CCHA releases All-Time Team

CCHA Press Release

Continuing to ‘Celebrate The Legacy’ in its’ 42nd and final season, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has released the league’s All-Time Team to honor the league’s top performers from the past 42 seasons.

The illustrious group of 12 players, selected by a committee of coaches, administrators and media, joins the league’s All-Decade teams from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that were selected in 2001, and the All-Decade Team from 2000-13 that was selected earlier this season.
 

All 12 players selected to the CCHA All-Time Team were All-Americans (eight multiple All-Americans) and graduated to professional careers. Ten played in the National Hockey League (NHL), Michigan State goaltender Ryan Miller blossomed into an NHL All-Star and U.S. Olympian, and Bowling Green defenseman Ken Morrow won a Gold medal with the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team. Morrow (N.Y. Islanders) and Lake Superior forward Jim Dowd (New Jersey Devils) each has their name engraved on the Stanley Cup.
 

The CCHA All-Time Team was chosen from the All-Decade First-Team players, Hobey Baker Award winners and All-Americans that played at least three years of college hockey. The selections were made by a committee of coaches, administrators and media that have been involved with the league for the better part of the last three decades.
 

Below is the team in alphabetical order by position with their overall career totals. The All-Time Team includes four Hobey Baker Award winners, including George McPhee, the league’s first winner in 1982, along with Kip Miller (1990), Brendan Morrison (1997) and Ryan Miller (2002). Morrison and Ryan Miller are the league’s only two-time Players of the Year, while Nelson Emerson is the league’s all-time leading scorer and Wayne Gagne is the all-time top scorer among CCHA defensemen.

CCHA All-Time Team

FIRST TEAM

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts
George McPhee, 1978-82	F	Bowling Green	153	114	153	267
Kip Miller, 1986-90	F	Michigan State	176	118	143	261
Brendan Morrison, 1993-97	F	Michigan	155	102	182	284
Wayne Gagne, 1983-87	D	Western Michigan	162	42	199	241
Andy Greene, 2002-06	D	Miami	159	27	87	114

 

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Ryan Miller, 1999-02	G	Michigan State	73-18-12	1.54	.941

 

SECOND TEAM

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts
Jim Dowd, 1987-91	F	Lake Superior	181	91	183	274
Nelson Emerson, 1986-90	F	Bowling Green	178	112	182	294
Bill Joyce, 1976-80	F	Northern Michigan	130	112	143	255
John-Michael Liles, 1999-03	D	Michigan State	162	44	94	138
Ken Morrow, 1975-79	D	Bowling Green	154	34	92	126

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Mike Liut, 1973-77	G	Bowling Green	53-27-1	3.35	.888

CCHA honors former players with All-Decade Team

CCHA Press Release

Continuing to ‘Celebrate The Legacy’ in its’ 42nd and final season, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has released the All-Decade Team for 2000-13 to honor the league’s top performers from the past 13 years.

 

The illustrious group of 12 players, selected by a committee of coaches, administrators and media, joins the league’s All-Decade teams from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that were selected in 2001.

All 12 players selected to the CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Team were All-Americans (six multiple All-Americans) and graduated to professional careers. Eleven played in the National Hockey League (NHL), Michigan State goaltender Ryan Miller (pictured) blossomed into an NHL All-Star and U.S. Olympian, while Ferris State forward Chris Kunitz has captured the Stanley Cup with both Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

 

The CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Team was chosen from a pool of Hobey Baker Award winners and All-Americans that played at least three years of college hockey. The selections were made by a committee of coaches, administrators and media that have been involved with the league for the better part of the last three decades.

 

Below is the team in alphabetical order by position with their overall career totals. Miller won the 2002 Hobey Baker Award and was a two-time CCHA Player of the Year and two-time Goaltender of the Year. Other Hobey Baker Award winners on the All-Decade Team include Michigan forward Kevin Porter (2008) and Miami forward Andy Miele (2011).

