UConn Huskies men's ice hockey
The UConn Huskies men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Connecticut. The Huskies are a member of Hockey East. The Huskies currently play at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut;[3] the team will move to the new on-campus UConn Hockey Arena starting with the 2023–24 season.[4]
| UConn Huskies men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
| Current season | |
| University | University of Connecticut |
| Conference | Hockey East |
| Head coach | Mike Cavanaugh[1] 10th season, 123–151–33 (.454) |
| Captain(s) | Adam Karashik |
| Alternate captain(s) | Brian Rigali, Zac Robbins, Carter Turnball |
| Arena | Toscano Family Ice Forum |
| Location | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Colors | National flag blue and white[2] |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| MAAC: 2000 | |
History
The Huskies men's ice hockey program began in 1960 under head coach John Chapman. UConn began NCAA competition at the NCAA Division III level in the ECAC East.[5]
Prior to 1998, the Huskies played all home games outdoors at a partially enclosed rink on-campus near Memorial Stadium. The UConn Hockey Rink had a roof but was open on the sides.[6] However, in preparation for the upgrade to Division I, the University built the Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum. Construction began in 1996, and the first indoor home game for UConn was on November 7, 1998.[7][8]
The move to NCAA Division I status allowed the team to join other Husky athletic programs. In 1998 they joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, after previously playing for 38 years in the Division III ECAC East.[9] At the time, head coach Bruce Marshall was in his tenth season at the position. In its 2nd season in the 2000 MAAC Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Uconn beat Iona 6-1 to win its 1st league championship. However, due to a 2-year probationary period placed on the MAAC for an automatic bid to the NCAA Ice Hockey championship by the league champion, UConn was unable to participate in the NCAA tournament that year. It has been the only championship Uconn would earn since moving to Division I (as of May, 2016). But when the athletic department was forced to remove all athletic scholarships from the sport in order to comply with Title IX,[10] and the Huskies consistently finished in the bottom few spots of the national computer rankings before the most recent season.[11] In 2003, the MAAC formed a new league called Atlantic Hockey.
In June 2010, the University announced that the team would face Sacred Heart at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on February 13, 2011, as part of a doubleheader also featuring a game between the women's team and the Providence Friars.[12] The Huskies won this game 3-1, in front of 1,711 fans. The Huskies also played their first ever game at the XL Center in downtown Hartford that year, though this was not originally scheduled. Due to heavy snow accumulation on the Freitas roof, the team's February 5 game against Army was moved to the off-camps arena, also home to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League.[13] In spite of free admission, only 891 fans turned up on short notice to watch the Huskies lose 5-3.[14] As a whole, the 2010-11 season was also a major improvement for the Huskies, who advance to the Atlantic Hockey Tournament semifinals at Blue Cross Arena before being eliminated. They finished with a final record of 16-18-4. One of the major factors in the turnaround was the young recruits the Huskies had signed. Freshman Cole Schneider led the team with 32 points, while sophomore Sean Ambrosie finished second with 29.[15] Meanwhile, sophomore Garrett Bartus set a school record with 1,085 saves.[16] The 2011-12 AHA preseason rankings reflected the newly gained reputation, with the Huskies ranked fifth out of twelve teams.[17] The Huskies posted a winning record once again in the 2012-13 season.
On June 21, 2012, UConn announced the program would join Hockey East as the conference's 12th member beginning in the 2014-15 season.[18] Prior to the move into Hockey East, on January 7, 2013, head coach Bruce Marshall resigned after 25 years [19] and was replaced in interim by Asst. Dave Berard.[20] The season ended with a record of 17-13-4. The team finished 4th in the AHA, drawing a crowd of 1438 for their final home game of the season against Sacred Heart. As part of the move from Atlantic Hockey to Hockey East, the university added 18 scholarships for the men's ice hockey team and additional scholarships to existing women's sports programs to meet Title IX gender equity requirements.[18] The university is also investigating options to significantly renovate the Freitas Ice Forum, which has a seating capacity around 2,000 fans, and mostly consists of metal bleachers; or build a new, larger ice arena on-campus.[18] As a new member of Hockey East the team will play home games at the 15,635-seat former NHL arena, the XL Center in downtown Hartford, with other select (home) games at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. A study by the university projected a cost around $20,000 a game to play at the XL Center.[18]
New Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh, who spent 18 seasons as an assistant at Boston College, was hired to guide Uconn into their new era of scholarship hockey in the Hockey East. He coached Uconn's final season (2013–14) in Atlantic Hockey to a record of 18-14-4, with wins over future Hockey East opponents Providence and Umass, while playing to a 2-2 draw with eventual 2014 NCAA Champ Union . Uconn made a successful transition to Hockey East in 2014-15 as they finished in the top 10 nationally in home attendance (5,396) while also leading their new conference . They were also competitive on the ice as their transition year resulted in 4 wins over top 20 teams while gaining ties with national championship game finalists Providence and Boston University. Starting in the 2015-16 season all home games were played at the XL Center, which drew a much better attendance per game (5,879) than those at the Webster Bank Arena (2,900) in which Uconn appeared during the 2014-15 season.
