The Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I

college ice hockey College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America. In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the go ...

program that represents

Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University (Northern Michigan, Northern or NMU) is a public university in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as Northern State Normal School. In 1963, the state designa ...

(NMU). The Wildcats are a member of the

Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previ ...

(CCHA). NMU has won one national title and has made three

Frozen Four The annual NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is a college ice hockey tournament held in the United States by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the top men's team in Division I. Like other Division I cham ...

appearances. They play at the

Berry Events Center Berry Events Center is a 4,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Marquette, Michigan, in the United States that opened in 1999. It is home to the Northern Michigan University Wildcats ice hockey team. The arena formerly housed the US short track speed ...

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is the county seat of Marquette County, Michigan, Marquette County and the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Marquette is a major port known primarily for shippin ...

History

Early history

Under the Direction of NMU's president, John X. Jamrich, the initial ice hockey program was originally initiated by Seniors Gregory Hyde and Christopher Nolan in 1974. The NMU men's ice hockey program began in 1976, competing as an independent

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

team and probationary member of

(CCHA) for the 1976–77 season. During that season NMU competed against CCHA teams but did not count for league standings. Northern Michigan became a full member of the CCHA the following season. In the first two season as a full member of the CCHA Northern Michigan finished with back-to-back 19 win seasons before a historic season in program history in 1979–80. During the 1979–80 season the team won its first CCHA regular season championship and CCHA Playoff tournament championship. The Wildcats advanced to their first ever NCAA tournament appearance and won their first game 4–3 against

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. NMU advanced to the National Championship game with a semifinal win over

Cornell Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since ...

5–4. Northern Michigan finished as the runner-up to

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. In addition to the tournament being the first tournament and National Championship appearance for Northern Michigan, it was also the highest NCAA tournament finish for a CCHA team. NMU head coach Rick Comley became the first CCHA coach to receive the

Spencer Penrose Award The Spencer Penrose Award is awarded yearly to the top coach in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The finalists for each year's award comprise the conference Coach of the Year winners from each Division ...

given to the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Coach of the Year. The success of the 1979–80 season continued for the 1980–81 season. The Wildcats again won the CCHA regular season and playoff championships and advanced to the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats won the quarterfinal game against Cornell 10–7 but fell to

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

5–1.

WCHA years

On January 5, 1984, Northern Michigan announced the program was leaving the CCHA after seven seasons two league and playoff championships and two NCAA tournament berths for the

Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college ice hockey conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated as a me ...

(WCHA). The following day it was announced that rival

Michigan Tech Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Uppe ...

was also leaving the CCHA for WCHA. The 1988–89 season marked the first time NMU qualified for the NCAA tournament as a member of the WCHA. Unlike previous NCAA appearances Northern Michigan fell in the first round to

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

5–4. Northern Michigan qualified for the 1991 NCAA tournament after winning the WCHA regular season championship. Northern Michigan won two games to none in the quarterfinal round against Alaska-Anchorage, 8–5 and 5–3. NMU advanced and beat

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

5–3 in the semifinal round. The Wildcats matched up in the National Championship game in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

on April 1, 1991, against

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

and won 8–7 in three overtime periods. The 1990–91 season also set a program best record of 38–5–4 and a winning percentage of .851. It also marked the program's first and only NCAA Championship. The Wildcats returned to the National Tournament in 1992 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament as the 4th seed of the West Regional held in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. NMU picked up a first round win over Clarkson 8–4 before losing in the quarterfinal round 7–6 to

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The 1992–93 season marked the third straight NCAA tournament appearance. NMU won a close game in the opening round of the 1993 tournament in the East Regional in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

, against

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

. The Wildcats won a close game 3–2 in two overtime periods but fell 4–1 in the second round to Boston University in a rematch of the 1991 National Championship. During the following seasons NMU remained competitive in the WCHA but by the mid-1990s the program fell into the bottom half of the standings. After six 20-plus win seasons from 1988 to 1989 season through the 1993–94 season, the Wildcats failed to reach 15 wins in their last three seasons in the WCHA. The 1995–96 season marked a program low record of 7–30–2. On August 19, 1996, the CCHA approved Northern Michigan's application to rejoin the league for the 1997–98 season after 13 years in the WCHA. During the years in the WCHA the Wildcats accumulated a record of 263–243–30.

