The National Hockey League premiered Wednesday, December 19, 1917. Two hockey games were held that night. The NHL started out with four teams, so the entirety of the league was in action. The Montreal Wanderers hosted Toronto while the other game was played in Ottawa. One of the skaters on the Montreal roster included a former Dartmouth hockey star by the name of Gerry Geran. The Wanderers defeated Toronto 10-9 in what is now known as the very first game in NHL history. The other game between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators was scheduled to start 15 minutes later. Geran didn’t make it on the score sheet that night, but he will be forever remembered as not only the first former college hockey player to suit up for the NHL, but the first U.S. born player to ever do so.
Geran was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and earned the nickname of the Mystery Man of Hockey. One of the reasons behind this nickname is because he was mysteriously suspended by Dartmouth despite being one of the most talented players on the team. After Dartmouth, Geran played amateur hockey and then signed with Montreal in the NHL. However, the team only played six games before being disbanded, finishing with a 1-5 record. The lone win coming on opening night. The Wanderers home rink burnt down in early January 1918, ending the team’s season and forcing it to disband. This wasn’t an end to an upstart expansion team; the Wanderers had been around since 1904, playing in previous leagues and associations. In fact, the Wanderers had won the Stanley Cup four times (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910).
The following season, Geran went back to amateur hockey and then later played across the pond in France. He played one season away from the U.S. and then returned to amateur hockey for several years. In 1925, Geran’s former Wanderers teammate, Art Ross, contacted him to see if he wanted to play for the Boston Bruins. Ross was now the coach and general manager in Boston. Geran returned to the NHL nearly eight years after his debut. He made history again when he scored a goal December 11, 1925, becoming the first U.S. Born player to score a goal in the NHL. He scored a second goal later that same game.
Geran also represented his country at the 1920 Olympics. The team won silver and he scored a hat trick against Sweden. The United States asked him to play in 1924 as well. Geran didn’t give the team a definitive answer about whether he would participate. Ultimately, he never showed up. This added fuel to the Mystery Man of Hockey nickname.
After one year with the Bruins, he returned to amateur hockey again; this time in Saint Paul with the Saints. His final year of playing hockey was back in France. Overall, Geran may not have scored many goals or earned many points in the NHL, but his name will forever be etched in the record book as the first college hockey player in the NHL, first U.S. born player in the NHL, and first U.S. born player to score a goal in the NHL.
The original Boston Arena burned down to the ground in December 1918. It took a little more than three years to reconstruct the arena before the grand opening or re-opening, depending on how you look at it. Harvard’s freshmen and varsity teams hosted the first two games in 1910. This time, MIT was the inaugural host in the rebuilt Boston Arena when the team from Massachusetts welcomed its neighbors from the north, King’s College.
1920-21 MIT men’s hockey team
The Engineers agreed to play six-man hockey against their Canadian brethren on Friday, January 7, 1921. The team from Windsor, Nova Scotia, had been playing that type of hockey for the past six years. It was later noted after the game that it was the first time six-man hockey was played on a large ice surface in the city of Boston. In this season opener for MIT, the Engineers lost steam at the end of the game and King’s College pulled away with a 4-3 victory after scoring the game-winning goal with less than five minutes left in regulation. Tommy Winter sent a bouncing puck that jumped over the goaltender’s stick to win it for King’s College.
The following night, Harvard opened its season by hosting King’s College in the same venue. But this time it would be a seven-on-seven hockey game. The Crimson refused to switch to six-man hockey so King’s College agreed to play with seven men in their second game of the weekend. The Crimson went undefeated the previous season in league play and were Triangular League champions. Because of this, the Boston Globe all but guaranteed a victory over King’s College that night. The prediction would ring true as 6,500 spectators saw Harvard hand King’s College a 9-1 loss. It set a Boston record at the time for most fans to ever attend a hockey game.
Photo Credit: Featured Photo: The Boston Globe, January 8, 1921. Second Photo: 1920-21 MIT men’s hockey team photo, 1922 Technique Yearbook. Third Photo: 1920-21 King’s College men’s hockey team photo, the Boston Globe, January 4, 1921.
A much-anticipated arena opened in Boston in April 1910. The first event held at this multi-purpose building was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the afternoon and evening, including children’s races, adult speed skating, and an exhibition from former American figure skating champion Irving Brokaw. One of the afternoon events during this April 25, 1910, carnival was a hockey game between the Harvard Crimson freshmen team and Newton High School. The Crimson shut out Newton High by a score of 4-0. This exhibition game would go down in the record books as the first-ever hockey game played at Boston Arena.
