​Heading into the offseason, Bemidji State’s projected roster for the 2026-27 season revealed a conspicuous void on the right side of the blue line. The Beavers had managed only two right-handed defensemen last season—Isa Parekh and Ben Vigneault. However, Parekh opted to enter the transfer portal and has committed to Maine, leaving BSU with an even more urgent need on that side of the ice. In recent years, the team leaned on left-handed veterans such as Mitch Wolfe and Vince Corcoran to handle crucial minutes on their off hands, but both have since graduated, along with AJ Macaulay and Patrik Satosaari. That combination of departures left a clear gap that needed filling.
Into that space steps Luca D’Amato, a transfer from the University of New Brunswick in USports, who arrives at Bemidji State not only to address the depth issue on defense but also to bring scoring punch. D’Amato embodies the dual role many players must master: contributing offensively while prioritizing defense. “I like to jump in the rush and be offensive, but defense comes first for me,” D’Amato said. “I think I have a good first pass and good IQ. I can see the ice well, but you have to do it on both ends of the ice.” The Maple, Ontario native stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 161 pounds. In 35 USports games last season, he collected two goals and 23 assists, helping New Brunswick to a 20-10 record and a third-place finish in the 2026 USports University Cup.
D’Amato’s arrival will make him the fourth Bemidji State player to have experience in both NCAA and USports competition. Defenseman Hudson Thornton was on a path to play in USports before earning NCAA eligibility and enrolling at the University of Saskatchewan, a transition that underscores the program’s willingness to blend different hockey cultures. “You go from being an (over-ager) in the (Ontario Hockey League) to a first-year guy in USports; the adjustment to playing against older and bigger guys is real,” D’Amato explained. “It’s heavy. I had to adapt in that first month or so, just with how aggressive it is. You’re going to have to take hits in USports. That’s just how it is.”
D’Amato’s junior career spanned four OHL seasons with the Flint Generals and the Oshawa Generals. The latter part of his major junior tenure proved especially productive: in his final two seasons, he tallied 29 goals and 77 assists across 176 regular-season and postseason games. The Generals made back-to-back runs to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals, though they were bested by the London Knights on both occasions. During his time in Oshawa, D’Amato played alongside some of the game’s top prospects, including Calum Ritchie of the New York Islanders organization and Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks, experiences that have shaped his development and perspective on the ice.
“The last two years in Oshawa, we had pretty good squads,” D’Amato recalled. “Playing with guys who are NHL-bound now helped a lot. For me, I just wanted to get better every year in the OHL, to develop as much as I could to help the team win. That’s what I want to do in NCAA.” The bridge from the OHL to USports was made possible in part by a 2024-25 NCAA rule adjustment that allowed Canadian Hockey League players to gain NCAA eligibility, a change D’Amato navigated successfully when he joined New Brunswick for a year of USports competition.
The relationship between D’Amato and Bemidji State has its own story. He and his family had established a strong connection with the Beavers, a bond that made the move to BSU appealing beyond on-ice considerations. “The relationship between myself and my family with Bemidji is great,” D’Amato said, underscoring that the decision to join the Beavers was influenced as much by fit and support as by the roster needs the team faced.
As Bemidji State looks ahead to the 2026-27 season, D’Amato’s addition supplies both immediate defensive depth and an element of offense that could help balance the lineup on the right side of the blue line. The transfer’s versatility and experience in two different high-caliber junior leagues give the Beavers a player capable of adapting to varied styles of play, contributing on the power play, and helping the team transition out of its own zone with solid first passes. With Parekh’s departure, D’Amato’s presence will be scrutinized as he steps into a role that could influence the Beavers’ defensive pairing configurations and overall depth on defense for the coming season.