Five Forwards, Five Defensemen Set to Join Big Red for 2023-24 Campaign
ITHACA, N.Y. — Mike Schafer ’86, the Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Men’s Ice Hockey, and the Cornell men’s hockey program announced this afternoon that 10 players will be joining the program for the 2023-24 season.
All players entering the program will be first-year players and immediately eligible for the upcoming season.
The breakdown of the incoming players including five forwards and five defensemen from four different countries, including the United States, Canada, England, and Slovakia. Of the four players from the United States, three states are represented (New York, Virginia, and Missouri), while two provinces (British Columbia and Ontario) compose the four Canadian players.
Biographical information on each player can be found below.
Incoming Player Biographies
Jonathan Castagna
Forward • 6-2 • 185 lbs. • Left • Etobicoke, Ontario • St. Andrew’s College
Castagna spent the previous two seasons at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario, where he registering 92 points (39 goals, 53 assists) over 85 career games. He captained the 2022-23 squad before ultimately leading the team in points with 72 (29 goals, 43 assists) in 50 games and was voted St. Andrew’s College’s Most Valuable Player. In addition to his team MVP honors, he was named to the league’s All-Star team and was a MacPherson Tournament All-Star. In addition to his time at St. Andrew’s College, Castagna played one game with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of OJHL in 2022-23. Castagna is currently ranked No. 91 in the NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings prior the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, which begins tonight in Nashville.
Tyler Catalano
Forward • 6-4 • 216 lbs. • Right • St. Louis, Mo. • Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Coming off winning the 2023 Clark Cup with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, Catalano scored a career-high eight goals and 13 points with the Phantoms over 59 regular season games this past year. In the Clark Cup playoffs, Catalano had two assists in nine games. During his three years with the Phantoms, he amassed 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 113 career games. He will be the fifth Cornell player on record to hail from the state of Missouri, joining former Big Red players Jason Zubkus, Clint Kisker, Dan DiLeo, and Ryan Coon.
Luke Devlin
Forward • 6-3 • 187 lbs. • Left • Toronto, Ontario • West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL) • NHL Draft: Pittsburgh (6th round, 2022)
Devlin, a sixth-round pick by Pittsburgh in last year’s NHL Entry Draft, is coming off a 37-point season with West Kelowna in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) where he scored 11 goals and 26 assists. Prior to his time in the BCHL, Devlin spent the 2021-22 campaign at St. Andrew’s College where he served as team captain and was voted the team’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year after posting 19 goals and 28 assists (47 points) in 44 games. He also appeared in eight games with the Des Moines Buccaneers (six games) and the U.S. National Team Development Program (two games) in the USHL. Devlin also represented Team USA at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Piešťany, Slovakia and Břeclav, Czech Republic.
George Fegaras
Defenseman • 6-2 • 205 lbs. • Right • Richmond Hill, Ontario • Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) • NHL Draft: Dallas (3rd round, 2022)
Fegaras, a third-round pick by Dallas in last year’s NHL Entry Draft, will arrive to East Hill after spending the 2022-23 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. While serving as an alternate captain with the Lumberjacks, Fegaras notched 27 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 61 games. Prior to his lone season in Muskegon, Fegaras played in his native Ontario with the North York Rangers of the OJHL in 2021-22 where he had a 48-point season (13 goals, 35 assists) over 52 games. Due to his successful season, he received the B.J. Monro Memorial Trophy for being the league’s top prospect, as well as being named Rookie of the Year and an OJHL First All-Star Team selection. Fegaras is the third Cornell prospect to receive the B.J. Monro Memorial Trophy in the 10 times it has been awarded, joining Matt Cairns and Matt Buckles.
Jacob Kraft
Forward • 5-8 • 170 lbs. • Left • Churchville, N.Y. • Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
Kraft spent the 2022-23 season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL where he registered 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) over 56 games. Prior to joining Cedar Rapids, Kraft had a 44-point season (25 goals, 19 assists) in 28 games in 2021-22 at the Kent School in Connecticut, where he served as an alternate captain. He additionally played three years of lacrosse at Kent School.
Marián Moško
Defenseman • 5-11 • 185 lbs. • Left • Visolaje, Slovakia • Fargo Force (USHL)
Moško split time this past season in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars and the Fargo Force. During his time with Fargo, he had five points (one goal, four assists) in 42 regular-season games. He represented his native Slovakia at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Under-18 Division I, Group A tournament where he won a gold medal before aiding team to silver medal at Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Moško is just the second Slovakian player on record in Cornell history, joining Frank Kovac (1996-00).
Ben Robertson
Defenseman • 5-11 • 181 lbs. • Left • Potomac Falls, Va. • Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Robertson served as an alternate captain for Waterloo, where he posted 45 points (three goals, 42 assists) in 61 games. His 42 assists were the most by a USHL defenseman last season. During his time with the Black Hawks, Robertson had 60 points (5 goals, 55 assists) over 98 contests. In the most recent NHL Central Scouting update, Robertson is ranked the No. 193 North American skater for this week’s NHL Entry Draft.
Hoyt Stanley
Defenseman • 6-3 • 200 lbs. • Right • West Vancouver, British Columbia • Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
Stanley spent the previous two seasons with Victoria in the BCHL, where he had 38 points (4+34) in 53 games in 2022-23, leading to being named to BCHL Top Prospects Game in 2023 and to the All-Rookie Team. Entering the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Stanley is ranked as the No. 85 North American skater in the NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings. Stanley’s father, Graham, played professionally from 1989-91, spending time in the AHL, ECHL, and IHL.
Liam Steele
Defenseman • 6-4 • 225 lbs. • Right • Cobham, England • Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)
Steele split the 2022-23 season with Chilliwack and Salmon Arm in the BCHL, where he combined for 16 points (3+13) over 43 games. The blueliner had 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 33 games with Salmon Arm before logging a goal and three assists in 14 playoff games. He represented Great Britain at the last two IIHF World Junior Championships Division II Group A tournaments, amassing seven points (3+4) in 10 games. Steele also played for Team Great Britain at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship Division II, Group A tournament, posting four points (3+1) in four games. While playing internationally, Steele claimed a pair of bronze medals and a silver medal. Along with ice hockey, Steele played rugby for four years and field hockey for two years at Stanstead College in Stanstead, Québec. Steele is the first English player on record in Cornell program history.
Ryan Walsh
Forward • 6-1 • 180 lbs. • Right • Rochester, N.Y. • Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
Walsh was a USHL First All-Star Team selection after posting 79 points (30+49) in 61 games with Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Following the regular season, Walsh had two goals and five assists in five playoff games. Prior to playing junior hockey, Walsh spent his senior year at the Salisbury School in Connecticut, where he had 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 28 games. Walsh also played lacrosse during his time at Salisbury School.
Cornell Connections
• Luke Devlin and Jonathan Castagna played together at St. Andrew’s College during the 2021-22 season.
• Returning as teammates for the second consecutive season is Jacob Kraft and Ryan Walsh, who played together last year on the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
• Winter Wallace and incoming freshman forward Tyler Catalano played two seasons together on the Youngstown Phantoms (2020-22).
• Remington Keopple and Luke Devlin played together during the 2021-22 season with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Devlin also played with Hank Kempf on the Muskegon Lumberjacks in 2020-21.
(Cornell University Men’s Hockey Photo)
