The North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team (formerly The North Dakota Fighting Sioux) is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ice hockey. North Dakota is widely regarded as a premier college hockey school and has one of the most storied programs in NCAA history. UND has made over 30 appearances in the NCAA tournament, appeared in the Frozen Four 22 times, and has won 8 NCAA Division I Championships. The program has also achieved 15 WCHA Regular season Championships, 5 NCHC Regular season Championships, and 12 Conference Tournament championships. The school's former nickname was the Fighting Sioux, which had a lengthy and controversial tenure before ultimately being retired by the university in 2012 due to pressure from the NCAA. The official school nickname is now the Fighting Hawks, a name that was chosen by the university on November 18, 2015.
Bob May became the 5th coach in UND history for the 1957–58 season and led the team to the 1957–58 WIHL Regular season Championship. UND also received a bid to the 1958 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey tournament. The team advanced to the championship game with a 9–1 win over Harvard in the semi-final round. UND fell in their first championship and post season tournament appearance to University of Denver 2–6.[5] Following the 1957–58 season the WIHL broke up, after Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, and Minnesota left the conference following a dispute over recruiting practices.[6] Despite not violating the WIHL or the NCAA's rules of the period, the four exiting schools accused Denver, North Dakota and Colorado College of breaking a gentlemen's agreement by recruiting overage Canadians.[6]
Thorndycraft era
Without a conference UND competed as an independent Division I team for the 1958–59 season. Barry Thorndycraft took over for May as head coach and continued the winning tradition established in the previous season. UND again reached the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and again advanced to the championship with a 4–3 overtime win over St. Lawrence.[7] UND beat former WIHL member Michigan State with another 4–3 overtime victory to win the university's first ice hockey national championship.[7] UND ended with a record of 20–10–1 on the season.[2] 1959 marked the official founding of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and after three seasons in the WCHA UND returned to the national stage for the 1963 NCAA tournament held in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts at the McHugh Forum.[8] North Dakota blew away the hometown Boston College Eagles 8–2 and won the school's second ice hockey championship with a 6–5 win over rival Denver.[8] The team finished with a record of 22–7–3 and coach Thorndycraft was named WCHA Coach of the Year for 1962–63.
Peters, Selman, Bjorkman years
Thorndycraft left the program in 1964 and under new coach R.H. "Bob" Peters, UND won the MacNaughton Cup for the WCHA regular season championship in 1964–65.[2] The team advanced to the 1965 NCAA tournament but lost 3–4 in the semi-final round to Boston College.[9]Bill Selman became coach in 1966 and led the team to their third MacNaughton Cup in history and a spot in the 1967 NCAA tournament. UND's run ended with a loss to Cornell 0–1 but Selman received the 1966–67 WCHA Coach of the Year award.[10] The following season UND received an at-large bid to the 1968 NCAA tournament. North Dakota beat Cornell 4–1 in a rematch of the 1967 semi-final game. UND advanced to the National Championship game for the first time since winning it 5 seasons earlier in 1963. UND again found themselves in the National Championship game matched up with conference rival Denver, North Dakota would fall to the Pioneers 0–4.[11]Rube Bjorkman became the 9th coach in program history after previously serving as head coach at the University of New Hampshire. Over the 10 seasons as coach UND finished with two winning seasons, one in his first season as UND coach in 1968–69 and a second in 1971–72.[2] During his tenure as UND coach Bjorkman compiled a record of 149–186–11.