Recent history

The return to the CCHA reinvigorated the program after several underachieving seasons and rebuilding years. In the 1996–97 season, the first back in the CCHA, the Wildcats finished with a record of 19–15–4. The season was the first winning record since the 1993–94 season. And in the following season NMU reached the NCAA National tournament for the seventh time in program history. Northern Michigan entered the tournament as the 5th seed in the West Regional. Northern Michigan's playoff run was ended early by

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

in a low scoring game 1–2. On June 13, 2002, it was announced that Walt Kyle would take over as head coach for the Wildcats to become the second coach in program history. Rick Comley left to take over the head coaching position at

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...

after 26 seasons behind the bench of the Wildcats. Kyle won his first game as head coach of Northern Michigan on October 5, 2002, against Upper Michigan rival Michigan Tech, 4–1. Kyle's first CCHA victory came on October 18, 2002, 10–4 against Rick Comley and his Michigan State team. Kyle led the Wildcats to four straight 20+ win seasons from 2002 to 2006 and six of his first eight seasons behind the NMU bench. One of the most successful seasons in recent history came in the 2009–10 season. Northern Michigan finished the regular season ranked fourth in the CCHA and ranked 16th in the nation. The Wildcats received a first round bye in the CCHA tournament and matched up against Alaska Fairbanks, coming off first round sweep of

Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...

. Northern Michigan swept the Nanooks two games to none with 4–3 and 5–1 victories, advancing NMU to the semifinal round. Northern Michigan took on Ferris State looking to overcome the semifinal losses the previous two seasons. The Wildcats came out on top of their seventh appearance in the CCHA Semifinals in the last eight seasons with an overtime goal by Greger Hanson to give Northern Michigan the 5–4 OT win. The win was the first time Northern Michigan advanced to the CCHA Championship game since 1999, under Rick Comley. The Wildcats run in the CCHA playoffs ended in the Championship game, when Northern Michigan fell short in a close game to Michigan. The Wildcats' 2–1 loss to the Wolverines did not end their season as NMU received an at-large bid to the

2010 NCAA tournament The 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 65 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2009– ...

, their first tournament appearance since 1999 and first under Walt Kyle. Northern Michigan's first NCAA tournament berth in 11 seasons took them to the West Regional at the

Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000 and often called "The X" by fans, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena ...

, and first round match-up against

St. Cloud State St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it ...

. The Wildcats battled hard in front of a pro-SCSU crowd. Northern Michigan found themselves down early 2–0 in the first period but picked up a late goal by sophomore forward Justin Florek. St. Cloud answered in the second period on the power play but Northern Michigan kept within one goal when senior forward Ray Kaunisto scored late in the period. St. Cloud was held scoreless in the third while Northern Michigan tied the game with an even strength goal under four minutes left in the third period by junior defenseman Erik Spady. The Two team battled hard through the first overtime before St. Cloud State's Tony Mosey scored 23 seconds into the second overtime. Senior goaltender Brian Stewart stopped 50 SCSU shots in the tough loss. In the summer of 2011, the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

announced intentions to begin sponsoring men's ice hockey in 2013, followed by Miami (OH) announcing the formation of the

National Collegiate Hockey Conference The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference. The league was formed on July 9, 2011 and began playing for the 2013–14 season, the same season that the Big Ten Conference began competition, as a ...

for 2013 with and five other schools breaking from the WCHA. The realignment continued on July 20, 2011, when Northern Michigan was approved for membership in the WCHA beginning with the 2013–14 season. In June 2019, it was announced that Northern Michigan was one of seven WCHA men's members that would leave to form a new conference after the 2020–21 season. Those schools later announced that they would reestablish the CCHA effective in 2021–22.

