When the college hockey season came to a close, the Blue Jackets wasted no time to make a splash in the undrafted free agent market as they signed North Dakota defenseman Caleb MacDonald to fill a hole in their prospect pool.

The Cambridge, Ontario, native is a 22-year-old, 6-4, 224-pound left-shot defenseman. MacDonald’s size is what caught CBJ director of hockey operations Rick Nash’s eye when they met during UND’s visit to take on Miami University early in the college season.

“What we liked about him was just his size,” Nash said. “We felt like there was a little bit of a hole in our prospect pool of big, left-shot D, and we thought that he would be a nice guy to acquire a big, steady defenseman that has some skill too.”

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With undrafted free agents, it is a two-way street, however. The Blue Jackets liked the defenseman, but to make the two-year deal happen, MacDonald had to want to start his professional career in Columbus.

“I got to meet Nash and a couple of other people in the organization, and they really sold me on the organization and the city of Columbus,” MacDonald told BlueJackets.com. “Ultimately it is the best place for me.”

After three years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, where he was named the league’s top defenseman in 2022-23, MacDonald spent the past two seasons playing college hockey. His first was at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, where he had a line of 4-10-14 in 31 games played.

PIPELINE PODCAST: Get to know Caleb MacDonald

This past season he hit the transfer portal, as many have done, and landed in North Dakota to play for a program that has won eight NCAA championships. MacDonald recorded three goals and seven assists for 10 points with 42 penalty minutes, 68 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating in 35 games with the Fighting Hawks.

The focus of Nash and Waddell has been on diversifying the Jackets’ prospect pool, and adding the big defenseman helped do just that.

“Going through our prospect pool and seeing the guys we have, whether it’s (Denton) Mateychuk, Gavin Brindley, you start going through the list and just trying to look for any holes,” Nash said. “We thought that was kind of a hole. We got a big, right-shot D with (2024 second-round pick) Charlie Elick, we just thought (MacDonald) was a nice player that we would love to have under our umbrella.”

His contract starts in the 2025-26 season, but MacDonald stopped in Columbus shortly after signing in March to meet some of his future teammates and other players within the Blue Jackets prospect pool.

“They showed me around the room, their facilities. I got to skate a little bit, which was awesome,” he said. “I also got to grab lunch with (fellow college signee Jack) Williams and Cayden Lindstrom, which was awesome. Those guys have been there for a bit now so I got to get a feel of what it’s like there, and then to watch one of the games. It was a great experience.”

His attention has now turned to next season and making sure he is as ready as he can be when it comes to preseason camp. MacDonald’s strength is on the defensive side of the puck, and he knows that he must lean on that to make it to the NHL.

“I’m looking to get bigger, faster and stronger. It’s a big jump up to professional, and I want to be as ready as possible,” MacDonald said. “My defensive game and shot blocking has to be great.”

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference announced its list of finalists for the Man and Woman of the Year awards on Monday afternoon – choosing the top three candidates for each honor among the 25 institutional nominations previously announced on May 12.

Finalists for the NE10 Man and Woman of the Year awards represent six different schools and five different sports. The announcement of award recipients will be made the night of Tuesday, June 3, as part of the NE10 Banquet at Fratello’s Events in the Millyard in Manchester, N.H. 

The NE10 Man and Woman of the Year awards honor student-athletes for their excellence in competition, in the classroom and in the community. The Woman of the Year award winner will be forwarded to the NCAA for its National Woman of the Year award, serving as the NE10’s nomination.

Each of the league’s 11 member institutions nominated at least one student-athlete for each award.

NE10 Man of the Year Finalists
 

Joseph Vitale, New Haven
Sport: Football
Undergraduate Major: Health Science
Undergraduate GPA: 3.9
Graduate Major: Masters in Healthcare Administration
Graduate GPA: 4.0

Vitale has been a model student-athlete during his time at New Haven and in the NE10. He served as team captain during the 2024 season, as the New Haven football program won its second consecutive league championship and its third in the past four seasons. Vitale was a First Team All-Conference selection for the first time in his career, while being named the winner of the Elite 24 Award and Sport Excellence Award for football. He has earned a 4.0 GPA for a Masters in Healthcare Administration. Vitale has also excelled as a member of the community, assisting in initiatives for Team IMPACT, Make-a-Wish, Be The Match and West Haven Meal Donations and City Cleanups – as well as Goodwill clothing drives and as a volunteer at a soup kitchen. He is a two-year member of New Haven’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). 

