit, forward Ryan Carter became the first former Maverick to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup when the Ducks defeated the Red Wings in the conference championship and then downed Ottawa to lay claim to the Cup. Carter saw action in four games during Anaheim's successful run. A native of White Bear Lake, Minn., Carter spent the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons playing for Minnesota State, completing his two-year stint with the Mavericks with 58 points in 76 games. Carter ranked third on MSU's scoring charts in 2005-06 as a sophomore with 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points, amassing career highs for goals, assists and points in the process. He signed a free agent deal with Anaheim in the summer of 2006 and spent the 2006-07 regular season with Portland of the American Hockey League where he registered 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 76 games. Carter posted 4-4--8 numbers in 33 regular-season games with the Ducks in 2007-08, totalled 3-6--9 in 48 games in 2008-09 and had 4-5--9 in 38 games in 2009-10. Carter saw action with three teams in 2010-11 when he played with Anaheim, Carolina and Florida. Je joined New Jersey prior to the start of the 2011-12 season and eventually retired from pro hockey following the 2016-17 season after a two-year stint with the Minnesota Wild. He registered 41-52--93 and played in 473 NHL contests.

Steve Wagner (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Steve Wagner became the first former MSU defenseman to play in the NHL when he debuted with the St. Louis Blues in a game at Toronto Jan. 29, 2008. Signed by St. Louis as a free agent following his junior season with the Mavericks in the spring of 2007, Wagner played in 23 games with the Blues in 2007-08 and scored five goals to go along with seven assists for 12 points. He also had 2-2--4 in 22 games with the Blues in 2008-09. Named All-Western Collegiate Association Third Team in 2006-07, Wagner led MSU defensemen in scoring in 2006-07 with 6-23--29. He trailed only Travis Morin on the overall MSU offensive charts and totalled career-highs for goals, assists and points. His 29 points in his junior season tied for 12th on MSU's single-season defensemen scoring list. The Grand Rapids, Minn., native led MSU with 23 assists in 2006-07 and in 113 career games racked up 12-43--55. An assistant captain in 2006-07, he was a two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree.

Jon Kalinski (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Former Minnesota State forward Jon Kalinski made his National Hockey League debut Nov. 21, 2008 in a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres. The La Corey, Alta., native, who signed with the Flyers following a three-year stint with MSU, had been playing in the American Hockey League with the Philadelphia Phantoms where he had two goals and three assists in 16 games. Selected by Philadelphia in the sixth round (152nd overall) in the 2007 draft, Kalinski tallied 29 goals and 27 assists for 56 points in 106 games with the Mavericks and completed his MSU career owning a share of the school record for career shorthanded goals (6). His 201 career penalty minutes is tied for 12th on the school's all-time list.

Travis Morin (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Former Minnesota State forward Travis Morin made his National Hockey League debut Jan. 26, 2011 when the Dallas Stars hosted Edmonton.Morin signed as a free agent with Dallas on July 12, 2010 and was originally selected in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (ninth round, 263rd overall) by the Washington Capitals. A member of the 2006-07 All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Second Team, Morin, who was named team MVP and led Mavericks in scoring as a senior, completed his career ranking third at MSU in Division I-era scoring with 58-74-133 in 151 career games. Morin started his pro career in 2006-07 when he played with South Carolina of the ECHL. After leading the Stingrays in scoring in 2007-08 and 2008-09, he signed with Texas of the American Hockey League where he began playing with beginning in the 2009-10 season. He was leading Texas in scoring in 2010-11 when he was called up by Dallas. In 2013-14 the Brooklyn Park, Minn., native helped lead Texas to the Calder Cup as AHL champions and in addition to being named to the AHL First All-Star Team, also won the Les Cunningham Award as the league MVP and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the league's top scorer.
Forward Tyler Piitlick made his NHL debut Oct. 22, 2013 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers in a road game at Montreal. A Centennial, Minn., native, Pitlick had 11 goals and eight assists for nineteen points in 38 games in 2010-11 in his one season with the Mavericks. He was selected in the second round (31st overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Oilers. Pitlick played with Medicine Hat (WHL) and Oklahoma City (AHL) prior to being called up by the Oilers.
 
Eriah Hayes (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Eriah Hayes made his NHL debut Jan. 5, 2014 as a member of the San Jose Sharks in a road game at Chicago. A native of La Crescent, Minn., Hayes played four years for Minnesota State and registered 52-44--96 in 153 career games from 2009-13 to rank tenth on the school's career scoring list (DI-era). Named an All-WCHA Third Team pick in 2012-13, Hayes finished second on MSU's scoring charts as a senior with 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points. Hayes led the Mavericks with 12 power play goals as a senior, which ranked second in the nation and his 25 career power play goals tie for fourth all-time at MSU. His 153 career games played ranks second on MSU's all-time list and he was a two-time WCHA All-Academic honoree. He was signed by San Jose as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the 2012-13 season.

