Category: Men’s Hockey

Last month in Philadelphia, Union became the 20th program to win an NCAA Division I men’s college hockey championship. Since 1948, teams have competed for the coveted trophy, and the Dutchmen will raise a banner celebrating this past season that will hang forever.

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at all twenty teams who have made it to the mountaintop. Today, we’re discussing the top five programs of all time. Follow the links to have a look at #20 through #16, #15 through #11, and #10 through #6.

#5 Boston University Terriers

National Championships: 5 (1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009)
Frozen Four Appearances: 21 (most recent, 2009)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 32 (most recent, 2012)
Conference Playoff Titles: 12 (most recent, 2009)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 14 (most recent, 2009)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: LW Chris Drury (1998), D Matt Gilroy (2009)

Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Cleon Daskalakis (1984), John Cullen (1987), Shawn McEachern (1991), David Sacco (1993), Mike Grier (1995), Jay Pandolfo (1996), Chris Drury (1996, 1997), Michel Larocque (1999), John Curry (2007), Colin Wilson (2009)

Other notable former players: Tony Amonte, Adrian Aucoin, Shawn Bates, Nick Bonino, Chris Borque, Joe DiPenta, Rick DiPietro, Paul Fenton, Mark Fidler, Mike Fidler, Scott Lachance, Dan LaCouture, Rick Meagher, Freddy Meyer, Jack O’Callahan, Tom Poti, Joe Sacco, Kevin Shattenkirk, Dave Silk, Mike Sullivan, Keith Tkachuk, Ryan Whitney, Brandon Yip, Scott Young

Boston University didn’t join the ECAC until the 1961-62 season but still managed to appear in four Frozen Fours as an independent in the 1950s. Jack Parker had a remarkable nine-season stretch with the Terriers from 1989 until 1998, winning 254 games (against just 82 losses), five Hockey East regular season chmapionships, and four Hockey East playoff titles. BU also advanced to nine straight NCAA tournaments over that span, appearing in the Frozen Four seven times with a national title (1995) and three runner-up finishes. The Terriers have only appeared in one Frozen Four in their past nine NCAA tourneys, but they made the most of their visit to Washington, D.C. with a pair of one-goal victories to earn the program’s fifth national title.

#4 Boston College Eagles

National Championships: 5 (1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012)
Frozen Four Appearances: 24 (most recent, 2012)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 33 (most recent, 2014)
Conference Playoff Titles: 13 (most recent, 2012)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 14 (most recent, 2014)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: C David Emma (1991), D Mike Mottau (2000), LW Johnny Gaudreau (2014)

Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Scott Harlow (1986), Brian Leetch (1987), Craig Janney (1987), Tim Sweeney (1989), Greg Brown (1989, 1990), David Emma (1990), Brian Gionta (1999, 2000, 2001), Jeff Farkas (2000), Ben Eaves (2003), Tony Voce (2004), Patrick Eaves (2005), Chris Collins (2006), Nathan Gerbe (2008), Cam Atkinson (2011), Brian Dumoulin (2012), Johnny Gaudreau (2013), Kevin Hayes (2014)

Other notable former players: Andrew Alberts, Harvey Bennett, Brian Boyle, Doug Brown, Scott Clemmensen, Steven Gionta, Bill Guerin, Peter Harrold, Steve Heinze, Chuck Kobasew, Krys Kolanos, Chris Kreider, Ben Lovejoy, Marty McInnis, Ian Moran, Joe Mullen, Brooks Orpik, Marty Reasoner, Cory Schneider, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Shannon, Tim Sheehy, Ben Smith, Kevin Stevens, Bob Sweeney

The Jerry York era has been astounding at Boston College. In twenty seasons behind the bench, York has collected seven regular season titles, nine league playoff titles, fifteen NCAA tournament appearances, ten Frozen Four bids, and four national championships. But the flip side of that equation is that in the 47 seasons that BC competed for an NCAA title before York’s arrival in Chestnut Hill, the Eagles only played in the national title game three times and won exactly one championship (1949). So the question is this: are we talking about the storied history of Boston College, or the storied history of Jerry York?

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers

National Championships: 5 (1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003)
Frozen Four Appearances: 21 (most recent, 2014)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 35 (most recent, 2014)
Conference Playoff Titles: 6 (most recent, 2007)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 15 (most recent, 2014)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: C Neal Broten (1981), G Robb Stauber (1988), C Brian Bonin (1996), D Jordan Leopold (2002)

Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Steve Ulseth (1981), Bryan Erickson (1982, 1983), Scott Bjugstad (1983), Pat Micheletti (1985), Robb Stauber (1989), Larry Olimb (1992), Brian Bonin (1995), Mike Crowley (1996, 1997), Jordan Leopold (2001), Keith Ballard (2004), Ryan Potulny (2006), Adam Wilcox (2014)

Other notable former players: Russ Anderson, Mike Antonovich, Nick Bjugstad, Aaron Broten, Paul Broten, Tom Chorske, Ben Clymer, Alex Goligoski, Tom Gorence, Darby Hendrickson, Paul Holmgren, Craig Johnson, Erik Johnson, Phil Kessel, Trent Klatt, Reed Larson, John Mariucci, Paul Martin, John Mayasich, Chris McAlpine, Jack McCartan, Rob McClanahan, Joe Micheletti, Corey Millen, Warren Miller, Kyle Okposo, Tom Pederson, Lance Pitlick, Mike Polich, Mike Ramsey, Erik Rasmussen, Dave Snuggerud, Thomas Vanek, Blake Wheeler, Tom Younghands, Doug Zmolek

With this most recent season in the books, Minnesota is now tied with Michigan for the most NCAA tournament appearances (35), but they’ve also missed the tourney six times in the past 17 seasons. The past three seasons have put the Gopher faithful in a much better mood, however, with three straight league titles, two Frozen Four appearances, and a combined record of 82-30-12 (.710). In the six-team Big Ten, Minnesota will be in a position to add quite a bit of new hardware to the trophy case every season.

