Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey
| Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
| Current season | |
| Western Michigan Broncos athletic logo | |
| University | Western Michigan University |
| Conference | NCHC |
| First season | 1973; 52 years ago |
| Head coach | Pat Ferschweiler 4th season, 70–43–3 (.616) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Arena | Lawson Arena Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Student section | Lawson Lunatics |
| Colors | Brown and gold[1] |
| NCAA Tournament Frozen Four | |
| 2025 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 1986, 1994, 1996, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| CCHA: 1986, 2012 NCHC: 2025 | |
| Conference regular season championships | |
| 2025 | |
| Current uniform | |
_logo.svg){kind=link}
The Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Western Michigan University. The Broncos are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). They play at Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States.[2]
History
[edit ].jpg){kind=link}
The Broncos program began in 1973 and joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) for the 1975–76 season. After ten seasons in the league Western Michigan won the 1986 CCHA Playoff Tournament and advanced to the school's first NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament in 1986.[3] The 1986 season marked the program's first CCHA Tournament Championship and the program's first bid to the NCAA Tournament.[4] The Broncos entered the tournament in the West Regional against Harvard and lost the two-game aggregate series, being outscored 11–4 by the Crimson.[5]
Western Michigan's next post season appearance came in 1994. Western Michigan received an at-large bid to the 1994 NCAA Division I Tournament and again fell in the first round with a 6–3 loss to Wisconsin.[6]
The Broncos rebounded in the 1995–96 season after a sub-.500 season in 1994–95. Western Michigan received the program's second at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Western Michigan lost again in the first round to Clarkson 6–1.[7]
Under first-year coach Jeff Blashill, Western Michigan received an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, where they would lose their opening game 3–2 in double overtime to Denver. Denver scored two goals in the last 4:29 of the third period to force overtime.[8]
In 2011–12, for the second consecutive season, Western Michigan had a new head coach and reached the NCAA tournament. Longtime National Hockey League (NHL) coach Andy Murray was named as coach of the Broncos after Blashill left for the Detroit Red Wings.[9] WMU finished tied for second in the CCHA and won the CCHA tournament, thereby receiving an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.[10] Western Michigan lost in the first round of the tournament 3–1 to No. 1 seed North Dakota.[11]
The Broncos joined the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) starting in the 2013–14 season. The CCHA disbanded after the 2012–13 season, in part due to the addition of men's ice hockey to the Big Ten Conference.
Western Michigan won the 2013 four-team Great Lakes Invitational which was played outdoors at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Broncos defeated No. 3 Michigan 3–2 in overtime in the semifinals, and then claimed the championship by beating Michigan Tech 1–0, also in overtime. WMU won the 2014 Shillelagh Tournament with an 8–2 victory over No. 17 Union. The Broncos also defeated Ohio State in the first round of the tournament, 6–2.
In 2016–17, the Broncos followed up a disappointing 8-25-3 season with an impressive 22-13-5 and a third-place finish in the NCHC. Western Michigan was invited to the final Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena, where they defeated Michigan Tech in the championship. WMU has been invited to the GLI 5 times dating back to 1977, winning it 3 of those times. The Broncos were defeated in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Division I tournament by Air Force.
In 2021-2022, Western Michigan had a legendary season for the program under Pat Ferschweiler as head coach. The broncos shared the 2021 Great Lakes Invitational championship by defeating Michigan State. The broncos managed to obtain 26 wins defeating teams the likes of No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 St. Cloud State, and defeated No. 10 North Dakota in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Semi-Finals to advance their first (NCHC) championship game. Western Michigan clinched their first-ever 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and would win their first-ever playoff game by defeating the Northeastern Huskies to advance to their first ever regional championship appearance. They would be defeated by Minnesota 3-0.
Season-by-season results
[edit ]Source:[12]
Coaching
[edit ]All-time coaching records
[edit ]As of the completion of 2023–24 season[12]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–1978 | Bill Neal | 5 | 91–65–5 | .581 |
| 1978–1982 | Glen Weller | 4 | 64–73–5 | .468 |
| 1982–1999 | Bill Wilkinson | 17† | 313–301–53 | .509 |
| 1999–2010 | Jim Culhane | 11† | 158–222–48 | .425 |
| 2010–2011 | Jeff Blashill | 1 | 19–13–10 | .571 |
| 2011–2021 | Andy Murray | 10 | 167–156–43 | .515 |
| 2021–Present | Pat Ferschweiler | 3 | 70–43–3 | .616 |
| Totals | 7 coaches | 51 seasons | 882–873–167 | .502 |
† The 1998–99 season was coached by both Wilkinson and Culhane.