Kael Mouillerat (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Kael Mouillerat made his NHL debut Feb. 21, 2015 as a member of the New York Islanders in a road game at Washington. He recorded his first NHL point (an assist) followed by his first NHL goal Feb, 24, 2015 against Mike Smith of the Arizona Coyotes. A native of Edmonton, Alta., Mouillierat completed his college hockey career with 49 goals and 43 assists for 92 points in 144 games with the Mavericks from 2006-10. An assistant captain for Minnesota State during the 2009-10 campaign, Mouillierat tied for second on MSU's scoring charts as a senior with 13-12- -25 and was named team MVP. An undrafted free agent, Mouillierat signed with Idaho of the East Coast Hockey League where he was named to the ECHL's All-Rookie Team in 2010-11 after racking up 25-38--63 in 62 games with the Steelheads. Mouillierat, who made his American Hockey League debut when he played six games with Texas in 2010- 11, split the 2011-12 season between Idaho (ECHL) and Bridgeport (AHL), was with Idaho and St. John's (AHL) in 2012-13 and was with St. John's for the entire 2013-14 season where he totalled 20- 33--53 in 60 games and helped lead the IceCaps to the Calder Cup finals. He signed a two-way deal with the Islanders in July of 2014.

Casey Nelson (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Defenseman Casey Nelson made his National Hockey League debut March 26, 2016 when he suited up as a member of the Buffalo Sabres in a home game vs. the Winnipeg Jets. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., native, who signed as a free agent with Buffalo after three seasons of college hockey at Minnesota State, concluded his collegiate career with 14 goals and 46 assists for 60 points in 99 games. Nelson registered six goals and 16 assists for 22 points in 40 games to rank fourth on the team scoring chart in 2015-16 while leading the Mavericks in plus/minus ( 15) and ranking second in assists (16) - a season in which he as named All-WCHA First Team and selected as the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. Nelson collected 7-26--33 to rank third on team in points as a sophomore in 2014-15 while establishing a school mark for most points in a season by a defenseman (NCAA DI-era). He was a 2014-15 All-WCHA Second Team pick and was named to the WCHA All-Academic team in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Daniel Brickley (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Defenseman Daniel Brickley made his National Hockey League debut with the Los Angeles Kings April 6, 2018 in a home 5-4 over time win over the Minnesota Wild. Brickley departed Minnesota State having racked up 20 goals and 57 assists for 77 points in 107 games to rank eighth on the school's career scoring by defensemen list for the NCAA DI era. A native of Sandy, Utah, who signed a free agent deal with the Kings after three seasons with Minnesota State, Brickley was a two-time All-WCHA pick (1st Team in 2016-17 and 2nd Team in 2018-19). He was named AHCA/CCM All-American West Second Team, WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and All-WCHA First Team as a sophomore in 2016-17. A two-time WCHA Scholar Athlete during the course of his career and a two-time WCHA All-Academic selection, Brickley was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2015-16. He was a member of Minnesota State teams that won a pair of MacNaughton Cups as WCHA regular-season champions in 2015-16 and 2017-18 and made one NCAA postseason tournament appearance in 2017-18.

Teddy Blueger (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Center Teddy Blueger made his National Hockey League debut when he suited up for Pittsburgh in a home game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 30, 2019.  Blueger, who was selected by the Penguins in the second round of the 2012 NHL draft (129th overall) had 6:22 of ice time in Pittsburgh's 4-2 win over the Lightning. The Riga, Latvia native was a four-year letterwinner for Minnesota State from 2012-16 and finished his career with 31 goals and 77 assists for 108 points in 155 games played.  An alternate captain for the Mavericks as a senior when he was named team MVP, Blueger's 108 points stood tied for tenth on Minnesota State's career points list.  A 2015-16 First Team All-WCHA selection, he led Minnesota State in scoring and assists as a senior with 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points. Blueger joined former Maverick Ryan Carter (2004-06) as the only Mavericks to have won a Stanley Cup Championship.  Carter's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup following the 2007 final when he and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators in five games.

C.J. Suess (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward C.J. Suess made his National Hockey League debut when he played for Winnipeg in a road game at San Jose, Nov. 1 2019. Suess, who was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL draft (52nd overall), had 6:26 of ice time in Winnipeg's 3-2 win over the Sharks. The Forest Lake, Minn., native was named CCM West First Team All-American as a senior, he was a two-time team captain and the 2017-18 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year.  A Top Ten Finalist for Hobey Baker Award, he had 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points in 2017-18 and ranked third in the nation with 521 face-off wins. He completed his four-year college career with 57 goals and 70 assists for 127 points to tie for fifth on school's career scoring list (NCAA DI-era).