Gasparini era
John "Gino" Gasparini was hired in 1978, Gasparini played for UND from 1964 to 1967 before a short stint in the International Hockey League then returning to UND under Bjorkman as an assistant coach. Gasparini's impact was immediate and UND finished the regular season winning the MacNaughton Cup and advancing to the 1979 NCAA tournament. North Dakota picked up a 4–2 victory of Dartmouth in the semi-final round but fell in the national championship game to Minnesota 3–4.[12] North Dakota finished the season with a record of 30–11–1, the program's first 30-win season, as well as Gasparini being named WCHA Coach of the Year.[2] The 30 wins of the 1978–79 season was eclipsed the following season when North Dakota picked up 31 wins and the programs third National Championship with a 5–2 win over Northern Michigan.[13] North Dakota returned to the NCAA tournament in 1984. North Dakota swept Rensselaer two games to none in the quarter-final round but fell 1–2 in overtime to Minnesota-Duluth[14]
The 1986–87 season UND swept through the WCHA winning the MacNaughton Cup and WCHA Final Five Tournament.[2] UND advanced to the 1987 NCAA tournament sweeping St. Lawrence in two games by a combined score of 9–4 and advancing to the Championship with a 5–2 win over Harvard.[15] North Dakota won their fifth NCAA Division I National Championship when UND defeated Michigan State Spartans in front of a Spartan crowd in Detroit, Michigan on March 28, 1987.[15] The team would make the NCAA tournament one more time with Gasparini behind the bench in 1990 but fell in the regional round of the expanded NCAA tournament when the team lost to Boston University two games to one in the best of three series.[16]
After four quiet years, Dean Blais took over as head coach of North Dakota after John "Gino" Gasparini in 1994. In his third season as head coach, Blais led UND to the program's eighth MacNaughton Cup for WCHA regular season champions and fifth Broadmoor Trophy for WCHA playoff champions.[2] UND advanced to the Frozen Four after a 6–2 victory over Cornell in the quarterfinal round. UND then advanced to the National Championship with a 6–2 win over Colorado College. Under Blais, UND won 6–4 over Boston University to win the school's Six National Championship.[17][18] That same season Blais was named recipient of the Spencer Penrose Award for Division I College Coach of the Year.[19]
North Dakota returned to the NCAA tournament in 1998 and 1999 but were plagued with early-round exits. In the 1999–2000 season, after again winning the WCHA Tournament, UND advanced through the 2000 NCAA tournament to the Championship against Boston College, looking for its first NCAA title since 1949. BC had a 2–1 lead entering the third period, but UND responded with three goals, with two by Lee Goren. Goren tied the game, assisted on Jason Ulmer's game-winning goal, and then scored into an empty Eagles net in the last minute of play to secure the game. It marked North Dakota's seventh national title overall and second since 1997, and was also the third time in three years that BC came up short in the Frozen Four.[20] Boston College got its revenge over UND the following season when the two teams again faced each other in the National Championship. BC won its first national title since 1949 by defeating North Dakota, 3–2, in overtime on a goal scored by sophomore forward Krys Kolanos just 4:43 into OT.[21][22]
In 2001, the team moved into the new $100 million, 11,500-seat Ralph Engelstad Arena,[23] replacing the aging 6,000-seat Old Ralph Engelstad Arena that served as the home for UND hockey since 1972. After missing the NCAA post-season tournament in 2002, UND returned in 2003. North Dakota fell to Ferris State 2–5 in the opening round of the West Regionals.[24] And in the 2004 NCAA tournament, UND shut out Holy Cross 3–0 before getting shut out 0–1 in the West Regional Final to Denver.[25]
On July 9, 2004, Dave Hakstol was announced as the 15th coach in program history, replacing Dean Blais who left UND when he was named associate coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Blais served as UND head coach for 10 seasons and placed first among active coaches with a record of 262–115–13 and a .733 winning percentage.[19][26] With Hakstol behind the bench, UND continued their winning tradition that was prevalent under Blais. UND won 4–3 in overtime vs. Maine on October 8, 2004, to give Hakstol his first win as head coach.[27] UND received an at-large bid to the 2005 NCAA tournament and found themselves in the Championship against long-time rival University of Denver.[28] DU freshman goaltender Peter Mannino backstopped an offensive attack that included a 2-goal game by DU forward Paul Stastny to hand UND a 1–4 loss.[29]
North Dakota made and advanced in the next three NCAA tournaments but came up with third-place finishes in the Frozen Four, losing to Boston College three seasons in a row. In 2006 losing 5–6 to the Eagles,[30] in 2007 falling 4–6,[31] and in 2008 losing 1–6.[32] Despite the third consecutive loss to BC in the Frozen Four, the seasons ended on high notes in 2006–07 when sophomore forward Ryan Duncan became the second UND player to win the Hobey Baker Award and the first in 20 seasons after Tony Hrkac in 1986–87.[4] The 2007–08 season was only the second time in UND Hockey history that North Dakota had two finalists for the Hobey Baker Award when junior forward T. J. Oshie and senior goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux; the other time in 2004 when Zach Parise, Brandon Bochenski were nominated.[4]
