TEMPE – Sun Devil Hockey has announced the signing of 10 players through the transfer portal for the 2026-27 season as made official Friday morning. The 10 signees are the largest signing class of any Division I program across the country.
Sun Devil Signing Class
Rylan Brown
Junior | Defenseman | Michigan Tech (CCHA)
Brown redshirted his 2025-26 season with Michigan Tech. During the 2024-25 season, he was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. The Sherwood Park, Alberta, native skated in all 36 games during his freshman season, where he totaled 18 points (3G, 15A). During his CCHA games, Brown ranked third in points amongst conference defensemen with a total of 17 points in conference-only games, while also being named the CCHA Rookie of the Week (Feb. 14-15, 2025).
Before Michigan Tech:
Brown spent the 2023-2024 season with the Okotoks Oilers, with 17 games in the BCHL and 41 in the AJHL. Over 58 games, Brown recorded a total of 59 points (10 goals and 49 assists). After starting the 2022-2023 season with Drayton Valley, he tallied 22 points for the Okotoks. During the 2021-2022 season, he skated in 58 games for Drayton Valley, accumulating 35 points.
Nic Chin-Degraves
Junior | Forward | Penn State (Big Ten)
Chin-Degraves played in 37 games in the 2025-2026 season at Penn State, where he netted three goals and tallied six assists in his sophomore season. Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, Chin-Degraves skated in 70 career NCAA games during his tenure with the Nittany Lions which included a trip to the frozen four in 2025.
Before Penn State:
Chin-Degraves spent four seasons with the Brooks Bandits (BCHL) prior to his commitment to Penn State in 2024 where he played in 147 games, acquiring 127 points on 36 goals and 91 assists. For the 2023-2024 season, Chin-Degraves returned to the Bandits to help finish the season with a 58-6-1 record and secure an Alberta Cup Championship along with a Rocky Mountain Challenge Championship. It was in this season that he was voted the Team’s Best Defensive Forward, where he finished the season with 62 games played including AJHL, BCHL and playoff appearances, tallying up a total of 70 points (19 goals and 51 assists).
Sam Hillebrandt
Sophomore | Goaltender | Ohio State (Big Ten)
Hillebrandt appeared in eight games during the 2025-26 season where he recorded 168 saves and an .853 save percentage. A product of Point Huron, Michigan, Hillebrandt recorded a career high, 31 saves in a 4-2 win against Notre Dame on January 23, 2026.
Before Ohio State:
Hillebrandt represented Team USA at the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Championships, helping the team win back-to-back gold medals. He spent three seasons with the Barrie Colts in the OHL, appearing in 76 games with a 38-29-2-2 record and a .900 save percentage. He had a 3.16 goals-against average with a .903 save percentage over the 37 games he played in the 2024-2025 season. During the 2023-2024 season, he had a 3.67 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage over 36 games.
Hunter Hady
Sophomore | Defenseman | Michigan (Big Ten)
Appeared in 34 games as a Wolverine, accumulating two points (2A) and firing 11 shots on goal in his two seasons in Ann Arbor. This past season, he notched an assist in a 5-1 win over Bentley in the NCAA Tournament. As a freshman, he skated in 32 games and got his first collegiate assist in a win at Penn State on November 22, 2024, helping set up the game-winning goal.
Before Michigan:
Hady played three seasons with the Chicago Steel, and collected seven points during the 2023-24 season, appearing in 54 games. He totaled 135 games in the USHL with 24 points on two goals and 22 assists. His defensive prowess is shown with his physical play and his ability to pass the puck, playing for the Sioux Falls Power, Minnesota Sharks and the Minnesota Magicians.
Olivier Houde
Sophomore | Forward | Lindenwood
Skated in all 30 games during his freshman season at Lindenwood, where he registered 28 points (13G, 15A) and finished second on the team in total points. The Levis, QC native recorded eight multi-point outings, which included a pair of three-point performances with 1-2-3 against Stonehill (1/16) and 2-1-3 against Alaska Anchorage (2/13). The 6’1, 180-lb. forward was named as the D-I Independent Player of the Month after posting 11 points (5G, 6A) in January of 2026.
