College hockey has been a breeding ground for excellent hockey players and individuals for more than 100 years. College hockey players today have a greater influence on the NHL than they ever had. Sixty member schools across six conferences are composed of NCAA Division I men’s hockey: Atlantic Hockey, Big Ten, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, NCHC, and WCHA.
The member teams stretch as far west as Alaska and as far south as Alabama. There are a number of reasons for the college hockey trail to be considered. Starting from opportunities of being NHL stars to its unparallel environment for player development, choosing hockey as your college sport has several perks that will only help you grow and build a career that shall be fruitful.
If you have played hockey in your high school or are interested in the sport and also want to continue your college education while playing the sport, we have made a list that should help you in finding the best college hockey teams. These teams have had a rich heritage in the field of hockey and maintain a good record in championships as well. If you have had a good hockey career and want to join a university that will help you continue with your talent and hard work, these teams will surely be best suited for you. All the best with your search!
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s ice hockey team at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus is the college ice hockey team. They are members of the Big Ten Conference and play ice hockey in Division I of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA). There has been a huge emphasis for most of the history of the team on recruiting native Minnesotan high school and junior hockey players, as opposed to out-of-state, Canadian, or European players. It helped the growth of high school ice hockey in Minnesota.
Founded In: 1921
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ranking: 1
Contact: 612-625-5000
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Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles, representing Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, are a Division I college hockey team. Since 1984, the team has competed in Hockey East, having participated previously in the ECAC. Five national championships have been won by the Eagles. Since 1988, having previously played at McHugh Forum, home games have been played at Kelley Rink at Conte Forum, named after coach John “Snooks” Kelley. Former Eagles forward Jerry York, who has won the most games of any head coach in NCAA hockey history, is coaching the Eagles.
Founded In: 1917
Location: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Ranking: 2
Contact: 617-552-8000
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North Dakota Fighting Hawks
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks men’s ice hockey team (UND) at the University of North Dakota’s Grand Forks campus is the college ice hockey team. They are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and are playing in Division I ice hockey of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). North Dakota is considered one of the country’s leading college hockey programs and is considered one of the most strong, successful, and storied college hockey programs in the NCAA historical hockey program. UND has won 8 Division I NCAA Championships. They have won 15 WCHA Championships in the Regular Season, 3 NCHC Championships in the Regular Season, and 11 WCHA Tournament Championships. The former official nickname of the school was the Fighting Sioux.
Founded In: 1929
Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Ranking: 3
Contact: 701-777-3000
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Minnesota- Duluth Bulldogs
The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men’s ice hockey team is an ice hockey program from the NCAA Division I college representing the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs are members of the National Conference of College Hockey (NCHC). At the 6,800-seater AMSOIL Arena at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, the team plays home games. Many NHL players were produced by the Bulldogs program. In recent years, UMD has established a powerhouse program, more than any other college program, with four national title game appearances, three of them in the last three years, and three championships in the last decade.
Founded In: 1930
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Ranking: 4
Contact: 218-726-8000
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Minnesota State Mavericks
An NCAA Division I college ice hockey program representing Minnesota State University, Mankato, is the Minnesota State Mavericks men’s ice hockey team. The Mavericks play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Their home arena is the Event Center of the Mayo Clinic Health System in downtown Mankato, Minnesota. The Minnesota State Mavericks men’s ice hockey team began competing in 1969-70 as a varsity sport. Mike Hastings is their head coach. In 1999-00, the Mavericks were given admission to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and have remained with the conference until now.
Founded In: 1969
Location: Mankato, Minnesota
Ranking: 5
Contact: 507-389-1866
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St. Cloud State Huskies
The St. Cloud State Huskies men’s and women’s ice hockey team is a Division I college ice hockey program from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) representing St. Cloud State University. They are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. They play at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota. St. Cloud Huskies promote both men’s and women’s hockey championships and encourages students to participate in the activities that the teams hold. Their head coaches are Brett Larson and Eric Rud, respectively.
Founded In: 1989
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Ranking: 6
Contact: 320-308-0121
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Michigan Wolverines
The college ice hockey team representing the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the Michigan Wolverines men’s ice hockey team. The program has played in 97 seasons, gaining varsity status in 1922. The team played in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) between 1959 and 1981, before joining the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) until the season 2012–13. As a program, Michigan has had many milestones, including a record-setting number of titles, total championship tournament appearances, and consecutive appearances in the tournament. Their head coach is Mel Pearson.
Founded In: 1922
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ranking: 7
Contact: 734-764-1817
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Clarkson Golden Knights
The Clarkson Golden Knights men’s ice hockey team is a Division I college ice hockey program of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) representing Clarkson University. Since 1962, the Golden Knights have been a member of ECAC Hockey and play their home games in Potsdam, New York at the Cheel Arena. An NCAA Division I ice hockey team representing Clarkson University in rural Potsdam, New York, is the Clarkson Golden Knights women’s hockey team. Since 2004, the Golden Knights women’s team has been part of ECAC Hockey.
Founded In: 1962, 2004
Location: Potsdam, New York
Ranking: 8
Contact: 315-268-6400
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Bowling Green Falcons
The Bowling Green Falcons is the ice hockey team representing Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school’s team is playing in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Since the early 1960s, ice hockey has existed in club form at Bowling Green. It was not until the late 1960s that the university took an interest in introducing ice hockey for men to its list of varsity sports. The team’s head coach is Ty Eigner.
Founded In: 1969
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio
Ranking: 9
Contact: 419-372-2531
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UMass Minuteman
A National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s college ice hockey program representing the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the UMass Minutemen Ice Hockey team. The Minutemen are Hockey East participants. They play at the 8,387-seat William D. Mullins Memorial Center in Amherst, Massachusetts known as the Mullins Center. The team is coached by Greg Carvel. The UMass Minuteman’s have a history of playing in a pond located on the UMass campus. From that, they have grown to be playing for NAAC Division I sport.
Founded In: 1909
Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
Ranking: 10
Contact: 413-545-0111
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