Statistical leaders
[edit ]Source:[13]
Career points leaders
[edit ]| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Dorion | 1982–1986 | 157 | 115 | 178 | 293 | |
| Paul Polillo | 1986–1990 | 165 | 82 | 189 | 271 | |
| Wayne Gagné | 1983–1987 | 162 | 42 | 199 | 241 | |
| Jeff Green | 1986–1990 | 159 | 109 | 125 | 234 | |
| Ross Fitzpatrick | 1978–1982 | 138 | 100 | 125 | 225 | |
| Tim Dunlop | 1974–1978 | 129 | 92 | 106 | 198 | |
| Rob Bryden | 1983–1987 | 162 | 104 | 91 | 195 | |
| Chris Brooks | 1992–1996 | 147 | 57 | 127 | 184 | |
| Troy Thrun | 1983–1986 | 122 | 81 | 102 | 183 | |
| Bob Scurfield | 1978–1981 | 130 | 82 | 95 | 177 |
Career goaltending leaders
[edit ]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 played
| Player | Years | GP | Min | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Slubowski | 2011–2015 | 94 | 6021 | 49 | 38 | 15 | 235 | 7 | .909 | 2.34 |
| Cameron Rowe | 2022–Present | 76 | 4496 | 43 | 30 | 2 | 186 | 5 | .904 | 2.48 |
| Marc Magliarditi | 1995–1996 | 36 | 2110 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 91 | 5 | .910 | 2.59 |
| Brandon Bussi | 2019–2022 | 77 | 4467 | 46 | 25 | 5 | 194 | 4 | .912 | 2.61 |
| Jerry Kuhn | 2007–2011 | 63 | 3528 | 16 | 27 | 3 | 158 | 2 | .912 | 2.69 |
Statistics current through the end of the 2023–2024 season.
Current roster
[edit ]As of September 23, 2024.[14]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirk Laursen | Junior (RS) | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000年01月02日 | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Miami (NCHC ) | — | |
| 2 | Grady Gallatin | Freshman | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2004年06月07日 | White Bear Lake, Minnesota | Janesville Jets (NAHL ) | — | |
| 3 | Cole Crusberg-Roseen | Sophomore | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 2002年04月14日 | Stratham, New Hampshire | Lincoln Stars (USHL ) | — | |
| 4 | Robby Drazner | Graduate | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2000年02月13日 | Buffalo Grove, Illinois | Miami (NCHC ) | — | |
| 6 | Jack Mesic | Sophomore | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2002年10月18日 | Plymouth, Michigan | Ferris State (CCHA ) | — | |
| 8 | Zach Nehring | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2005年03月07日 | Minot, North Dakota | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL ) | WPG , 82nd overall 2023 | |
| 9 | Zach Bade | Freshman | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2003年04月26日 | Rosemount, Minnesota | Tri-City Storm (USHL ) | — | |
| 10 | Zack Sharp | Freshman | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2005年03月29日 | Naperville, Illinois | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL ) | — | |
| 11 | Ethan Wolthers | Junior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 2001年07月19日 | Valencia, California | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL ) | — | |
| 12 | Connor Brown | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2005年05月03日 | Estero, Florida | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL ) | — | |
| 13 | Grant Slukynsky | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2002年03月12日 | Edina, Minnesota | Northern Michigan (CCHA ) | — | |
| 14 | Brian Kramer | Graduate | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000年07月20日 | Wexford, Pennsylvania | American International (AHA ) | — | |
| 16 | Tim Washe | Graduate | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2001年08月25日 | Detroit, Michigan | Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL ) | — | |
| 17 | Ty Henricks | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 216 lb (98 kg) | 2005年06月28日 | Mission Viejo, California | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL ) | NYR , 183rd overall 2023 | |
| 18 | Wyatt Schingoethe | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002年08月03日 | Algonquin, Illinois | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL ) | TOR , 195th overall 2020 | |