Groundbreaking took place on May 22, 2021 to start construction for UConn's new $48 million ice hockey rink at the Storrs campus, for an opening in fall 2022. The 2,600-seat arena (plus standing room), expected to open in 2023, will be located adjacent to the current Freitas Ice Arena in the Athletics District on Jim Calhoun Way. The team facilities will also include team lounges; dry locker area and locker rooms with video displays; training space with a hydrotherapy area; strength and conditioning room; and other areas such as coaches' offices. The new 97,300-square-foot facility will meet all NCAA Division I ice hockey requirements and all Hockey East regulations, which the Freitas Ice Forum does not.[4]
Season-by-season results
Source:[21]
Coaching staff
[22] The Huskies are coached by Mike Cavanaugh, the fourth head coach in program history.
All-time coaching records
As of completion of 2021-22 season[5]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–present | Mike Cavanaugh | 9 | 123–151–33 | .454 |
| 2012–2013 | David Berard | 1† | 19–10–3 | .641 |
| 1988–2012 | Bruce Marshall | 25 | 332–377–69 | .471 |
| 1981–1988 | Ben Kirtland | 7 | 85–98–2 | .465 |
| 1960–1981 | John Chapman | 21 | 196–221–7 | .471 |
| Totals | 5 coaches | 62 seasons | 755-857-114 | .470 |
† David Berard served as an interim head coach after Bruce Marshall took a medical leave of absence.
Awards and honors
NCAA
All-Americans
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
- 2020–21: Jonny Evans, F
- 2021–22: Ryan Tverberg, F
ECAC East
All-Conference Teams
First Team All-ECAC East
- 1991–92: Chris Potter, D; Bryan Krygier, F
- 1992–93: Chris Potter, D
- 1994–95: Bryan Quinn, F
- 1995–96: Ryan Equale, F
Second Team All-ECAC East
- 1987–88: Todd Krygier, F
- 1989–90: Bryan Krygier, F
- 1990–91: Bryan Krygier, F
- 1991–92: Mike Krygier, F
- 1993–94: D. J. LeBlanc, F
- 1997–98: Eric Linkowski, D
MAAC
Individual awards
| MAAC Defensive Rookie of the Year
| MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player
|
All-Conference Teams
- 1998–99: Geoff Angell, F
- 2001–02: Mike Boylan, D
- 1998–99: Rob Martin, D
- 2000–01: Michael Goldkind, F
- 1998–99: Jon Chain, G; Mike Boylan, D
- 2000–01: Eric Nelson, D
- 2001–02: Adam Rhein, D
Atlantic Hockey
Individual awards
| Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year
Atlantic Hockey Best Defensive Forward
| Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Goaltending Award
Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Scoring Trophy
|
All-Conference Teams
First Team All-Atlantic Hockey
- 2003–04: Eric Nelson, D; Tim Olsen, F
- 2004–05: Tim Olsen, F
- 2011–12: Cole Schneider, F
Second Team All-Atlantic Hockey
- 2006–07: Matt Scherer, F
- 2007–08: Beau Erickson, G
- 2008–09: Sean Erickson, D
- 2011–12: Alex Gerke, D
Third Team All-Atlantic Hockey
- 2006–07: Sean Erickson, D
- 2012–13: Matt Grogan, G
- 2013–14: Brant Harris, F
Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team
- 2003–04: Scott Tomes, G; Matt Scherer, F
- 2004–05: Brad Smith, G
- 2005–06: Sean Erickson, D
- 2009–10: Alex Greke, D
- 2010–11: Cole Schneider, F
Hockey East
Individual awards
|
All-Conference Teams
- 2021–22: Ryan Tverberg, F
- 2015–16: Maxim Letunov, F
- 2017–18: Maxim Letunov, F
- 2021–22: Jáchym Kondelík, F
- 2016–17: Tage Thompson, F
- 2018–19: Karl El-Mir, F
- 2015–16: Maxim Letunov, F
Statistical leaders
Source:[21]
Career points leaders
| Player | Years | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan Krygier | 1988–1992 | 92 | 127 | 219 | ||
| Todd Krygier | 1984–1988 | 99 | 101 | 200 | ||
| Ryan Equale | 1992–1996 | 79 | 109 | 188 | ||
| Brian Sutherland | 1990–1994 | 61 | 92 | 153 | ||
| Jeff Ray | 1988–1992 | 78 | 73 | 151 | ||
| Bryan Quinn | 1991–1995 | 64 | 85 | 149 | ||
| D. J. LeBlanc | 1990–1994 | 68 | 80 | 148 | ||
| Harry Geary | 1984–1987 | 70 | 87 | 148 | ||
| Dave L'Ecuyer | 1979–1983 | 66 | 79 | 145 | ||
| Mark Kosinski | 1982–1986 | 59 | 77 | 136 |
Career goaltending leaders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Minimum 50 Games
| Player | Years | Games | Minutes | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Grogan | 2010–2014 | 59 | 3082 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 119 | 2 | .926 | 2.32 |
| Rob Nichols | 2013–2017 | 93 | 5386 | 31 | 46 | 15 | 239 | 10 | .918 | 2.66 |
| Tomáš Vomáčka | 2018–2021 | 71 | 4195 | 32 | 33 | 5 | 201 | 2 | .906 | 2.87 |
| Marc Senerchia | 1996–2000 | 93 | 3.02 | |||||||
| Garrett Bartus | 2009–2013 | 111 | 6353 | 40 | 58 | 9 | 320 | 5 | .911 | 3.02 |
Statistics current through the start of the 2021-22 season.
