Checking in With Marton Nemes
Image Credit: Bentley Athletics
Marton Nemes found his home at Bentley, halfway across the world from his native Hungary. Catch up with the rising sophomore forward.
Written by Mike Klein
ZURICH, Switzerland — As Marton Nemes traveled from his native Hungary to the Czech Republic and Sweden in an effort to further his hockey career, one destination stuck in his mind from an early age: the United States, specifically, NCAA hockey.
“Playing for an American university was always a hope,” he said. “My parents were vocal about their desire for me to play college hockey, but I wanted it as well. They really liked how I could get an education while playing top-level hockey. I liked what I heard about [NCAA hockey], so it was easy for me to go along with it. I have to give a lot of credit to my parents for this, even though I wanted it for a long time.”
Fortunately for Nemes, he did not travel into completely uncharted waters, as he was able to consult with countrymen Kristof Papp and Beni Halasz, both of whom concluded their college careers following the 2024-25 season, on their experiences.
“Kristof played for Michigan State, Northern Michigan, and Lindenwood, so I spoke with him a lot when I was considering making the jump to NCAA hockey,” he said. “Beni Halasz, who played at Northern Michigan and UMass Lowell, also went that route. They both had nothing but good things to say about their experiences, and that made me certain I wanted to play college hockey.”
Following his third season in the Mora IK organization in Dalarna, Sweden, Nemes traveled across the Atlantic. He chose to play for the Bentley University Falcons, who were fresh off their first-ever conference championship and appearance in the NCAA tournament.
While many prospects have their sights set on the more established programs in nearby Boston, Nemes knew that Bentley would be an excellent fit for him both athletically and academically.
“[Head Coach] Andy Jones convinced me to go to Bentley,” he said. “I was very impressed by what he and his staff were able to build in the past three years. They built a very strong culture around the team, and everybody bought into it. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
The 2025-26 season brought heavy expectations for the Falcons, who had won the Atlantic Hockey America title and pushed top-seeded Boston College to the brink in the national tournament. Despite losing several key players to graduation and the transfer portal, Nemes knew that his team had the makeup to build on its previous success.
“My teammates are the best,” he said. “The amount of camaraderie we had was amazing. Coach Jones helped make us a team with a lot of seemingly little ideas. I remember the first road trip; instead of letting the players pick their roommates, he assigned a freshman to share a room with a senior. Things like that helped us bond really quickly, and it made a big difference.”
Image Credit: Bentley Athletics | Nemes celebrating a goal at Bentley Arena, the Falcons’ home rink in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Indeed, the Falcons continued where they left off the previous year and reached another milestone for the program: the Atlantic Hockey America regular season championship. It allowed the Falcons to host the conference final for the first time, and for Nemes, it was an experience he would remember for years to come.
“The [AHA] championship brought the whole campus together,” he said. “It was unbelievable to see how the whole community came out to support us. Bentley isn’t a large school, but everyone was behind us, and it felt so great to win the title in front of our classmates.”
Although Bentley clearly holds a special place in Nemes’ heart, he remains equally proud of his Hungarian roots, as evidenced by his extensive experience with the national team.
After playing in two U16 exhibition games in the 2020-21 season, Nemes first wore the national colors in the 2022 Division 1 Group B World Under-18 championships, which saw Hungary earn promotion for the 2023 edition. Since his debut, he has also answered the call for the U20 team as well as the men’s national team in both the World Championships and the qualification rounds for the Olympics.
Image Credit: Utlanpotlassport.hu | Nemes skating with his fellow countrymen in 2024’s Olympic qualifying tournament.
“I’ve been playing abroad since 2018, so playing with the national team is really the only chance I get to play with the guys back home,” he said. “It’s always an honor to play for the national team, so I’ll do it whenever they call me.”
The 2026 Championship marks his second appearance in the tournament, having played in the Division 1 Group A tournament in 2024. Team Hungary, without Nemes, avoided relegation in last year’s Championship and will likely remain in the top division for next year, but the team remains realistic in its expectations.
“We came here trying to get closer to the ‘bigger countries’ and every game we get to play is an opportunity to raise our level of play,” he said. “Obviously, we try to steal a point every game, but we know we’re not the favorite, so we’re just trying to improve with each game.”
Much like current teammate Kristof Papp, Nemes thinks NCAA hockey provides an unmatched development experience and urges his countrymen to make the trip to the US.
“The level of play in NCAA hockey is very high,” he said. “I think some people in Europe might underestimate it, but it’s really fast, and it translates very well to professional hockey. Also, it’s a great time off the ice. You get to be super-close with your teammates, and you get to build a culture like nothing else. On top of that, you get a great education. If anyone would ask me if they should play college hockey, I would tell them to go for it.”
