The men's hockey program added two more impact forwards today, announcing the commitment of 5'9", 188-pound Josh Paulhus and 5'11", 205-pound Riley Zimmerman. Both players averaged over a point per game in the MJHL last season, with Paulhus recording 61 in 56 games for Niverville, while Zimmerman had 68 points in 63 games for the OCN Blizzard. 

Paulhus is a Saskatchewan native who was Niverville's MVP this past year, helping the team advance to the playoffs in their inaugural season. Prior to his time in the MJHL, Paulhus played three seasons in the WHL, with over 70 games of experience for the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades. He also suited up for the Humboldt Broncos in 2019-20, scoring 13 points. In the classroom, Paulhus was an honour roll student every year of high school. 

"It was an easy choice for me to play hockey at the University of Manitoba because of its strong reputation for its hockey program, with a long history of success and a commitment to developing talented players," he said. "The opportunity to compete in the competitive Canada West hockey league and represent the University of Manitoba was an opportunity that I could not pass up. I am really looking forward to continuing my Hockey career and academics at the University of Manitoba."

Zimmerman has been a constant for OCN over the last four seasons, playing in over 160 games while donning the 'C' in 2022-23. He was also an assistant captain in 2021-22, and has scored 100 points over the last two campaigns. He was the team's Top Defensive Forward in 2019-20, Most Dedicated Player the last two years, and was the team's top scorer this past season. Off the ice, Zimmerman was OCN's Scholastic Excellence recipient in 2019-20, and is an honour roll student. 

"The University of Manitoba was a clear decision for me and I am very excited as I look to grow as a hockey player, further my education and grow as a person as well," he said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to grow and learn at the U of M and be a Bison!"