Bowling Green State University Athletics
McKinley Named Captain For BGSU Hockey; Crampton, Doran, Waters Named Assistant Captains
September 30, 2026 | Ice Hockey
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University hockey team announced the team's captain and assistant captains for the 2026-27 season. For the upcoming campaign, head hockey coach Dennis Williams announced that Breck McKinley will serve as the captain for the Falcons while Brayden Crampton, Ben Doran and Brody Waters will be the assistant captains.Â
"I'm extremely excited to announce Breck McKinley as our captain, with Ben Doran, Brody Waters, and Brayden Crampton serving as assistant captains," said Williams. "Each of these four brings a unique leadership style, and I'm confident their strengths will complement one another and continue to build on the strong foundation of leadership established here at Bowling Green over the past two years. What makes this group special is not only their commitment to their craft, work ethic, and dedication on the ice, but also their genuine care for this program, their teammates, and the standard we expect every day. They consistently put the team first, lead with character, and understand what it means to represent Bowling Green both on and off the ice and in the classroom. We're proud to have these individuals leading our program, while continuing to rely on our entire roster to contribute to our leadership culture."
Breck McKinley, Captain
One of two players on the roster with over 100 games played in their Bowling Green career, Breck McKinley was named to the Preseason All-CCHA Teams in both the coaches and media polls. A season ago, McKinley appeared in all 36 games for the Falcons while totaling 26 points, including 24 assists. His assist total ranked second in the nation among defensemen while his point total ranked eighth. He added a +13 mark for the season and tallied 28 blocks. At the conclusion of the season, he was named 2026 Second-Team All-CCHA while also being a 2025-26 ACHA All-American Scholar.
Brayden Crampton, Assistant Captain
Last season, Brayden Crampton earned a spot on the 2026 All-CCHA Rookie Team after appearing in 35 of Bowling Green's 36 games. Crampton finished the season with three goals and 15 assists, totaling 18 points on the year. He added a +6 mark and 26 blocked shots while registering three games with multiple points. Crampton is the first sophomore to be named an assistant captain since Dalton Norris in 2023-24.Â
Ben Doran, Assistant Captain
With 97 career games under his belt for the Orange and Brown, Ben Doran was named to the Preseason All-CCHA Team in the Coaches Poll this year. Last season, Doran appeared in all 36 games for the Falcons, notching seven goals and 24 assists for a total of 31 points. He recorded a +9 mark of the season and was named the CCHA Forward of the Week after tallying two key assists in an overtime win over No. 16 Michigan Tech.Â
Brody Waters, Assistant Captain
Brody Waters has appeared in a team-leading 106 games for the Falcons during his collegiate career, joining McKinley as the two Falcons entering the season with 100+ games for Bowling Green. Last season, Waters appeared in all 36 of Bowling Green's games, posting seven goals and eight assists for a total of 15 points. He finished the year with a +5 mark and blocked 24 shots after being named to the preseason All-CCHA Team.Â
The Falcons will begin their season this weekend. Bowling Green will open the year on the road at No. 2 Michigan on Friday (Oct. 2) with a 7 p.m. puck drop before returning home to Slater Family Ice Arena on Saturday (Oct. 3) to host the Wolverines in a sold out home opener at 6:07 p.m.Â
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons hockey team on social media
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUHKY
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgfalconhockey'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'Â
"I'm extremely excited to announce Breck McKinley as our captain, with Ben Doran, Brody Waters, and Brayden Crampton serving as assistant captains," said Williams. "Each of these four brings a unique leadership style, and I'm confident their strengths will complement one another and continue to build on the strong foundation of leadership established here at Bowling Green over the past two years. What makes this group special is not only their commitment to their craft, work ethic, and dedication on the ice, but also their genuine care for this program, their teammates, and the standard we expect every day. They consistently put the team first, lead with character, and understand what it means to represent Bowling Green both on and off the ice and in the classroom. We're proud to have these individuals leading our program, while continuing to rely on our entire roster to contribute to our leadership culture."
Breck McKinley, Captain
One of two players on the roster with over 100 games played in their Bowling Green career, Breck McKinley was named to the Preseason All-CCHA Teams in both the coaches and media polls. A season ago, McKinley appeared in all 36 games for the Falcons while totaling 26 points, including 24 assists. His assist total ranked second in the nation among defensemen while his point total ranked eighth. He added a +13 mark for the season and tallied 28 blocks. At the conclusion of the season, he was named 2026 Second-Team All-CCHA while also being a 2025-26 ACHA All-American Scholar.
Brayden Crampton, Assistant Captain
Last season, Brayden Crampton earned a spot on the 2026 All-CCHA Rookie Team after appearing in 35 of Bowling Green's 36 games. Crampton finished the season with three goals and 15 assists, totaling 18 points on the year. He added a +6 mark and 26 blocked shots while registering three games with multiple points. Crampton is the first sophomore to be named an assistant captain since Dalton Norris in 2023-24.Â
Ben Doran, Assistant Captain
With 97 career games under his belt for the Orange and Brown, Ben Doran was named to the Preseason All-CCHA Team in the Coaches Poll this year. Last season, Doran appeared in all 36 games for the Falcons, notching seven goals and 24 assists for a total of 31 points. He recorded a +9 mark of the season and was named the CCHA Forward of the Week after tallying two key assists in an overtime win over No. 16 Michigan Tech.Â
Brody Waters, Assistant Captain
Brody Waters has appeared in a team-leading 106 games for the Falcons during his collegiate career, joining McKinley as the two Falcons entering the season with 100+ games for Bowling Green. Last season, Waters appeared in all 36 of Bowling Green's games, posting seven goals and eight assists for a total of 15 points. He finished the year with a +5 mark and blocked 24 shots after being named to the preseason All-CCHA Team.Â
The Falcons will begin their season this weekend. Bowling Green will open the year on the road at No. 2 Michigan on Friday (Oct. 2) with a 7 p.m. puck drop before returning home to Slater Family Ice Arena on Saturday (Oct. 3) to host the Wolverines in a sold out home opener at 6:07 p.m.Â
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons hockey team on social media
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSUHKY
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgfalconhockey'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'Â
Players Mentioned
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