ITHACA, N.Y. — Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer has been named to the watch list for the 2026 Mike Richter Award, the Hockey Commissioners Association announced Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 14).

Cournoyer is one of 29 goaltenders — and one of 11 freshmen — named to the watch list for the award, which has been presented annually since 2014 to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey.

A committee of voters — made up of a cross section of coaches, administrators, scouts and media — will narrow the list to approximately 12 semifinalists over the next three weeks. Three finalists will then be selected, with the winner announced at the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

Each goaltender currently on the watch list has a goals-against average of 2.40 or better and a save percentage of at least .917. Additional candidates may be added prior to the first formal vote.

Joining Cournoyer on the watch list from ECAC Hockey are Dartmouth's Roan Clarke and Emmett Croteau, along with Union's Cameron Korpi.

This marks the fourth time in five years that a Cornell goaltender has been named to the Mike Richter Award watch list. Three-time honorees Ian Shane (2022-24) and Matthew Galajda (2018-20), along with two-time selection Mitch Gillam (2016-17), are the only other Big Red netminders to earn watch list recognition during their careers on East Hill.

Cournoyer has been stellar through his first 11 collegiate games, posting an 8-3-0 record with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Among Division I goaltenders who have played at least 33 percent of their team's minutes, he ranks fifth nationally in goals-against average and 12th in save percentage.

Since 2005-06, Cournoyer's 1.84 goals-against average through his first 11 career games ranks third among Cornell goaltenders, trailing only Gillam (1.48, 2013-15) and Shane (1.84, 2021–22). His .927 save percentage also ranks third over that span, behind Gillam (.951) and Shane (.928).

One of seven goaltenders in Cornell's modern era (since 1957-58) to record at least eight wins in his first 11 career appearances, Cournoyer joins Ken Dryden '69 (won his first 11 and went 29-0-1 in his first 30 games), Dave LeNeveu (nine wins in his first 11), and Brian Cropper, Dave Elenbaas, Dave Chrastina and Matthew Galajda (eight wins in their first 11).

Among qualifying Division I freshman goaltenders this season, Cournoyer ranks second in goals-against average, trailing only North Dakota's Jan Špunar (1.67), and owns the fourth-best save percentage behind Penn State's Joshua Fleming (.938), Northern Michigan's Oliver Auyeung-Ashton (.934) and Špunar (.929).

The 13th-ranked Big Red (11-4-0, 6-2-0 ECAC Hockey) returns to the ice Friday, Jan. 16, when it hosts 18th-ranked Princeton (11-5-0, 7-3-0 ECAC Hockey) to open the home stretch of conference play. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with the game streamed live on ESPN+.

MIKE RICHTER AWARD WATCH LIST
Atlantic Hockey:
Ajeet Gundarah (Sacred Heart), Teagan Kendrick (Sacred Heart), Jakub Krbecek (RIT), Lukas Swedin (Bentley)

Big Ten:
Trey Augustine (Michigan State), Josh Fleming (Penn State), Daniel Hauser (Wisconsin), Jack Ivankovic (Michigan)

CCHA:
Rorke Applebee (Lake Superior State), Oliver Auyeung-Ashton (Northern Michigan), Owen Bartoszkiewicz (Michigan Tech), Josh Kotai (Augustana), Alex Tracy (Minnesota State)

ECAC Hockey:
Roan Clarke (Dartmouth), Alexis Cournoyer (Cornell), Emmett Croteau (Dartmouth), Cameron Korpi (Union)

Hockey East:
Louka Cloutier (Boston College), Jackson Irving (UMass), Max Lundgren (Merrimack), Tyler Muszelik (UConn), Philip Svedeback (Providence), Lawton Zacher (Northeastern)

NCHC:
Adam Gajan (Minnesota Duluth), Connor Hasley (Arizona State), Quentin Miller (Denver), Hampton Slukynsky (Western Michigan), Jan Špunar (North Dakota), Samuel Urban (Arizona State)