In March 2009 UND won a WCHA-leading 14th league championship with a 2–1 win at Wisconsin. The team advanced to the 2009 NCAA tournament but fell in the Northeast Region semifinal to New Hampshire, 5–6 in overtime, after UNH's Thomas Fortney scored with :00.1 remaining in regulation to force OT and UNH's Josh LaBlanc scored 45 seconds into overtime.[33] UND capped off the 2009–10 regular season and won the 2010 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey tournament to receive an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA tournament. UND fell in the Northeast Regional semifinals to Yale 2–3 after The Bulldogs scored 3 goals in a span of 4:57 during the second period and Yale goaltender Ryan Rondeau stopped 34 UND shots.[34]
In March 2011 UND captured its WCHA-leading 15th league championship with an 11–2 win at Michigan Tech.[35] The team advanced as the #1 seed into the 2011 WCHA tournament by beating #12 seed Michigan Tech (8–0, 3–1).[36] UND advanced to the 2011 WCHA Final Five to play Colorado College in the WCHA semi-final and won with a late 3rd period goal by Matt Frattin to advance them to the WCHA Championship.[37] UND then faced rival Denver for the Broadmoor Trophy. Denver took to the early lead 1–0 at 5:06 of the first period, UND rallied at 2:32 of the second period and struck again at 8:18 of the second period. Denver tied it up at 17:47 of the third period to force the game into overtime. Frattin scored the game winner at 5:11 of the second overtime to claim North Dakota's 2nd as many seasons and 9th Broadmoor Trophy overall for UND.[38] The team advanced to the 2011 NCAA tournament Midwest Regional in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At the Midwest Regional, UND faced off first against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where they shut out the Engineers, 6–0, advancing to play WCHA rival Denver for the second straight weekend. UND defeated the Pioneers of Denver 6–1 in the Midwest Regional Final to advance to their fifth Frozen Four in 8 seasons under Dave Hakstol. In the NCAA Frozen Four, UND saw their highly anticipated season come to an end with a 0–2 shutout to the Michigan Wolverines.
In March 2012, UND captured its 10th Broadmoor Trophy with a 4–0 victory over rival Denver. With this victory, UND made history by being the first team in WCHA history to capture the Broadmoor three straight years (2010, 2011, 2012); this is the second time UND has won the tournament from a play in game and also holds a 13-game unbeaten streak in the WCHA tournament and an 8-game WCHA Final Five unbeaten streak. UND lost to rival Minnesota in the NCAA tournament.
On July 14, 2011, College Hockey Inc. announced the formation of a new hockey league, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, which would begin play in the 2013–14 season. The league's six charter members were North Dakota, Colorado College, Denver, Miami (OH), Minnesota–Duluth, and Nebraska-Omaha. All were WCHA members except for CCHA member Miami. Two months after the announcement of the new league, the NCHC added a sixth WCHA member, St. Cloud State, and another CCHA member, Western Michigan. The NCHC has had no membership changes since starting play. The new league was made after the Big Ten Conference decided to sponsor hockey. This change caused widespread backlash due to the break-up of old rivalries that included Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
After Dave Hakstol obtained the head coaching job in Philadelphia, Brad Berry received a promotion to Head Coach on May 18, 2015. In his first year, he managed a decisive 34–6–4 record, building a line known as the CBS line (Caggiula, Boeser, Schmaltz).
In 2016, North Dakota once again won the NCHC Regular season Championship, but were defeated in the NCHC Tournament. UND finished the regular season as the #3 ranked team in the country and qualified for the NCAA tournament.[40] For the third consecutive season, UND advanced to the 2016 Frozen Four, defeating Northeastern, and Michigan to get there. Following a dramatic 4–2 win over Denver, North Dakota had reached the Championship where they defeated Quinnipiac 5–1. This was their first championship since 2000, and their eighth overall. Only Michigan and Denver have more championships with nine.
2017 was an up and down year that resulted in the program's 15th consecutive postseason berth. North Dakota lost in double overtime against Boston University in the NCAA tournament, after having a goal disallowed in the first overtime due to an offsides review.
In 2018, inconsistency again plagued the North Dakota hockey team. Plenty of streaks ending, most notably the run of postseason NCAA national tournament appearances. North Dakota's streak of 20 wins in a season came to an end. It resulted in missing the postseason for the first time since the 2001–2002 season.[41]
2019 was another inconsistent year for North Dakota. It resulted in the team finishing 5th in the 8th place NCHC standings. This snapped a streak dating back to the 2002–03 season in which North Dakota hosted and ultimately advanced in their conference tournament. Their season ended with a sweep to the hands of Denver in the first round of the NCHC playoffs.
