NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Joe Howe, Interim Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach and the Yale men's hockey team have announced that seven newcomers will be joining the squad for the 2025-26 season.

Of the seven players, four are U.S.-born, two are Canadian and one hails from Finland. Their experience spans multiple leagues across Canada and the United States. This is the breakdown:

• Three players are coming from the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL)
• Two players from the United States Hockey League (USHL)
• One player from the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL)
• One player from the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC)

Kurt Gurkan, Forward
Darien, Conn. | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

Before Yale:

• 2025 USHL Champion with the Muskegon Lumberjacks
• Captain of the Phillips Exeter Academy ice hockey team in 2021-22

Personal: Son of Alicia and Tarkan Gurkan...Brother Luke currently plays ice hockey for Phillips Exeter Academy...Enjoys golfing and driving cars

Why Yale? "Growing up in Connecticut, I would head to 'The Whale' to watch the team play often. With the academic prestige that Yale offers and the storied hockey program, it was an easy choice for me."


Dylan Hunt, Defenseman
Marlborough, Mass. | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) 

Before Yale:

• Played for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL
• Played three years of varsity ice hockey and baseball for Milton Academy
• Recorded 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists) his junior year 
• 2022 Flood-Marr Tournament Champion
• Named to the 2024 All-NEPSAC West Team
• Named to the 2024 All-ISL Keller Division Team

Personal: Son of Jennifer and Craig Hunt...Brother Austin is a sophomore on the men's basketball team at Harvard...Enjoys golf

Why Yale? "I chose Yale for its rigorous academics, competitive athletics and tight-knit community."


Braden Keeble, Forward
Brandon, MB | Whitecourt Wolverines (AJHL)

Before Yale:

• Played three seasons for the Whitecourt Wolverines in the AJHL, serving as captain for the 2024-25 season
• Recorded 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 54 games for Whitecourt in 2024-25, leading the team to a AJHL North Division Championship

Personal: Son of Heather and Cory Keeble...Brother Jackson currently plays for the Sioux Lookout Bombers in the SIJHL

Why Yale? "I chose Yale after touring in 2022 because I get to continue to pursue my academic and athletic goals while being enrolled at a historic and elite institution."


Hudson Miller, Defenseman
New York, NY | West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)

Before Yale:

• Played four seasons of ice hockey at Avon Old Farms School, leading the team as captain in 2023-24
• Played 45 games with the West Kelowna Warriors in the BCHL in 2024-25
• Student body president at Avon Old Farms School

Personal: Son of Elizabeth Connors and Brian Miller...Father Brian played football at Southern Illinois...Knows how to juggle (it's a secret though)

Why Yale? "I chose Yale because of its historic and renowned hockey program which will allow me to develop on and off the ice. As well as the opportunity to attend a top University and continue my studies."


Tom Molson, Forward
Montreal, QC | Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)

Before Yale:

• Competed in ice hockey and tennis at Deerfield Academy
• Recorded 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) in 26 games his senior season at Deerfield Academy
• Recipient of the 2024 James Smith Award for a student who has exhibited a keen interest in, and talent for, athletics and sportsmanship, and who has demonstrated consistent academic achievement
• Named to the 2024 All-NEPSAC East Team
• 2023 All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention

Personal: Son of Kate and Geoff Molson...Father Geoff is currently the President and CEO of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...Enjoys playing tennis and golf with his family...Knows how to play the guitar and piano

Why Yale? "I chose Yale for the unparalleled balance between athletics, academics and social life, as well as the rigorous challenges it includes in everyday activities. I knew right away Yale would encourage me to be the best version of myself."


Joose Pesonen, Defenseman
Kuopio, Finland | South Shore Kings (NCDC)

Before Yale:

• Most recently played for the South Shore Kings in the National Collegiate Development Conference
• Played hockey for the KalPa organization in the Finnish Liiga from 2019 to 2024

Personal: Son of Ville Pesonen...Brother Iisai also plays for Yale...Volunteers with school children, ensuring they attend class

Why Yale? "The opportunity both on and off the ice is just incredible."


James Shannon, Forward
Greenwich, Conn. | Coquitlam Express (BCHL)

Before Yale:

• Served as the captain of the Coquitlam Express in the BCHL in 2024-25, recording 17 goals and 29 assists
• Competed in four years of varsity ice hockey and one year of varsity lacrosse at Brunswick School
• Captained the Brunswick School ice hockey team his junior and senior years
• Received Honors Certificates in freshman and sophomore years at Brunswick School
• Received High Honors Certificates in junior and senior years at Brunswick School
• Recipient of the 2023 AP Scholar with Honor Award

Personal: Son of Jennifer and Michael Shannon...Volunteered as a counselor for Horizons at Brunswick School, an organization that serves to advance educational equality across the town of Greenwich, CT...Volunteered at local schools in Coquitlam, British Columbia, teaching young students about the game of hockey...Worked in tandem with the Canucks Autism Network, teaching young kids to skate

Why Yale? "I was initially drawn to Yale by the diversity of its curriculum, which encourages students through its distributional requirements to explore many areas of interest to find their niche. Yale's historic hockey program and the character of the team. Along with growing up watching them win the national championship made it clear where I wanted to go to college."