ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine’s hockey team has begun its trek on the road to redemption.
After back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023-24 and 2024-25 for the first time in more than 15 years, last year’s team was a disappointment.
The Black Bears went 18-14-3 overall, 12-11-1 in Hockey East play, and got jettisoned from the league quarterfinals by Boston College, 5-0.
UMaine had won the league’s tournament title the previous year, ending a 21-year drought.
The 2025-26 season saw players from Canada’s three Major Junior Hockey leagues being eligible to play U.S. college hockey for the first time, and that created a new dynamic across college hockey.
The team chemistry and work ethic, which had been a trademark of the program, wasn’t what it had been, so UMaine head coach Ben Barr brought in 15 newcomers this season in the hopes of returning the program to that blue-collar ideology and outwork-the-opponent mentality.
One week into the optional six-week summer workout program on campus, the veterans said those traits are being restored already.
“It has been a good first week,” said senior left wing Owen Fowler, who is likely to be named the team captain and is the top returning scorer. “All the newcomers are unreal. We have become so close already. We have same-minded men in the group. All the guys think the same way and play the same way based on what I’ve seen on the ice.
“It’s a work-first, skill-second [mentality]. The work ethic shows and that’s how you win games. There are games where you can skill it up against some opponents, but when it’s the dog days of the season and you’re battling hard against a team, you need your work ethic to come out and win you games down the stretch.”
“I’m really excited about this new group,” said senior goalie Albin Boija. “We haven’t even been here for a week, but we’re in a great spot already. Everyone is a great guy and we have a lot of good stuff to build on. We have definitely come together as a group really quickly.”
He also noted that they have added a lot of stronger, bigger guys and “that will help out.”
Senior center Sully Scholle said he is “super excited” and sees a “lot of good things on the horizon for us.”
“We have a mature group this year that is super hungry and excited,” said Scholle, who agreed that the team is already close-knit and will continue to get closer.
He noted that the newcomers are all “hungry to work. They are high-energy, high-intensity and super excited to be here, which is refreshing.”
Barr, who is beginning his sixth year as the head coach, said he has a team full of “good kids,” and it has been fun to see them work out together and put in the hard work necessary to be successful.
“You have to do hard things in order to win games,” said Barr, who will have to replace his top four scorers from last year’s team.
Two of the newcomers who could make immediate impacts are winger Tanner Klimpke, a transfer who was the leading scorer for Atlantic Hockey America team Robert Morris in Pennsylvania a year ago, and defenseman Dru Krebs, who has played 142 games of professional hockey. He has played 140 in the ECHL and two in the American Hockey League.
The two 23-year-olds from Alberta said their first week was “awesome.”
“I’ve really liked it so far. The [coaching] staff and the players who have been here before have done a great job making all the new guys feel right at home and welcome early on,” said Klimpke, who had 41 goals and 39 assists in 103 games at Robert Morris including 16 goals and 15 assists a year ago en route to All-AHA second team accolades.
‘It’s lots of fun,” said Krebs, who had five goals and 17 assists in 82 games, regular season and playoffs, for the Fort Wayne Komets this past season. “We work hard. [Associate Director of Sports Performance Drew Bowers] has been putting us through some good workouts. He has a lot of experience with this. I’m trying to get prepared for the season and gain some muscle.”
He added he is trying to improve and also get to know his new teammates.
“I want to hang out with them and learn more about them,” Krebs said. “The guys are great and the coaching staff has been nothing but great to me so far. It has been awesome.”
Krebs, a sixth-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals who played five seasons in the Western Hockey League before turning pro, said he came to UMaine for two reasons.
“Ben [Barr] reached out to me and really wanted me, so I thought coming to the University of Maine and being able to get a degree would be awesome. Also, I got a chance to come to the NCAA. I never thought in a million years I would be able to go from the Western League to pro to NCAA. I figured this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so I might as well try it out.”
Klimpke entered the transfer portal because he hoped to land a spot at a Hockey East school.
“It is the conference to be in to move on to pro. This is obviously a top-tier program and not a spot many guys are going to say no to. I’m super excited to be here and happy they gave me the opportunity,” said Klimpke.
UMaine will open the season at Holy Cross on Oct. 2-3.