#2 University of North Dakota

National Championships: 7 (1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000)
Frozen Four Appearances: 20 (most recent, 2014)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 29 (most recent, 2014)
Conference Playoff Titles: 7 (most recent, 2012)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 15 (most recent, 2011)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: C Tony Hrkac (1987), LW Ryan Duncan (2007)

Hobey Baker Award Finalists: James Patrick (1983), Jon Casey (1984), Scott Sandelin (1986), Steve Johnson (1988), Russ Parent (1990), Greg Johnson (1991, 1992, 1993), Jason Blake (1997), Curtis Murphy (1998), Jason Blake (1999), Jeff Panzer (2000, 2001), Zach Parise (2003, 2004), Brandon Bochenski (2004), T.J. Oshie (2008), Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (2008), Matt Frattin (2011), Corban Knight (2013), Danny Kristo (2013)

Other notable former players: Earl Anderson, Murray Baron, Ed Belfour, Perry Berezan, Brad Berry, Brad Bombardir, Dave Christian, Mike Commodore, Matt Greene, David Hale, Alan Hangsleben, Dennis Hextall, Dave Hudson, Ryan Johnson, Bob Joyce, Brian Lee, Craig Ludwig, Brad Malone, John Marks, Troy Murray, Brock Nelson, Chris Porter, Russ Romaniuk, Gord Sherven, Doug Smail, Geoff Smith, Drew Stafford, Phil Sykes, Mark Taylor, Dave Tippett, Jonathan Toews, Gary Valk, Dixon Ward, Landon Wilson, Rick Wilson, Travis Zajac, Rick Zombo

Since 1957, North Dakota has just one stretch of “lean years”, otherwise known in Grand Forks as the Rube Bjorkman era. Bjorkman coached the Fighting Sioux from 1968-1978, and his teams collected exactly zero trophies. Otherwise, UND has been relevant and competitive throughout the history of the program, with multiple Frozen Four appearances in every decade. The longest title drought in program history is just seventeen seasons, the best such mark among the top five schools. The future is bright as well, with a current streak of twelve consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (the longest active streak in the country) and nine Frozen Four bids in the past eighteen years.

#1 Michigan Wolverines

National Championships: 9 (1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1996, 1998)
Frozen Four Appearances: 24 (most recent, 2011)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 35 (most recent, 2012)
Conference Playoff Titles: 9 (most recent, 2010)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 12 (most recent, 2011)

Michigan collected ten Frozen Four appearances and six national titles in the first ten seasons of the NCAA tournament. The stretch from 1957-1990 was positively horrid for the Wolverines, with just one WCHA regular season title and three appearances in the national tournament in a span of 33 years. Head coach Red Berenson brought the Maize and Blue back to prominence with 22 consecutive NCAA bids, twelve Frozen Four appearances, and two more national titles (1996, 1998). The bloom has come off the rose somewhat, however, as the Wolverines have not made the NCAAs since 2012 and have just two Frozen Four appearances in the past eleven seasons. Berenson’s teams are just 36-32-7 (.527) over the past two years, and the winds of change have started to blow in Ann Arbor.

Hobey Baker Award Winners: C Brendan Morrison (1997), C Kevin Porter (2008)

Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Denny Felsner (1991, 1992), Brian Wiseman (1994), Steve Shields (1994), David Oliver (1994), Brendan Morrison (1995, 1996), John Madden (1997), Bill Muckalt (1998), Mike Comrie (2000), Andy Hilbert (2001), T.J. Hensick (2005, 2007), Louie Caporusso (2009), Shawn Hunwick (2012)

Other notable former players: Gordon “Red” Berenson, Mike Brown, Mike Cammalleri, Andrew Cogliano, Greg Fox, David Harlock, Pat Hughes, Matt Hunwick, Jack Johnson, Mike Knuble, Mike Komisarek, Josh Langfeld, Bill MacFarland, Al Montoya, David Moss, Jeff Norton, Eric Nystrom, Jed Ortmeyer, Max Pacioretty, Rob Palmer, Steve Richmond, Dave Richter, Blake Sloan, Chris Tamer, Marty Turco, Mike Van Ryn, Aaron Ward

The Final Analysis:

It is very apparent to me that the top four teams in the rankings could really be placed in any order, and whichever program captures the next national title will vault to the top of the charts. It is perhaps most remarkable that the University of North Dakota is one of the hockey giants, considering that the other four schools in this installment all hail from the three hockey hotbeds in the United States (Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota).

So now it’s your turn. Do you agree or disagree? Who would you have as your number one program of all time? And check back later this month as we take a look at the five teams most likely to break through and win their first national title.

