Northern Michigan University head coach Grant Potulny, in suit at center, talks with an official about a delay of game penalty in the third period of a CCHA game played against Ferris State on Feb. 25 at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University hockey team has gone through some changes in the past month of the offseason, with three players coming in, and four players seeing their way out.

The college sports scene has changed a lot with the recent relaxing of transfer rules through the transfer portal, which includes hockey.

Last season, the ‘Cats brought in four transfers, forwards Hank Crone and Hampus Eriksson and defensemen Trevor Cosgrove and Bo Hanson. They made a profound impression on the team and immediately helped contribute to the team’s success.

This off-season, NMU welcomes in two defensemen and a forward as of early this week. Connecticut sophomore forward Artem Shlaine was the first transfer to come into the program. A 2020 fifth-round NHL Entry Draft pick by the New Jersey Devils, Shlaine had seven goals and 10 assists last season with the Huskies.

Junior Simon Kjellberg and sophomore Aidan Gallacher come to NMU as defensemen. Kjellberg was at RPI and was one of the most heralded defensemen in the entire portal with eight goals and 19 assists. A sixth-round pick by the New York Rangers in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the Nashville native comes to NMU trying to make it to the league like his father Patric.

The elder Kjellberg played 394 games, scoring 64 goals and adding 96 assists in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, now Anaheim Ducks.

Gallacher comes to Marquette from Michigan State, scoring just one goal with one assist last season for the Spartans. Also with two assists as a freshman, he’ll come to NMU as a relatively inexperienced college player with two years of eligibility.

The program of head coach Grant Potulny has yet to make an official statement on the incoming transfers, but should come at some point later this offseason.

There’s also the “dark” side of the transfer portal — the Wildcats had four players leave the program to join another school. Forwards Connor Marritt and Mack Byers, both sophomores, and freshman Oscar Geschwind have entered the portal. Senior goaltender Nolan Kent is the fourth Wildcat to enter the portal.

Byers committed to play for CCHA member St. Thomas and is the only one of the four currently committed to another school. Geschwind just entered the portal earlier this week, while Marritt and Kent both entered about a month ago and are still looking at new homes.

Experts have said this new reality of college athletics will only see transfer numbers continue to rise. For now, NMU is doing what it needs to do to stay in contention by accepting new players where the fit seems to work.

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.