COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - On the surface, Gleb Veremyev’s role in Colorado College’s rise from the bottom of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) standings to an NCAA Tournament contender is unsurprising. However, it’s his journey through adversity that makes him a visual example of the work the Tigers have put in to climb the ranks.
 
Veremyev is a tough player to miss on the ice, possessing the one attribute hockey coaches can’t teach – size. Standing at 6-foot-4 before he laces up his skates, the power forward’s combination of size and skill is the envy of college programs across the country. His strength and energy have been a key catalyst since the day he stepped onto campus and have the Tigers primed to build on their success this season as they sit 9-4-1 overall. Development is not always linear, however, and Veremyev’s journey is a tale of resilience and not letting a significant hurdle derail his dreams.
 
“Through his junior career, Gleb became a tough guy and instigator,” CC head coach Kris Mayotte said. “We saw a guy who could impact a game offensively with attributes that are hard to play against and talent that can lead to goals. He finishes hits, he gets to the net and he can play big minutes.”
 
Veremyev debuted with a bang as a freshman for the Tigers, notching a goal and an assist against Alaska-Anchorage, part of a five-point October in 2022. The Sayreville, New Jersey native continued drawing notice as a prominent lineup mainstay in the Tigers’ first 14 games of the 2022-23 campaign, but a lower-body injury against St. Cloud State on November 19 abruptly ended his promising debut season.
 
“I was playing well and the team was off to a nice start,” Veremyev said. “Something happened in the last game against St. Cloud. I was told I would be out for the rest of the year and learn how to walk, run, and skate all over again. CC has a great physical therapy staff and I put a lot of trust in them with my rehab to bring me back.”
 
The Tigers battled valiantly over the next two months while Veremyev rehabbed his injury, recovering from a 3-5 October to get back to .500 (10-10-1) with a 4-2 victory at St. Cloud State that put them at 6-4-1 in NCHC play on Jan. 13. That promising stretch took a turn for the worse, however, as CC closed the regular season 0-11-2 over its final 13 games to mark its fourth-straight season finishing seventh or lower in the standings.
 
A funny thing happened for the Tigers in the postseason. Instead of bowing out in the NCHC Playoffs to conclude another forgettable campaign, they shocked seventh-ranked Western Michigan by sweeping the best-of-three series in Kalamazoo to punch their first-ever trip to the Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul. CC kept the ride going in the semifinal round by shutting out rival Denver, 1-0, to reach the championship. While St. Cloud State ultimately ended Colorado College’s Cinderella run, the Tigers entered the offseason with momentum.
 
With a short season and a long rehab under his belt, Veremyev was ready to re-establish himself heading into his 2023-24 sophomore campaign. While everyone saw the effort he put in to get back on the ice, it was still a mystery what impact he would make once he suited up. The undrafted power forward put those concerns to rest right away when he scored a goal and added an assist while firing seven shots on goal in an opening weekend sweep of Union.
 
“I didn’t know what things would look like for his recovery at the beginning,” Mayotte said. “It’s more than a journey to get back physically, you also need to get back emotionally and mentally, and I wasn’t sure how much time he was going to need to play the style that he likes to play. We had a plan to limit his minutes early on, but once his conditioning got there early in the preseason, he showed that he was ready to pick up where he left off. Our training staff did great work and Gleb was outstanding at getting himself stronger and mentally take a step to push himself back to being an impact player.”
 
The Tigers came out roaring in 2023-24 by winning their first five contests. Veremyev himself was a spark, putting up five points over the hot start, including a three-point night at Air Force on Oct. 27. That performance kicked off a six-game point streak for him in which he posted 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) to allay any fears that he could stand up to the rigors of a full season.
 
“Having him on the ice is huge because he makes an impact every shift,” senior captain Stanley Cooley said. “In the locker room, before games and at practice, he pushes others to be better. He’s a huge competitor and having that kind of presence is a huge boost for our team. It was something we missed when he was out and noticed right away when he returned.”
 