2020 was a return to national prominence for UND. The team accomplished many feats that few North Dakota teams did before. The team won a series at rivals Denver for the first time in years by virtue of a win and a tie and swept both games against Minnesota at 3M arena at Mariucci for only the 2nd time in the previous 40-year history of games in Minneapolis. The team achieved a #1 ranking in both national polls and was PairWise #1 during the regular season for the first time since 2017. The team went on to win the Penrose Cup as regular season champions in the NCHC.
2020 Post-season Cancellation Due to COVID-19
In March 2020, before College hockey playoffs began, the NCAA cancelled the remainder of all college sports 2020 spring season. The team was due to host Colorado College for a first round series for the start of the postseason, however, the NCHC tournament was canceled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Very soon after, the NCAA tournament was canceled leaving the season over for North Dakota. North Dakota set a home record at 18–1, the best in UND hockey history with a win percentage of .947. UND finished the year ranked #1 in the Pairwise with a record of 26–5–4.
2021-Present
In 2021, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was determined to play only league games in the NCHC. The first ten games of league play would start in a "pod" in Omaha at Baxter Arena in a three-week period to maximize opportunity to play all games in a controlled situation. North Dakota finished the pod in first in the NCHC and continued to roll into the rest of the regular season and captured their second straight Penrose Cup as regular season champions of the NCHC. The postseason tournament, instead of being played in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center due to restrictions from COVID-19, was selected to be played at UND's Ralph Engelstad Arena. North Dakota won the NCHC postseason tournament for the first time in their history making them the first NCHC team to win both the regular season and postseason titles in the same year. UND's promising season ended in heartbreaking fashion in the NCAA regional final round with a loss to rival Minnesota-Duluth in 5 overtimes, making it the longest game in NCAA postseason history.
2022 brought continued success in the regular season for North Dakota. They captured the Penrose Cup for a third consecutive season. They entered the postseason playing host to Colorado College in the first round of the NCHC playoffs and swept the Tigers. A loss at the Frozen Faceoff to Western Michigan ended their NCHC tournament. They would be selected to play in the NCAA tournament but lose in the first round to Notre Dame ending their season.
2023 was a disappointment to the high expectations coming into the season. Inconsistencies in their play in the early part of the year plagued their season despite playing better towards the end of the year. The team would finish tied for 5th in the NCHC standings, and ultimately bowed out in the semifinals of the NCHC tournament. The team would not be selected for participation in the NCAA tournament, which is the 3rd time in 8 years under Brad Berry they have not qualified.
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
The following is a list of people associated with the men's ice hockey program who were elected into the UND Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses).[45]
Scott Alan Sandelin is an American former professional ice hockey player. He is currently the head coach of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey team. In 2011, he became the first coach in Bulldog history to lead them to a national title, in a 3–2 overtime game against the University of Michigan at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In the 2018 NCAAs, he led the Bulldogs to a second national title, over Notre Dame 2–1, also played at the Xcel Energy Center. The following season, in the 2019 NCAAs, he led the Bulldogs to a third national title. Sandelin grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota, where he went on to be drafted in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens and play collegiate hockey for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.
The Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Denver. They play at Magness Arena in Denver, Colorado. The Pioneers are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). Previously, they were members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), from its creation in 1959 to the end of its men's hockey competition in 2013.
The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The team plays home games at the 6,800-seat AMSOIL Arena at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
The Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey team, also called the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks and UNO Mavericks, is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Nebraska Omaha. The Mavericks are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). They play home games at Baxter Arena, an on-campus facility that opened in 2015. The Mavericks hockey program was started in 1997; the team has qualified for the NCAA tournament on four occasions, in 2006, 2011, 2015, and 2021. During the 2015 tournament, the team made their first appearance in the tournament semifinals, branded by the NCAA as the Frozen Four. The Mavericks competed in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) between 1999 and 2010 before joining the WCHA for the 2010–11 season. The Mavericks joined the National Collegiate Hockey Conference starting in the 2013–14 season along with fellow charter members Colorado College, the University of Denver, Miami University, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and the University of North Dakota, plus invited founding members St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University.