 

CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade First Team

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts.
T.J. Hensick	F	Michigan	164	75	147	222
Chris Kunitz	F	Ferris State	152	99	76	175
Kevin Porter	F	Michigan	168	85	98	183
Andy Greene	D	Miami	159	27	87	114
John-Michael Liles	D	Michigan State	162	44	94	138

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Ryan Miller	G	Michigan State	73-18-12	1.54	.941

CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Second Team

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts.
Ryan Jones	F	Miami	161	90	57	147
Andy Miele	F	Miami	141	60	100	160
Scott Parse	F	Nebraska Omaha	159	79	118	197
Brad Fast	D	Michigan State	164	30	84	114
Greg Zanon	D	Nebraska Omaha	154	30	77	107

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Cody Reichard	G	Miami	53-24-9	2.10	.912

Wisconsin's Geoffrion wins Hobey Baker

Compiled by MiCHO Staff /At the Frozen Four

Certainly the family bloodlines don’t hurt, but Blake Geoffrion has established himself as one of the nation’s premiere players.

The tri-captain of the Wisconsin Badgers is a complete player.

Utilized in all situations, Geoffrion skates a regular shift, receives ample special teams time on both power play and penalty killing, takes key faceoffs (where he is a remarkable 60 percent on faceoffs) and has an amazing shooting percentage of 23 percent.

Geoffrion was named MVP of the West Regional and has 27 goals and 21 assists in 38 games ranking second in the nation in goal scoring while tied for first in the country with 14 power play goals.

Finishing second in the WCHA scoring race and topping the conference in goals and power play goals, he was selected as a First Team all-star.

And the family bloodlines? His dad Danny, granddad Bernie “Boom Boom” and his great grandpa Howie Morenz all played for the Montreal Canadiens. Boom Boom and Howie are both enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and have nine Stanley Cups between them.

Geoffrion is a consumer science major and spends time off the ice visiting UW Children’s Hospital, has been a mentor to a cancer patient and is a peer leader lending assistance to UW students.

Geoffrion, a Brentwood, Tenn., native, is a second round draft pick of Nashville.

Photo of Geoffrion with Hobey Baker Award committee chair Gary Haugan courtesy Dave Reginek

Hobey Baker winner announced Friday

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The 2010 Hobey Baker Award will be handed out Friday night in Detroit as part of the Frozen Four festivities.

The Hobey Hat Trick is as follows:

Bobby Butler – University of New Hampshire, Senior, Forward, Marlboro, Mass.

Bobby Butler is one incredible person. He is a finalist for not one, but three prestigious individual hockey awards: the Hobey Baker Award, the Hockey Humanitarian Award and the Walter Brown Award. Already named the Walter Brown recipient as the best American-born college player in New England, Butler has evolved into a prolific goal scorer leading the nation bagging 29 goals in 39 games this past season. He chipped in with 24 assists to total 53 points, tied for second best in the country. The Wildcat captain tied for the conference scoring lead in Hockey East tallying 41 total points and led the circuit in goals, helping UNH to the regular season title. His efforts earned him Player of the Year honors in Hockey East and a berth as a First Team all-star. Butler is a Health Management Major and recently signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators. His outreach into the community is extensive. Butler volunteers for every assignment involving the hockey program, has attended a local middle school every week for the past three years working with special needs students, has mentored two children (one who lost his father to cancer and another child battling leukemia) and volunteers with his teammates in the Reading Across America program at area schools.

Blake Geoffrion – University of Wisconsin, Senior, Forward, Brentwood, Tenn.

Certainly the family bloodlines don’t hurt, but Blake Geoffrion has established himself as one of the nation’s premiere players. The tri-captain of the Frozen Four bound Badgers is a complete player. Utilized in all situations, Geoffrion skates a regular shift, receives ample special teams time on both power play and penalty killing, takes key faceoffs (where he is a remarkable 60% on faceoffs) and has an amazing shooting percentage of 23%. Geoffrion was named MVP of the West Regional and has 27 goals and 21 assists in 38 games ranking second in the nation in goal scoring while tied for first in the country with 14 power play goals. Finishing second in the WCHA scoring race and topping the conference in goals and power play goals, he was selected as a First Team all-star. And the family bloodlines? His dad Danny, granddad Bernie “Boom Boom” and his great grandpa Howie Morenz all played for the Montreal Canadiens. Boom Boom and Howie are both enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and have nine Stanley Cups between them. Blake Geoffrion is a Consumer Science Major and spends time off the ice visiting UW Children’s Hospital, has been a mentor to a cancer patient and is a Peer Leader lending assistance to UW students. He is a second round draft pick of Nashville.

