Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey
Encyclopedia
The Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I college ice hockey
program that represents the Northeastern University. The Huskies are a member of Hockey East
. They play at the 4,666-seat Matthews Arena
in Boston, Massachusetts.
athletic conference, which the team joined in 1984. The Huskies' men's hockey team has generally met with mediocre success. The Huskies had their most success in the 1980s, when the team won the prestigious Beanpot tournament four times (the only times Northeastern has captured the Beanpot) and was the runner-up twice. Its best season came in 1982, when the Huskies finished 25-9-2 and made it to the NCAA Frozen Four. They also won the Hockey East championship in 1988, and made appearances in the NCAA hockey tournament in 1988, 1994, and 2009.
The program's most notable coach was ex-Boston Bruin
and Hockey Hall of Famer Fern Flaman, who was the head coach between 1970 and 1989. The team's most recent coach is former New York Islanders
' farm system coach Greg Cronin
, who coached the Huskies from 2005 until 2011, when he accepted a position as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Through the end of the 2011 regular season, Cronin has had a coaching record of 85-99-28. His best season on St. Botolph Street was the 2008-09 season, when the Huskies had their best record in a generation, finishing 25-12-4 and making the NCAA tournament, as well as being ranked at one point during the season 4th in the nation, Northeastern's highest national ranking ever in any men's team sport.
Northeastern players who have gone on to significant professional hockey careers have included David Poile
'71, long time general manager of the NHL Washington Capitals
and current general manager of the NHL Nashville Predators
, St. Louis Blues goaltender and two-time All-American Bruce Racine
'88, NHL defenseman Dan McGillis
, Montreal Canadiens
winger Chris Nilan
, and Chicago Blackhawks
defenseman and Hobey Baker Award
finalist Jim Fahey
'02. Michael Ryan '02 is currently a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes
and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
goalie and Hobey Baker Award
finalist Brad Thiessen
'09.
Other than those who have achieved success in the professional ranks, some of the more notable individual players in team history include Art Chisholm
and Ray Picard
, each two-time All-Americans; and Sandy Beadle
and Jason Guerriero, each a one-time All-American who was also a Hobey Baker Award
finalist. Chisholm is the leading career goal scorer for the Huskies with 100, while Jim Martel is the career scoring leader with 210 points. The most notable goaltenders in team history are Racine and Keni Gibson, who between them hold most school career records. Brad Thiessen
, who turned professional after his junior year (2009), broke Gibson's school record with eight career shutouts by his sophomore season and had been threatening several career goaltending records.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I college ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
program that represents the Northeastern University. The Huskies are a member of Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
. They play at the 4,666-seat Matthews Arena
Matthews Arena
Matthews Arena, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a basketball and ice hockey arena. Renovated several times, it is the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still being used for hockey and is the oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, in the world. It opened in 1910 on what is now the...
in Boston, Massachusetts.
History
The men's ice hockey program has existed since 1929 and played as an independent NCAA Division I team until joining the ECAC in 1961. Northeastern is a founding member of the Hockey EastHockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
athletic conference, which the team joined in 1984. The Huskies' men's hockey team has generally met with mediocre success. The Huskies had their most success in the 1980s, when the team won the prestigious Beanpot tournament four times (the only times Northeastern has captured the Beanpot) and was the runner-up twice. Its best season came in 1982, when the Huskies finished 25-9-2 and made it to the NCAA Frozen Four. They also won the Hockey East championship in 1988, and made appearances in the NCAA hockey tournament in 1988, 1994, and 2009.
The program's most notable coach was ex-Boston Bruin
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and Hockey Hall of Famer Fern Flaman, who was the head coach between 1970 and 1989. The team's most recent coach is former New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
' farm system coach Greg Cronin
Greg Cronin
Greg Cronin is the current Assistant Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was named to that position on June 20th, 2011Cronin is a graduate of Colby College, class of 1986.-Coaching career:...
, who coached the Huskies from 2005 until 2011, when he accepted a position as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Through the end of the 2011 regular season, Cronin has had a coaching record of 85-99-28. His best season on St. Botolph Street was the 2008-09 season, when the Huskies had their best record in a generation, finishing 25-12-4 and making the NCAA tournament, as well as being ranked at one point during the season 4th in the nation, Northeastern's highest national ranking ever in any men's team sport.
Northeastern players who have gone on to significant professional hockey careers have included David Poile
David Poile
David Poile is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators....
'71, long time general manager of the NHL Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and current general manager of the NHL Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, St. Louis Blues goaltender and two-time All-American Bruce Racine
Bruce Racine
Bruce Maurice Racine is a retired professional hockey goaltender who played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.Racine was drafted in the third round, 58th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins...
'88, NHL defenseman Dan McGillis
Dan McGillis
Daniel Stewart McGillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played for Adler Mannheim of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
winger Chris Nilan
Chris Nilan
Christopher John Nilan is a retired professional ice hockey player. Nilan played 688 NHL regular season games as a right-wing for the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1992. He won the Stanley Cup in 1986 with Montreal...
