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Twenty Storied College Hockey Programs Ranked


Dave Berger

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Really cool list, I'm excited to read the rest

Just a suggestion for a list like this, maybe you should list the most notable players from each program as I'm sure having Brett Hull pushes Duluth past all the other one-time NCAA champions

I like how this website discusses hockey all year long (more so than the big websites like USCHO :p)

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Really cool list, I'm excited to read the rest

Just a suggestion for a list like this, maybe you should list the most notable players from each program as I'm sure having Brett Hull pushes Duluth past all the other one-time NCAA champions

I like how this website discusses hockey all year long (more so than the big websites like USCHO :p)

Great idea, I'll go back in and edit the list later today. Special section for Hobey winners, plus other notable alums.

Dave

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Since Union became the 20th men's team in the history of NCAA Division I ice hockey to win a national title, I thought I would go back and look at all twenty teams to hang the ultimate banner. I've ranked them all, and we begin today with #20 through #16...

20 Storied Programs: #20 through #16

Discuss. :)

Dave

Great topic, but I'm surprised that I didn't see Minnesota in the 16-20 group. :)

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What criteria are you using to rank these teams? I'm shocked that a program like Union has already jumped Yale in your rankings.

Union vs. Yale

- National Championships: Tied at 1

- Frozen Fours: Tied at 2

- NCAA Tournament Appearances: Yale - 6, Union - 4

- Regular Season Conference Titles: Tied at 3

- Conference Tournament Titles: Union - 3, Yale - 2

Through here, they are very similar, but looking more in depth...

- All-Americans: Yale - 18, Union - 10

- Hobey Baker Finalists: Yale - 6, Union - 2

- All-Time Winning Percentage: Yale - 49.82%, Union - 44.98%

- All-Time Victories: Yale - 1199, Union - 373

I would have Yale over Union...although depending on how you weight certain data it would be close. Again, I'd be very interested to see your criteria on how you got Union over Yale.

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In defense of the Union over Yale argeument, the 2014 Union championship teams was a lot more dominant than the 2013 Yale team....which should matter in this one-time champion arguement....

Union won their regular season and playoff conference championship and being undefeated since February

I realize Yale beat 3 numbers 1's (and our Sioux) so their NCAA run was impressive, but I wouldn't say that about their regular season or conference playoffs

but Hobey Baker finalists and All-Americans is interesting, (Dave please add that info too going forward)

and that brings up the fact in the age difference in the programs as 18 All-Americans vs 10 seems like a big deal but

18 All-Americans in ???years* of the Yale hockey program vs

10 All-Americans in 23 years of Union hockey program

shows that Union has more dominant talent in their time frame (or not have as many "low talent times" as Yale)

*looking at Yale's history online it looks like their program is the oldest one dating back to 1893....so I have no idea how long they are officially recognized in the NCAA stats book as being an official team. They fact that they are so old should help them in the rankings though

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Dave, I'd like to see a discussion of the jersey-rankings of the 20 NCAA champions. Please get to work on that too. Personally, I think the Lake Superior State jerseys are awfully tough to beat, but the 1987 Sioux might give them a run.

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What criteria are you using to rank these teams? I'm shocked that a program like Union has already jumped Yale in your rankings.

Union vs. Yale

- National Championships: Tied at 1

- Frozen Fours: Tied at 2

- NCAA Tournament Appearances: Yale - 6, Union - 4

- Regular Season Conference Titles: Tied at 3

- Conference Tournament Titles: Union - 3, Yale - 2

Through here, they are very similar, but looking more in depth...

- All-Americans: Yale - 18, Union - 10

- Hobey Baker Finalists: Yale - 6, Union - 2

- All-Time Winning Percentage: Yale - 49.82%, Union - 44.98%

- All-Time Victories: Yale - 1199, Union - 373

I would have Yale over Union...although depending on how you weight certain data it would be close. Again, I'd be very interested to see your criteria on how you got Union over Yale.

What I'm going for with these rankings is some balance between historical accomplishments and current state of the program. When it came down to Yale vs. Union, I just felt like Union's accomplishments in 23 seasons at the Division I level outweigh what the Yale Bulldogs have been able to do since 1895.

Yale was an independent until 1961, but they have been competing for NCAA championships since the trophy was first awarded in 1948.

As I said in today's article, Yale only had two seasons of note (1951-52 and 1997-98) before this recent stretch.

History and longevity mean something, but I give the slight edge to Union since they've been to two Frozen Fours in the past three seasons, while Yale's only other appearance came in 1952.

Dave

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but Hobey Baker finalists and All-Americans is interesting, (Dave please add that info too going forward)

I've added Hobey Baker winners and notable former players for each of the five teams in today's article. Hobey Baker finalists and All-Americans might take a bit more digging, but I'll see what I can do. Or if someone else wants to crunch those numbers for the 20 teams under consideration, that would be alright, too. :)

Dave

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Dave, I'd like to see a discussion of the jersey-rankings of the 20 NCAA champions. Please get to work on that too. Personally, I think the Lake Superior State jerseys are awfully tough to beat, but the 1987 Sioux might give them a run.

Aw, you stole my thunder! That was going to take us through May... :)

Dave

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Aw, you stole my thunder! That was going to take us through May... :)

Dave

Oh, awesome! It'll save me from firing up the "MafiaMan off-season thread" again this spring/summer. I guess I have the Stanley Cup playoffs to occupy my time for a while...

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I've added Hobey Baker winners and notable former players for each of the five teams in today's article. Hobey Baker finalists and All-Americans might take a bit more digging, but I'll see what I can do. Or if someone else wants to crunch those numbers for the 20 teams under consideration, that would be alright, too. :)

Dave

I do hope you include Michigan Tech in your list. A notable player from there that many will not think of is Damian Rhodes.
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National titles, frozen fours, conference titles, tournament appearances, elite alumni, hobey bakers in that order with heaviest weighting to last 10 years, then 11-20, 20-44, 44+ (taking it back to 1970).

1. Boston College

2. Minnesota

3. UND

4. Wisconsin

5. DU

6. Michigan

7. BU

8. Michigan State

9. Maine

10. Lake State

11. Michigan tech

12. Cornell

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National titles, frozen fours, conference titles, tournament appearances, elite alumni, hobey bakers in that order with heaviest weighting to last 10 years, then 11-20, 20-44, 44+ (taking it back to 1970).

1. Boston College

2. Minnesota

3. UND

4. Wisconsin

5. DU

6. Michigan

7. BU

8. Michigan State

9. Maine

10. Lake State

11. Michigan tech

12. Cornell

HA! I was working on my post while this was being published :) We came to the same conclusion independently.
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HA! I was working on my post while this was being published :) We came to the same conclusion independently.

If the title of the rankings is "Storied Programs", you have to have Michigan at the top. Granted, the mojority of their titiles were in the 50's and 60's, Just look at the number of NCAA tournaments appearences and final 4 appearences they have. Also 9>everyone else!! Not trying to a big Wolverine homer, but as far as storied programs go, they are at the top. As far as the rest of the top 5, UND, BC, MN, WI are deffinitely the other 4 in the the top 5 storied programs. The other 4 can be debated as far as order goes, but Michigan probably has to be #1.

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