Current roster
As of September 12, 2022.[23]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Keane | Senior | G | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 1998-03-15 | Coppell, Texas | Jamestown (NAHL) | — | |
| 2 | Jack Pascucci | Freshman | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2002-02-15 | North Andover, Massachusetts | Des Moines (USHL) | — | |
| 4 | Roman Kinal (C) | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1998-07-20 | Waterford, Michigan | Dubuque (USHL) | — | |
| 5 | Aidan Metcalfe | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | 2000-01-24 | Palos Verdes, California | Shreveport (NAHL) | — | |
| 6 | Andrew Lucas | Junior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 1999-02-05 | Alexandria, Virginia | Vermont (HEA) | — | |
| 7 | Huston Karpman | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2001-02-07 | Manhattan Beach, California | Minot (NAHL) | — | |
| 9 | Ryan Tattle | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-09-07 | Port Moody, British Columbia | Coquitlam (BCHL) | — | |
| 10 | Tristan Fraser | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2001-11-13 | West Vancouver, British Columbia | Nanaimo (BCHL) | — | |
| 11 | Ty Amonte (A) | Graduate | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1998-01-11 | Humarock, Massachusetts | Boston University (HEA) | — | |
| 12 | Justin Pearson | Graduate | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1998-05-17 | Nashua, New Hampshire | Yale (ECAC) | — | |
| 13 | Samu Salminen | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-04-09 | Helsinki, Finland | Jokerit U20 (U20 SM-sarja) | NJD, 68th overall 2021 | |
| 15 | Thomas Messineo | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-05-02 | Westwood, Massachusetts | Chilliwack (BCHL) | — | |
| 16 | Jake Flynn (A) | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-05-26 | Bridgewater, Massachusetts | Thayer (USHS–MA) | — | |
| 17 | Jake Percival | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-02-11 | Avon, Connecticut | Cedar Rapids (USHL) | — | |
| 18 | John Spetz | Junior | D | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 1999-12-01 | Oak Ridge, New Jersey | Chicago (USHL) | — | |
| 19 | Jake Black | Freshman | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-03-05 | Pomfret, Connecticut | Johnstown (NAHL) | — | |
| 20 | Chase Bradley | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-01-09 | St. Louis, Missouri | Sioux City (USHL) | DET, 203rd overall 2020 | |
| 21 | Nick Capone | Junior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2001-12-17 | East Haven, Connecticut | Tri-City (USHL) | TBL, 157th overall 2020 | |
| 22 | Hudson Schandor (A) | Junior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2000-09-29 | North Vancouver, British Columbia | Surrey (BCHL) | — | |
| 23 | Tabor Heaslip | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-12-17 | Frisco, Texas | Sioux City (USHL) | — | |
| 24 | Mark D'Agostino | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-05-06 | North Branford, Connecticut | Powell River (BCHL) | — | |
| 27 | Harrison Rees | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-03-19 | Oakville, Ontario | North York (OJHL) | — | |
| 28 | Ryan Tverberg | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-01-30 | Richmond Hill, Ontario | Toronto Jr. Canadiens (OJHL) | TOR, 213th overall 2020 | |
| 29 | Jake Veilleux | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-01-19 | South Windsor, Connecticut | Victoria (BCHL) | — | |
| 30 | Arsenii Sergeev | Freshman | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2002-12-16 | Yaroslavl, Russia | Tri-City (USHL) | CGY, 205th overall 2021 | |
| 31 | Matt Pasquale | Junior | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-10-06 | North Reading, Massachusetts | Northeast (NAHL) | — | |
| 34 | Adam Dawe | Graduate | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 1999-01-18 | Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador | Maine (HEA) | — | |
| 35 | Logan Terness | Sophomore | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-09-18 | Burnaby, British Columbia | Trail (BCHL) | — | |
| 71 | Matthew Wood | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-02-06 | Nanaimo, British Columbia | Victoria (BCHL) | — |
Huskies in the NHL
As of July 1, 2022.
Source:[24] References
External links |