Alexandre Rajao da Cunha, Southern Connecticut
Sport: Men’s Soccer
Undergraduate Major: Business Administration, International
Undergraduate GPA: 3.85

da Cunha, a multi-year team captain for the Southern Connecticut men’s soccer program, is a four-time All-Conference selection  – including a two-time First Team honoree in 2022 and 2024. He has earned a 3.85 GPA in his major of Business Administration (International) while serving as a student ambassador for the School of Business on campus. da Cunha has been active in his community, as he has served in Team IMPACT initiatives, volunteered at youth soccer clinics and participated in University Day of Service projects to support the New Haven area. 

Preston Neal, Southern New Hampshire
Sport: Men’s Soccer
Undergraduate Major: Graphic Design & Media Arts
Undergraduate GPA: 3.98

Neal enjoyed a successful athletic career at Southern New Hampshire on the men’s soccer team, earning NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year while helping the Penmen to their first league championship since 2015. Arguably his biggest accomplishment, however, was being named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in 2024 – earning Neal the title of top Academic All-American in Division II men’s soccer. He was also named the NE10 Sport Excellence Award winner for his combined academic and athletic performance. A 3.98 GPA as a Graphic Design & Media Arts major, Neal contributed his time on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and in multiple roles for the Windham travel soccer team. 

NE10 Woman of the Year Finalists
 

Maggie Whitmore, Bentley
Sport: Women’s Basketball
Undergraduate Major: Management
Undergraduate GPA: 3.61
Graduate Major: MBA – Leadership
Graduate GPA: 4.0

Whitmore has been an instrumental part of four-straight Bentley women’s basketball teams to win the NE10 Championship, as she is a three-time All-Conference selection in that time. Following the 2024-25 season, she was named an All-American by the WBCA. A two-year team captain, Whitmore led Bentley to the Division II Elite Eight this past season. She has achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA in her MBA (Leadership) program. Whitmore has also donated much of her time to community events, including clothing and food donation drives, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, coordinated fundraising opportunities for the RACE Cancer Foundation, and organized and ran a youth basketball clinic for a Boys & Girls Club. 

Aino Martikainen, Franklin Pierce
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Undergraduate Major: Psychology
Undergraduate GPA: 3.9
Graduate Major: MBA (Concentration in Health Administration)
Graduate GPA: 3.66

Martikainen, a two-time First Team All-American and one-time First Team Academic All-American, has been a standout student-athlete at Franklin Pierce throughout her career. She helped lead the Ravens to the NE10 title and the Division II national semifinals in 2024, while earning her second-career nod as NE10 Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to being a three-year team captain, Martikainen has served in a leadership role on campus as E-Board Secretary of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Not only has she competed for Franklin Pierce athletics, but she has also worked in the athletic department – both as a graduate assistant for the general athletics office and for the Raven Sports Network. Martikainen has achieved a 3.66 GPA as she pursues her MBA in Health Administration. 

Krista Dietz, Pace
Sport: Field Hockey
Undergraduate Major: Digital Cinema & Filmmaking
Undergraduate GPA: 3.84

Dietz, a four-time NFHCA All-American, had a remarkable athletic career as a member of the Pace field hockey team, which included being named NE10 and NFHCA East Region Player of the Year in 2023. She finishes her career as a Top-10 scorer in NE10 history. A Digital Cinema and Filmmaking major with a 3.84 GPA, Dietz served as team captain in 2024 and assisted as team manager for two years – assisting with team functions and a variety of tasks for the coaching staff. Her community intiatives include participating in Pace’s annual spring field hockey clinic, Pace’s Make a Difference Clean-Up Day, multiple toy drives and a two-year participant in Able Athletics – providing one-on-one support to athletes with disabilities. 

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – A police incident has locked down Yavapai College in Prescott.

The school says all Yavapai College campuses and centers are on lockdown.

“The College is closed for the day. Employees, students and the public should not enter any college property at this time. If you are already present at the college, please shelter in place,” the school wrote in a Facebook post.

The school did not release any details on what prompted the lockdown.

FOX 10 has reached out to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for more information.

This is a developing story. Stay with us for updates. 

Map of the college