COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Three Sun Devil Hockey members are finalists for five different individual National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) for the 2024-25 season, the conference announced on Thursday.
While the winners won't be revealed until next Thursday night, the NCHC announced the finalists for its 12 individual awards. The winners will be honored at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration on Thursday, March 20, the eve of the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff, at the St. Paul Event Center in Saint Paul, Minn. PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FORWARD OF THE YEAR
THREE STARS AWARD Artem Shlaine Conference-only stats: 14 goals, 17 assists, 31 points, 266 faceoff wins, .545 faceoff percentage
DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN OF THE YEAR Ty Murchison In his senior season, Murchison executed shutdown defense in conference play. The California native led the NCHC in blocked shots in conference play with 59. With his 79 blocks throughout the overall season, Murchison broke the program record for most blocks in a single season previously held by Brinson Pasichnuk at 74.
A hard-nose defenseman with an inkling for physical play, Murchison was a key player on ASU's blue line who provided size and hockey IQ to a young ASU d-core. He is the ASU record holder for most career penalties and penalties minutes. His 15 penalties this season ranks second in the NCHC in conference play.
While the winners won't be revealed until next Thursday night, the NCHC announced the finalists for its 12 individual awards. The winners will be honored at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration on Thursday, March 20, the eve of the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff, at the St. Paul Event Center in Saint Paul, Minn. PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FORWARD OF THE YEAR
THREE STARS AWARD Artem Shlaine Conference-only stats: 14 goals, 17 assists, 31 points, 266 faceoff wins, .545 faceoff percentage
- Through 24 games played in conference this year, Shlaine tallied the second-most points, just one shy of the lead, with 31 total points.
- The graduate center boasts 31 points and 14 goals - both marks set the pace for the NCHC for the majority of the year but fell just one shy of the lead by the end of the regular season.
- He ranks in the top-10 of goals, goals per game, assists, assists per game, points, points per game, shot percentage, faceoff wins, faceoff percentage, and shorthanded goals in conference play.
- With the most time on ice out of ASU's forward, Shlaine's kept a clean penalty sheet with only 14 penalty minutes through 28 overall games played.
- Shlaine led the NCHC in points through the month of January with 18
- Shlaine continued his special teams success in January with one power play goal and two shorthanded. He scored his second shorthanded goal of the year at Miami to close out the month of January. Both of his lamplighters on Saturday vs. North Dakota were scored on special teams - one on the power play and one shorthanded. There are only four skaters in ASU history who have tallied a shorthanded goal and a power play goal in the same game (two occurred in 2024-25):
--- Artem Shlaine, vs. No. 14 North Dakota on Jan. 11, 2025 (L, 4-3 OT)
--- Bennett Schimek, vs. Air Force on Oct. 4, 2024 (W, 8-3)
--- Robert Mastrosimone, vs. Michigan Tech on Jan. 6, 2023 (L, 4-2)
--- Josh Maniscalso, vs. Alaska Fairbanks on Nov. 9, 2019 (W, 4-0) - Shlaine recorded his fourth multi-goal game of the season and sixth of his career in Saturday's game at Minnesota Duluth.
- He set a single game career high on Saturday night at St. Cloud State with four points from one goal and three assists. Three games later, he reached the feat again with a four-point night at Miami (1G, 3A).
- Awarded NCHC Forward of the Week in Week 8 of conference play
DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN OF THE YEAR Ty Murchison In his senior season, Murchison executed shutdown defense in conference play. The California native led the NCHC in blocked shots in conference play with 59. With his 79 blocks throughout the overall season, Murchison broke the program record for most blocks in a single season previously held by Brinson Pasichnuk at 74.
A hard-nose defenseman with an inkling for physical play, Murchison was a key player on ASU's blue line who provided size and hockey IQ to a young ASU d-core. He is the ASU record holder for most career penalties and penalties minutes. His 15 penalties this season ranks second in the NCHC in conference play.