| 19 | Cam Knuble | Graduate | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2000年07月23日 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL ) | — | |
| 20 | Alex Bump | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2003年11月20日 | Burnsville, Minnesota | Tri-City Storm (USHL ) | PHI , 133rd overall 2022 | |
| 21 | Ryan Kusler | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2003年05月19日 | Battle Creek, Michigan | Omaha Lancers (USHL ) | — | |
| 22 | Iiro Hakkarainen | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2004年03月09日 | Helsinki, Finland | Fargo Force (USHL ) | — | |
| 23 | Liam Valente | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2003年05月23日 | Märsta, Sweden | Providence (HEA ) | — | |
| 24 | Garrett Szydlowski | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002年06月12日 | Detroit, Michigan | Wenatchee Wild (BCHL ) | — | |
| 25 | Matteo Costantini | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2002年08月16日 | St. Catharines, Ontario | North Dakota (NCHC ) | BUF , 131st overall 2020 | |
| 26 | Ean Somoza | Sophomore | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | 2003年02月08日 | Thousand Oaks, California | Wenatchee Wild (BCHL ) | — | |
| 27 | Joona Väisänen | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2004年07月29日 | Espoo, Finland | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL ) | PIT , 175th overall 2024 | |
| 29 | Tristan Lemyre | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001年01月15日 | Mirabel, Quebec | Denver (NCHC ) | — | |
| 30 | Hampton Slukynsky | Freshman | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005年07月02日 | Warroad, Minnesota | Fargo Force (USHL ) | LAK , 118th overall 2023 | |
| 31 | Cameron Rowe | Graduate | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2001年06月01日 | Wilmette, Illinois | Wisconsin (Big Ten ) | — | |
| 33 | Samuel Sjölund | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001年05月19日 | Stockholm, Sweden | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL ) | DAL , 111th overall 2019 | |
| 34 | Owen Michaels | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002年05月01日 | Detroit, Michigan | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL ) | — |
Awards and honors
[edit ]All-Americans
[edit ]- 1985–86: Wayne Gagné, D; Dan Dorion, F
- 1986–87: Wayne Gagné, F
- 2019–20: Hugh McGing, F
- 2020–21: Ronnie Attard, D
- 2021–22: Ronnie Attard, D
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
- 1983–84: Dan Dorion, F
- 1985–86: Bill Horn, G
- 1995–96: Marc Magliarditi, G
- 2000–01: Mike Bishai, F
- 2011–12: Danny DeKeyser, D
- 2012–13: Danny DeKeyser, D
- 2021–22: Ethen Frank, F
- 2022–23: Jason Polin, F
CCHA
[edit ]Individual awards
[edit ]- Dan Dorion: 1986
- Wayne Gagné: 1987
- Pat Ferschweiler: 1992
- Dane Walters: 2013
- Brent Brekke: 1994
- Danny DeKeyser: 2012, 2013
- Chris Brooks: 1993
- Marc Magliarditi: 1996
- Daryl Andrews: 1997
- Patrick Dwyer: 2002
- Mark Letestu: 2007
- Bill Wilkinson: 1984, 1986, 1996
- Brett Beebe: 2013
Most Valuable Player in Tournament
- Bill Horn: 1986
- Frank Slubowski: 2012
All-Conference teams
[edit ]- 1976–77: Tim Dunlop, F
- 1980–81: Ross Fitzpatrick, F
- 1983–84: Dan Dorion, F
- 1985–86: Wayne Gagné, D; Dan Dorion, F
- 1986–87: Wayne Gagné, D
- 1987–88: Paul Polillo, F
- 1991–92: Keith Jones, G
- 1995–96: Marc Magliarditi, G
- 2012–13: Danny DeKeyser, D
- 1977–78: Bernie Saunders, F; Paul Cappuccio, F
- 1979–80: Bob Scurfield, F
- 1985–86: Chris MacDonald, F; Stu Burnie, F
- 1986–87: Bill Horn, G; Rob Bryden, F
- 1987–88: Mike Posma, D; Ron Hoover, F
- 1990–91: Mike Eastwood, F
- 1995–96: Jeremy Brown, F
- 1996–97: Joe Corvo, D
- 1999–00: David Gove, F
- 2000–01: Mike Bishai, F; David Gove, F
- 2004–05: Brent Walton, F
- 2008–09: Patrick Galivan, F
- 2011–12: Danny DeKeyser, D; Matt Tennyson, D
- 2012–13: Frank Slubowski, G; Luke Witkowski, D
- 1991–92: Chris Belanger, D
- 1992–93: Scott Chartier, D; Chris Brooks, F
- 1994–95: Steve Duke, D
