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St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey

The St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents St. Cloud State University. The Huskies are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.[2] They play at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota.[3]

St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey
Current season
St. Cloud State Huskies athletic logo
UniversitySt. Cloud State University
ConferenceNCHC
Head coachBrett Larson
7th season, 123–76–21 (.607)
Assistant coaches
  • R. J. Enga
  • Clark Kuster
  • Eric Rud
ArenaHerb Brooks National Hockey Center
St. Cloud, Minnesota
Student sectionDog Pound
ColorsCardinal and black[1]
   
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
2021
NCAA Tournament Frozen Four
2013, 2021
NCAA Tournament appearances
1989, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Conference Tournament championships
WCHA: 2001
NCHC: 2016, 2023
Conference regular season championships
WCHA: 2012-13
NCHC: 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19
Current uniform

History

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Formation and war years

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St. Cloud State Teachers College founded its varsity ice hockey program in 1931, joining several other Minnesota-based schools. After an expectedly poor first season, St. Cloud began dominating their competition under Ludwig Andolsek, the team's second head coach. During the third year, a freshman named Frank Brimsek served as the team's starter. Brimsek was so spectacular in goal that he left after just one season and began a professional career, a rarity for college players at the time. While Brimsek would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, the Huskies didn't appear to miss him and went 25–2 in 1935, posting the best record in the nation. However, because only one of their games was played against a fellow institution, the Huskies weren't considered for the intercollegiate championship.

Andolsek left after his third season and the team struggled in his absence. In the seven years that followed, the team hovered around .500 and were relegated to secondary status. In 1942, due to the United States entry into World War II, St. Cloud suspended many of its athletic programs, which included the ice hockey team. The program was restarted after the war and saw some success, however, because the program was not a member of any conference, the Huskies were occasionally hamstrung by a lack of playing time.

Wink and Basch

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In 1956, After going through six different head coaches in ten years, the team hired Jack Wink. The new bench boss stabilized the program and led the Huskies to stellar records in the early-60's. The team finished the 1962 season undefeated but, as had happened a decade earlier, a reduced schedule following those highs caused the team to fall on hard times by the late-60's. After successive 1-win seasons, Wink was replaced by Charlie Basch who set about a steady rebuild for the program.

Basch took almost twice as long as Wink had to turn the Huskies into consistent winners. Once he did, however, he was able to keep them at the top of their game for much longer. In 1978, the NCAA began sponsoring a Division II tournament. Because St. Cloud was one of the few western teams that did not participate in the NAIA Championship, they were invited to participate in a Western Championship Tournament, which would determine which two teams received bids. St. Cloud State played in the WCT for the first four years of its existence, unfortunately they were never able to win a single match and never received an invitation to the actual tournament.

In 1980, the Huskies finally ended their long run as an independent and helped found the NCHA. Poor results in conference play prevented the team from having a chance at an NCAA bid, a trend that continued as almost all Division II programs dropped down to Division III in 1984.

Swift climb to D-I

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John Perpich took over for Basch in 1984 and led the team through two mediocre seasons before the athletic department decided to raise the profile of the program. Perpich stepped aside and allowed legendary Minnesota coach Herb Brooks to take over in 1986. News of the move spurred several prospects to join the program, including NHL draft picks Tony Schmalzbauer and Shorty Forrest. The Huskies went on to win the program's first conference title (tied) and the first conference tournament ever played by the NCHA. Brooks' team was one of the favorites for the national championship despite being a debutant but they were stymied by Oswego State and ended up 3rd in 1987.

Brooks left after the year to return to the NHL, but his time with the team had been a success. The very next year, St. Cloud promoted the program to Division I with Brooks' assistant, Craig Dahl taking over. The Huskies continued their rapid ascent with a winning record in 1989 and, due in part to the NCAA's policy of including a non-tradition team in the tournament at the time, St. Cloud made its first appearance in the D-I tournament in 1989.

WCHA

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After three years as an independent, St. Cloud joined the WCHA in 1990. Widely regarded as the best conference at the time, the WCHA made it difficult for St. Cloud to compete for a further NCAA bid. In spite of the tough opposition, the Huskies thrived in their new conference and routinely finished in the top half of the standings. There were several near-misses for championships and tournament bids but, at the end of the 20th century, the Huskies finally returned to the national tournament. In three consecutive years, St. Cloud made the NCAA tournament but lost each game they played. The program then declined for a few years and Dahl stepped down after the 2005 season.

Bob Motzko, an alumnus of the team, took over and swiftly turned the team's fortunes. In his first five seasons he got the Huskies to appear in two WCHA championship games. Though he lost both, he was able to get the Huskies their first win in NCAA tournament play. Three years later, Motzko led the team to its first WCHA regular season title and led the Huskies to the Frozen Four.