A special thank you goes out to SiouxSports.com user “franchise” for all of the information about Hobey Baker finalists for this article.

As always, thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and analysis.

Ten days ago in Philadelphia, Union became the 20th program to win an NCAA Division I men’s college hockey championship. Since 1948, teams have competed for the coveted trophy, and the Dutchmen will raise a banner celebrating this past season that will hang forever.

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at all twenty teams who have made it to the mountaintop. Today, we’re discussing programs ranked #10 through #6. Follow the links to have a look at #20 through #16 and #15 through #11.

#10 Cornell Big Red

National Championships: 2 (1967, 1970)
Frozen Four Appearances: 8 (most recent, 2003)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19 (most recent, 2012)
Conference Playoff Titles: 12 (most recent, 2010)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 8 (most recent, 2005)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Joe Nieuwendyk (1987), Doug Murray (2002), Dave LeNeveu (2003), David McKee (2005), Ben Scrivens (2010)
Other notable former players: Byron Bitz, Brad Chartrand, Sean Collins, Ken Dryden, Darren Eliot, Colin Greening, Brian Hayward, Kent Manderville, Brian McCutcheon, Matt Moulson, Douglas Murray, Riley Nash, Ryan O’Byrne, Jean-Marc Pelletier

Cornell was a Division I independent until the 1961-62 season, when the Big Red joined the ECAC. From 1966-73, Ned Harkness and Dick Bertrand combined to claim five regular season titles, five playoff titles, six tournament appearances, six Frozen Fours, two national titles, and two other runner-up finishes. Since that time, Cornell has never gone more than five seasons without appearing in the NCAAs. The only “lean years” for this program were during the Brian McCutcheon era (1987-1995), when the Lynah faithful were treated to just a single appearance in the NCAA tournament. Current head coach Mike Schafer has returned the Big Red to prominence in his 19 seasons behind the bench, and Cornell shows no signs of slowing down.

#9 Maine Black Bears

National Championships: 2 (1993, 1999)
Frozen Four Appearances: 11 (last, 2007)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 18 (last, 2012)
Conference Playoff Titles: 5 (last, 2004)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 4 (last, 1995)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: LW Scott Pellerin (1992), LW Paul Kariya (1993)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Mike Golden (1988), David Capuano (1988, 1989), Jean-Yves Roy (1991, 1992), Jim Montgomery (1993), Chris Imes (1995), Steve Kariya (1999), Greg Moore (2006), Gustav Myquist (2010, 2011), Spencer Abbott (2012)
Other notable former players: Shawn Anderson, Bob Beers, Ben Bishop, Keith Carney, Brett Clark, Bob Corkum, Niko Dimitrakos, Mike Dunham, Chris Ferraro, Peter Ferraro, Brian Flynn, Ben Guite, Jim Howard, Doug Janik, Mike Lundin, Dustin Penner, Ted Purcell, Garth Snow, Eric Weinrich

Maine has competed at the Division I level since the 1977-78 season and joined Hockey East in 1984. Two stretches stick out with the Black Bears. From 1986-1995, Maine won seven combined regular season and playoff titles, went to the NCAAs eight times, made five Frozen Fours, and claimed their first national title. Then, from 1998-2007, the pride of Orono, Maine won two playoff titles and advanced to nine consecutive national tournaments, appearing in six Frozen Fours with a national championship in 1999 and two 2nd place finishes (2002, 2004). It’s been tougher sledding lately, with just one tournament appearance in the past seven seasons, but there’s plenty to be excited about with this program.

#8 Michigan State Spartans

National Championships: 3 (1966, 1986, 2007)
Frozen Four Appearances: 9 (most recent, 2007)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 27 (most recent, 2012)
Conference Playoff Titles: 11 (most recent, 2006)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 8 (most recent, 2001)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: C Kip Miller (1990), G Ryan Miller (2001)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Ron Scott (1982, 1983), Craig Simpson (1985), Kelly Miller (1985), Mike Donnelly (1986), Bobby Reynolds (1989), Kip Miller (1989), Bryan Smolinski (1993), Anson Carter (1995), Chad Alban (1998), Mike York (1998, 1999), Shawn Horcoff (2000), Ryan Miller (2002), John-Michael Liles (2003), Jim Slater (2004), Jeff Lerg (2008), Torey Krug (2012)
Other notable former players: Justin Abdelkader, Norm Barnes, David Booth, Rod Brind’Amour, Jeff Brubaker, Danton Cole, Jim Cummins, Bob Essensa, Brian Glennie, Derek Grant, Steve Guolla, Adam Hall, Andre Hutchinson, Duncan Keith, Tim Kennedy, Ken Leiter, Chris Luongo, Drew Miller, Kevin Miller, Joe Murphy, Rem Murray, Jeff Petry, Doug Roberts, Corey Tropp, Mike Weaver, Neil Wilkinson, Jason Woolley

Michigan State suffered through some pretty lean years in the WCHA. From 1959-1981, the Spartans made the NCAA tournament only twice (1965-66 and 1966-67), but won a national title in 1966. Over the past 33 seasons, MSU has made the tournament 24 times, with six Frozen Four appearances and two more national championships. It’s been a tough go over the past six years, with just two winning seasons and one NCAA tourney appearance, but in the six team Big Ten Conference, Sparty will be back.

