Release

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Saint John's University hockey team was ranked No. 15 in the 2026 DIIIHockeyNews.com Preseason Top 15 poll released Monday, Sept. 28.

Five total teams in the NCAA West Region were ranked in the top 15, four of which were in the top 10: Aurora ((No. 3), Wisconsin-Stout (No. 4), St. Norbert (No. 6), Adrian (No. 8) and SJU (No. 15). Trine (27), Gustavus Adolphus (12), St. Olaf (7), Saint Mary's (6) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire (3) received votes.

SJU (17-7-4, 10-3-3 MIAC) swept both MIAC titles for the fifth time in program history in 2025-26. The Johnnies won their 10th MIAC regular-season championship and first since 2020, as well as earning their first MIAC playoff championship (sixth overall) and trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament (seventh overall) since 2013. The Johnnies are expected to return 82 percent (223 of 272) of their points from last season, including 16 of the 17 game-winning goals.

The Johnnies open the 2026 season by hosting Marian (Wis.) at the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in St. Cloud on Oct. 30-31 and return to the revamped Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC) on Nov. 6 to host Wisconsin-Superior for Senior Night. The Johnnies also host No. 4 Wisconsin-Stout, which received a first-place vote in preseason poll, on Nov. 12 before traveling to complete the series against the Blue Devils on Jan. 8.