- 1995–96: Marc Magliarditi, G; Joe Corvo, D
- 1996–97: Daryl Andrews, D
- 2001–02: Patrick Dwyer, F
- 2002–03: Vince Bellissimo, F
- 2006–07: Mark Letestu, F
- 2010–11: Danny DeKeyser, D; Chase Balisy, F
- 2011–12: Frank Slubowski, G; Garrett Haar, D
- 2012–13: Kenney Morrison, D
NCHC
[edit ]Individual awards
[edit ]- Jason Polin: 2023
- Jason Polin: 2023
- Alex Bump: 2025
Offensive Defenseman of the Year
- Ronnie Attard: 2021, 2022
- Tim Washe: 2025
- Kale Bennett: 2021
- Drew Worrad: 2022
- Luke Grainger: 2024
- Andy Murray: 2017
- Pat Ferschweiler: 2023, 2025
- Alex Bump: 2025
All-Conference teams
[edit ]- 2019–20: Hugh McGing, F
- 2020–21: Ronnie Attard, D
- 2021–22: Ronnie Attard, D; Ethen Frank, F
- 2022–23: Jason Polin, F
- 2024–25: Alex Bump, F
- 2013–14: Chase Balisy, F
- 2016–17: Sheldon Dries, F
- 2018–19: Hugh McGing, F
- 2019–20: Ronnie Attard, D
- 2021–22: Drew Worrad, F
- 2023–24: Luke Grainger, F
- 2024–25: Hampton Slukynsky, G
- 2024–25: Cameron Rowe, G; Joona Väisänen, D
- 2016–17: Ben Blacker, G
- 2019–20: Ronnie Attard, D
- 2022–23: Ryan McAllister, F
- 2023–24: Alex Bump, F
- 2024–25: Hampton Slukynsky, G; Joona Väisänen, D
Western Michigan Broncos Hall of Fame
[edit ]The following is a list of people associated with the Western Michigan men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Western Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame.[15]
- Dan Dorion (1998)
- Ross Fitzpatrick (2004)
- Wayne Gagné (2001)
- Rob Hodge (2008)
- Harry Lawson (1990)
- Jamal Mayers (2014)
- Bernie Saunders (1994)
- Neil Smith (1991)
- Danny Dekeyser (2024)
Broncos in the NHL
[edit ]As of July 1, 2024
|
|
‡Scott Foster played 14 minutes for the Blackhawks after being signed to a 1-day contract as an emergency backup due to injury.[17]
Source:[18]
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ Western Michigan Athletics Brand Guide (PDF). July 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ "Wmu Men's Hockey Team Page :: USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online". USCHO.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Statistics :: USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2013年06月11日.
- ^ CCHA history and records ccha.com [dead link ]
- ^ "Official 2006 NCAA® Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Records Book" (PDF). www.ncaa.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2008.
- ^ "1994 NCAA Tournament". Inside College Hockey. Retrieved 2013年06月11日.
- ^ "1996 NCAA Tournament". Inside College Hockey. Retrieved 2013年06月11日.
- ^ Holt, Adam. "Late rally, Zucker's double-OT winner send Denver past Western Michigan". uscho.com. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ AP Staff (July 26, 2011). "Former NHL coach Andy Murray hired by Western Michigan". USA Today . Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Drew, David (March 17, 2012). "Western Michigan is CCHA Tournament champ after 3-2 win over Michigan". Kalamazoo Gazette . Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ AP Staff (March 24, 2012). "North Dakota 3, Western Michigan 1: Broncos ousted in first round of NCAA hockey tournament". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ a b "2015-16 WMU HOCKEY RECORD BOOK" (PDF). Western Michigan Broncos. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "Hockey - Career/Season Point Leaders". Western Michigan Broncos. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "2024–25 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Western Michigan Broncos. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "Hall of Fame" (PDF). Western Michigan Broncos. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ a b Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.
- ^ "Scott Foster: Accountant makes NHL debut in goal for Chicago Blackhawks". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ "Alumni report for Western Michigan University". Hockey DB. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
