Pecknold Announces Addition of Sommer to Coaching Staff
8/13/2025 3:51:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Former Holy Cross Associate Head Coach, Player Comes to Hamden
HAMDEN, Conn. — The Quinnipiac men's ice hockey program and head coach Rand Pecknold announced the addition of former Holy Cross associate head coach and student-athlete Castan Sommer to the coaching staff for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
The former ECHL and Swedish professional player spent four seasons on the coaching staff at Holy Cross under head coach Bill Riga, including the final season as the associate head coach for the Crusaders. Before then, he was an assistant for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds from 2017-21.
"It was difficult to leave a place as special to me as Holy Cross, but my family and I are very excited to come to Quinnipiac," Sommer said. "I have heard nothing but great things about Rand, Joe, and Justin, and I look forward to learning from them and continuing upon all the success that they have had."
Sommer joins the Bobcats with a standout resume at Holy Cross, most recently helping Holy Cross to its first AHA Regular Season title since 2006. The squad also appeared in a pair of AHA title games, also their first two since the 2006 season.
He mentored at least one player in all three recruiting classes to the AHA All-Rookie team and coached a total of 21 players to the All-Atlantic Hockey teams, including a two-time AHA Scoring Champion, AHA Player of the Year and Hobey Baker finalist.
The teams' special teams also thrived under Sommer, with the penalty kill finishing top in the nation at 91 percent and the power play finishing ninth in the country at 25 percent.
Quinnipiac will begin its 2025-26 campaign on Oct. 3 when they head to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. The home opener will be Oct. 17 when the Bobcats open a two-game series against Maine.
For an inside look at the Quinnipiac men's ice hockey program, be sure to follow it on social media @QU_MIH or go to gobobcats.com/mih.
The former ECHL and Swedish professional player spent four seasons on the coaching staff at Holy Cross under head coach Bill Riga, including the final season as the associate head coach for the Crusaders. Before then, he was an assistant for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds from 2017-21.
"It was difficult to leave a place as special to me as Holy Cross, but my family and I are very excited to come to Quinnipiac," Sommer said. "I have heard nothing but great things about Rand, Joe, and Justin, and I look forward to learning from them and continuing upon all the success that they have had."
Sommer joins the Bobcats with a standout resume at Holy Cross, most recently helping Holy Cross to its first AHA Regular Season title since 2006. The squad also appeared in a pair of AHA title games, also their first two since the 2006 season.
He mentored at least one player in all three recruiting classes to the AHA All-Rookie team and coached a total of 21 players to the All-Atlantic Hockey teams, including a two-time AHA Scoring Champion, AHA Player of the Year and Hobey Baker finalist.
The teams' special teams also thrived under Sommer, with the penalty kill finishing top in the nation at 91 percent and the power play finishing ninth in the country at 25 percent.
Quinnipiac will begin its 2025-26 campaign on Oct. 3 when they head to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. The home opener will be Oct. 17 when the Bobcats open a two-game series against Maine.
For an inside look at the Quinnipiac men's ice hockey program, be sure to follow it on social media @QU_MIH or go to gobobcats.com/mih.
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