Approximately 1,500 attendees were on hand for the nightcap between the Crimson varsity hockey team and the Crescent Hockey Club. The teams played two 15-minute periods. The only scoring throughout the game was in the first period when Crescent scored. This 1-0 exhibition game would go down in the record books as the first-ever hockey game played by a college varsity team at Boston Arena. The game took place more than two months after the Harvard’s last hockey game when the Crimson had defeated Yale to end the season. The team had alternated playing outside at Harvard Stadium and St. Nicholas Rink in New York City. Harvard finished in second place to Princeton.
Fans would have to wait nearly eight months to witness the first intercollegiate hockey game at Boston Arena. Harvard hosted MIT on December 18, 1910, at the beginning of the 1910-11 season. The Crimson defeated MIT 4-3. Both programs began calling Boston Arena home during this season. Additional college hockey teams would ultimately play home games at Boston Arena. Boston College and Boston University would do so in the inaugural seasons for both programs beginning in the 1917-18 season. In fact, the very first intercollegiate hockey game for both programs was a game where they faced off against one another at the arena February 6, 1918. Unfortunately, the building suffered a catastrophic fire in December 1918. The second iteration of the Boston Arena opened in January 1921. Northeastern first played a hockey game there December 1, 1924, and would ultimately become the tenant of the arena after purchasing it in October 1979. The last game to be played at the historic arena will be December 13, 2025, when the Northeastern men’s hockey team will host Boston University.
Architectural concept drawing of Boston Arena prior to construction.
Photo Credit: Featured Photo and Second Photo: The Boston Globe, April 26, 1910. Third Photo: 1909 Harvard Crimson men’s varsity hockey team photo, the H book of Harvard athletics 1852-1922. Fouth Photo: Funk and Wilcox architectural concept drawing of Boston Arena.
Brown University hosted Alaska Anchorage on Black Friday in 1990. It was the first time the Alaska Anchorage hockey program had flown to Rhode Island. In fact, the November 23, 1990, game was the first time ever that Alaska Anchorage and Brown University faced off.
The Brown Bears are one of the founding members of the ECAC and remain in that conference to this day. Alaska Anchorage was an independent program during the 1990-91 season. It was in its seventh season since elevating to Division I. Heading into the Friday match up, Brown was still looking for its first win of the season after starting 0-5-1. The team was coming off a tough 7-1 loss to its cross-town rival Providence during the 5th annual Mayor’s Cup. Things weren’t going to get any easier for Brown; the Seawolves were a national tournament team the year before. And on the horizon the following weekend were the top two teams in the ECAC at the time: Clarkson and St. Lawrence.
As for the game itself, the visiting Seawolves controlled the majority of it at Meehan Auditorium that night. The third period saw numerous penalties called on both teams. In the final minute of regulation, the Seawolves were up by two goals but down two men. Chris Kaban netted a goal for Brown to cut the lead to 6-5. Derek Chauvette then tied the score to send the game to overtime. The bonus period didn’t see any scoring, resulting in a 6-6 tie.
1990-91 Brown Bears men’s hockey team
The improbable comeback spurred Brown as the Bears upset Clarkson the following week 5-2. The team would go 7-5-1 in the 13 games following this game. But in the end, Yale defeated Brown in the opening round of the ECAC tournament and the Bears finished with a 9-15-3 record. Alaska Anchorage, on the other hand, went to overtime the following night against Providence College as well but ran out of gas and lost in the extra session. It was just the third game in that all-time series after Providence visited Anchorage almost a decade prior. The Seawolves finished its 1990-91 regular season with a 20-14-4 record and received an invite to the NCAA tournament for the second season in a row. The Seawolves defeated Boston College in the best-of-three opening round series after winning the first two games against the Eagles. Eventual champion Northern Michigan defeated the Seawolves in the next round en route to the NCAA trophy.
Photo Credit: Featured photo: The Brown Daily Herald 118 (1990-11-27). Brown Daily Herald. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. Secondary photo: 1990-91 Brown Bears men’s hockey team photo from the Liber Brunensis (1991 Yearbook). Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
Two college hockey teams located within the state of New York debuted in the winter of 1903: Union and Army. Only a little more than 100 miles separate West Point from Schenectady, yet it took more than 73 years for the in-state teams to play a game against one another at Union’s home rink. And it wasn’t even on the schedule at the beginning of the season.