NCHC

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After the deep playoff run, St. Cloud State joined with seven other schools to form the NCHC in response to the Big Ten Conference joining the ice hockey ranks. The new league was built around traditional powerhouses and the Huskies looked right at home, winning the inaugural regular season title. Under Motzko, St. Cloud continued as one of the top teams in the conference, receiving 4 NCAA bids over a five-year span. In 2018, St. Cloud was the #1 team in the nation as it began the tournament but were upset in the first game by Air force.

Motzko left after the year to take over at in-state rival Minnesota and he was replaced by Brett Larson. The Huskies only seemed to get better under their new coach and were again the top-seeded team in 2019. Despite dominating play for most of their opening match, the Huskies were again felled by the lowest-seeded team. After a down year that was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Cloud returned with a strong 2021 and reached the championship game for the first time in its history.

Season-by-season results

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Main article: List of St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey seasons

Source:[4]

Records vs. current NCHC teams

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As of the completion of 2023–24 season[4]

School Team Away Arena Overall record Win % Last Result
Colorado College Tigers Broadmoor World Arena 64–54–9 .539 3-5 L
University of Denver Pioneers Magness Arena 51–61–7 .458 4-5 OTL
Miami University RedHawks Goggin Ice Center 34–19–6 .627 3-1 W
University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs AMSOIL Arena 81–63–10 .558 2-4 L
University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks Baxter Arena 29–17–4 .620 1-1 T
University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks Ralph Engelstad Arena 49–80–18 .395 3-3 T
Western Michigan University Broncos Lawson Arena 23–15–5 .593 5-1 W

Head coaches

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As of the completion of 2023–24 season[4]

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1931–1932 Ralph Theisen 1 1–7–0 .125
1932–1935 Ludwig Andolsek 3 42–4–1 .904
1935–1936 Robert DePaul 1 6–5–0 .545
1936–1937 Walter Gerzin 1 5–5–0 .500
1937–1938 Benedict Vandell 1 4–4–0 .500
1938–1942 George Lynch 4 20–15–2 .568
1946–1950, 1951–1952 Roland Vandell 5 39–25–2 .606
1950–1951 Ray Gasperline 1 5–3–0 .625
1952–1953 George Martin 1 8–3–0 .727
1953–1954 Brendan McDonald 1 2–2–0 .500
1954–1956 Jim Baxter 2 18–4–1 .804
1956–1968 Jack Wink 12 69–69–2 .500
1968–1984 Charlie Basch 16 181–193–7 .484
1984–1986 John Perpich 2 30–24–4 .554
1986–1987 Herb Brooks 1 25–10–1 .708
1987–2005 Craig Dahl 18 338–309–52 .521
2005–2018 Bob Motzko 13 276–192–49 .581
2018–Present Brett Larson 6 123–76–21 .607
Totals 18 coaches 89 seasons 1192–949–142 .553

Players

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Current roster

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As of September 16, 2024.[5]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
2   Karl Falk Senior D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-01-20 Västerås, Sweden Alaska (NCAA) —
4   Colin Ralph Freshman D 6' 5" (1.96 m) 227 lb (103 kg) 2005-10-04 Maple Grove, Minnesota Shattuck-Saint Mary's (USHS–MN) STL, 48th overall 2024
5   Warren Clark Sophomore D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2004-08-31 Riverside, Ontario Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) TBL, 179th overall 2023
6   Mason Reiners Junior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2001-05-03 Edina, Minnesota Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) —
7   Jack Reimann Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2002-10-10 Ham Lake, Minnesota Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) —
8   Ocean Wallace Freshman F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 216 lb (98 kg) 2003-10-31 Boulder, Colorado Austin Bruins (NAHL) —
11   Grant Ahcan Junior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 2002-05-18 Savage, Minnesota Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) —
12   Ryan Rosborough Junior (RS) F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2000-05-24 Mt. Brydges, Ontario South Shore Kings (NCDC) —
13   Tyson Gross Sophomore F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2002-09-23 Calgary, Alberta Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) —
14   Josh Zinger Junior D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2001-08-05 Red Deer, Alberta Northern Michigan (CCHA) —
15   Barrett Hall Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2003-12-29 Apple Valley, Minnesota Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) SEA, 164th overall 2022
16   Mason Salquist Senior F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 2000-03-21 Grand Forks, North Dakota Fargo Force (USHL) —
17   Ethan AuCoin Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2002-08-10 Calgary, Alberta Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL) —
18   Nick Portz Senior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 2000-05-15 St. Cloud, Minnesota North Dakota (NCHC) —
19   Verner Miettinen Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 172 lb (78 kg) 2003-04-07 Espoo, Finland Fargo Force (USHL) —
20   Jack Rogers Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2002-09-23 East Northport, New York Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) —
21   Josh Luedtke Senior D 5' 9" (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2000-09-29 Minnetonka, Minnesota Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) —
23   Austin Burnevik Freshman F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 201 lb (91 kg) 2005-01-03 Ham Lake, Minnesota Madison Capitols (USHL) ANA, 182nd overall 2024
25   Thor Byfuglien Sophomore D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 2003-07-14 Roseau, Minnesota Chicago Steel (USHL) —
26   Cooper Wylie Junior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2001-10-26 Stillwater, Minnesota Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) —
27   Kaleb Tiessen Sophomore D 6' 5" (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 2002-06-03 Leamington, Ontario Maryland Black Bears (NAHL) —
28   Gavyn Thoreson Freshman F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 179 lb (81 kg) 2004-10-30 Andover, Minnesota Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) —
30   Isak Posch Sophomore G 6' 3" (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 2002-01-03 Umeå, Sweden Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) —
33   James Gray Sophomore (RS) G 6' 3" (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2002-05-24 Toronto, Ontario North York Rangers (OJHL) —
34   Adam Ingram Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2003-10-14 West St. Paul, Manitoba Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) NSH, 82nd overall 2022
44   Gavin Enright Graduate G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1999-08-26 Farmington, Minnesota Bemidji State (CCHA) —
81   Daimon Gardner Sophomore F 6' 5" (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2004-01-18 Eagle Lake, Ontario Clarkson (ECAC) VAN, 112nd overall 2022

