​Carson Carels can continue using his familiar nickname and banner number at UND, as he will enter the 2026-27 season donning jersey No. 4, the same number he wore last season with Prince George in the Western Hockey League. The combination of his nickname “C4,” his number, and the explosive style of play it signals makes a perfect fit for the upcoming year.
UND has unveiled the complete player numbers ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Returning players will keep their numbers from the previous season, while the 14 newcomers have learned which numbers they will wear. The defense corps features five additions: Garrett Lindberg will wear No. 2, Carels remains No. 4, Brasen Boser will don No. 5, Bauer Dumanski will sport No. 14, and Ethan MacKenzie will be No. 25. The forward group includes Connor Davis wearing No. 3, Kasper Magnussen No. 10, Ashton Schultz No. 11, Gavin Lindberg No. 20, Cooper Simpson No. 21, Brock Schultz No. 28, and Hudson Malinoski No. 29. Between the pipes, goaltender Caleb Heil will carry No. 30, while third goalie Alex Scheiwiller will be No. 32. Numbers not assigned this season include 16, 22, and 26, while Nos. 12 (Terry Casey) and 23 (Ralph Engelstad) are retired from the UND ledger.
Some numbers carry notable histories and distinctions. Davis will be the first UND forward to wear No. 3 in more than seven decades; the last forward to wear that number was Mike Castellano in the 1954-55 season before he switched to No. 9. The only other UND forward to wear No. 3 was Robert Johnson, who wore it in the 1950-51 season. In fact, a goaltender has worn No. 3 more recently than a forward, with Billy Kriski wearing it in the 1972-73 season. Dumanski’s No. 14 marks a return to that digit for UND defensemen, the last being Brad Miller in 2008-09, a player who began as a forward with the program before transitioning to defense in his sophomore year.
Boser takes No. 5, continuing a line of North Dakota players from the state who have worn the number. He follows a sequence of recent North Dakotan defenders, Dane Montgomery (2021-25) and Casey Johnson (2016-20), with the last non-North Dakotan to wear No. 5 being Nick Mattson (2011-15). Garrett Lindberg becomes the first UND freshman to wear No. 2 since Gabe Bast in 2017-18, with the earlier three No. 2 assignments belonging to transfer defensemen Brady Ferner, Ryan Sidorski, and captain Bennett Zmolek in recent years.
All eyes will be on the 2026-27 UND roster, which, barring any late moves, will have every listed player in Grand Forks except goaltender Jan Špunar, who is scheduled to join the team later this month. The roster is set, the numbers are assigned, and fans can anticipate a season where those digits will symbolize grit, heritage, and a continued commitment to UND’s hockey tradition.