Michigan Tech’s Logan Pietila controls the puck below the goal line during an exhibition game against Lake Superior State Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. (David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With the loss of Brian Halonen, Trenton Bliss, Tommy Parrottino, Justin Misiak and Colin Swoyer to graduation, the questions that surround the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team revolve mainly around where the offense will come from. With 10 incoming freshmen, and three transfers, head coach Joe Shawhan hopes to find some answers within those two groups.

The Huskies were picked fifth in the CCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, and that is a place that Shawhan is okay with at this point as he learns about all of his new faces and where they will fit best in his lineup.

Two players he will not have to worry about are his starting goaltender and his top center, twin brothers Blake and Logan Pietila.

Blake was named to the All-CCHA Preseason Team. He has started nearly every game since taking the reins in 2020. He holds a career goals against average of 1.94 and a .922 save percentage in 68 career appearances.

“We have tremendous goaltending, absolute tremendous goaltending,” Shawhan said.

Logan, who had a strong freshman year with eight goals and 20 points, including a hat trick against Michigan in the GLI, struggled through his sophomore year. As a junior, he took a major step forward, scoring 13 goals and 23 points.

This season, Shawhan has him penciled in as the team’s top center, and so far, the returns have been very positive as he centers a line with junior Ryland Mosley and freshman Kyle Kukkonen.

“(He’s a) tremendous hockey player,” Shawhan said. “It hasn’t come easy. He worked for it.

“He has a high understanding of the game. He has the ability to play the game at his pace. He has the ability to make things happen in different ways.”

Shawhan is hopeful that the trio can average around 35 points each.

“I think, over time, it shows that a top line in our league averages, between the three players, 35 points,” he said. “We were wondering if we were going to have a top line, even the possibility for a line that would average 35 points a guy.”

Mosley is a player that works very hard, but has not been rewarded for that effort with points yet. Shawhan feels he is a very similar player to former Huskies winger Justin Misiak, and that is a good thing.

Two other forwards that Shawhan is expecting to take the next step are senior Tristan Ashbrook and junior Arvid Caderoth.

Ashbrook, a Manistique native, has proven he can score when he finds time and space. He has 18 goals in 57 games in Black and Gold, but Shawhan still wants to see more of a 200-foot game out of him.

Caderoth is serving as one of the team captains this season, and with his 6-foot-5 frame, he possesses the ability to tough to play against. Shawhan liked how he finished the season last year, and is expecting the Gothenburg, Sweden, native to take another step this season.

“He’s learning to create openings,” Shawhan said. “What he has to naturally do is learn to play in between cover instead of drifting into cover.”

Two transfers up front will vie for ice time. Junior Jack Works joins the Huskies after two seasons with Denver, where he won a national championship last season. Senior David Jankowski transferred from St. Lawrence, where he played four seasons with the Saints.

While Works was a player the Huskies targeted in the NCAA’s transfer portal, Jankowski was more of an unknown to Shawhan, but the coach feels that he could prove valuable once he settles into a role with Michigan Tech.

Defensively, the Huskies are going to lean on senior Chris Lipe and junior Brett Thorne.

Lipe had a strong sophomore year after a good freshman year, but struggled a bit at times last season, picking up only three points, all assists. However, Shawhan is encouraged by the effort he has seen out of Lipe in practice thus far, and is excited to see what the Rockford native does this season.

“Last year, he was good, but I felt there was more to his game,” Shawhan said. “There’s more to his game that he could show this year. I think he’s been very good.”

Thorne, who will also serve as a co-captain this season, took large strides with his offensive game last season, scoring five goals and 17 points, 10 more than his freshman year.

Shawhan feels there is even more that Thorne can find in his offensive game.

“I think he’s capable of being a mid 20-point guy and being an first team, all-league-type player,” said Shawhan, “because he can defend and he can play offensively. I think with (Thorne), bringing intensity to every moment, that every single second you’re on the ice matters, every play matters.”

Ohio State transfer Ryan O’Connell will fight for ice time with sophomore Trevor Russell and junior Jed Pietila. A Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick, O’Connell’s game is similar to that of Michael Karow, who moved on from Michigan Tech to sign with the Texas Stars of the AHL in the spring.

A number of freshmen will challenge the veterans for ice time this season. The top skater in the class is Kyle Kukkonen. His older brother Trevor could also find himself in a Bottom 6 six role early.

On the blue line, Topi Heiskanen is likely to see action throughout the season with Frank Dovorany looking to break into the lineup should anyone get hurt or struggle.

In goal, Max Vayrynen has already shown that he is ready to step in and play if the Huskies need him.

The Huskies open the season Friday with a game on the road at Ferris State. After facing the U.S. National Development Program, U18 team, the Huskies will hop on a plane to face Alaska before returning home to play Bemidji State and St. Lawrence.

The Huskies will again co-host the GLI, this year in Grand Rapids. The Huskies will be joined by Michigan State, Western Michigan and Ferris State for the tournament.

The Huskies will travel out to Phoenix for the Desert Classic to open January before returning home to face St. Thomas.

Bowling Green State will be the Winter Carnival opponent this season. The Huskies will then have a weekend off before closing out the season at Minnesota State.