Army fielded a varsity hockey program at its onset while hockey at Union didn’t gain varsity status until 1919. It’s doubtful that played a part in why the teams didn’t play one another for the first time until 1924, but it’s worth noting. It’s also worth noting that Union suspended hockey operations three times in the first 17 years of the program; something that likely contributed more to the delay than varsity status considering colleges often played local club and high school teams at the time. The first game between the two programs was February 13, 1924, and was played outdoors at Stuart Rink on the United States Military Academy campus behind the gymnasium. The teams played a total of 10 times at West Point before the Cadets would travel up north for a game at Union. Army won 9 of these 10 games with Union snapping the nine-game win streak in 1941. Thirty-five years later, Union finally hosted Army on March 6, 1976.
The game took place the first season the Union program was reinstated after nearly thirty years without hockey. The Dutchmen, as they were known as at the time, joined ECAC 2 in Division II. Army was an original member of ECAC 2 since 1973 when the NCAA split the College Division into Divisions II and III. The 1975-76 season saw Union dominate competition – a feat that was unexpected for a new program. The Dutchmen had a 16-game win streak heading into the ECAC 2 quarterfinals. Army, on the other hand, owned a 17-8 overall record by the end of the regular season. This would mean the Cadets would head to Schenectady, New York, for the first time.
During the regular season, Union’s all-freshmen team shocked ECAC 2 with the best record in the division. However, the team was seeded 4th in the ECAC 2 tournament due to the competition it scheduled throughout its first season back. In this playoff game, the older, experienced and more physical Army team upset the Dutchmen 3-2 in front of a shocked crowd at Achilles Rink. Army played Merrimack in the conference semifinals the following week and lost 8-2 to finish the season.
The Union men’s hockey team will host Army this upcoming Saturday on October 4, 2025. The Black Knights will have the privilege of being the very first team to play against Union in its inaugural game at M&T Bank Center. With 101 years of hockey history between them, it’s only fitting that these two teams will break in the ice at this new arena.
Photo Credit: Union College Concordiensis, Vol. 105, No. 17. April 7, 1976.
The four-year streak of a new NCAA men’s hockey team joining Division I was snapped this year. However, one conference expanded. Arizona State found a home in the NCHC during the 2024-25 season after spending nine seasons as a DI independent. The program won its first Division I conference game when the Sun Devils beat Omaha at home 3-2 on November 16, 2024. Later that month, the Sun Devils defeated Denver 3-2 to earn its first win over a top-ranked team in the nation. This win snapped Denver’s 21-game unbeaten streak in the process. Arizona State would later win its first conference playoff game and series after sweeping UMD in the opening round at home. The Sun Devils participated in the Frozen Faceoff and were defeated by Denver 4-2. The Pioneers, in turn, lost the following night when Western Michigan took down Denver in double overtime. Western Michigan won its first Frozen Faceoff title in the final NCHC championship game to take place in Saint Paul. Beginning next season, the entire NCHC playoffs will be played on campus.
The NCHC announced in the off-season that it would add another new member in St. Thomas in 2026-27. With the news of the Tommies’ future exit from its current conference, the CCHA, in turn, announced Augustana would become a full member in 2024-25; a year earlier than scheduled. Due to an unbalanced conference schedule for Augustana compared to the rest of the CCHA, the conference switched to points percentage this season to determine the standings. The Vikings finished second to Minnesota State in the standings. A unique situation occurred during the 2025 CCHA Mason Cup playoffs. When St. Thomas defeated Bowling Green in the semifinals, it ensured that the winner of the other semifinal between Minnesota State and Bemidji State would receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This was because St. Thomas was not eligible for the tournament due to a mandatory four-year waiting period after transitioning from Division III to Division I. In a semifinal with unexpectedly high postseason ramifications, the Mavericks downed the Beavers 4-0 to earn the bid. The Mavericks put an exclamation point on the tournament the following week with a 4-2 win in the championship game, thus regaining the Mason Cup for the third time in four years.
The Lindenwood men’s hockey team defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison October 11, 2024. It was the first program win over a top ten ranked opponent as well as its first win over a Big Ten team. Two weeks later in Indiana, LIU defeated Notre Dame for the program’s first road win over a ranked opponent. LIU finished the season with a record of 20-12-2; the first time the program hit the 20-win plateau in a season.