The Tigers knew they’d have to overcome adversity to post their first winning season since 2011-12. Colorado College lost three in a row and went 2-6-1 following its 5-0 start. After a four-point weekend in a sweep at Miami, Veremyev was kept off the scoresheet during the 0-3-1 stretch that followed.
 
Sitting with a 7-6-1 record and facing No. 1 North Dakota in Grand Forks, CC turned its fortunes around by sweeping the Fighting Hawks, with Veremyev providing the game-winning goal in the series finale. The Tigers went 13-5-2 in their final 20 regular-season games and put themselves in prime position for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Veremyev’s return played a big role as he tallied 15 goals and 28 points to finish second on the team in scoring. CC went 10-1-1 in games in which Veremyev scored a goal and below .500 (11-12-2) when he didn’t.
 
When the 2024 NCHC Playoffs began, the Tigers were above the NCAA Tournament cutline in the PairWise, and Veremyev opened their series against Omaha with a three-point night to put them a game away from returning to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. However, UNO snuck out the final two games despite CC holding a 72-43 advantage in shots. That left the Tigers’ postseason fate out of their hands. Unfortunately, the final weekend before the NCAA Tournament left them on the outside looking in despite their 21-13-3 mark representing their best record since the 2010-11 campaign.
 
Like all top college players in the offseason, Veremyev garnered professional interest last summer. He ultimately decided to return, citing unfinished business as the Tigers aim to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
 
“The feeling from not making it to the NCAA Tournament despite coming so close put a chip on our shoulder,” Veremyev said. “It was an easy decision to come back and keep this momentum going.”

 

While points (8 in 14 games) have been a little harder to come by so far this season, Veremyev remains a staple on the Tigers top line and is tied for the team lead with five goals. He opened the year with back-to-back multi-point games and the Tigers won their first eight contests to continue their rise as an NCHC contender (CC’s best start since 1956-57). Since entering the 2023 NCHC Playoffs with a 10-21-3 record, Colorado College is 33-18-4 in its last 55 games, with Veremyev contributing 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists) in the 51 games he’s played in that stretch.
 
“The biggest thing when you are rebuilding a program is the belief,” Mayotte said. “Demanding a certain work ethic can only last so long. At some point, you have to see results for people to keep believing in the process. We put in a lot of work in the first couple years, but once we went to Western to get the sweep (in the playoffs) and then beat Denver in the semis, it allows for the conviction and belief to develop.”
 
Veremyev’s impact on the ice is obvious, but his efforts extend beyond the energy fans are accustomed to seeing when he laces up his skates.
 
“Gleb is a big personality on and off the ice,” Cooley said. “On the ice, fans see him as an aggressive player laying out big hits and playing hard. In the locker room and away from the rink, he’s one of the funniest guys on the team. He’s awesome to be around all the time and someone you love to have on your team.”
 
Beyond the physical development, Veremyev’s overall approach has matured as his college career has progressed.
 
“I think from a player perspective I’ve become more consistent than ever,” Veremyev said. “When you come in from juniors, there is no room for mistakes in a 36-game season. Every game matters a lot. As a person, I’ve learned how to manage my time going through classes and the expectations of a student-athlete.”
 
He and the Tigers are also not taking their hot start for granted.
 
“While we are happy with how things have started, everyone in the locker room knows that there is room for improvement,” Veremyev added. “We’re looking to get our offensive production up to support our defensive core.”
 
Veremyev and the No. 10 Tigers close the first half of their campaign this weekend with the Gold Pan series against defending national champion and No. 4 Denver. Friday’s series opener in Colorado Springs begins at 7 p.m. Mountain Time and can be seen on SOCO CW (in Colorado), TSN2 (in Canada) and select Gray Media stations across the country. Both Gold Pan rivalry games are available to stream on NCHC.tv.