Michigan Tech Huskies hockey coach Bill Muckalt has hired former Lindenwood assistant Benton Maass as an assistant with the Huskies for the upcoming hockey season. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech Huskies hockey coach Bill Muckalt has named Benton Maass an assistant coach.

Maass comes to Houghton after one season as an assistant at Lindenwood. He played collegiately at New Hampshire and Minnesota State, and appeared in 122 professional games in the AHL and ECHL.

“I developed a great relationship with Benton over the past year, and know that he will be a great fit and valuable asset to Michigan Tech,” said Muckalt. “Benton is a tireless worker and has developed a skill for identifying top talent. He has demonstrated that he can relate and communicate effectively with today’s student-athlete and will work with our defense and penalty kill.”

Maass, whose name is pronounced “mass,” is excited to continue working with Muckalt.

“First off, I’d like to thank Athletic Director Suzanne Sanregret and head coach Bill Muckalt for the opportunity to join the hockey staff here at Michigan Tech,” Maass said. “The hockey program has a long and storied history, and I’m excited to get to work with our student-athletes as we prepare for a successful upcoming season, both on and off the ice.”

As an assistant at Lindenwood, Maass helped develop the Lions in their third year of NCAA Division I hockey. The 2024-25 season included the most wins in program history, with key victories over Notre Dame, Omaha, and Wisconsin.

Five players from the roster went on to sign professional contracts.

Maass played 64 games as a defenseman for the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays during the 2023-24 season and tallied 27 points with eight goals and 19 assists, serving as an alternate captain. He skated in 55 games for the Stingrays in his first season with 11 points and 44 penalty minutes. He also played three career games for the AHL’s Hershey Bears and was on the 2023 Calder Cup Championship Team.

The native of Elk River, Minnesota, was initially selected by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft after playing for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in the NAHL and Elk River High School.

Maass played five seasons of college hockey, tallying 51 career points on 13 goals and 38 assists in 162 games. He began his collegiate career at New Hampshire from 2017-21 before transferring to Minnesota State for the 2021-22 season.

At UNH, he was a three-time Hockey East All-Academic Team member and was an alternate captain for the 2020-21 season. The Mavericks won the MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup as CCHA Regular Season and Tournament Champions and advanced to the Frozen Four NCAA Championship Game.

Former Husky Tyler Shelast will begin his fifth season as an assistant in 2025-26 after being the strength and conditioning coach during the previous eight seasons. Muckalt is in the process of hiring another assistant.