Denver hosted UNLV for a holiday-season exhibition game on December 28, 2024. UNLV, an ACHA Division I hockey program, shocked the hockey world by defeating the Pioneers in a shootout 7-6. Granted, Denver was without head coach, David Carle, and star defenseman, Zeev Buium, but this was historic. It’s safe to say this was the first time an ACHA (club) team defeated the defending Division I men’s hockey team who also owns the record for most NCAA Division I hockey titles. In April, the Skatin’ Rebels capped its historic season with the school’s first-ever ACHA Division I national hockey championship.
Two Division I men’s conference championship games went to double overtime. This was just the second time this ever happened in the same season; the only other occurrence took place in 2017. In addition to the aforementioned NCHC title game when Western Michigan outlasted Denver, the Michigan State Spartans defeated Ohio State in double overtime by a score of 4-3 to earn its second Big Ten tournament title in a row. Elsewhere, Bentley won the Atlantic Hockey America tournament. The Falcons hoisted the Riley Trophy for the first time, granting the program its first-ever berth in the NCAA hockey tournament. Within Hockey East, Maine won its first Hockey East tournament since 2004 after defeating UConn in the title game. UConn, however, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; its first time ever participating in the national tournament. Within the ECAC, Quinnipiac won the regular season title for the fifth season in a row. However, the Bobcats lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Quinnipiac has not won any of the five conference tournaments throughout this five-peat run.
During the 2025 NCAA Division I men’s tournament, Denver and Boston College met in the Manchester Regional Final for a rematch of the 2024 title game. Since 1949, there have been seven instances of a title game rematch happening in the following season’s tournament. In all seven instances, the runner up from the season before avenged the loss. History did not repeat itself in 2025 as Denver beat Boston College 3-1 to earn a trip back to the Frozen Four.
The men’s Frozen Four took place in St. Louis for the first time since 2007. Of the four teams that made it, two are considered college hockey blue bloods in Denver and Boston University and two are first-time participants in Western Michigan and Penn State. Western Michigan defeated Denver in double overtime in the early semifinal. It was the second time the Broncos defeated the Pioneers in double overtime in 21 days. Also, the only other time these two teams met in the NCAA tournament, that too ended in double overtime. But Denver was on the winning side of that 2011 first round contest. The late semifinal game saw Boston University defeat Penn State; thus, ending the Cinderella run for the 13th overall seed. Western Michigan defeated Boston University two days later and claimed the program’s first NCAA hockey title. It was the third time in five years that a first-time winner was crowned for the Division I men. The Broncos are also the first champion to win two double overtime games in the NCAA tournament en route to a title. Western Michigan is the first men’s team to pull off the trophy trifecta (conference regular season title, conference tournament title, NCAA title) since Union in 2014. A Michigan-based team has won all three Frozen Fours hosted in the city of St. Louis (Western Michigan in 2025, Michigan State in 2007, and Michigan Tech in 1975).
The women’s Frozen Four was held at Ridder Arena. It was the seventh time it took place on the University of Minnesota campus. Two WCHA powerhouses met in the championship game yet again. In fact, it was the third year in a row that Ohio State and Wisconsin faced off for the championship trophy; the first time that has ever happened in the NC women’s hockey tournament. Wisconsin won two years ago, and Ohio State won the previous season. The two previous title games were decided by one goal and this year wasn’t any different. Wisconsin tied the game on a Kirsten Simms penalty shot with just 19 seconds left in regulation. The Badgers then won the game 4-3 in overtime on another goal by Simms. It was the fourth championship trophy for the Badgers in six seasons. Wisconsin has now won the hockey championship in the last four odd-numbered years. The Badgers increased their lead in the overall title count by adding this eighth trophy. This was also the 22nd women’s hockey championship for the WCHA.
In Division III men’s hockey, Hobart completed a three-peat after defeating Utica 2-1 in overtime during the championship game of the 40th NCAA hockey tournament for Division III. The Statesmen have defeated three different teams in the three consecutive championship games. The last time there was a three-peat in Division III men’s hockey, Middlebury (Vermont) won three in a row from 2004 to 2006.
The longest women’s hockey game in Division III history took place during the MIAC tournament. Augsburg (Minnesota) defeated Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota by a score of 3-2 when Aunna Schulte scored eight minutes and six seconds into the fourth overtime. The field for the NCAA Division III women’s tournament was expanded from 11 to 12 teams this year. For the second year in a row the semifinals and title game were held in River Falls, Wisconsin. It was held there in 2024 because Wisconsin-River Falls was the highest remaining seed. However, it was chosen as a predetermined site prior to this 2024-25 season. But as luck would have it, Wisconsin-River Falls made another tournament run and ended up back in the championship game at home. The Falcons defeated Amherst 3-1 to claim back-to-back titles.