Gustav Nyquist – University of Maine, Sophomore, Forward, Malmo, Sweden

A guiding light for the Maine Black Bears and a dynamic force in Hockey East, Gustav Nyquist still leads the nation in scoring by a comfortable eight-point margin; despite the fact Maine missed the NCAA post season tournament. Completing the season with 61 points in 39 games on 19 goals and 42 assists, Nyquist topped the country in both points and assists. In conference games, Maine ended the season tied for third place while Nyquist tied fellow Hobey Hat Trick finalist Bobby Butler for first in Hockey East scoring and topped the circuit in assists in league play. A fourth round draft pick of Detroit, Nyquist was runner-up for Hockey East Player of the Year and was selected as a First Team all-star. The Finance Major is on the Dean’s List at Maine. He volunteers off-ice time coaching at youth hockey clinics.

Trio of Wildcats sign NHL contracts

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Two of Northern Michigan's best players this season will not be back for their senior seasons in Marquette and one senior will also be moving on.

Forward Mark Olver and defenseman Erik Gustafsson each signed NHL contracts this week, forgoing their final season of NCAA eligibility. Olver inked with the Colorado Avalanche, the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2008, while Gustafsson signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Senior forward Ray Kaunisto also signed a free agent contact with the Los Angeles Kings.

Olver will report to Colorado’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.

Olver led the ‘Cats during the 2009-10 season with 49 points on 19 goals and 30 assists in helping the team advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. The Burnaby, B.C., native was named one of the top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s player of the year. He also finished the regular season as the CCHA scoring champion with 35 points on 17 goals and 18 assists in 27 conference games and was named to the CCHA All-Conference First Team.

“Mark had a very productive career at Northern Michigan and we look forward to having him make his professional debut with the Lake Erie Monsters,” said Avalanche GM Greg Sherman.

Olver led the Wildcats in scoring in each of his three seasons as he collected 38 points for the 2007-2008 season (21-17) and 35 points for the 2008-09 season (16-19). For his NMU career, Olver appeared in 119 games and recorded 56 goals, 66 assists for 122 points.

“We are proud of Mark and what he has done to make this program competitive,” said NMU head coach Walt Kyle. “We are proud to be a part of helping him moving onto his dreams.”

Gustafsson, named the CCHA's top offensive defenseman the past two years, signed with the Flyers on March 29 and was assigned to the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL. Gustafsson played in 123 games for Northern from 2007-2010, scoring seven goals and 86 assists for 93 points.

The Kvissleby, Sweden, native earned All-CCHA Rookie Team honors in 2007-2008. In his sophomore year, Gustafsson was named to the CCHA All-Conference First Team and to the Reebok/ACHA Division I Ice Hockey All-America West second team. This season, Gustafsson was again named to the CCHA All-Conference First Team.

After completing his NCAA eligibility, Kaunisto, a Sault Ste. Marie native, signed with the Kings organization and will head to L.A. this week. In four years and 161 career games, Kaunisto had 36 goals and 26 assists, good for 62 points, and 208 penalty minutes.

NMU's Olver a Hobey Baker finalist

Press Release

From the host city of the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four Tournament, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation on Thursday announced the top ten candidates for the 2010 Hobey Baker Award, honoring college hockey’s top player.

Alphabetically, they are: Bobby Butler, New Hampshire, Marc Cheverie, Denver, Blake Geoffrion, Wisconsin, Gustav Nyquist, Maine, Mark Olver, Northern Michigan, Chase Polacek, Rensselear, Rhett Rakhshani, Denver, Cody Reichard, Miami, Ben Scrivens, Cornell, and Brendan Smith, Wisconsin.