#7 Wisconsin Badgers

National Championships: 6 (1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990, 2006)
Frozen Four Appearances: 9 (most recent, 2010)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24 (most recent, 2013)
Conference Playoff Titles: 9 (most recent, 2013)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 3 (most recent, 2000)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: C Blake Geoffrion (2010)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: John Newberry (1982), Tony Granato (1987), Paul Ranheim (1988), Duane Derksen (1992), Steve Reinprecht (2000), Dany Heatley (2001), Brian Elliot (2006), Jamie McBain (2009), Brendan Smith (2010), Justin Schultz (2011, 2012), Joel Rumpel (2014)
Other notable former players: Mike Blaisdell, Rene Bourque, Adam Burish, Jim Carey, Chris Chelios, Jake Dowell, Davis Drewiske, Bruce Driver, Mike Eaves, Brian Engblom, Patrick Flatley, Jake Gardiner, Tom Gilbert, Sean Hill, Mark Johnson, Curtis Joseph, David Maley, Ryan McDonagh, Scott Mellanby, Brian Mullen, Mark Osiecki, Joe Pavelski, Brian Rafalski, Barry Richter, Mike Richter, Jack Skille, Paul Stanton, Derek Stepan, Gary Suter, Ryan Suter, Dean Talafous, Dave Tanabe, Kyle Turris, Brad Winchester

Wisconsin played as a Division I independent until the 1969-70 season, at which point the Badgers were admitted into the WCHA. Head coaches Bob Johnson and Jeff Sauer kept UW competing at a high level throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Current head coach Mike Eaves has continued that tradition, adding a sixth title to the trophy case in 2006. Since their inaugural season in the WCHA, Bucky has made the NCAA tournament in 25 of 45 seasons overall, with 34 years of twenty victories or more.

#6 Denver Pioneers

National Championships: 7 (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 2004, 2005)
Frozen Four Appearances: 14 (most recent, 2005)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24 (most recent, 2013)
Conference Playoff Titles: 7 (most recent, 2008)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 11 (most recent, 2010)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: D Matt Carle (2006)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Ed Beers (1982), Dallas Gaume (1986), Dave Shields (1990), Wade Dubielwicz (2002), Rhett Rakhshani (2010), Marc Cheverie (2010)
Other notable former players: Bruce Affleck, Glenn Anderson, Tyler Bozak, Chris Butler, Mike Christie, Kevin Dineen, Marshall Johnston, Cliff Koroll, Antti Laaksonen, Pete LoPresti, Keith Magnuson, Tom Martin, Peter McNab, Craig Patrick, Matt Pettinger, Rich Preston, Craig Redmond, Mark Rycroft, Drew Shore, Paul Stastny, Vic Venasky, Jason Zucker

The Denver Pioneers have a similar resume to the Michigan Wolverines, with five titles before 1970 but only one NCAA postseason appearance between 1973 and 1995 Head coach George Gwozdecky took the reins beginning with the 1994-95 campaign and guided the Pios to 12 tournament appearances (and two national championships) in his 19 seasons behind the bench, but he’s since been replaced by Jim Montgomery. I am confident that DU can compete for both regular season and postseason hardware going forward.

Follow this link for a look at the top five teams on the all-time champions list. And check back later this month for a look at the five teams most likely to break through and win their first national title.

A special thank you goes out to SiouxSports.com user “franchise” for all of the information about Hobey Baker finalists for this article.

As always, thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and analysis.

On Saturday night in Philadelphia, Union became the 20th program to win an NCAA Division I men’s college hockey championship. Since 1948, teams have competed for the coveted trophy, and the Dutchmen will raise a banner celebrating this season that will hang forever.

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at all twenty teams who have made it to the mountaintop. Yesterday, I went through #20 through #16, and today we’re discussing programs ranked #15 through #11…

#15 Rensselaer Engineers

National Championships: 2 (1954, 1985)
Frozen Four Appearances: 5 (most recent, 1985)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 9 (most recent, 2011)
Conference Playoff Titles: 3 (most recent, 1995)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 5 (most recent, 1985)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Adam Oates (1985), Joe Juneau (1990, 1991), Neil Little (1994), Eric Healey (1998), Joel Laing (2000), Marc Cavosie (2002), Chase Polacek (2010, 2011)
Other notable former players: John Carter, Jerry D’Amigo, Ken Hammond, Larry Landon, Mike McPhee, Kraig Nienhuis, Brandon Pirri, Brian Pothier, Daren Puppa, Brad Tapper, Graeme Townshend

The Engineers have a habit of popping up for short stints and then disappearing for 10 years or so. Here’s a look at the all-time tournament appearances: 1953, 1954, 1961, 1964, 1984, 1985, 1994, 1995, 2011. When Rensselaer is on top of the college hockey world, they really go all out. Head coach Mike Addesa followed up a 32-6-0 campaign in 1983-84 with an other-worldly 35-2-1 national championship season. But since then, RPI has only seen the NCAAs three times in the past 29 years. And with only one twenty-win season in the past decade, it’ll be an uphill climb for head coach Seth Appert to compete in the ECAC going forward.