For more than five decades, if a hockey prospect played in one of the Major Junior leagues in Canada or even signed a contract with one of the teams, it rendered a player automatically ineligible from NCAA hockey. In fact, NCAA hockey did not accept players who had even played in a game against a professional player. However, this changed November 7, 2024, when a vote was passed that allowed NCAA Division I teams to recruit prospects who participated in Major Junior hockey or professional teams. The caveat was that the players must never have received payments more than the actual and necessary expenses as part of their participation on the team. Players who accepted additional expenses or gifts, or signed NHL contracts are still deemed ineligible in the eyes of the NCAA. It was determined that eligible players would be able to begin play within the 2025-26 season. Division III was excluded from this ruling. Braxton Whitehead was the first Canadian Hockey League player to commit to an NCAA team. Whitehead, an alternate captain for the Regina Pats of the WHL, verbally committed to Arizona State on September 13, 2024. He did so due to a class action suit filed against the NCAA to allow CHL players to be deemed eligible. The NCAA voted less than two months later to allow it. The fact that NCAA players currently earn scholarships and money from name, image, and likeness (NIL) helped fuel this change.
We previously highlighted the Division I women’s regular season champions. Now that the Division I men’s conference playoffs are in motion, it’s time to cover the 2024-25 regular season conference champions. Below is a look at the seven teams that ended the regular season on top of the six conferences and the historical implications for each. (No, there was not a typo in that last sentence.)
Holy Cross – The Crusaders won the regular season title in the first season after the Atlantic Hockey Association rebranded to Atlantic Hockey America. This marked the first regular season crown for Holy Cross since 2006. Minnesota Gophers fans will never forget what Holy Cross did in the NCAA tournament that season.
Michigan State and Minnesota – For the first time in Big Ten Hockey history, there are co-champions for the regular season title. It came down to the final weekend and both teams ended up tied at 50 points. The Spartans became back-to-back champs – the team won the Big Ten for the first time in 2023-24. Minnesota’s most recent title before this was in 2023. This year’s feat is Minnesota’s conference-leading seventh time doing so. Fun Fact: Michigan is the only team yet to win a regular season Big Ten title, yet it leads the field in conference tournament wins with three.
Minnesota State – A year after the MacNaughton Cup traveled 269 miles north, it found its way back to Mankato this season. The Mavericks ended with a .781 points percentage and 56 points on the season. The conference tracked points percentage this season because Augustana – the newest member of the CCHA – had far fewer conference games compared to the other teams. The Vikings ended up in second place with 30 points – yet a .625 points percentage. This is an impressive seventh time Minnesota State has brought home the MacNaughton Cup in the last eight seasons. (Three in CCHA and four in the now-defunct WCHA men’s hockey conference.)
Quinnipiac – It’s a five-peat for the Bobcats. Yes, you read that right. Quinnipiac has dominated the ECAC in the past ten-plus seasons – winning the Cleary Cup nine times since 2012-13. In addition to the regular season titles, Quinnipiac won the Whitelaw Cup once for winning the conference tournament in 2016, a national championship in 2023, and was NCAA runner-up in 2013 and 2016.
Boston College– The Eagles won the Hockey East regular season title for the second time in a row. It was the 19th time in Boston College history. The Eagles finished the season on a tear, winning six in a row to close it out and 14-2-1 overall in the last 17 games. The team is looking to win the Hockey East men’s tournament again to sweep the titles for the second year in a row.
Western Michigan – The 50th season was the charm. Western Michigan’s first season in Division I was 1973-74 and this year the Broncos won its first regular season title. Western Michigan is only the fourth school to lift up the Penrose Trophy in the 12-year history of the NCHC. (Fighting Hawks, Pioneers, and Huskies are the other three.) Western Michigan looks to win its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff this year as well – the last one being held in Saint Paul.
It’s worth noting that of the five independent teams in Division I men’s hockey, LIU finished with the best record at 20-12-2. It’s the first time the Sharks have hit the 20-win plateau since the program began five years ago.
The Division I women’s conference playoffs are in full swing so there’s no time like the present to cover the 2024-25 regular season conference champions. Below is a look at the five teams that ended the regular season on top of their respective conferences and the historical implications for each.