, and Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
defenseman and Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
finalist Jim Fahey
Jim Fahey
James Fahey is a professional ice hockey defenseman who currently is currently a Free Agent. He last played for the Krefeld Pinguine of the DEL.-Playing career:...
'02. Michael Ryan '02 is currently a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza...
goalie and Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
finalist Brad Thiessen
Brad Thiessen
Brad Thiessen is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League ....
'09.
Other than those who have achieved success in the professional ranks, some of the more notable individual players in team history include Art Chisholm
Art Chisholm
Arthur Joseph Chisholm is a member of the Northeastern University athletics Hall of Fame. Art was inducted in 1977. Art also played for the Boston Bruins of the NHL for three games.-Northeastern University:...
and Ray Picard
Ray Picard
D. Raymond "Ray" Picard is a member of the Northeastern University athletics Hall of Fame. Picard was elected in 1977 for his exploits as a hockey goalie. Picard was a two time All-American for the Huskies, the first All-American at Northeastern.Before coming to Huntington Avenue Picard spent two...
, each two-time All-Americans; and Sandy Beadle
Sandy Beadle
Sandy James Beadle is a retired Canadian ice hockey left winger. During the 1980-81 season, he played in 6 games for the NHL's Winnipeg Jets....
and Jason Guerriero, each a one-time All-American who was also a Hobey Baker Award
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
finalist. Chisholm is the leading career goal scorer for the Huskies with 100, while Jim Martel is the career scoring leader with 210 points. The most notable goaltenders in team history are Racine and Keni Gibson, who between them hold most school career records. Brad Thiessen
Brad Thiessen
Brad Thiessen is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League ....
, who turned professional after his junior year (2009), broke Gibson's school record with eight career shutouts by his sophomore season and had been threatening several career goaltending records.
Season-by-season records
Note: This list is incomplete.| Year | |ECAC Eastern College Athletic Conference The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois... Record | Beanpot Results | |Head Coach | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | Win % | W | L | T | Pts | Win % | Finish | ||||
| 1973-74 | 10 | 13 | 4 | .444 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 16 | .421 | T-11th | 3rd | Fern Flaman | |
| 1974-75 | 15 | 11 | 2 | .571 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 21 | .477 | 9th | 3rd | Fern Flaman | |
| 1975-76 | 9 | 16 | 1 | .365 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 13 | .283 | T-14th | 4th | Fern Flaman | |
| 1976-77 | 11 | 16 | 0 | .407 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 18 | .409 | 13th | 4th | Fern Flaman | |
| 1977-78 | 10 | 17 | 1 | .375 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 15 | .313 | 15th | 4th | Fern Flaman | |
| 1978-79 | 12 | 15 | 0 | .444 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 22 | .500 | 9th | 3rd | Fern Flaman | |
| 1979-80 | 7 | 20 | 0 | .259 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 10 | .238 | 6th East | 1st | Fern Flaman | |
| 1980-81 | 13 | 13 | 0 | .500 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 24 | .571 | T-2nd East | 4th | Fern Flaman | |
| 1981-82 | 25 | 9 | 2 | .722 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 29 | .690 | 1st East | 3rd | NCAA 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament was the culmination of the 1981–82 season in men's ice hockey for teams in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... Third Place |
Fern Flaman |
| 1982-83 | 13 | 14 | 1 | .482 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 19 | .452 | 5th East | 2nd | Fern Flaman | |
| 1983-84 | 16 | 12 | 1 | .569 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 21 | .500 | 5th East | 1st | Fern Flaman | |
| Year | |Hockey East Hockey East Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference.... Record | Beanpot Results | |Head Coach | ||||||||||
| W | L | T | Win % | W | L | T | Pts | Win % | Finish | ||||
| 1984-85 | 13 | 24 | 1 | .355 | 11 | 22 | 1 | 23 | .338 | 6th | 1st | Fern Flaman | |
| 1985-86 | 20 | 17 | 2 | .538 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 38 | .559 | 3rd | 4th | Fern Flaman | |
| 1986-87 | 12 | 21 | 3 | .375 | 11 | 18 | 3 | 25 | .391 | 5th | 2nd | Fern Flaman | |
| 1987-88 | 21 | 13 | 4 | .605 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 30 | .577 | 1st | 1st | NCAA First Round | Fern Flaman |
| 1988-89 | 18 | 16 | 2 | .528 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 28 | .538 | T-3rd | 4th | Fern Flaman | |
| 1989-90 | 16 | 19 | 2 | .459 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 20 | .476 | T-5th | 4th | Don McKenney | |
| 1990-91 | 8 | 25 | 2 | .257 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 8 | .190 | 8th | 3rd | Don McKenney | |
| 1991-92 | 16 | 19 | 0 | .457 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | .333 | 7th | 4th | Ben Smith | |
| 1992-93 | 10 | 24 | 1 | .300 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 13 | .271 | 8th | 3rd | Ben Smith | |
| 1993-94 | 19 | 13 | 7 | .577 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 26 | .542 | 4th | 4th | NCAA First Round | Ben Smith |
| 1994-95 | 16 | 14 | 5 | .529 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 27 | .563 | 4th | 3rd | Ben Smith | |
