Hockey team announces 2025-26 Award Winners
4/6/2026 2:55:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force hockey team announced its award winners at the 2025-26 end of season banquet, Saturday, April 4.
Seniors Chris Hedden and Holt Oliphant each earned two of the team's seven awards. Hedden earned the Chuck Delich Award as the team MVP and earned the team's Defensive Player of the Year award. Oliphant earned the Vic Heyliger Award and was the co-recipient of the Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Heyliger, voted on by the team, is the cornerstone of Air Force hockey. It is awarded to the player whose dedication, character, leadership and work ethic exemplifies Falcon hockey. The Jim Bowman Award, selected by the hockey eligibility committee, is presented to the upperclassman who has excelled in both the classroom and on the ice. The award is named after a man who put his heart and soul, not only into Air Force hockey, but into Air Force athletics as well. As a coach and administrator from 1958-2007, Bowman was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
A team captain from Northbrook, Ill., Oliphant played in all 37 games this season and only missed two games the last three years. His tenacity and energy are unmatched. A true 200-foot player, he played a key role in the team's defensive strategy and penalty kill. This season, as a senior, he tied for fifth on the team with seven goals and was eighth with 16 points. A three-time academic all-conference selection, he has been on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team and the AHCA All-American Scholars teams twice each.
The Chuck Delich MVP Award, voted on by the team, is named after the Falcons' all-time leading scorer and the No. 1 goal scorer in the history of NCAA hockey. He still holds 14 AFA records and earned the Academy's Athletic Excellence award in 1976 and 1977. He served as the Falcons' head coach from 1985-97 and was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Chris Hedden was a first-team all-conference selection and earned the Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year. Hedden, from Kalamazoo, Mich., led the team with 12 goals and 34 points in all games. Hedden's 12 goals and 34 points were second in the nation for a defenseman and he finished the season with a team-high 63 blocked shots. He was a five-time AHA Defenseman of the Week as a senior and was the AHA and HCA (national) Defenseman of the Month for November. He was also on the ballot for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Junior assistant captain Brendan Gibbons is the co-recipient of the Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award. A two-time Atlantic Hockey all-academic selection, he was named to the CSC Academic All-District team and the ACHA All-America Scholar team as a sophomore.
Senior team captain Mason McCormick earned the Chad Demers Award as the team's most inspirational player. The award, voted on by the team, is named in honor of Chad Demers, a 2015 USAFA graduate and former hockey team captain and assistant coach who battled brain cancer before his passing on Oct. 3, 2024. McCormick recovered from an early season injury to play in 28 games, finishing with seven goals and nine assists this past season. He was second on the team with 293 faceoffs wins and a .521 winning percentage.
Freshman Aidan Willis earned the John Matchefts Award as the team's top freshman. This award, voted on by the team, is named in honor of the Falcons' second coach. Matchefts, a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, played on three national championship teams at Michigan from 1951-53. In 11 seasons, he led the Falcons to a 154-150-6 record to tie as the second-most wins in school history. Willis played in 34 of the team's 37 games and led all Falcon freshmen with 10 points on three goals and seven assists. He played both center and wing and won 77 faceoffs on the season.
Junior Dominik Wasik earned the Larry Cronk Award as the team's most improved player. This award, voted on by the team, is named in honor of Larry Cronk. Cronk was an assistant coach on the first varsity team and also served as equipment manager and rink manager, being part of the program for more than 50 years. Wasik, from Superior, Colo., earned third-team all-AHA honors after not seeing any game action as a freshman or sophomore. Wasik started the last 32 games and led the Falcons to 17 wins. His 17 wins are the sixth most in the conference era. He finished tied for the league lead in shutouts (4), fourth in saves (790), fifth in goals-against average (2.47) and was named the AHA Goalie of the Week four times and AHA Goalie of the Month twice.
