Thirteen departures from last year’s squad and a new bench boss — head coach Casey Jones '90 — means the Red will look a lot different come the 2025-2026 season. Last year, the team was a goal away from the Frozen Four, falling in overtime to Boston University in the regional final.
However, the Red must turn the page as it prepares to put on a show for the Lynah Faithful. The incoming class (12 freshman, two transfers) has tons of junior experience, most notably from the British Columbia Hockey League, and looks primed to help the team pick up right where it left off. The incoming class includes six forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders.
Forwards
Connor Arseneault / Rothesay, NB / Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) / Freshman
Arseneault played his youth hockey in New Brunswick before moving on to prep hockey at St. Andrew’s College in Ontario. In his 2022-2023 season at St. Andrew’s, Arseneault played alongside current alternate captain Jonathan Castagna. Last year, Arseneault spent time in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers and Omaha Lancers before moving on to the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs. Registering 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) over 29 regular season games with Chilliwack, Arseneault added eight more points (three goals, five assists) in 23 playoff games as the Chiefs fell to the Brooks Bandits in the BCHL final.
Gio DiGiulian / South Burlington, VT / Lincoln Stars (USHL) / Freshman
Coming off a near point-per-game season with Lincoln (22 goals, 29 assists in 58 games), the Vermont native hopes to build on last season’s success with the Red. Ranked No. 132 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the sharpshooting DiGiulian was passed on in last summer’s selection. Look for DiGiulian’s motor and quickness to spark the Red’s offense.
Reegan Hiscock / St. John's, NL / Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) / Freshman
The 6’5” Newfoundlander brings three years of BCHL experience to the Red. Hiscock’s point totals rose over each of his three seasons with Victoria to nearly a point per game (27 goals, 25 assists in 54 games) last season. Hiscock built on his strong regular season totals with a monstrous performance in the BCHL playoffs, posting 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 17 games.
Aiden Long / Mono, ON / Madison Capitols (USHL) / Freshman
Long adds height and size to the Red’s attack and is coming off of a big season with Madison in which he put up 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in 62 games. In six USHL playoff games last season, he added three assists. Long was also a finalist for the USHL’s inaugural Gaudreau Award in 2025, which is awarded to “recognize the player who best embodies the traits and attributes of Matthew and Johnny [Gaudreau].”
Chase Pirtle / Far Hills, NJ / Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) / Freshman
Pirtle played prep hockey with Mount St. Charles Academy for a year before moving on to Victoria. Pirtle put up 116 points (50 goals, 66 assists) in 108 games over two seasons with the Grizzlies, playing with fellow incoming Cornell freshman forward Reegan Hiscock. Pirtle’s game remains high in the playoffs as evidenced by his 31 points in (12 goals, 19 assists) in 28 career BCHL playoff games. In his 2023-2024 campaign, Pirtle won BCHL Rookie of the Year, leading all rookies in scoring.
Caton Ryan / Ottawa, ON / Penticton Vees (BCHL) / Freshman
Spent three years with the Carleton Place Canadians of the CCHL before transitioning to Penticton in the BCHL, in which he played the 2024-2025 season alongside incoming sophomore defenseman Michael Fisher. Ryan notched 42 points (13 goals, 29 assists) in 44 games last season with the Vees, adding 10 more points (6 goals, 4 assists) in 14 playoff games. The 6’ 1” pivot plays a strong two-way game and is a skillful playmaker.
Defense
Luke Ashton / North Vancouver, BC / Minnesota State Mavericks (CCHA) / Sophomore
The 6’ 6” transfer from Minnesota State will loom over opponents as he paroles the Big Red’s backend. Ashton, drafted 165th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, plays a defense-oriented game — however, in addition to being a shutdown defender, Ashton provided 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in the regular season to a Mavericks squad that lost to the eventual national champion, Western Michigan, in the NCAA regional semifinals.
Michael Fisher / Westborough, MA / Penticton Vees (BCHL) / Sophomore
Fisher brings winning experience to a young Cornell squad. Fisher won the USHL’s Clark Cup with the Youngstown Phantoms (2022-2023), won the Beanpot with Northeastern (2023-2024), and played with Penticton for the 2024-2025 season. With the Vees, he totaled 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 35 regular season games and added four more (one goal, three assists) in seven playoff games. Drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, Fisher will look to ignite his offensive upside with a fresh change of scenery.
Hudson Gorski / Scotch Plains, NJ / Chicago Steel (USHL) / Freshman
Not afraid to lay a big hit, Gorski brings grit to the Cornell defense. Over two years with the Steel, Gorski had 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) and 141 penalty minutes in 117 games. The lanky defensemen will look to limit his time spent in the box as a member of the Red, although a little bit of feistiness is always needed.
Donovan Hamilton / Buffalo, NY / Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) / Freshman
The Buffalo native brings two and a half years of junior experience to the Red’s blueline. Hamilton split time last year between the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL and the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The 6’ 3” defenseman had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 44 games between the two teams and limited his penalty minutes to just four.
Luke McCrady / Calgary, AB / Spruce Grove Saints (BCHL) / Freshman
McCrady attended the Edge School in Calgary to play prep hockey, winning the Canadian Sport School Hockey League championship in his final U18 game. He then spent a year in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, before splitting time between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and the Spruce Grove Saints last year in the BCHL. Over 49 games in 2024-2025, McCrady had 10 points (all assists). The 6’ 3” defenseman will lay the body when needed and add strength to the Red d-corps.
Xavier Veilleux / L’Ancienne-Lorette, QC / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) / Freshman
Veilleux played youth hockey in Québec before heading south to play for the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. Over the past two seasons in Muskegon, Veilleux put up 73 points (11 goals, 62 assists) in 123 games and added 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 21 USHL playoff games. The New York Islanders sixth-round pick is heralded as a complete two-way defenseman that uses his patience and hockey IQ to lock down the opposition and open up offensive chances.
Goaltenders
Alexis Cournoyer / Trois-Rivières, QC / Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL) / Freshman
The Québec native was drafted by his childhood team the Montréal Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Cournoyer split time last season between the Truro Bearcats in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League and the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Cape Breton Eagles. Over 21 games in the ‘Q’, the 6’ 4” netminder posted a .942 save percentage and a 1.82 goals against average, winning 13 games. Cournoyer takes up a lot of net and seals gaps well. He could be a candidate to push returning senior goaltender Remington Keopple and fill the gap left by graduate Ian Shane.
Erick Roest / Lethbridge, AB / Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL) / Freshman
Roest has three years of junior hockey under his belt. He spent two years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Sherwood Park Crusaders before last season in which he split time between the USHL’s Tri-City Storm and the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. On a mediocre Tri-City squad, the 6’ 0” goaltender saw a ton of action, which bolstered his development.
Eli Kwait is a reporter on The Sun’s hockey beat. He is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. You can follow him on X @EliKwaitand reach him at ekwait@cornellsun.com.
