BOSTON – The Northeastern men's hockey team celebrated the conclusion of the 2025-26 season at its annual year-end banquet Friday afternoon. The Huskies finished with 17 wins on the year, highlighted by seven top-20 victories and three Hockey East postseason award recipients.
 
Offensive MVP & Leading Scorer: Dylan Hryckowian
Dylan Hryckowian closed out his Northeastern career on a high note, setting a new personal best with 37 points (15g, 22a) in his final season. The assistant captain was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star and a Hobey Baker Award nominee before signing a professional contract with the Dallas Stars — finishing his collegiate career with 107 points (39g, 68a).
 
Defensive MVP: Vinny Borgesi & Lawton Zacher (DogHouse Fan Favorite Award)
Vinny Borgesi and Lawton Zacher each earned Hockey East Second Team All-Star recognition, capping standout seasons for the Huskies. Borgesi, the program's lone four-year senior, led all NU defensemen with 20 points (5g, 15a) and topped the team in blocked shots (75) before signing a professional contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Zacher anchored the crease with five shutouts tied for second in the country — coming against No. 7 Denver, No. 11/10 Boston College, New Hampshire, UMass Lowell and Stonehill — and a .929 save percentage, ranking top-10 nationally.

Rookie of the Year: Jacob Mathieu
Jacob Mathieu, a Hockey East All-Rookie Team honoree, finished the season tied for eighth in program freshman scoring over the last 40 years, pacing all NU rookies with 30 points (10g, 20a). The Quebec native also tallied seven multi-point outings, ranking second on the team with four power-play goals and third with 50 blocked shots.

Most Improved Player: Tyler Fukakusa
Transfer junior Tyler Fukakusa made an immediate impact in his first season with the Huskies, appearing in all 36 games and finishing with 20 points (3g, 17a) to go along with 33 shots and 25 blocked shots. The Ontario native scored his first goal as a Husky on a game-winning tally against Stonehill and posted his best stretch of the season with eight points (1g, 7a) over an eight-game span from Oct. 4–Nov. 8.

Unsung Hero: Giacomo Martino
Giacomo Martino embodied the team-first mentality from day one. The Hockey East All-Rookie Team honoree led all Northeastern freshmen in goals and topped the entire Husky roster with seven power-play goals — tied for 12th in the country — while finishing with 25 points (13g, 12a) in his debut season. Martino also recorded five multi-point outings, two game-winning goals and 55 shots.

'Everydayer' Award: Eli Sebastian
The award honors the player who gives everything — every practice, every lift, every game. This year, that player was junior Eli Sebastian. The Ontario native closed out the season with career highs in goals (3), assists (5), points (8), shots (39), blocks (37) and faceoff wins (160), and scored his first career game-winner on Jan. 18 in a 5-2 win over New Hampshire. Sebastian also posted a career-best 14 faceoff wins in an upset over No. 11/10 Boston College.
 
Don McKenney Coaches' Award: Joe Connor
Joe Connor embodied what Fernie Flaman Head Coach Jerry Keefe calls "exactly what we want in a Northeastern hockey player." The Massachusetts native posted career highs across the board with 27 points (13g, 14a) and led the team with four game-winning goals — against Holy Cross, No. 18/19 Boston University, Brown and New Hampshire in the Hockey East Tournament. Connor closed the season on a four-game point streak, going for six points (2g, 4a) at a 1.5 points-per-game clip.
 
Huskies' Radio Award: Amine Hajibi
Amine Hajibi was one of three Northeastern rookies to eclipse the 20-point mark, appearing in all 36 games and finishing with 26 points (7g, 19a). The two-time Hockey East Rookie of the Week recorded three game-winning goals — all in upset victories over No. 7 Denver and twice against ranked Boston College — and posted a season-high three points on two occasions, in wins over UMass Lowell and New Hampshire in the Hockey East Tournament.