Connor Mackey (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Defenseman Connor Mackey made his National Hockey League debut Feb. 13, 2021 when he suited up for Calgary in a road game at Vancouver. Named a AHCA/CCM West Second Team All-America following the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, Mackey had seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points in standing as Minnesota State's top-scoring defenseman in 2019-20. Named WCHA Defenseman of the Week twice, Mackey led the Mavericks and ranked sixth in the nation with a +23 rating in 2019-20.  Named All-WCHA First Team as a junior after earning All-WCHA Third Team honors as a sophomore in 2018-19, Mackey was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team as a freshman in 2017-18.  The 6-2, 200-lb., left hand-shooting blue liner from Tower Lakes, Ill., posted 18-43--61 with a +47 rating and 92 blocked shots in 118 games in his three seasons with the Mavericks from 2017-20.

Marc Michaelis (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Marc Michaelis made his National Hockey League debut March 4, 2021 when he played for Vancouver in a home game vs. Toronto. Michaelis, a 2019-20 AHCA/CCM West First Team All-American, signed with the Canucks as a free agent following his senior season at Minnesota State. Named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year for 2019-20 and a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, Michaelis led Minnesota State in scoring as a senior with 20-24--44 and his point total tied for third in the country. Michaelis, who established a school record for career shorthanded goals with ten, led the WCHA in goals per game, points per game, power play points, shorthanded goals and game-winning goals (five) as a senior. His shorthanded-goal total on the season also tied for the national lead. A two-year team captain from Manheim, Germany, Michaeis was a four-time All-WCHA First Team selection. Michaelis departed Minnesota State having racked up 71 goals and 91 assists for 162 points in 148 games. His point total tied for second all-time on the school's career scoring list and his goal total ranks first.

Walker Duehr (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Walker Duehr made his National Hockey League debut Nov. 14, 2021 when he played for Calgary in a road game at Ottawa. Duehr, a Sioux Falls, S.D., native, signed with the Flames as a free agent following his senior season at Minnesota State last spring. He becomes the first player from the state of South Dakota to play in the NHL. Duehr registered 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points in 102 games with the Mavericks from 2017-21 and over his four seasons with Minnesota State and posted a +41 rating and with 158 shots on goal. Duehr started his first season of pro hockey with the Flames' American Hockey League affiliate in Stockton (Calif.) where he had two goals and an assist in five games before getting called up.   A three-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic pick, Duehr had 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points and played in all 28 games for Minnesota State in his senior season.  He helped lead the Mavericks to a WCHA regular-season title in 2020-21 and a NCAA men's hockey West Regional championship. He had a goal and an assist in Minnesota State's NCAA Frozen Four semi-final game vs. St. Cloud State on April 8.

Nathan Smith (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Nathan Smith made his National Hockey League debut Apri 12, 2022 when he played for Arizona in a home game vs. New Jersey. Smith, a 2018 third-round draft pick by Winnipeg whose rights were traded to the Coyotes in March of 2022, ranked second in the nation in scoring with Minnesota State in 2021-22 and first on the Mavericks in scoring with 19-31--50 on the season. He signed with Arizona after helping lead Minnesota State to a second-place finish at the 2021-22 NCAA Frozen Four. A First Team All-American as a junior with Minnesota State, Smith was named the 2022 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Forward of the Year and CCHA First Team All-Star.  A two-time CCHA Forward of the Month, he was named CCHA Forward of the Week three times over the course of the 2021-22 season. He scored the game-winning goal in Minnesota State's 1-0 win over Notre Dame at the NCAA Albany Regional and was named to the Regional All-Tournament Team.  Smith also spent three weeks in China at the 2022 Winter Olympics with the U.S. men's national team twhere he had 1-1--2 in four games played and had the game-winning goal in a win over Germany.  The Hudson, Fla., native, who was an All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Second Team pick as a sophomore and a WCHA All-Rookie Team honoree in 2019-20, finished his three-year college career with 37 goals and 65 assists for 102 points in 101 games to rank 17th on the school's all-time scoring charts.