The ten finalists were selected by voting from all 58 Division I college hockey head coaches and by online fan balloting at hobeybaker.com. Next, the 24-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting (at hobeybaker.com from March 19-28) will determine this year’s Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award include: strength of character on and off the ice, displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.

The Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists will be announced on March 31, 2010 and the Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 9, 2010 from Ford Field in Detroit during the NCAA Frozen Four. The announcement will be aired live on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Mark Olver – Northern Michigan, Junior, Forward, Burnaby, B.C.
Feasting on CCHA opponents, Olver led the conference in points and was tied for first in goals while leading his Wildcats in scoring for the third straight year. Selected as a First Team CCHA all-star, Olver was also a finalist for Player of the Year. His play in February helped elevate the Wildcats from tenth to a fourth place league finish.
-- Has 19 goals and 28 assists for 47 points in 37 games – tied for 11th nationally
-- Physical Education/Coaching Major
-- Colorado Avalanche draft pick
-- CCHA Player of the Month in February
-- CCHA Player of the Week three times

Porter wins Hobey Baker Award

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award announced Friday the 2008 recipient of college hockey's top individual prize is Kevin Porter from the University of Michigan.

The announcement came during the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament at Pepsi Center in Denver as part of the Friday at the Frozen Four festivities.

The senior captain of Michigan becomes only the second Wolverine to garner the award; Brendan Morrison was selected in 1997. Porter entered the Frozen Four after a phenomenal weekend at the East Regional in which he factored in six of the seven goals Michigan scored, bagging five goals and one assist, including a four-goal performance in a 5-1 win over Niagara.

The Hobey Baker Award, named for the legendary Princeton hockey player who died testing a repaired aircraft at the end of World War I, recognizes strength of character both on and off the ice. Porter was selected from a group of 10 finalists by the votes of a 25-member selection committee, along with the results of an online fan ballot.

Michigan entered the Frozen Four tournament as the No. 1 seed, an unlikely scenario in October when 24-year head coach Red Berenson greeted his largest freshman class ever - 12 brand-new faces. The outstanding leadership of Porter guided Michigan to the CCHA regular season and playoff championships. So superior were his efforts that Porter was named the leagues' Player of the Year and was a finalist for the CCHA's Best Defensive Forward. The First Team CCHA honoree was named the Hockey Commissioners January National Player of the Month.

Following Thursday's loss in the national semifinals, Porter finished second in the nation in scoring with 63 points in 43 games. He is presently tied for the lead in goals with 33 goals, including 15 power-play tallies (second in the nation.) The Phoenix draft pick scored points in all but six games this season and had a remarkable 18 multiple-point games.

Porter is a general studies major from Northville and finds time to make personal visits at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor and volunteers for various Make-A-Wish Foundation events.

QUOTES

On how he feels being named the Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner ... "It's tough to describe. It's an amazing honor, and to be put in the category with the past players that have won (the Hobey Baker Award) and even (fellow Hobey Hat Trick finalists) Nathan Gerbe and Ryan Jones, both tremendous players, is a great feeling."

On what it means to his team and to his family to win the Hobey Baker Award ... "I think winning it is a testament to how well our team did this year. Without them I wouldn't have been in the top 10 or the final three (for the award). My linemates, Chad Kolarik and Max Pacioretty were unbelievable all year. I think those guys even should have been in the top 10, if not the top three. My family -- their support and encouragement has been amazing ever since I put on the skates when I was two years old. To win this, I think it means a lot to them as well."

On deciding to stay for four years and becoming a role model for other student-athletes ... "My four years at Michigan have been amazing -- the best four years of my life. And not just hockey-wise, but off the ice you meet some of your best friends, your life-long friends, you're graduating from the University of Michigan, one of the best universities in the country. I don't think it was a hard decision to make when I decided to come back for my senior season."

Photo courtesy Candace Horgan/USCHO

Porter named to Hobey Hat Trick

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation on Tuesday announced the three Hobey Hat Trick finalists for the 2008 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, honoring college hockey's top player. Alphabetically, they are Nathan Gerbe, junior forward from Boston College, Ryan Jones, senior forward from Miami University and Kevin Porter, senior forward from Michigan.