Penn State – The name of the conference may have changed but the regular season champion remained the same. In the first season after College Hockey America rebranded to Atlantic Hockey America, Penn State completed its regular season three-peat. The Nittany Lions went an impressive 19-1 in conference play and finished with 52 points; 13 more than second place Mercyhurst. It’s the fourth regular season title in program history for PSU.
Cornell – The Big Red won the ECAC regular season title for the first time since 2020 and seventh time overall. Heading into the ECAC conference playoffs, the Big Red have not lost in regulation since January 11. The team also won its second Ivy League title in a row.
UConn – The Huskies are back-to-back Hockey East regular season champions. It was a close race as UConn closed out the regular season with a win over Boston University and finished with 58 points – just one more than the Terriers. The team is looking to win its second Bertagna Trophy in a row after winning the Hockey East tournament for the first time last season.
LIU – It’s a three-peat for the Sharks as the team won another NEWHA regular season title. LIU is 62-12-8 within NEWHA play throughout those three years. The Sharks closed out the 2024-25 regular season with 57 points and 19 conference wins. Franklin Pierce was the last team not named LIU to win the NEWHA regular season back in 2021-22 as the Sharks finished second that year.
Wisconsin – The Badgers won the WCHA regular season for the first time since 2021. It’s the 10th time overall; second most in conference history. Mark Johnson coached all ten Wisconsin teams that won conference regular season titles; the most for any coach in WCHA history. The Badgers may not have won the WCHA regular season since 2021 but that didn’t stop the team from winning an NCAA national championship in 2023.
The first year of varsity hockey at both Princeton and Cornell occurred during the 1900-01 season. Coincidentally, the first-ever meeting on the ice between these programs took place at the end of their respective inaugural seasons on Saturday, March 2, 1901. Princeton became a member of the Intercollegiate Hockey Association of America upon inception and had played a full schedule against those conference opponents as well as other hockey clubs and schools. Princeton lost to Brown the night beforehand in New York City in the conference semifinals. Cornell had also played the night before when they were victorious over Pennsylvania. Their program was considered an Independent that would eventually gain membership into that conference prior to the 1909-10 season.
This first hockey game between the schools took place on neutral ice at the West Park Ice Palace in Philadelphia (that would meet its demise in a fire later that year.) Going into the game, Princeton was sporting a 7-5 record while Cornell had two games under its belt without a loss. Cornell jumped out to a 2-0 lead by halftime as there were two halves played during this era of hockey. The Ithacans – as Princeton referred to them at the time – held a 4-0 lead until the final minutes of the game when Princeton was able to net two goals and prevent a shutout. It wasn’t enough as Cornell won the first hockey game between these programs 4-2 and ended its first season with a perfect 3-0 record.
The Cornell and Princeton’s men’s hockey teams will meet tonight at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, New Jersey. It will be the 164th game in this series that dates back almost 124 years.
Photo Credit: 1900-01 Cornell Team Photo, The 1901 Cornellian Yearbook. Secondary photo: Daily Princetonian, Vol. XXVI, No. 3, March 4, 1901
The inaugural season for Union men’s hockey was 1903, making it one of the oldest college hockey programs in the nation. Union made the jump to Division I hockey prior to the 1991-92 season. Vermont, on the other hand, introduced men’s hockey in 1963 and moved up to Division I in 1974. Both teams were a part of the ECAC in that first season of Division I hockey for Union. This is when the teams met on the ice for the first time. The Catamounts won the first game in the series 3-1 at home in Burlington. Later that season, Vermont traveled to Schenectady, New York, for the first time.
The Catamounts were victorious on Union’s sheet of ice as well. The final score in the February 7, 1992, game was 5-2 in favor of Vermont, ensuring the season sweep in the first-ever meetings between the schools. By the end of the season, the Dutchmen (as they were known as the time) had finished in last place in the conference with three wins and would miss the ECAC tournament. Not surprising for a team in its first year in highest level of college hockey. Vermont ended up with a winning record of 16-12-3 and lost in the first round of the ECAC tournament as a seven seed to RPI.
Union hosts Vermont this weekend. This will be a non-conference match up as the Catamounts have been members of Hockey East since 2005. The Catamounts lead the all-time series 20-14-2 but the Garnet Chargers (Union’s nickname since 2023) favor an 8-5-2 record when the teams play in Schenectady.
