Last time Kimball Union skated off the ice, St. Mark's soundly beat the Wildcats in the Elite 8 semifinals in Southboro, Mass.
It was the first time KUA lost the last game of the season in three years.
Head coach Tim Whitehead has found a steady recipe for keeping Kimball Union competitive: developing players enough that when they're seniors (or sometimes juniors) they hit their prep stride, become top players and lead the Wildcats into the Elite 8.
Even as the landscape constantly changes, Whitehead has positioned Kimball Union as a powerhouse every year with a history of success, great coaching and deep connections in Canada.
They should be a powerhouse once again.
Zoomed-out view
Because Kimball Union is in upstate New Hampshire, it's an attractive location for Canadian players.
Before the CHL ruling, it was a great spot for Canadian players with NCAA hockey aspirations — make the move to KUA, commit to a Division 1 program, play in the USHL and then go play for that college. But now that prospects can play in the CHL and still be eligible for college hockey, they don't have to go the prep-USHL-college route anymore.
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But that's not what's impacting Kimball Union the most. Players still want to make the trek to Meriden, N.H.
It's about when they're leaving.
"The CHL ruling has created a lot of confusion," Whitehead said. "With parents and kids, the big thing I've noticed is that the new rules are teasing families to move up levels before they're ready to do so and unfortunately getting wake-up calls once they get to camps."
Two examples can be found from last year's KUA roster. Defenseman Nasean Faria and forward Alexis Gagné both left KUA early. Faria left for the OHL's Flint Firebirds and made it, while Gagné left for the QMJHL's Shawinigan Cataractes and didn't make it. He plays for the CCHL's Renfrew Wolves.
"I've seen a little bit of realization from kids and parents who are late draft picks in the USHL or CHL, and they've seen over the last couple of years that not everyone that leaves early that's a pretty good player is ready to play at higher levels," Whitehead said. "So because of friends or kids they know getting a wake-up call and not making a team at a higher level, they're recognizing the reality that it's a significant jump.
"I think the pendulum is swinging back a little bit and I think that's healthy, but it's going to take more time."
The last few years
The Wildcats won the Elite 8 title in 2024. They followed that up with a Small School championship in 2025, before finishing as the No. 6 seed in the Elite 8 this past spring.
KUA took down No. 3 Salisbury, 1-0, in the quarterfinals, before falling to No. 2 St. Mark's, 7-3, in the semifinals.
The coach
If you polled people around prep hockey as to who the top five coaches are, Whitehead would be in most rankings.
Since arriving at KUA in 2013, Whitehead has gone a whopping 340-76-21, while winning four Elite 8 titles and developing countless players for junior, college and professional hockey (have you ever heard of Adam Fantilli?).
Before KUA, Whitehead was the head coach at UMass Lowell from 1996-2001 and the boss at Maine from 2001-13.
Who will the stars be?
Last year, seniors like forwards Josh Phillips, Jackson Kimelman and Xander Boutilier stepped up for most of the offense, while seniors Lucas Hannay and Anthony Leech led the defense, and senior goalie Cam Ingram grabbed the starting job.
Seniors, seniors and more seniors.
That will be the case again this season. Up front, Conal Mulkerrin (Hingham, Mass.), a former star at Hingham (Mass.) High School, should be a top scorer. He had 30 points in 36 games last season. Charlie MacLeod, who just committed to Princeton, will be another big name up front. He had 22 points in 35 games last winter. Another senior who should be a playdriver is Carter Cowan, who had 12 goals last season.
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Defensively, Thomas Ojard projects as the top dog.
"He's a really strong two-way defenseman," Whitehead said. "He played in all situations for us last year: power play, penalty kill, last-minute. He's our most solid."
Luca Campo is back in net. The '08 was a senior last year, but reclassified after getting injured early last winter.
"He'll be our backbone in net," Whitehead said.
Newcomers
Whitehead is fortunate to bring in forwards Sam Ryan and Calvin Carver, two '09s who were teammates on the Canadian Steele Subaru U18 team last season.
"They're both really good players with really good speed and skill," Whitehead said. "They'll make an immediate impact."
Also up front will be Czechia forward Tomas Jan Mraz Vyhnalek. He's a 6-foot-1, 194-pound forward and an '07. He played in Czechia's U20 league last season.
He could be a potential candidate to step into a Division 1 or Division 3 college program next season.
Defensively, Gabe Walker and Antonio Lombardo are two newcomers who should see regular, impactful shifts. Walker is a 6-foot-1 '09 who posted 40 points in 38 games for the Fredericton Caps U18 team last season, while Lombardo is a 5-foot-11 '09 who notched 21 points in 41 games for Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal's U18 squad last winter.
"They're poised," Whitehead said. "They're legitimate college recruits."
Breakout prospects
Even as a sophomore last season, Dawson Wood, an '09, still carved out a role among older players, putting up nine goals and 19 points in 29 games up front.
He's expected to take the next step this winter.
The same is true for defenseman Christian Toma. Now a senior, the '09 should become one of Whitehead's go-to guys in all situations.
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The ceiling
Kimball Union is likely to open the season as a top-three team in my rankings. The Wildcats should be in the Elite 8 and have a legitimate chance to win it.