| 1995-96 | 10 | 21 | 5 | .347 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 17 | .354 | 7th | 2nd | Ben Smith | |
| 1996-97 | 8 | 25 | 3 | .264 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 6 | .143 | 9th | 3rd | Bruce Crowder Bruce Crowder Bruce James Crowder is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played four seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1981–82 to 1984–85. He is the brother of Keith Crowder.-Playing career:Crowder was drafted 153rd overall by the... |
|
| 1997-98 | 21 | 15 | 3 | .577 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 29 | .604 | 4th | 4th | Bruce Crowder | |
| 1998-99 | 11 | 20 | 3 | .368 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 14 | .292 | 9th | 2nd | Bruce Crowder | |
| 1999-00 | 12 | 19 | 5 | .403 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 21 | .438 | T-5th | 4th | Bruce Crowder | |
| 2000-01 | 13 | 9 | 4 | .417 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 18 | .375 | 7th | 3rd | Bruce Crowder | |
| 2001-02 | 19 | 17 | 3 | .526 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 24 | .500 | 5th | 2nd | Bruce Crowder | |
| 2002-03 | 10 | 21 | 3 | .338 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 12 | .250 | T-8th | 4th | Bruce Crowder | |
| 2003-04 | 11 | 16 | 7 | .426 | 5 | 13 | 6 | 16 | .333 | 9th | 3rd | Bruce Crowder | |
| 2004-05 | 15 | 18 | 5 | .461 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 24 | .500 | 6th | 2nd | Bruce Crowder | |
| 2005-06 | 3 | 24 | 7 | .191 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 13 | .241 | 9th | 4th | Greg Cronin Greg Cronin Greg Cronin is the current Assistant Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was named to that position on June 20th, 2011Cronin is a graduate of Colby College, class of 1986.-Coaching career:... |
|
| 2006-07 | 13 | 18 | 5 | .431 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 23 | .426 | 7th | 3rd | Greg Cronin | |
| 2007-08 | 16 | 18 | 3 | .473 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 26 | .481 | 6th | 4th | Greg Cronin | |
| 2008-09 | 25 | 12 | 4 | .659 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 39 | .722 | 2nd | 2nd | NCAA 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament -Regional semifinals:-Regional final:-Northeast Regional – Manchester, New Hampshire:-Regional semifinals:-Regional final:-West Regional – Minneapolis, Minnesota:-Regional semifinals:-Regional final:... First Round |
Greg Cronin |
| 2009-10 | 16 | 13 | 1 | .550 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 23 | .500 | 9th | 3rd | Greg Cronin | |
| 2010-11 | 14 | 16 | 8 | .474 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 27 | .500 | 6th | 2nd | Greg Cronin | |
| 2011-12 | 4 | 7 | 2 | .325 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | .500 | Jim Madigan |
Notable alumni
Northeastern players who have gone on to significant professional hockey careers have included:- David PoileDavid PoileDavid Poile is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators....
(Class of '71), long time general manager of the NHL Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and current general manager of the NHL Nashville PredatorsNashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. - Chris NilanChris NilanChristopher John Nilan is a retired professional ice hockey player. Nilan played 688 NHL regular season games as a right-wing for the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1992. He won the Stanley Cup in 1986 with Montreal...
(Class of '79), former Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
winger. - Bruce RacineBruce RacineBruce Maurice Racine is a retired professional hockey goaltender who played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.Racine was drafted in the third round, 58th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins...
(Class of '88), St. Louis Blues goaltender and two-time All-American. - Dan McGillisDan McGillisDaniel Stewart McGillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played for Adler Mannheim of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
(Class of '96), former NHL defenseman for the OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, SharksSan Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. - Jim FaheyJim FaheyJames Fahey is a professional ice hockey defenseman who currently is currently a Free Agent. He last played for the Krefeld Pinguine of the DEL.-Playing career:...
(Class of '02), Chicago BlackhawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
defenseman and Hobey Baker AwardHobey Baker AwardThe Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
finalist - Michael Ryan (Class of '02), Carolina HurricanesCarolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
forward. - Brad ThiessenBrad ThiessenBrad Thiessen is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League ....
(Class of '09), 2009 Hockey EastHockey EastHockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
Player of the Year, NCAA All-American, Hobey Baker AwardHobey Baker AwardThe Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player.It is named for hockey player and World War I veteran Hobey Baker, who played collegiately at Princeton University and learned the game at St...
finalist, and current Pittsburgh PenguinPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. - Joe VitaleJoe Vitale (ice hockey)Joe Vitale is an American ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization of the National Hockey League. Vitale began his professional career in 2009 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League....
(Class of '09), center for the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
.