#14 Harvard Crimson

National Championships: 1 (1989)
Frozen Four Appearances: 12 (most recent, 1994)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 21 (most recent, 2006)
Conference Playoff Titles: 7 (most recent, 2006)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 10 (most recent, 1994)

Harvard has a rich and storied tradition, with each decade filled with memorable games and remarkable accomplishments. But despite 12 Frozen Four appearances, the Crimson have only advanced to three championship games, losing to Wisconsin (1983) and Michigan State (1986) before breaking through against Minnesota in 1989. Harvard found a recent run of success with five straight tourney appearances and three playoff titles between 2001 and 2006, but the boys from Cambridge, Massachusetts have only collected 94 wins in the eight seasons since then.

Hobey Baker Award Winners: D Mark Fusco (1983), C Scott Fusco (1986), LW Lane MacDonald (1989)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Scott Fusco (1985), Lane MacDonald (1987), Allen Bourbeau (1989), Peter Ciavaglia (1991), Ted Drury (1993), Sean McCann (1994), Dov Grumet-Morris (2005)
Other notable former players: Craig Adams, Dan Bolduc, Ted Donato, Alexander Killorn, Louis Leblanc, Craig MacDonald, Steve Martins, Bob McManama, Dominic Moore, Dylan Reese, Neil Sheehy, Don Sweeney, Noah Welch

#13 Lake Superior Lakers

National Championships: 3 (1988, 1992, 1994)
Frozen Four Appearances: 4 (most recent, 1994)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10 (most recent, 1996)
Conference Playoff Titles: 4 (most recent, 1995)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 3 (most recent, 1996)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Mark Vermette (1988), Bruce Hoffort (1989), Jim Dowd (1991), Darrin Madeley (1992), Brian Rolston (1993), Keith Aldridge (1996)
Other notable former players: Will Acton, Bates Battaglia, Kevin Czuczman, Chris Dahlquist, John Flesch, John Grahame, Paul Jerrard, Dan Keczmer, Sandy Moger, Steven Oleksy, Derek Smith, Rob Valicevic, Doug Weight

From 1987-1996, the Lakers were a college hockey dynasty. Head coaches Frank Anzalone and Jeff Jackson amassed a combined record of 277-80-39 (.749), and Lake Superior appeared in nine straight NCAA tournaments with three national titles and a runner-up finish in 1993. Perhaps the most astounding fact of all is that the best Laker team, the 1990-91 squad, went 36-5-4 but lost their first round NCAA playoff series to Clarkson and didn’t make the Frozen Four. Still, it’s been 18 seasons since those glory days without a single noteworthy accomplishment or tournament appearance. Until that changes, the Lakers are stuck in the past.

#12 Michigan Tech Huskies

National Championships: 3 (1962, 1965, 1975)
Frozen Four Appearances: 10 (most recent, 1981)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10 (most recent, 1981)
Conference Playoff Titles: 1 (1962)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 6 (most recent, 1976)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Jamie Ram (1994), Colin Murphy (2005)
Other notable former players: Lou Angotti, Gary Bauman, Chris Conner, Chris Durno, Tony Esposito, John Grisdale, Steve Jensen, Al Karlander, Bob Lorimer, George Lyle, Randy McKay, Gord McRae, Glenn Merkosky, Damian Rhodes, Jarkko Ruutu, Andre Savage, John Scott, Lorne Stamler, Andy Sutton, Tim Watters, Clay Wilson, Warren Young, Mike Zuke

John MacInnes coached Michigan Tech from 1956 until 1982, and under his leadership the Huskies were one of the top programs in the country for the better part of two decades. In a 17 year stretch, MTU appeared in eight Frozen Fours, with three national titles and three runner-up finishes. The issue for the boys from Houghton is that in the past 34 years, there has been absolutely nothing to cheer about. No regular season titles, no postseason titles, and no NCAA tournament appearances. For 34 years straight. And in that stretch of time, MTU has managed only two winning seasons: 17-15-5 in 1992-93 and 18-17-5 in 2006-07.

#11 Colorado College Tigers

National Championships: 2 (1950, 1957)
Frozen Four Appearances: 10 (most recent, 2005)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 20 (most recent, 2011)
Conference Playoff Titles: 1 (1978)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 9 (most recent, 2008)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: LW Peter Sejna (2003), C Marty Sertich (2005)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Jay MacNeil (1995), Peter Geronazzo (1996), Brian Swanson (1997, 1999), Tom Preissing (2003), Brett Sterling (2005, 2006), Marty Sertich (2006)
Other notable former players: Joey Crabb, Mark Cullen, Dave Feamster, Jack Hillen, Doug Lidster, Curtis McElhinney, Eddie Mio, Doug Palazzari, Toby Petersen, Nate Prosser, Chad Rau, Jaden Schwartz, Greg Smith, Colin Stuart, Mark Stuart

When it’s coming up on 60 years since your program’s last national title, the shine starts to come off of the trophy. As evidenced by the statistics above, Colorado College has had plenty of successful regular seasons over the past twenty years, but the lack of postseason success is astounding. The Tigers never won the WCHA Final Five despite appearing in the title game three times, and they’ve only appeared in one Frozen Four since 1997. And after the 1957 championship, CC only made the NCAA tournament once in the next 37 seasons. A new coach might breathe some life into this team, but it’ll be an uphill climb in the NCHC.

