TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey program and head coach Dave Smith have announced the 11 roster additions for the Engineers' upcoming 2024-25 season. This incoming class, which is composed of seven freshmen and four transfers, features five forwards, four defensemen, and two goalies. In addition to the experience provided by three graduate transfers, this group is also filled with strong performers from the USHL, BCHL, and NAHL.

Presenting the 2024-25 RPI Men's Hockey newcomers, in alphabetical order:

Mathieu Bourgault- Freshman
Forward - 6'2" - Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec

Bourgault scored 10 goals and distributed 27 assists in 2023-24 while splitting the season between the Corpus Christi IceRays and Bismark Bobcats of the NAHL. Bourgault had a strong postseason with the Bobcats this year, as he netted four goals and had a helper in Bismark's nine playoff games.  Before coming to the states, Bourgault played three seasons with the BCHL's Salmon Arm Silverbacks, where he totaled 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists) in 75 contests.


Felix Caron- Freshman
Forward - 6'0" - Terrebonne, Quebec

The 19-year old winger comes to Troy after playing the last two seasons in the BCHL with the West Kelowna Warriors. Caron took a big step forward following a 10-goal season in 2022-23, as he finished third in the BCHL in both goals (31) and points (69) in 2023-24.


Carson Dorfman- Freshman
Goalie - 6'0" - Hermitage, TN

In addition to spending 2023-24 with the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers, Dorfman has also made 35 appearances for multiple NAHL teams across the season. The Tennessee-native has protected the net of the Lone Star Brahmas, Springfield Jr. Blues, Shreveport Mudbugs, and New Hampshire Mountain Kings in his NAHL tenure. His best play came in a Blues uniform, where he posted an 11-8-1 record while allowing a 2.34 goals against average in 2022-23.


Noah Giesbrecht- Grad (Transfer from Ferris State University)
Goalie - 6'3" - Langley, British Columbia

A graduate transfer from Ferris State University, Giesbrecht totaled 1,524 saves throughout his 3,100 minutes in net for the Bulldogs. Prior to Ferris State, Giesbrecht was second in save percentage nationally (.941) and had a 7-1-0 record for the Windsor Lancers of the Canadian Collegiate Level.


Will Gilson- Junior (Transfer from University of Alaska-Anchorage)
Defenseman - 6'0" - Old Greenwich, Conn.

Gilson joins the Engineers after spending the last two seasons at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Playing in every game in 2023-24, Gilson led all defensemen and ranked sixth on the team with 15 points (three goals, 12 assists). He also finished fourth on the Seawolves with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) during his freshman campaign in 2022-23.


Brody Maguire- Freshman
Defenseman - 6'0" - Calgary, Alberta 

Maguire slots into the RPI defense after playing the last three years with the Okotoks Oilers. Maguire scored six goals and tallied 49 assists in 152 games in the AJHL before joining the Oilers BCHL squad for the final stretch of 2023-24. Maguire scored a goal and had five helpers in 18 regular season games before suiting up for 10 playoff games with Okotoks.


Elliott McDermott- Grad (Transfer - Colgate / UMass)
Defenseman - 5'11" - Kingston, Ontario

Rensselaer marks the third stop of McDermott's collegiate career following two seasons each at Colgate University (2020-22) and UMass-Amherst (2022-24). The graduate transfer posted 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 62 games at Colgate before suiting up for 70 games the past two years with the Minutemen, which included a regional appearance in the 2024 NCAA Division I Hockey Championship.


Gustavs Ozolins- Freshman
Defenseman - 5'10" - Riga, Latvia

Playing the last two years with the Minnesota Wilderness of the NAHL, the defenseman produced back-to-back seasons of 24 and 27 points. Also a member of Latvia's U20 team, Ozolins appeared for five games in each of the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Under-20 Championships, where he has produced a goal and five assists across his international career.


Rainers Rullers- Freshman
Forward - 6'4" - Riga, Latvia

After a year with Zemgale HK in his native Latvia, the 19-year old made the jump to the USHL in 2023-24, where he logged 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in his debut season with the Madison Capitals. Like his countryman Ozolins, Rullers brings international experience to the RPI roster, as the center was a member of team Latvia for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 U20 World Championships.


Jagger Tapper- Freshman
Forward - 6'0" - Calgary, Alberta

A juniors teammate to Brody Maguire, Tapper also played his last three seasons as a member of the Okotoks Oilers, where he posted 57 points (30 goals, 27 assists) in 95 AJHL contests before making his mark with the Oilers BCHL club in 2023-24. After moving up, Tapper scored seven goals and had 12 assists in 20 regular season appearances before recording 12 points (five goals, five assists) in 10 playoff games.


Jordan Tonelli- Grad (Transfer - Brown)
Forward - 6'0" - Armonk, N.Y.

No stranger to the ECAC, Tonelli played 65 games at Brown University before making the move to RPI. Tonelli tallied 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) over his 65 games as a Bear, including a career-best 17-point effort in 2022-23.

Season ticket orders and renewals for the 2024-25 season are currently available. Please contact the Houston Field House Box Office to purchase season tickets, renew or with any questions at 518-276-6262 or boxoffice@rpi.edu. Individual tickets will go on-sale on August 19 at www.rpiathletics.universitytickets.com.