Cynthia Tseng/Sun Senior Photographer

Charlie Major '28 is the newest addition to the offense for Cornell.

October 29, 2024

Meet the Four Newest Members of Men’s Hockey

Print More

After losing just two seniors to graduation –– and only one regular contributor –– men’s hockey will look relatively unchanged from its 2024-2024 season that saw it reach the NCAA Quarterfinals. Cornell returns the majority of its roster that clinched an Ivy League title and secured its first Whitelaw Cup in 13 years.

Four newcomers will adorn the Red’s roster this season — two forwards, one defenseman and a goaltender. They will join a group of ten sophomores, six juniors and ten seniors poised to make a run at a national championship.

Charlie Major (Skaneateles, New York) Forward

The son of Mark Major ’88, Major enters East Hill after two seasons with the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League. The New York native racked up 84 points over 105 games played, including a breakout 70-point year in 2023-2024. Standing at 5′ 10”, Major is better known for his skillful playmaking abilities and is highly touted by head coach Mike Schafer ’86 as the season gets underway.

“Charlie Major I think is going to be a great player in this league,” Schafer said. “He’s a guy [who] I think has an opportunity to be a very special player in the ECAC.”

Having played center for the Steel, Major has an opportunity to fill a gaping hole at center left by the graduation of Gabriel Seger ’24, who was reliable as a goal scorer, playmaker and faceoff specialist. 

Parker Murray (Manhattan Beach, California) Forward

Listed as 6’ 5”, 229 pounds, Murray is a power forward who has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League. A relatively late recruit, Murray pledged his commitment to the admissions process at Cornell on Jan. 3, 2024, nearly two years later than the rest of his freshman class. 

Combining for 116 points in 139 games over his last three seasons, he has the ability to create offense while utilizing his size to make plays and big hits. Murray is the son of Glen Murray, who spent 16 years in the NHL and posted 651 points in over 1,000 games played. With the absence of junior forward Winter Wallace, who is out long-term with a lower-body injury, Murray could be expected to play a similar role as an aggressive power forward.

Nicholas Wolfenberg (Calgary, Alberta) Defenseman

Wolfenberg, like Murray, also hails from the BCHL. The right-handed defenseman played 14 games in 2023-2024 before being sidelined with an injury for the remainder of the season. In 2022-2023, Wolfenberg served as an alternate captain and posted 37 points in 74 games overall in his career with the Okotoks Oilers. 

Joining an already deep defensive group led by seniors Hank Kempf, Tim Rego and Michael Suda and sophomore Ben Robertson, Wolfenberg will likely play a third-pair role should he slot into the lineup. He could earn some ice time early on as sophomore defenseman George Fegaras recovers from a hand injury, which Schafer notes as a big gap to fill, but will likely have to fight for minutes with returning sophomores Marian Mosko and Liam Steele and junior Jack O’Brien, all who are eager to make a bigger impact in 2024-25.

Justin Katz (Montreal, Quebec) Goaltender

Hailing from eastern Canada, Katz is a goaltending prospect who has played in many different leagues over the past few seasons. Noted by Schafer as someone battling an injury in 2023-2024, Katz played in just 14 games last season, posting a 4-9-4 record with a .902 save percentage. Intriguingly, Katz catches with his right hand rather than the standard left and spent time playing in the United States with Deerfield Academy, a private preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Katz will likely play a depth role as Cornell returns senior goaltender Ian Shane, who was tabbed as a second-team All American in 2023-2024 and is the reigning ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year.