Check back next week for a look at #10 through #6 on the all-time champions list. And once we’re through with the twenty programs which have claimed college hockey’s biggest prize, we’ll take a look at the five teams most likely to break through and win their first national title.

A special thank you goes out to SiouxSports.com user “franchise” for all of the information about Hobey Baker finalists for this article.

As always, thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and analysis.

On Saturday night in Philadelphia, Union became the 20th program to win an NCAA Division I men’s college hockey championship. Since 1948, teams have competed for the coveted trophy, and the Dutchmen will raise a banner celebrating this season that will hang forever.

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at all twenty teams who have made it to the mountaintop, beginning today with #20 through #16…

#20: Bowling Green Falcons

National Championships: 1 (1984)
Frozen Four Appearances: 2 (most recent, 1984)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 9 (most recent, 1990)
Conference Playoff Titles: 4 (most recent, 1988)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 7 (most recent, 1987)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: LW George McPhee (1982), C Brian Holzinger (1995)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Brian Hills (1982, 1983), Nelson Emerson (1988, 1989, 1990), Rob Blake (1990), Jordan Sigalet (2005)
Other notable former players: Gary Kruzich, Brian MacLellan, Ken Morrow, Greg Parks, Kelly Perrault, Jeff Wells

Bowling Green collected a whole bunch of hardware between 1975 and 1990, and the Falcons haven’t been back to the national tournament since then. Head coaches Ron Mason and Jerry York left for greener pastures (Michigan State and Boston College, respectively), and it’s been downhill for 25 years. Current head coach Chris Bergeron has a chance at returning the Falcons to glory in the new-look WCHA, but with Ferris State and Minnesota State the class of that league, he’ll have to catch lightning in a bottle.

#19 Northern Michigan Wildcats

National Championships: 1 (1991)
Frozen Four Appearances: 3 (most recent, 1991)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 8 (most recent, 2010)
Conference Playoff Titles: 2 (most recent, 1981)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 3 (most recent, 1991)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Steve Bozek (1981), Gary Emmons (1986, 1987), Phil Berger (1988), Brad Werenka (1991), Scott Beattie (1991, 1992), Tuomas Tarkki (2005), Mark Olver (2010)
Other notable former players: Dallas Drake, Erik Gustafsson, Tom Laidlaw, Mike Santorelli, Ed Ward, Steve Weeks

Northern Michigan has only been a Division I program since 1976, and the Wildcats quickly rose to prominence with two Frozen Four appearances (and one runner-up finish) in their first five seasons at college hockey’s top level. After that meteoric ascent, it took head coach Rick Comley another ten years to win a national title. Walt Kyle is just the second coach in the program’s history, and he has taken NMU to the national tournament just once in his twelve seasons behind the bench.

#18 Yale Bulldogs

National Championships: 1 (2013)
Frozen Four Appearances: 2 (most recent, 2013)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (most recent, 2013)
Conference Playoff Titles: 2 (most recent, 2011)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 3 (most recent, 2010)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Bob Brooke (1983), Mark Kaufmann (1993), Ray Giroux (1998), Jeff Hamilton (1999, 2001), Chris Higgins (2003)
Other notable former players: Mark Arcobello, John Emmons, Craig Ferguson, Bob Kudelski, Brad Mills, Randy Wood

The Yale Bulldogs have certainly burst on the scene lately, with only two seasons of note (1951-52 and 1997-98) before this recent stretch of success. It remains to be seen whether Keith Allain can bring the Elis back to the top of the ECAC with Quinnipiac, Colgate, and Union in the picture. Yale has gone 128-64-17 (.653) over the past six seasons, though, so I expect them to be back in the playoff hunt before too long.

#17 Union Dutchmen

National Championships: 1 (2014)
Frozen Four Appearances: 2 (most recent, 2014)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4 (most recent, 2014)
Conference Playoff Titles: 3 (most recent, 2014)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 3 (most recent, 2014)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: None
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Troy Grosenick (2012), Shane Gostisbehere (2014)
Notable former players: Steve Baker, Kyle Bodie, Mario Giallonardo, Jeff Hutchins, Duane Joyce, Nolan Julseth, Keith Kinkaid, Trevor Koenig, Jeremy Welsh, Kelly Zajac

Union has only been competing at the Division I level since 1991, and they’ve really only risen to prominence in the past five years. UC went 18 years without a twenty-win season, and since then they’ve done it five straight times. The Dutchmen have collected 127 victories over the past five campaigns, with three regular season titles, three league playoff titles, four NCAA tournament appearances, two Frozen Four bids, and the most recent national title. Still, it remains to be seen whether Union can continue this type of success over the long term.