Statistical Leaders

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Source:[4]

Career points leaders

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Player Years GP G A Pts PIM
Ryan Lasch 2006–2010 161 79 104 183 98
Jeff Saterdalen 1988–1992 148 78 101 179 130
Garrett Roe 2007–2011 156 65 113 178 240
Tim Hanus 1988–1992 144 73 99 172 147
Mark Hartigan 1999–2002 119 86 79 165 84
Kalle Kossila 2012–2016 157 48 105 153 71
Drew LeBlanc 2008–2013 171 42 105 147 64
Mike Brodzinski 1984–1987 76 70 146
John Bergo 1980–1984 76 69 145
Joe Motzko 1999–2003 154 52 90 142 201

Career goaltending leaders

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GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Minimum 30 games

Player Years GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAA
Charlie Lindgren 2013–2016 88 4891 51 29 3 180 8 .921 2.21
Bobby Goepfert 2005–2007 73 4412 37 24 11 165 6 .924 2.24
Jaxon Castor 2019–2023 42 2221 20 16 1 88 4 .910 2.38
Scott Meyer 1996–2001 80 4585 47 22 5 182 9 .919 2.38
Dávid Hrenák 2017–2022 146 8370 82 44 14 335 14 .910 2.40

Statistics current through the end of the 2023-24 season.

Awards and honors

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NCAA

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Individual awards

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All-Americans

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AHCA First Team All-Americans

AHCA Second Team All-Americans

WCHA

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Individual awards

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All-Conference Teams

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First Team All-WCHA

Second Team All-WCHA

Third Team All-WCHA

All-WCHA Rookie Team

NCHC

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Individual awards

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All-Conference Teams

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First Team All-NCHC

Second Team All-NCHC

NCHC All-Rookie Team

Olympians

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This is a list of St. Cloud State alumni were a part of an Olympic team.

Name Position St. Cloud State Tenure Team Year Finish
Bret Hedican Defenseman 1988–1991   USA 1992, 2006 4th, 8th
Mark Parrish Right Wing 1995–1997   USA 2006 8th
Ryan Malone Left Wing 1999–2003   USA 2010   Silver
Garrett Roe Left Wing 2007–2011   USA 2018 7th
Sam Hentges Left Wing 2018–Present   USA 2022 5th
Nick Perbix Defenseman 2018–Present   USA 2022 5th
Patrick Russell Right Wing 2013–2015   DEN 2022 7th
Oliver Lauridsen Defenseman 2008–2011   DEN 2022 7th

Huskies in the NHL

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See also: Former NCAA players in the National Hockey League

As of July 1, 2024

= NHL All-Star team = NHL All-Star[8] = NHL All-Star[8] and NHL All-Star team = Hall of Famers

Source:[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SCSU Colors and Logo usage rules". Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  2. ^ Myers, Jess (March 20, 2010). "WCHA: SCSU, NoDak win; Roe injury a scare". Inside College Hockey. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  3. ^ "National Hockey Center". St. Cloud State University. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d "St. Cloud State Huskies Men's Hockey 2020-21 Media Guide". St. Cloud State Huskies. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  5. ^ "2023-24 Men's Hockey Roster". St. Cloud State Huskies. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Legends of Hockey". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  7. ^ "United States Hockey Hall of Fame". Hockey Central.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  8. ^ a b Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.
  9. ^ "Alumni report for St. Cloud State". Hockey DB. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
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