WALTHAM, Mass. – Andy Jones was voted the 2026 Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday in revealing its major award winners. Kellan Hjartarson was voted the Best Defensive Forward and Nicholas Bevilacqua earned the Goaltending Champion award.

Jones led Bentley to the first AHA regular season championship in program history this season. As the #1 seed, they are 4-0 so far in the playoffs and reached the AHA championship game for the second straight year.

With 22 wins, Bentley is one win away from tying the program record of 23 which was set last season.

His Falcons will look to win back-to-back league championships on Saturday night on home-ice against Sacred Heart.

Hjartarson, a junior forward from Calgary, Alberta, is the second Falcon in a row to win the Best Defensive Forward award after Ethan Leyh in 2025.

His defensive efforts have helped Bentley lead Atlantic Hockey in fewest goals allowed per game (2.29) and rank second in penalty kill percentage (83.9). Nationally, Bentley is tied for eighth in fewest goals allowed per game and 11^th in penalty kill.

Hjartarson is second on the team in +/- rating at +17 and he's contributed 31 points offensively, on eight goals and 23 assists.

Bevilacqua was crowned the 2026 AHA Goaltending Champion for having the best save percentage in conference games. He posted a .940 save percentage in 10 league starts. He also led the way in goals against average in league play at 1.59.

Overall this season, he has a 9-2-1 record with a .935 save percentage in 12 starts.