LAS VEGAS – Union College men's hockey junior defenseman
Tyler Dunbar earned CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association Second-Team All-America East honors, announced Friday night on NHL Network.
Dunbar was recognized as one of the top-24 Division-I men's hockey players and became the second Union blueliner to receive All-America laurels in the last three seasons, joining 2023-24 All-American John Prokop. Dunbar is the 15th All-American in Union's Division-I history and the 19th since 1976-77.
Dunbar burst onto the scene in Schenectady as a transfer from Colorado College, playing primarily alongside first-year Etienne Lessard as Union's top D pairing. The 6-1 junior defender tallied 33 points and broke the program's single-season defensemen goal record with 12, along with 21 assists.
"What stands out most about Tyler is how quickly he became a difference maker for us," head coach Josh Hauge said. "He brought a high level of skill, but more importantly, a relentless compete level and professionalism that our group fed off."
When Union's season ended in mid-March, Dunbar's 33 points were the third-most in the country among defensemen, and as of April 10, he ranks fifth in that category. The Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. native led ECAC Hockey defensemen in points and was named to the league's all-conference first team for his efforts. He also was a finalist for the conference's Player of the Year award, earned four Defender of the Week awards from ECAC Hockey, and was the conference's Defender of the Month for December 2025.
"[Dunbar] earned this honor through his consistency and the way he impacted the game in all situations," Hauge said.
Dunbar recorded at least one point in 21 of Union's 37 contests, playing in every one of the team's games. He scored a pair of power-play goals, notched two game-winners, and had two multi-goal games. On his way to earning ECAC Hockey's Defender of the Month award in December, Dunbar tallied a four-point game against then-ranked #8 Quinnipiac. He scored two goals with two assists as Union shutout the Bobcats on Dec. 6 for the first time since Nov. 12, 2005, and he also registered a three-assist game in the Opening Round of the ECAC Hockey Tournament against Brown University in a 9-0 win.
With Dunbar serving as a key cog in Union's defensive unit, he blocked a team-high 56 shots and was a part of seven shutouts on the season. He blocked a single-game season-high seven shots against Dartmouth College on Jan. 30 and also made a good first impression on the Union faithful with six blocked shots against Army West Point in his first game in a Garnet Charger uniform on Oct. 4.
Dunbar was one of three ECAC Hockey players to earn national recognition from the AHCA. A total of 19 schools produced All-Americans in 2025-26, and the full release can be found here.