The three finalists were selected from the initial list of Top Ten candidates by the 25-member Selection Committee and an additional round of online fan balloting to determine this year's Hobey Baker winner. Criteria for the award includes: strength of character on and off the ice, displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements.

This year's Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday, April 11, 2008 from Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo., during the NCAA Frozen Four. The announcement will be aired live on ESPNU at 5:30 pm MT.

Gerbe, an Oxford native, has helped guide his Eagles to their third straight NCAA Frozen Four. As one of the smallest players in college hockey (5-foot-5 and 165 pounds), Gerbe has frustrated opposing defenses continuously with his high-energy game that has produced 30 goals and 30 assists in 41 games to rank second in the nation in scoring. Down the stretch, he has chipped in with 12 points in six playoff games as BC seeks its third national title. Honored with a host of awards, Gerbe has already been named First Team Hockey East, was named the league's playoff MVP, the Dodge Holiday Classic MVP and was the Hockey Commissioners December National Player of the Month when he tallied 16 points in just four games. He is a Buffalo draft pick and is a communications major. He volunteers his time with visits to the Franciscan Hospital for Children, serves food at homeless shelters and donates time to a variety of YMCA events.

Porter almost single-handedly helped Michigan to their national record 23rd Frozen Four. Last weekend in two games at the East Regional, Porter had a hand in six of the seven Michigan goals, bagging five goals and one assist, including four goals in a 5-1 win over Niagara. He is the nation's scoring leader in points and goals with 33 goals, 29 assists for 62 points in 42 games. Porter sits second in the nation with 15 power-play goals; has recorded 18 multiple-point games and has a plus-minus of +33. His steady, consistent two-way play didn't go unnoticed as he was named the CCHA Player of the Year and was a finalist for the league's Best Defensive Forward. The First Team CCHA honoree was named the Hockey Commissioners January National Player of the Month. From Northville, Porter is a draft pick of Phoenix. A general studies major, he spends time with visits to Mott Children's Hospital and volunteers for various Make-A-Wish Foundation activities.

Lerg, Porter up for Hobey Baker

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Michigan senior captain Kevin Porter and Michigan State junior goaltender Jeff Lerg are among the top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.

The 10 finalists were selected by voting from all 59 Division I head coaches and by online fan balloting at hobeybaker.com. The 25-member Selection Committee and an additional round of fan balloting (at hobeybaker.com from March 20-30) will determine this year’s winner.

Criteria for the award include strength of character on and off the ice, outstanding skills in all phases of the game, sportsmanship and scholastic achievements. This year’s finalists include five seniors, four juniors and one sophomore. Seven forwards and three goaltenders are among the group.

The Hobey Hat Trick of three finalists will be announced on April 2 and the winner will be announced Friday, April 11 from Pepsi Center in Denver during the Frozen Four. The announcement will be aired live on ESPNU at 5:30 p.m. MT.

Jeff Lerg — Michigan State, junior goalie (Livonia)
With an NCAA national title and All-Tourney accolades already under his belt, Lerg has been the nation’s busiest goaltender this season as the Spartans prepare for another title run. Leading the CCHA in wins, save percentage and shutouts, Lerg was named to the league’s First Team and was a finalist for Player of the Year honors. The finance major was also named the CCHA Scholar Athlete of the Year with an overall grade-point average of 3.75.

Lerg has also been named one of five finalists for the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award and has been invited to the Sullivan Award Ceremony in New York on April 1 at the New York Athletic Club.

Kevin Porter — Michigan, senior forward (Northville)
Consistency defines the nation’s leading scorer as the Wolverine captain has produced points in all but six of the 38 games he’s played. Porter helped guide his team to the CCHA regular-season title and was named the CCHA Player of the Year. He was also named to the CCHA First Team.

Oxford native and Boston College junior forward Nate Gerbe is also a finalist.

This 5-foot-5 dynamo packs a powerful punch, entering the Hockey East championships as the nation’s second-leading scorer with 52 points. His 27 goals are tied for third in the country after bagging three in last weekend’s playoffs. Gerbe was named First-Team Hockey East and has helped the Eagles to the past two Frozen Fours.