#16: Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

National Championships: 1 (2011)
Frozen Four Appearances: 4 (most recent, 2011)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 8 (most recent, 2012)
Conference Playoff Titles: 3 (most recent, 2009)
Regular Season Conference Titles: 3 (most recent, 1993)

Hobey Baker Award Winners: D Tom Kurvers (1984), RW Bill Watson (1985), LW Chris Marinucci (1994), RW Junior Lessard (2004), C Jack Connolly (2012)
Hobey Baker Award Finalists: Brett Hull (1996), Derek Plante (1993), Jack Connolly (2011)
Other notable former players: Pat Boutette, Jason Garrison, Curt Giles, Jim Johnson, Dave Langevin, Norm Maciver, Bob Mason, Matt Niskanen, Mark Pavelich, Shjon Podein, Mason Raymond, Jay Rosehill, Dennis Vaske

Head coach Scott Sandelin took the Bulldogs to the top of the college hockey world just three seasons ago, but the consistency hasn’t been there. In his 14 years at Duluth, he has earned one league playoff title and four NCAA tournament bids. Sandelin has made the most of his time in the national tourney, however, with two Frozen Four bids in four chances. His predecessor, Mike Sertich, made the NCAAs in each of his first three seasons (1982-85) with two regular season titles, two playoff titles, and two Frozen four bids, but after that unbelievable start he took his team to the national tournament just once in his last fifteen years behind the bench.

Here’s a look at #15 through #11 on the all-time champions list. Check back later this week for the top ten.

And once we’re through with the twenty programs which have claimed college hockey’s biggest prize, we’ll take a look at the five teams most likely to break through and win their first national title.

A special thank you goes out to SiouxSports.com user “franchise” for all of the information about Hobey Baker finalists for this article.

As always, thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and analysis.

Yesterday, we took a look ahead at how much of North Dakota’s current roster is coming back for the 2014-15 season and what that means for the future of UND hockey.

And the incoming freshman class will be a big part of that future as well.

If you remember, Dave Hakstol loses four seniors from this year’s Frozen Four squad (forwards Derek Rodwell and Mitch MacMillan, defenseman Dillon Simpson, and goaltender Clarke Saunders). There is also a roster spot available since Adam Tambellini left the team in January. The other question mark on the roster is whether there is still a spot for Coltyn Sanderson, who has appeared in five games over his first two seasons at North Dakota. Sanderson has talent (81 points in 57 games with the Weyburn Red Wings/SJHL in 2011-12), but he might get squeezed out by this incoming group of forwards.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this recruiting class is that Hakstol had two blue chip wingers – Ryan Gropp and Brendan Lemieux – decommit and opt for major juniors, and the remaining six players in this recruiting class might still be the best in the nation. At the time of his commitment to UND, Gropp was called the biggest recruit to come to Grand Forks since Jonathan Toews. Brendan Lemieux was recently ranked the 28th best non-goaltending prospect in North America, while Gropp isn’t draft eligible until 2015.

But enough about the players who won’t be on campus and on the ice in October. There is plenty of talent coming in, and fans should expect several of these freshmen to step in and contribute right away.

All six newcomers for the 2014-15 season are coming from the United States Hockey League, joining nine other USHL alums on the current UND roster. If fans appreciate the local flavor that current North Dakota players Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, MN), Zane Gothberg (Thief River Falls, MN), Luke Johnson (Grand Forks, ND), Paul LaDue (Grand Forks, ND), and Keaton Thompson (Devils Lake, ND) bring to the lineup, they will be even more pleased next year. Dave Hakstol is bringing in forward John Simonson (a Grand Forks Central product) and defenseman Tucker Poolman (East Grand Forks Green Wave). Poolman is the son of current UND trainer Mark Poolman.

Other incoming freshmen expected on campus this fall (hometown):

Goaltender Cam Johnson (Troy, MI)

With all six newcomers hailing from the United States, that will bring the number of Canadians on the roster to single digits (9) for the first time in ten seasons (2004-05).

North Dakota will have seven states and the District of Columbia represented when they take the ice to begin the 2014-15 season. There will be seven Minnesotans (two from East Grand Forks and one each from Thief River Falls, Duluth, Chanhassen, Edina, and Woodbury), four North Dakotans (including three from Grand Forks), two from Wisconsin (the Schmaltz brothers), and one player each from Arizona, California, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington, D.C.

Nine Canadians will hail from four different provinces: British Columbia (3), Manitoba (3), Saskatchewan (2), and Ontario (1).

And now, let’s meet the six rookies, beginning with the three forwards:

Trevor Olson (Sioux City Musketeers /USHL)
Born: November 22, 1993 (age 20)
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Height: 6-2 Weight: 188

This season, Trevor Olson has only appeared in 21 games for Sioux City, scoring nine goals and adding twelve assists for an average of a point per game. Olson was good for one minor penalty per game (40 PIM) this season for the Musketeers.

Last year, in 63 combined games played between Green Bay and Sioux City, he scored 17 goals and added 33 assists for 50 points with 62 PIM.

Olson is perhaps the most underrated player in this recruiting class. He will make his mark as a power forward with some scoring touch – an element that has been mostly lacking over the past two seasons. North Dakota fans should expect a mix of Rylan Kaip and Brad Malone, with his offensive production falling somewhere in the middle of those two. Considering that Kaip ended his career with 39 points in 144 games and Malone bettered that total with 40 points in 43 games as a senior (and 85 points in 161 games overall), I understand that’s a wide range. But the physical play will be there from the get-go, and Olson has a nose for the net that can’t be taught.

Nick Schmaltz (Green Bay Gamblers/USHL)
Born: February 23, 1996 (age 18)
Hometown: Verona, WIsconsin
Height: 6-0 Weight: 172

Nick Schmaltz has the most high-end potential of this entire recruiting class, as evidenced by his #19 ranking of all North American skaters in the final CSS report. His biggest strength is his vision, and, though it sounds absurd, he could potentially lead the team in assists next year. At just 18 years of age, he is still growing and getting stronger, and that definitely bodes well for his future success.