The 1955–56 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team represented the University of Michigan in college ice hockey. In its 12th year under head coach Vic Heyliger, the team compiled a 20–2–1 record, outscored opponents 109 to 49, and won the 1956 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. The Wolverines defeated St. Lawrence 2–1 in overtime in the first round of the Frozen Four. They then defeated Michigan Tech by a 7–5 score in the championship game at Broadmoor Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 1956 championship was Michigan's sixth NCAA hockey championship in nine years.
The 1997 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 38th conference playoff in league history and 45th season where a WCHA champion was crowned. The tournament was played between March 7 and March 15, 1997. First round games were played at home team campus sites while all 'Final Five' matches were held at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, North Dakota was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the WCHA's automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 1989 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 30th conference playoff in league history and 37th season where a WCHA champion was crowned. The tournament was played between February 24 and March 6, 1989. First round games were played at home team campus sites while all 'Final Four' matches were held at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Northern Michigan was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the WCHA's automatic bid to the 1989 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 1987 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 28th conference playoff in league history and 35th season where a WCHA champion was crowned. The tournament was played between February 27 and March 14, 1987. First round and semifinal games were played at home team campus sites while the championship match was held, for the final time, at the Winter Sports Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. By winning the tournament, North Dakota was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the WCHA's automatic bid to the 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The 2015–16 North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team was the 75th season of play for the program and 3rd in the NCHC conference. The Fighting Hawks were led by first-year head coach Brad Berry, replacing Dave Hakstol who became head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. His assistant coaches were Dane Jackson, Matt Shaw, and Karl Goehring. The Fighting Hawks played their home games in Ralph Engelstad Arena and competed in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
The 2016–17 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey team represented University of Denver in intercollegiate college ice hockey during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The head coach was Jim Montgomery and the team captain was Will Butcher. The team won the 2017 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. The team's leading scorer was Troy Terry.
The 1957–58 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey team represented University of Denver in college ice hockey. In its 2nd year under head coach Murray Armstrong the team compiled a 24–10–2 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time. The Pioneers defeated North Dakota 6–2 in the championship game at the Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first national title not held at the Broadmoor Ice Palace. Denver became the first team to win its inaugural championship appearance since Michigan in 1948, the first time the tournament was held.
The 1958–59 North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team represented the University of North Dakota in college ice hockey. In its 2nd year under head coach Bob May the team compiled a 20–10–1 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the second time. The Fighting Sioux defeated Michigan State 4–3 in overtime to win the championship game at the RPI Field House in Troy, New York, the first national title hosted by an eastern school.
The 1979–80 North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team represented the University of North Dakota in college ice hockey. In its 2nd year under head coach John Gasparini the team compiled a 31–8–1 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the eighth time. The Fighting Sioux defeated Northern Michigan 5–2 to win the championship game at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
The 1981–82 North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team represented the University of North Dakota in college ice hockey. In its fourth year under head coach John Gasparini, the team compiled a 35–12–0 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the ninth time. The Fighting Sioux defeated Wisconsin 5–2 to win the championship game at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
The 1986–87 North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team represented the University of North Dakota in college ice hockey. In its 9th year under head coach John Gasparini the team compiled a 40–8–0 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the eleventh time. The Fighting Sioux defeated defending champion Michigan State 5–3 to win the championship game at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
The 1996–97 North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team represented the University of North Dakota in college ice hockey during the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. In its 3rd year under head coach Dean Blais the team compiled a 31–10–2 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the thirteenth time. The Fighting Sioux defeated Boston University 6–4 to win the championship game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
William R. Steenson was a Canadian ice hockey defenseman who captained North Dakota to the program's first National Championship in 1959.
Reginald P. Morelli was a Canadian ice hockey center, who was judged the Most Outstanding Player of the 1959 NCAA Tournament.
The 2020–21 NCHC season was the 8th season of play for National Collegiate Hockey Conference and took place during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The start of the season was delayed until December 1, 2020 and concluded on April 10, 2021. St. Cloud State made its first championship appearance, finishing as the national runner-up.
The 1999–2000 North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey season was the 58th season of play for the program. They represented the University of North Dakota in the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season and for the 49th season in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). The Fighting Sioux were coached by Dean Blais, in his 6th season, and played their home games at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
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