History
After several years of playing at the club level, the team turned Varsity team, varsity in the 1996–97 season, which they played as independent. In 1999 they became charter members of College Hockey America (CHA), joining two other independent teams (Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey, Air Force and Army Black Knights, Army) and three former NCAA Division II, Division II teams (Alabama–Huntsville Chargers men's ice hockey, Alabama–Huntsville, Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey, Bemidji State and University of Findlay, Findlay). Niagara went undefeated in conference play that season, 1999–00, winning the conference tournament and gaining an at-large invitation to the 2000 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, NCAA tournament, as the conference did not gain an automatic bid until the 2003 tournament. Starting goaltender Greg Gardner set a single-season NCAA record for shutouts with 12 as Niagara posted its first (and only as of 2019) 30-win campaign. The Purple Eagles upset the New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey, University of New Hampshire to advance to the Elite Eight, where they lost to North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey, North Dakota. North Dakota went on to win that national championship. Niagara also won the College Hockey America Championship in 2004 and 2008, appearing in the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship again those years. In 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, 2004 they lost against Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey, Boston College and in 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, 2008 against Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey, Michigan. On January 29, 2009, Niagara University announced that the team was moving to the Atlantic Hockey, Atlantic Hockey Association beginning in the 2010-11 season, following the closure of CHA's men's division. CHA would continue to operate as a women-only conference for the next 14 years. On October 14, 2010, it was announced that Jay McKee would serve as a volunteer assistant coach for Niagara Purple Eagles men's ice hockey, while not ruling out a return to the NHL. On December 14, 2013 the Purple Eagles faced off against the RIT Tigers in an outdoor hockey game known as Frozen Frontier tying 2-2. Shortly after the 2023–24 season, the Atlantic Hockey Association and CHA, which had shared a commissioner and conference staff since 2010, merged under the banner of Atlantic Hockey America.Season-by-season results
Source:Head coaches
As of the completion of 2024–25 seasonNCAA tournament appearances
Statistical leaders
Source:Career points leaders
Career goaltending leaders
''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 Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.Roster
As of August 26, 2024.Awards and honors
NCAA
All-Americans
List of Division I AHCA All-American Teams, AHCA Second Team All-Americans *2010–11: Paul Zanette, FCollege Hockey America, CHA
Individual awards
List of CHA Player of the Year, Player of the Year *Greg Gardner: 1999 *Joe Tallari: 2003 *Barret Ehgoetz: 2004 *Jeff Van Nynatten: 2006 *Sean Bentivoglio: 2007 *Juliano Pagliero: 2009 List of CHA Rookie of the Year, Rookie of the Year *Ted Cook (ice hockey), Ted Cook: 2006 *Les Reaney: 2006 *Chris Moran (ice hockey), Chris Moran: 2007 List of CHA Most Valuable Player in Tournament, Most Valuable Player in Tournament *Kyle Martin (ice hockey), Kyle Martin: 2000 *Jeff Van Nynatten: 2004 *Ted Cook (ice hockey), Ted Cook: 2008 List of CHA Coach of the Year, Coach of the Year *Blaise MacDonald: 2000 *Dave Burkholder: 2006, 2007 List of Easton Three-Star Player of the Year, Three-Star Player of the Year *Ted Cook (ice hockey), Ted Cook: 2007 List of CHA Student-Athlete of the Year, Student-Athlete of the Year *Vince Rocco: 2009All-Conference teams
List of All-CHA Teams, First Team All-CHA *1999–00: Greg Gardner, G; Chris MacKenzie (ice hockey), Chris MacKenzie, D; Kyle Martin (ice hockey), Kyle Martin, F; Mike Isherwood, F *2002–03: Joe Tallari, F *2003–04: Jeff Van Nynatten, G; Barret Ehgoetz, F *2004–05: Barret Ehgoetz, F *2005–06: Sean Bentivoglio, F *2006–07: Pat Oliveto, D; Sean Bentivoglio, F; Ted Cook (ice hockey), Ted Cook, F *2007–08: Juliano Pagliero, G; Ryan Annesley, D; Vince Rocco, F *2008–09: Juliano Pagliero, G *2009–10: Chris Moran (ice hockey), Chris Moran, F Second Team All-CHA *1999–00: Mikko Sivonen, F *2000–01: Bernie Sigrist, F *2001–02: Scott Crawford, D *2002–03: Barret Ehgoetz, F *2003–04: Andrew Lackner, D; Joe Tallari, F *2004–05: Ryan Gale, F *2005–06: Jeff Van Nynatten, G; Ted Cook (ice hockey), Ted Cook, F; Les Reaney, F *2006–07: Juliano Pagliero, G; Les Reaney, F *2007–08: Tyler Gotto, D; Matt Caruana, F *2008–09: Tyler Gotto, D; Vince Rocco, F; Egor Mironov, F *2009–10: Tyler Gotto, D; Ryan Olidis, F All-CHA Rookie Team *2002–03: Brian Hartman, D; Jason Williamson, F *2003–04: Pat Oliveto, F *2005–06: Ted Cook (ice hockey), Ted Cook, F; Les Reaney, F *2006–07: Tyler Gotto, D; Chris Moran (ice hockey), Chris Moran, F *2007–08: Adam Avramenko, G *2008–09: Dan Baco, D *2009–10: Jason Beattie, FAtlantic Hockey
Individual awards
Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year, Player of the Year *Paul Zanette: 2011 *Carsen Chubak: 2013 List of Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year, Rookie of the Year *Ludwig Stenlund: 2019 *Trevor Hoskin: 2025 List of Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Goaltending Award, Regular Season Goaltending Award *Chris Noonan: 2012 List of Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Scoring Trophy, Regular Season Scoring Trophy *Paul Zanette: 2011 List of Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year, Coach of the Year *Dave Burkholder: 2013 List of Atlantic Hockey Most Valuable Player in Tournament, Most Valuable Player in Tournament *Scott Champagne: 2005All-Conference teams
List of All-Atlantic Hockey Teams, First Team All-Atlantic Hockey *2010–11: Bryan Haczyk, F; Paul Zanette, F *2012–13: Carsen Chubak, G; Giancarlo Iuorio, F List of All-Atlantic Hockey Teams, Second Team All-Atlantic Hockey *2011–12: Chris Noonan, G *2012–13: Dan Weiss (ice hockey), Dan Weiss, D List of All-Atlantic Hockey Teams, Third Team All-Atlantic Hockey *2010–11: Ryan Annesley, D *2012–13: Kevin Ryan (ice hockey), Kevin Ryan, D *2013–14: Kevin Ryan (ice hockey), Kevin Ryan, D *2017–18: Derian Plouffe, F *2018–19: Noah Delmas, D; Ludwig Stenlund, F *2019–20: Jack Billings (ice hockey), Jack Billings, F List of All-Atlantic Hockey Teams, Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team *2010–11: Ryan Rashid, F *2013–14: Vinny Muto, D *2014–15: Keegan Harper, D *2018–19: Ludwig Stenlund, F *2019–20: Chad Veltri, G *2020–21: Josef Mysak, D *2021–22: Shane Ott, FNiagara Purple Eagles Hall of Fame
The following is a list of people associated with the men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Niagara Purple Eagles Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses). *Greg Gardner (2006) *Peter DeSantis (2007) *Mile Isherwood (2007) *Joe Tallari (2012) *Barret Ehgoetz (2013) *1999–2000 Niagara Purple Eagles men's ice hockey season, 1999-2000 Men's Team (2016)Purple Eagles in the NHL
As of July 1, 2024. Source:See also
*Niagara Purple Eagles women's ice hockeyReferences
External links