On Oct. 8, two seemingly innocuous, early-season NHL matchups were rendered extremely important for fans of the Red. Two alumni of men’s hockey, Jonathan Castagna ’27 and Hoyt Stanley ’27, made their NHL debuts, with Castagna registering an assist.
Castagna and Stanley’s respective appearances mark the first time in Cornell history for two alumni to debut on the same night.
Both Castagna and Stanley were pivotal players during their time with the Red. Castagna scored 34 goals over three seasons; his tally of 15 in the 2025-26 season led the team. Meanwhile, Stanley anchored the blue line, scoring 38 points (7 goals, 31 assists) and registering a plus 32 while in Ithaca.
Castagna was selected in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, but a trade in March 2026 sent him to the Calgary Flames.
The trade to Calgary seemingly fast-tracked Castanga’s professional career, as he signed a contract with the organization only weeks after the deal, forgoing his final season of NCAA eligibility.
After scoring twice in his first two games with Calgary’s AHL affiliate, Castagna was called up to the big leagues for a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.
The first period was hotly contested from puck drop, but Colorado gained the upper hand late in the frame following defenseman Devon Toews’ first goal of the season.
Less than 90 seconds after Colorado’s goal, Castagna beat Colorado forward Nicolas Roy to a loose puck in Calgary’s own end of the ice (a noted ability of his at Lynah), sending the puck to teammate Adam Klapka. Klapka then raced up the ice before unleashing a toe-drag, bar-down shot past Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood to even the score at one apiece.
As a result, Castagna was credited with the only assist on Klapka’s goal. This assist was the first point of Castagna’s young NHL career.
Despite a competitive first period, Colorado would take command of the game in the second period, scoring three goals in five minutes to take a 4-1 lead.
The Avalanche took no quarter in the third period. After seven minutes of play, Colorado had added two more goals to bring their lead to 6-1. Calgary would score two garbage time goals and the Avalanche would add another, leaving the final score at 7-3.
While Castagna’s debut ended in a blowout defeat, Stanley’s ended in a victory.
Stanley, who was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, signed his first contract with the team in March 2026, surrendering his final year of NCAA eligibility.
Stanley earned a spot on the Ottawa Senators’ first roster out of training camp but was sent down to the AHL after other defensemen came off the injured reserve. However, he was called up from Ottawa's AHL affiliate for a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers, which turned into a chippy, low-scoring affair.
Ottawa forward Nick Cousins put the Senators up 1-0 midway through the first period. The Senators would hold the lead until Philadelphia forward Matvei Michkov tapped in a puck that Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark seemingly saved but instead dropped into the crease.
Going into the third period, the teams were tied at one. With only seven minutes to play, Ottawa defenseman Carter Yakemchuk broke the tie, and Philadelphia could not respond.
Stanley registered 10 minutes of ice time and a blocked shot in the 2-1 Senators victory.
When asked what Castagna and Stanleys’ debuts meant for the current team, senior forward and captain Ryan Walsh said the impact is “awesome.”
“It’s really good for our recruiting standpoint,” Walsh said. “We have a lot of guys in the NHL now … I hope [Castagna and Stanley] can be good mentors to the guys who are here now, to be [players] the younger guys try [to] be like.”
Castagna and Stanley have each played three games since their debuts, but both players have been kept off the scoresheet in their respective matchups.
While it is too early in their respective careers to make conclusive judgments or predictions, fans of the Red will certainly hope for long, prosperous NHL stints for Castagna and Stanley.
Eric Joy is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. He is a Sun Staff Writer and can be reached at ewj36@cornell.edu.
