Brian Moos / Program Director

St. Cloud, Minn. — St. Cloud State announced their incoming freshman class and finalized their roster for the upcoming season on Friday. The Huskies will bring in five freshmen along with three transfer additions to complete their 2024-25 roster. 19 Huskies from last season stayed at St. Cloud State, while SCSU lost only three players to the transfer portal.

The Huskies incoming freshman class is characterized by a focus of keeping elite Minn.-born talent in state. Four of the five Husky freshmen call Minn. their home state, while the lone non-Minn. born recruit enrolled in preparatory school and played junior hockey in Minn.. Pairing with this Minn.-focused class, two of the three incoming transfers to SCSU played high school hockey in Minn. as well.

Of the freshman class, SCSU signed three forwards and two defensemen. The forward group promises elite scoring potential, with a mix speed and power skating. The pair of defensemen hope to replenish the puck moving prowess the Huskies lost in the offseason.

The freshmen forward group is headlined by Austin Burnevik and Gavyn Thoreson, who both produced offense at an elite level in Minn. high school competition and the top U.S. junior hockey league. They are joined by Dana “Ocean” Wallace, who committed to SCSU late in the recruiting cycle, after Joe Molenaar transferred to Minn.-Duluth. Both Burnevik and Wallace bring a power skating forward archetype to SCSU, each standing six foot three or higher and weighing over 200 pounds. Gavyn Thoreson may not be as large as his fellow freshman forwards, but brings elite speed to the Huskies after breaking records at Andover High School.

Austin Burnevik: Finished second in the USHL in goals (40) and seventh in points (71) for the 2023-24 season with the Madison Capitols. Spent two seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program and played two seasons for Totino-Grace High School.

Gavyn Thoreson: Finished ninth in the USHL in assists (45) and 13th in points (65) for the 2023-24 season with the Waterloo Blackhawks. Graduated from Andover High School and torched the Minn. high school hockey world, averaging more than three points a game for a total of 226 in his high school career.

Dana “Ocean” Wallace: A native of Boulder, Colo., Wallace joins SCSU after being an integral part of the Austin Bruins of the NAHL for three seasons. He also is fresh off a career year for the Bruins, scoring 21 goals and dishing out 23 assists last season. Before Austin, Wallace was boarding student at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. and played three seasons of hockey there.

SCSU’s incoming defensemen, Thor Byfuglien and Colin Ralph, hope to help fill the shoes of former Huskies Dylan Anhorn and Jack Peart, who signed pro deals this offseason. Both Byfuglien and Ralph are Minn. natives that lit up high school competition. Byfuglien looks to bring solid defensive fundamentals with a proficient stick offensively and defensively. Ralph has extremely high upside, towering at six foot four and flashes elite all-around skill.

Thor Byfuglien: Hailing from Roseau, Minn., Byfuglien collected 93 points in his high school career for the Roseau Rams. When he moved up to the USHL by joining the Chicago Steel, Byfuglien quickly became one of the most reliable defensemen in the league, logging 123 games played over two full seasons and a short ten game stint towards the end of the 2021-22 season.

Colin Ralph: While not garnering much junior hockey experience, Ralph dominated the U.S. high school prep league with Shattuck St. Mary’s. He led all defensemen in assists last season, while finishing top-20 in points for all players. Ralph ranks highly in many prospect boards for the upcoming NHL draft this summer and will join sophomore Warren Clark as NHL-drafted defensemen on SCSU.

St. Cloud State will start the 2024-25 regular season in Mendota Heights, Minn. at future NCHC member St. Thomas on Oct. 6. Continuing updates of the offseason, along with coverage of NCHC media day and more preseason events will be covered by KVSC. The entire men’s hockey season will also be broadcasted on 88.1 FM KVSC, St. Cloud State student radio.