TOM MOORADIAN SELECTED AS ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE 2027 FISU WINTER WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES IN CHANGCHUN, CHINA
TROY, MI (Nov. 9, 2026) – The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) announced today that Tom Mooradian has been selected as assistant coach for the Men’s Ice Hockey team that will compete at the 2027 FISU Winter World University Games in Changchun, China. Mooradian will support head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk of Minot State University with the United States Men’s National University Team. The 2027 Winter World University Games in Changchun, China will take place January 13-25, 2027.
Tom Mooradian (Youngstown, N.Y.) is entering his 6th season as Head Coach at Niagara University, during which time the Purple Eagles have qualified for four berths to the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, won a Northeast Collegiate Hockey League (NECHL) conference championship (2022), and an Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) regular season conference championship (2024). Mooradian was named NECHL Coach of the Year in 2022 and has been twice named Coach of the Year in the ESCHL (2023 and 2024). Mooradian has a record of 120 wins, 38 losses, and 6 ties as Head Coach of the Purple Eagles.
Prior to becoming Head Coach, Mooradian served as Associate Head Coach at Niagara University from 2015 through 2020 and also served as an Assistant Coach at Niagara during the 2014-2015 season. Before coaching, Mooradian played at Niagara University (ACHA) from 2008-2012, where he accumulated 28 goals and 35 assists in 111 games over his four seasons of play. Mooradian was a three-time ACHA All Academic selection and served as Captain during his senior year. Mooradian resides in Youngstown, N.Y. with his wife, Kalli, and 2-year-old daughter.
The Men’s tournament will consist of nine teams. Group A will consist of Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Korea, Student Neutral Athletes from the Russian Federation, and the United States playing four round-robin games. Group B will consist of Canada, Czechia, Japan, and Slovakia playing three round-robin games. The top four teams in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals. All Men’s games, including the Semifinals and Finals, will be held at the 8,552-seat Changchun Olympic Park Ice Arena.
The ACHA is fielding a United States men’s hockey team at the Winter World University Games for the 12th time.
The 2027 Changchun Winter Universiade will be broadcast to more than 100 countries, reaching over 300 million viewers worldwide. Additional information can be found at changchun2027.com.cn.
Founded in 1949, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) organizes world-class sports and educational events, all with the mission of providing university students with the opportunities to connect and exchange with students from around the world, in a collaborative and competitive environment.
The 2027 Changchun Winter Universiade, also known as the 2027 FISU Winter World University Games, the XXXIII Winter World University Games, or the 33rd Winter Universiade, and commonly known as Changchun 2027, is the largest international winter multi-sport event for student-athletes and will consist of 12 sports and 108 medal events. Featuring more than 2,500 athletes and staff from more than 50 countries in the 18–28-year-old age range, the 13-day event began in 1960 in France and was hosted on American soil in Lake Placid, N.Y., in both 1972 and 2023. This will be the second time that the event will be held in China, after Harbin in 2009.
For more information, please contact ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett at cbarnett@achahockey.org.
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About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 460 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 13,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and entered its 36th season in September 2026. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
