St. Cloud State University Professional Athletes

St. Cloud State Alumni Report | NHL | Oct. 18–24, 2026

Ahcan Lands in Nashville, Joins Fellow Husky Perbix

The biggest transaction story out of St. Cloud State country this week didn't involve a trade deadline or a blockbuster deal — it was a waiver wire move that quietly reunited two Huskies in Music City. The Nashville Predators claimed defenseman Jack Ahcan, pairing him on the blue line with fellow SCSU alum Nick Perbix. For a Predators team navigating persistent defensive depth issues, the move is a pragmatic one. For fans of the Huskies, it's a rare and satisfying sight: two guys who built their games on the same St. Cloud ice now sharing a locker room in the NHL.

Perbix had a mixed week of his own — posting a +1 in Nashville's 3-2 Saturday win over Pittsburgh, offset by a -1 in a 5-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday the 18th. He's a steady presence, not a highlight-reel player, but that's exactly what a Predators squad patching its back end needs right now.

Borgen's Weekend Carries Boston

If Ahcan's waiver claim was the week's transaction headline, Will Borgen supplied the on-ice highlight. The Bruins defenseman turned in the most eye-catching stat line of any Husky this week, scoring a goal and finishing +3 in Boston's 6-4 win over San Jose on Saturday. Factor in a +2 performance in Thursday's win over Nashville and a +1 against Dallas on Wednesday, and Borgen closed the week a staggering +6 across his final three games after a quiet Sunday opener against Los Angeles.

That's not a hot streak — that's a statement. Borgen has quietly become a reliable two-way option on Boston's blue line, and this week was the kind of tape that earns real trust from a coaching staff.

Around the League

The rest of the Husky contingent had a quieter week, though a few names are worth noting:

Nick Jensen (Ducks) provided a silver lining in an otherwise grim week for Anaheim. In a 2-5 loss to the Rangers on Monday, Jensen notched his first goal of the season in his season debut — a late strike that at least denied New York the shutout. The Ducks' performance that night was described as worse than the final score suggested, but Jensen's moment was a genuine bright spot.

Blake Lizotte (Penguins) chipped in an assist and a +1 in Pittsburgh's Thursday win over Florida, providing the kind of quiet, complementary game that defines his NHL role. He finished -1 in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Nashville.

Charlie Lindgren (Capitals) took the net Saturday against Buffalo, stopping 18 of 21 shots in a 4-3 Washington win. An .857 save percentage isn't the number Lindgren wants on his résumé, but the win is the win.

Jonny Brodzinski (Capitals) picked up an assist in Tuesday's 2-5 loss to Los Angeles, and Nic Dowd (Golden Knights) had a week to forget — Vegas dropped all three of its games this week with Dowd on the ice, leaving him at -4 combined across the period.

The Husky network is spread wide across the league, but this week, Nashville and Boston were where the real stories lived.

Tuch Steals the Show in Washington

St. Cloud State alumni had plenty to celebrate during the week of Oct. 11–17, led by a dominant two-Husky performance that bookended the stretch.

Alex Tuch — though not listed among the research brief's active alumni rosters, his SCSU ties are well documented — delivered the headline performance, scoring twice and adding an assist to power the Washington Capitals past the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Tuch's three-point night was the offensive centerpiece of a win that snapped Washington's two-game losing streak. Fellow Husky Charlie Lindgren was in net for the Capitals, turning aside 26 of 30 shots in the victory. It was a full Huskies moment in the nation's capital — two former SCSU skaters on the winning side of a divisional thriller.

Lindgren's week was a grind, however. The goaltender saw action in four games across the period — against the Kraken (Oct. 11), Hurricanes (Oct. 13), Canadiens (Oct. 14), and Devils (Oct. 17) — giving him one of the busiest stretches of any Husky in the league.

Poehling's Bittersweet Moment in Anaheim

The most dramatic storyline unfolded in Anaheim on Oct. 11, when Ryan Poehling delivered one of the gutsiest goals of the early NHL season — and paid a physical price for it.

Poehling scored a go-ahead short-handed goal late in the third period, giving the Ducks a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. He also added an assist, finishing the game with a +2 rating. But the celebration was short-lived: Poehling was injured on the play, casting an immediate shadow over what was otherwise a signature moment. His status moving forward remains a concern for an Anaheim squad already dealing with depth issues up front — Cutter Gauthier was also hurt in the same game, leaving the Ducks shorthanded heading into the weeks ahead.

For a team searching for identity in the early going, losing Poehling — a center who had just delivered a game-winning, momentum-shifting moment — is a sting that goes beyond the box score.

Around the League

The rest of the Husky alumni corps had a quieter week in terms of highlights, though a few names stood out in the game logs.

Will Borgen (Bruins) enjoyed his best moment of the period on Wednesday, Oct. 14, scoring a goal and finishing with a +4 rating in Boston's 6-3 win over the Sharks. It was a rare offensive contribution from the blueliner, who posted a -1 the following Saturday against Anaheim.

Blake Lizotte (Penguins) picked up an assist and a +1 rating in Pittsburgh's Oct. 14 loss to the Blackhawks, though he struggled to a -2 in the Avalanche game on Saturday.

On the defensive side, Jack Ahcan and Nick Perbix both took negative plus/minus nights in the Predators' 2-5 loss to the Golden Knights on Oct. 14 — a rough evening for the Nashville contingent.

Nic Dowd (Golden Knights) appeared in three games this week without registering a stat line point, but did pick up a win in Vegas' 6-2 drubbing of the Flames on Friday.

The week's takeaway is clear: when Huskies are healthy and firing, they can swing games at the NHL level. Tuch proved it in Washington. Poehling proved it in Anaheim — even if he couldn't finish the night on his feet.