“Alex embodies a standard that will make him a great pro and the Avalanche have a prospect that will represent the organization both on and off the ice in a first-class manner,” said UNH head coach Mike Souza. “We are proud of Alex and grateful to have had the opportunity to coach him here at UNH.” 

 

Gagne, who was selected in the sixth round (192nd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, continues the impressive history of Wildcats signing professional contracts as over 250 players have gone onto play professional hockey in the history of the program. A total of 47 Wildcats have played in the NHL, including seven current players with James van Riemsdyk, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Casey DeSmith, Brett Pesce, Warren Foegele, Angus Crookshank and Andrew Poturalski.

 

Gagne graduated in May with a 3.58 GPA as a Sport Management and Leadership major. He was the sixth two-time captain in program history, was a nominee for the Hockey Humanitarian Award and was a two-time Hockey East Third Team All-Star (2024 and 2025). Gagne also won the 2025 Jim Urquhart Outstanding Student-Athlete Award which is the most prestigious UNH Athletics Award a student-athlete can win.

This past season, Gagne led the team in blocks (62) for the third consecutive year and he ranked fourth in Hockey East. He led UNH defensemen in goals (four), assists (13) and points (17). Gagne ranked first in the nation in defensive-zone puck battle wins, second in D-zone stick checks, third in D-zone denials and seventh in D-zone blocked passes. Gagne concluded his career with seven goals, 41 assists and 48 points while playing in 139 games.

 

Gagne won the team’s Whoop Snively Citizenship Award three times, while he received the team’s Roger A. LeClerc Most Valuable Player Award and Rod Langway Best Defenseman Award twice. He was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team every season.

 

The Wildcats start the 2025-26 season at Michigan State on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 9-10, while the home season will begin versus LIU (Oct. 24) and Quinnipiac (Oct. 25).

Individual game tickets for the 2025-26 University of New Hampshire men’s hockey season are on sale now for all 17 home games by visiting UNHWildcats.com/BuyTickets or by calling (603) 862-4000.

The Kentucky football offseason has been defined by roster change, but not a drastic change in messaging from the top. Mark Stoops emphasized continuity with his coaching staff. There were a few unexpected departures by assistants, and new staffers were added to the fold.

Essentially, the Kentucky head coach believes his program’s recent shortcomings are because his program did not keep the main thing the main thing. There was a trickle-down effect that came from nationwide changes in the sport that eroded a way at the identity of his program and distracted his focus from the Kentucky football team.

Mark Stoops believes he reassembled a team in his image by adding veteran players with something to prove. It was accomplished via the transfer portal. That’s a temporary solution. Is the long-term solution still a viable one?

Talent Acquisition: Can Kentucky Still Win with Geography?

Mark Stoops’ success was built in the trenches. Kentucky played Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots in the SEC with players from Big Ten country and it worked.

Stoops received a contract extension following a 2-win season because of his ability to recruit. Following a 10-win season and impressive run with Lynn Bowden, Ari Wasserman described Stoops’ Kentucky football program as the “Big Ten killer.” Ohio State ate first, but the Wildcats cleaned up with the best of the rest in Ohio and Michigan. Kentucky used its location to pitch SEC football and it brought some of the best of the Midwest to the Bluegrass. Can it still work in the NIL and revenue-sharing era?

“What is Kentucky’s advantage? Kentucky used to go into Cincinnati and find a high-rated three-star or a low-rated four-star that is very good that was an hour-and-a-half away. They could sell SEC football and that was enough. They had good relationships with their coaches because Mark Stoops is really a cool dude. Vince Marrow was a really convincing guy. They did a good job there,” Wasserman said in a conversation with Andy Staples.

“But now… what is your plan? If you don’t have the money to spend in football the way your peers do, you can’t rely on your geography. I don’t care how motivated Mark Stoops is, what do you do?”

The talent acquisition plan appears to have changed. Quarterback Matt Ponatoski is the only player from Ohio in the Wildcats’ 2026 recruiting class. Mark Stoops believes revenue-sharing has put Kentucky in its best financial situation since dollars flooded the college football market in 2021. Will these changes be enough for Kentucky to rediscover success under Stoops? It’s the multi-million dollar question about the identity of this football program.