Jackson Stauber (hockeydb.com profile appears here)

Goaltender Jackson Stauber made his National Hockey League debut January 21, 2023 with the Chicago Blackhawks in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues (29 saves). Stauber then became the first Blackhawks goaltender to start his NHL career with a 3-0-0 record following subsequent wins over the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes. Stauber committed to play for the Mavericks in 2019 after a two year stint with the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL). He played one game with Minnesota State and returned to the Stampede on November 26, 2019. After two seasons at Providence College, he rpted to turn professional and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Akito Hirose (hockeydb.com profile appears here)

Defenseman Akito Hirose made his National Hockey League Debut on April 1, 2023 when he played for the Vancouver Canucks vs. LA Kings. Hirose signed a free-agent contract with the Canucks following his three-year career at Minnesota State. In 2022-23, he finished the season with four goals and 23 assists for 27 points. Additionally, he was a Second Team All-CCHA seslection, a two time CCHA Defensemen of the Week and the CCHA Defensemen of the Month (January).Hirose, who appeared in 104 games as a Maverick finished his career with seven goals and 61 assists for 68 career points to go with a +53 rating.  During his time as Maverick, Hirose was a part of teams that went 85-24-2, played on three MacNaughton Cup Championship teams, two Mason Cup championship teams, qualified for three NCAA Tournaments, two Frozen Fours and earned one trip to the national championship game. Hirose became the 20th former Maverick to make their NHL debut.

Jake Livingstone (hockeydb.com profile appears here)

Defensemen Jake Livingstone made his National Hockey League debut on April 6, 2023 playing for the Nashville Predators at home against the Carolina Hurricanes. Livingstone signed a free-agent contract with Nashville following his three-year career at Minnesota State. Livingstone, who was a First Team All-CCHA member and the league's Defenseman of the Year (an award he also won in 2022) tallied eight goals and 27 assists for 35 pointsin 2022-23. Livingstone's 27 assists lead the team, while the 35 points was the second highest total on the team.  Additionally, Livingstone was a four-time CCHA Defenseman of the Week and was the league's Defenseman of the Month in October. As a Maverick, Livingstone appeared in 111 games, scoring 21 goals and passed out 59 assists, for 80 career points.  Additionally, he blocked 129 shots, including a career-high 53 this season.  During his time as a Maverick, Livingstone was a part of teams that went 85-24-2, played on three MacNaughton Cup Championship teams, two Mason Cup championship teams, qualified for three NCAA Tournaments, two Frozen Fours and earned one trip to the national championship game.

Ondrej Pavel (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Forward Ondrej Pavel, 23, became the 22nd former Maverick men's hockey player to make his National Hockey League debut when he skated for the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night (Nov. 7).  Pavel played 10 games for the Colorado Eagles (AHL) before his call-up on Monday, November 6. He held a plus-5 rating with six penalty minutes in Loveland. From Praha, Czechia (Prague, Czech Republic as known more widely in English-speaking countries), Pavel played two games for the Colorado Eagles (AHL) in 2022-23 after 39 games for the Mavericks in his third collegiate season. The left-shot center appeared in 94 games for the Mavericks with 18 goals, 23 assists and 41 points. Last season he held a plus-6 rating with 34 penalty minutes, 30 blocked shots and one game-winning goal. He finished the spring with 15 points (six goals, nine assists).

Wyatt Aamodt (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Former Minnesota State defenseman Wyatt Aamodt (27) became the 23rd Maverick alumnus to play in the National Hockey League on Saturday (Apr. 12, 2025) when he skated for the Colorado Avalanche against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Aamodt served as team captain of the Mavericks as a senior in 2021-22 and was a four-year letterwinner. In 123 games played, Aamodt scored 10 goals with 19 assists for 29 points. He was also a finalist for the Derek Hines National Unsung Hero Award in 2021-22. He was the first defenseman to record a hat trick in more than 20 years when he notched three goals against Ferris State on Jan. 7, 2022. From Hermantown, Minnesota, the six-foot, 201-pound Aamodt spent time with the Chicago Steel and Lincoln Stars in the USHL prior to attending Minnesota State.

Sam Morton (hockeydb.com profile appears here)
Former Minnesota State forward Sam Morton (6-foot-0, 190 lb, Lafayette, Colorado) made his National Hockey League debut with the Calgary Flames on Thursday, April 17, against the Los Angeles Kings. Morton became the 24th former Maverick men's hockey player to play in an NHL game. In the second period, he became the 29th player in Flames history to score in his first NHL game. After completing his collegiate career at Minnesota State in 2023-24, Morton signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames organization. Morton's time in Mankato included 102 games played, 44 goals, 32 assists, 76 points, 292 shots, 17 power-play goals, and six game-winning goals. He logged 32 games for Union College before coming to Minnesota State in 2020-21.In 2023-24, Morton led the Mavericks as captain and ranked first in CCHA goals (24), shots (151), faceoff wins (433) and power play goals (nine). He was named CCHA Player of the Year, First Team All-CCHA, Krampade All-American Scholar, and All-Tournament Team (2022 Frozen Four). He was also a top-10 finalist for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in Division I college hockey.