David Utkin played for the NAHL's Maryland Black Bears in 2024 before joining the Danbury (Conn.) Hat Tricks.
Forward from Russia fifth and final recruit for Flames’ DI men’s hockey
9/1/2026 5:02:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
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After most recently playing for the Danbury (Conn.) Hat Tricks in the NAHL, David Utkin brings a creative offensive flair to Liberty’s front lines.
David Utkin, the son of a pastor who has emerged as a leader of international outreach efforts for FCA Hockey in Russia, is the fifth and final member of Liberty University's ACHA Division I men's hockey team's 2026 recruiting class, and one who can make an immediate impact on the Flames' offense this fall.
The late pickup was especially timely after Liberty's first forward commitment, Alex Hall, opted out last month in order to serve as a youth pastor in his home state of Minnesota.
"We are very familiar with David and have been for a few years now," Liberty Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We have tracked his progress, and he has played with some of our players at FCA Hockey camps. He decided to come at the last minute, which was awesome. We've been impressed with his game, and he is someone who can jump in and play right away, so I am excited."
Utkin, from St. Petersburg, Russia, recently visited Nashville, Tenn.
Utkin, 21, a left-handed shooter who stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 187 pounds, will complement the Flames' stable full of returning forwards, including graduate head captain Sam Feamster and senior alternate captainsLuke Munroe, Mac Ratzlaff, and Tucker Shields, as well as fellow recruit Stone Rolston and Zach Nicolas, a transfer from NCAA Division I Stonehill (Mass.) College.
"All the forwards we've brought in have size and are going to help our lines out," Handy said. "David is offensive and he's got a real knack around the net. He is really creative with the puck and is going to be a nice addition for our team. He wanted to come to Liberty. That's what I love about it, and he absolutely fits our culture on and off the ice."
"David's a really skilled player, so it's really easy playing with him," Rolston added after playing on the same line in Thursday's practice. "I think we have good chemistry so we will see what we can bring and see what happens. We'll help out the best that we can."
Utkin met FCA Hockey Director Rick Randazzo — who oversees both the organization's North American operations and international missionary programs that have been based out of Lynchburg, Va., for the past two years — in 2019 when he first visited the United States from St. Petersburg, Russia.
"I came to the U.S. to play in his summer camp in Minnesota, and that was how I heard about Liberty," Utkin said. "It was God's way for me. It feels so enjoyable to be here with Christian players, Christian family, Christian people. It's so good to be here. Everyone is a very good teammate here."
Randazzo and FCA Hockey lead on-ice instructor Tim Jackman played key roles in helping Utkin return to America to play for the Utah Outliers, where he was a teammate of Flames sophomore defenseman Jentzen Kaebel. He scored 21 goals and distributed 19 assists in 40 games for the USPHL Premiere team in 2023 before netting 25 goals and 20 assists in 31 games with its NCDC program in 2024.
"We're excited that he's here," Randazzo said. "I helped him come to the U.S. three or four years ago and worked with advisory services to get to him to Maryland (NAHL's Black Bears) and onto Connecticut. I was his advisor for six or seven years, to show him what it might be like to come here." Utkin started his Juniors hockey career with the Utah Outliers, scoring 21 goals and distributing 19 assists for the USPHL Premiere team.
Most recently, Utkin, who scored 14 goals and distributed 23 assists in 49 games with the NAHL's Danbury (Conn.) Hat Tricks last season, joined Randazzo's FCA Hockey team in the Christian Cup in Tennessee in April.
"There were a lot of Liberty guys there, and at that point, he started to show some interest, and he reached out to Kirk," said Randazzo, who testified to Utkin's sound faith and talent as a player. "He is definitely a super strong believer who is totally sold out to the Lord, 100 percent. At one point, he was being recruited by NCAA Division I teams, so he's got a high ceiling and he is going to be a great addition to the team."
Utkin made a positive first impression on coaches and teammates at last week's tryouts and practices.
"So far, so good," he said, noting he hadn't skated since the NAHL's Robertson Cup semifinals in May, when Danbury lost in the semifinals to the Lone Star (Texas) Brahmas. "(Playing in the ACHA will be) a lot different. I just want to do whatever the coaches say."
After adjusting to the smaller rinks upon arriving in the United States, he is now prepared to adjust to the speed and physicality of the collegiate game.
"It was hard (playing in the NAHL for the past two and a half years) because in Russia, we play on bigger Olympic-sized ice, so there is more time to think about (plays)," Utkin said. "Everything is faster here."
The maturity level is also much higher in the ACHA, as is the size of the crowds the Flames play in front of, especially for home games in the LaHaye Ice Center.
"We have a lot of older guys compared to where I was playing last year when I was the old guy, and now I'm one of the younger ones," said Utkin, who will be pursuing a B.S. in Sport Management and possibly his MBA. "It's definitely more mature and more structured, and of course the atmosphere (of the crowd) is going to be way different. I'm definitely really excited for that as well."
He got to know his new teammates in a less structured setting during the team's retreat to Stone Ridge Estate in Concord, Va., on Wednesday.
"We had a nice pickleball tournament, and it was pretty competitive," Rolston said, noting he and junior defenseman Michael Adamek lost to the eventual champions — senior defenseman and alternate captain Nick Pomerleau and sophomore forward Tanner Hunt — in the quarterfinals. "I've got to give it to this guy (Utkin, who teamed with Nicolas and reached the final). He was really good."
The Flames' 2026-27 debut against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is set for Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. in the LIC.