In 55 games with the Gamblers this season, the younger brother of current UND defenseman Jordan Schmaltz has 18 goals and 45 assists for 63 points. His 45 assists are good for third-most in the USHL this season, and he was the #7 point getter overall. Last year, he posted similarly impressive numbers: 18 goals and 34 assists (52 points) in 64 games played, also with Green Bay.

Schmaltz looks to be a player in the mold of Drew Stafford or Travis Zajac. He should be a first round pick in the 2014 NHL draft, and his talent is matched by his willingness to play the physical game and make things happen for his teammates. He definitely needs to work at becoming a more complete player in all three zones before he makes the jump to the next level, so I would expect that he would play at UND for at least two seasons.

John Simonson (Lincoln Stars/USHL)
Born: June 16, 1993 (age 20)
Hometown: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Height: 5-10 Weight: 170

In 58 games played with the Stars this season, Simonson has potted 28 goals (tied for 6th most in the league) and notched 31 assists. The former Central Knight has shown plenty of scoring punch in the USHL, particularly lately, and he has a nice mix of grit and skill. Simonson plays bigger than his 5’10” frame and, as an older player (he’ll be 21 before his freshman season begins), he has enough experience to play a couple of different roles.

The gritty forward has a good shot and can add some offensive punch to a checking line or be called upon to skate on one of the top two lines and create space for his teammates. Over time, Simonson might be seen as a Derek Rodwell-type player with a bit more offensive production. He will be capable and dependable, and he might see some penalty kill time later on in his collegiate career.

Two defensemen are scheduled to appear on UND’s campus this fall, and one of them (Tucker Poolman) is expected to compete for playing time right away. The other (Hayden Shaw) will need some more time to develop and should be seen as a work in progress.

Tucker Poolman (Omaha Lancers/USHL)
Born: June 8, 1993 (age 20)
Hometown: East Grand Forks, Minnesota
Height: 6-3 Weight: 200

Tucker Poolman will be 21 years old when he arrives on UND’s campus in September. He is solid and tough in his own end, and has shown signs of developing his game in the USHL. Last season with Omaha, he had a line of 14g-14a in 64 games played with 49 minutes in penalties and a -7 rating. This year, his line reads 15g26a in 58 games played with 23 PIM and a +20 rating.

Poolman has developed into one of the best two-way defensemen in the USHL. He has some Paul LaDue in his game, and fans should remember that LaDue scored 21 points in 41 games this season as a freshman. A Winnipeg Jets draft pick (5th round, #127 overall), Poolman will be the tallest player on the North Dakota roster next season.

Hayden Shaw (Waterloo Black Hawks/USHL)
Born: June 5, 1996 (age 17)
Hometown: Woodbury, Minnesota
Height: 5-10 Weight: 180

(Edit: It is possible that Shaw will return to Waterloo for a second season of junior hockey before enrolling at UND)

Hayden Shaw is pretty young, having left Woodbury High School after his sophomore season to play in the USHL. He will turn 18 three months before beginning his collegiate career at North Dakota. Shaw is built much like former UND blueliner Joe Gleason, but with more upside. Fans of the Green and White should expect Shaw to develop into a Troy Stecher-like player.

In 53 games played with Waterloo this season, Shaw has scored 8 goals and added 21 assists for 29 points. He currently sits at a +8 with 51 penalty minutes. The move from high school hockey seems to have paid off for the Woodbury native, but he might not see more than 10 or 15 games as a freshman at UND since the returning D-corps is experienced and talented.

And Dave Hakstol will bring in one goaltender to replace Clarke Saunders, who just finished up his senior season in Grand Forks.

Cam Johnson (Waterloo Black Hawks/USHL)
Born: July 11, 1994 (age 19)
Hometown: Troy, Michigan
Height: 6-1 Weight: 199

Cam Johnson is every bit as good as Clarke Saunders. He struggled early this season with the Fargo Force (2-14-3, 3.27 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO in 20 gp), but he has thrived since his trade to Waterloo (11-1-1, 1.86 GAA, .939 SV%, a SO in 15 gp). I think it was more the team in front of him in Fargo (the Force were the worst team in the USHL this season), and the change of scenery has done wonders for his game and his confidence.

It will definitely be a battle for the backup spot at UND between Johnson and Matt Hrynkiw. I would expect that Johnson will eventually move up the depth chart into the #2 spot behind Zane Gothberg, but it may take him the better part of his freshman season. In any event, Dave Hakstol has an embarrassment of riches in the netminder department.

These are the six players that I expect on the roster for the 2014-15 season. If there are early departures (sophomore forward Rocco Grimaldi and sophomore defenseman Jordan Schmaltz are possibilities), forward Shane Gersich (USNTDP) and defenseman Ryan Mantha (Indiana/USHL) look to be the two skaters most likely to take their spots.

For a closer look at North Dakota’s returning players, click here.

As I stated yesterday, UND should be considered one of the top five teams in the country coming into next season. Dave Hakstol returns balanced scoring, a more experienced group of defensemen, and a Hobey Baker contender in goaltender Zane Gothberg. The pieces are in place.

As always, thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and analysis.