Before Lindenwood:
Houde skated in 58 games for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL in 2024-25, where he totaled 56 points with 28 goals and 28 assists. Attended Collège de Lévis, where he was named hockey Most Valuable Player.
Cade Littler
Junior | Forward | North Dakota (NCHC)
Littler, a native of East Wenatchee, WA, was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL draft (pick 219) by the Calgary Flames and spent his first two collegiate seasons at North Dakota. The 6 '4, 205-lb. forward totaled 13 points (5G, 8A) over 35 games in the 2025-26 season with the Fighting Hawks, which included a Frozen Four appearance.
Before North Dakota:
Spent the 2023-24 season with Cedar Rapids in the USHL before moving to Penticton in the BCHL. Combined for 32 points in 38 games between the two clubs and had nine goals and 12 assists in 21 games for the Vees. Starred for his hometown Wenatchee Wild in the BCHL during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, scoring 49 goals and 113 points. Played for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes from 2019-2021.
Matthew Mayich
Sophomore | Defenseman | Clarkson (ECAC)
A 2023 sixth-round pick (P170) of the St. Louis Blues, Mayich played in 34 games in the 2025-2026 season at Clarkson. The 6 '2, 196-lb. Stoney Creek, Ontario native notched 15 points (7G, 8A) while finishing a +13 in his freshman campaign.
Before Clarkson:
A polished two-way defender, he spent four OHL seasons with the Ottawa 67’s – emerging as a steady presence and alternate captain. Mayich was originally drafted by the Ottawa 67’s in the fourth round (74th overall) of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection Draft.
Ben Muthersbaugh
Junior | Forward | Union (ECAC)
Muthersbaugh appeared in 36 games as a sophomore for Union in 2025-26, notching a co-team lead of 36 points (18G, 18A). The Gilford, New Hampshire native registered 10 multi-point games, including a trio of three-point games and a three-game streak with two points each from Feb. 7 - Feb. 14. His 36 points were tied for the 11th-most points among college sophomores in 2025-26. As a freshman in 2024-25, he skated in all 36 games and tallied 28 points (13G, 15A), earning a spot on the ECAC All-Rookie Team. In total, Muthersbaugh has racked up 64 points (31G, 33A) across 72 career NCAA games.
Before Union:
Played in 30 games for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) and logged 16 points (9G, 7A). He spent the 2022-23 season with the New Jersey Jr. Titans (NAHL) and skated in 58 games with 40 points (21G, 19A) while skating in three playoff games and netting three goals.
Filip Nordberg
Sophomore | Defenseman | Merrimack (Hockey East)
A 6 '5, 215-lb defenseman from Stockholm, Sweden, Nordberg played in all 39 games in the 2025-2026 season at Merrimack College. He tallied 48 blocked shots while adding seven points (7A) on the offensive side of things in his first collegiate season.
Before Merrimack:
Nordberg played in 107 USHL games, recording 38 points (7G, 31A). He was drafted in the second round with the 64th overall pick by the Ottawa Senators in the 2022 NHL Draft. In junior tournaments, he has represented his nation of Sweden three times.
Daniel Shlaine
Sophomore | Forward | Minnesota Duluth (NCHC)
Younger brother of former ASU forward and ACHA second-team All-American Artem Shlaine, Daniel skated in 27 games during the 2025-26 season for Minnesota Duluth. Born in Moskva, Russia, Shlaine recorded 10 points (5G, 5A) during his freshman campaign with the Bulldogs.
Before Minnesota Duluth:
He played for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars during the 2024-25 season where he tallied 57 points (24 goals and 33 assists) over 61 games and finished second on the Stars in points and third in both assists and goals. Shlaine was named the USHL Forward of the Week (Sep. 30, 2024). Prior to joining the Stars, Shlaine skated in two seasons with Shattuck St. Mary’s for the 18U Prep team, where he amassed 74 points (20 goals and 54 assists) in 57 games during the 2023-24 season and 72 points (22 goals and 50 assists) during the 2022-23 season.
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