2025-26 Air Force Hockey Award Winners
Vic Heyliger Award: Holt Oliphant
Chuck Delich MVP Award: Chris Hedden
Chad Demers Inspirational Award: Mason McCormick
Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award: Holt Oliphant and Brendan Gibbons
Defensive Player of Year: Chris Hedden
John Matchefts Freshman of the Year: Aidan Willis
Larry Cronk Most Improved Player: Dominik Wasik
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Seniors Chris Hedden and Holt Oliphant each earned two of the team's seven awards. Hedden earned the Chuck Delich Award as the team MVP and earned the team's Defensive Player of the Year award. Oliphant earned the Vic Heyliger Award and was the co-recipient of the Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Heyliger, voted on by the team, is the cornerstone of Air Force hockey. It is awarded to the player whose dedication, character, leadership and work ethic exemplifies Falcon hockey. The Jim Bowman Award, selected by the hockey eligibility committee, is presented to the upperclassman who has excelled in both the classroom and on the ice. The award is named after a man who put his heart and soul, not only into Air Force hockey, but into Air Force athletics as well. As a coach and administrator from 1958-2007, Bowman was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
A team captain from Northbrook, Ill., Oliphant played in all 37 games this season and only missed two games the last three years. His tenacity and energy are unmatched. A true 200-foot player, he played a key role in the team's defensive strategy and penalty kill. This season, as a senior, he tied for fifth on the team with seven goals and was eighth with 16 points. A three-time academic all-conference selection, he has been on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team and the AHCA All-American Scholars teams twice each.
The Chuck Delich MVP Award, voted on by the team, is named after the Falcons' all-time leading scorer and the No. 1 goal scorer in the history of NCAA hockey. He still holds 14 AFA records and earned the Academy's Athletic Excellence award in 1976 and 1977. He served as the Falcons' head coach from 1985-97 and was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Chris Hedden was a first-team all-conference selection and earned the Atlantic Hockey America Defenseman of the Year. Hedden, from Kalamazoo, Mich., led the team with 12 goals and 34 points in all games. Hedden's 12 goals and 34 points were second in the nation for a defenseman and he finished the season with a team-high 63 blocked shots. He was a five-time AHA Defenseman of the Week as a senior and was the AHA and HCA (national) Defenseman of the Month for November. He was also on the ballot for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Junior assistant captain Brendan Gibbons is the co-recipient of the Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award. A two-time Atlantic Hockey all-academic selection, he was named to the CSC Academic All-District team and the ACHA All-America Scholar team as a sophomore.
Senior team captain Mason McCormick earned the Chad Demers Award as the team's most inspirational player. The award, voted on by the team, is named in honor of Chad Demers, a 2015 USAFA graduate and former hockey team captain and assistant coach who battled brain cancer before his passing on Oct. 3, 2024. McCormick recovered from an early season injury to play in 28 games, finishing with seven goals and nine assists this past season. He was second on the team with 293 faceoffs wins and a .521 winning percentage.
Freshman Aidan Willis earned the John Matchefts Award as the team's top freshman. This award, voted on by the team, is named in honor of the Falcons' second coach. Matchefts, a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, played on three national championship teams at Michigan from 1951-53. In 11 seasons, he led the Falcons to a 154-150-6 record to tie as the second-most wins in school history. Willis played in 34 of the team's 37 games and led all Falcon freshmen with 10 points on three goals and seven assists. He played both center and wing and won 77 faceoffs on the season.
Junior Dominik Wasik earned the Larry Cronk Award as the team's most improved player. This award, voted on by the team, is named in honor of Larry Cronk. Cronk was an assistant coach on the first varsity team and also served as equipment manager and rink manager, being part of the program for more than 50 years. Wasik, from Superior, Colo., earned third-team all-AHA honors after not seeing any game action as a freshman or sophomore. Wasik started the last 32 games and led the Falcons to 17 wins. His 17 wins are the sixth most in the conference era. He finished tied for the league lead in shutouts (4), fourth in saves (790), fifth in goals-against average (2.47) and was named the AHA Goalie of the Week four times and AHA Goalie of the Month twice.
2025-26 Air Force Hockey Award Winners
Vic Heyliger Award: Holt Oliphant
Chuck Delich MVP Award: Chris Hedden
Chad Demers Inspirational Award: Mason McCormick
Jim Bowman Scholar-Athlete Award: Holt Oliphant and Brendan Gibbons
Defensive Player of Year: Chris Hedden
John Matchefts Freshman of the Year: Aidan Willis
Larry Cronk Most Improved Player: Dominik Wasik
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Players Mentioned
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