Season-by-season results

Source:

Historic record

Records vs. current CCHA teams

As of the completion of the 2020–21 season

Coaches

The Wildcats are currently coached by

Grant Potulny Grant Martin Potulny (born March 4, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player and coach who is currently the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League as of 2024. He was previously the head coach of the ...

, who assumed coaching duties after Walt Kyle's contract was not renewed in March 2017.

All-time coaching records

As of the completion of 2024–25 season

Statistical leaders

The team statistical leaders are given below.

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 Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various Goal (sports), goal-scoring sports that track Save (goaltender), saves as a statistic. In ice hockey and lacrosse and association football, it is a sta ...

; GAA =

Goals against average Goals against average (GAA), also known as average goals against (AGA), is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on spo ...

'' minimum 1000 minutes played Statistics current through the end of the 2023–24 season.

Players

Current roster

As of September 13, 2024.

Awards and honors

NCAA

* Rick Comley: 1980, 1991 NCAA Scoring Champion * Bill Joyce: 1980 * Scott Beattie: 1991 Tournament Most Outstanding Player * Scott Beattie: 1991 AHCA First Team All-Americans *1980–81:

Steve Bozek Steven Michael Bozek (born November 26, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with five clubs. Noted for his hard shot, he was a reliable two-way forward and strong penalty killer. Playing c ...

, F *1990–91:

Brad Werenka John Bradley Werenka (born February 12, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, 42nd overall. Werenka played college hockey for ...

, D; Scott Beattie, F *1991–92:

Dallas Drake Dallas James Drake (born February 4, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Having played the beginning and end of his NHL career with Detroit, he won his ...

, F *2009–10: Mark Olver, D AHCA Second Team All-Americans *1983–84: Bill Schafhauser, D *1986–87: Gary Emmons, F *1987–88:

Phil Berger Phil or Philip Berger may refer to: * Phil Berger (politician) (born 1952), member of the North Carolina General Assembly * Phil Berger Jr. (born 1972), American attorney and jurist, son of the above * Phil Berger (ice hockey) (born 1966), American ...

, F *1988–89: Darryl Olsen, D *1990–91: Bill Pye, G *1991–92:

Jim Hiller James Andrew Hiller (born May 13, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hiller played 63 games in the NHL with the Los Angeles King ...

, D *2004–05:

Tuomas Tarkki Tuomas Sakari Tarkki (born 28 February 1980) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender and the goaltending coach of the Finnish women's national team. He played college ice hockey in the NCAA and professionally in the Finnish Liiga ...

, G *2005–06: Nathan Oystrick, D *2006–07:

Mike Santorelli Michael Santorelli (born December 14, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played with Genève-Servette HC of the National League A and in the National Hockey League with the Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Winnipe ...

, F *2008–09: Erik Gustafsson, D *2009–10: Erik Gustafsson, D *2017–18:

Philip Beaulieu Philip Beaulieu (born September 2, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently under contract with the Kalamazoo Wings in the ECHL. He was an All-American for Northern Michigan. Playing career After graduating from East H ...

, D *2018–19: Troy Loggins, F

WCHA

Individual awards

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...

* Scott Beattie: 1991 * Troy Loggins: 2019 Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year *

: 1991

Defensive player of the year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...

: 1992 *

: 2019 Rookie of the Year * Scott Beattie: 1990 * Tony Szabo: 1991

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

* Rick Comley: 1989, 1991 *

: 2018 Most Valuable Player in tournament * Bill Pye: 1989, 1991 *

Corwin Saurdiff Corwin may refer to: People *Corwin (surname) *Corwin (given name) Places in the United States * Corwin Township, Logan County, Illinois * Corwin, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, an extinct town * Corwin, Kansas * Corwin, New York, a hamlet in the t ...

: 1992

All-conference teams

First Team All-WCHA *1985–86: Gary Emmons, F *1986–87: Gary Emmons, F *1987–88:

, F *1988–89: Darryl Olsen, D *1990–91: Bill Pye, G;

, D; Scott Beattie, F *1991–92:

, F *1994–95: Greg Hadden, F *2017–18: Atte Tolvanen, G; Troy Loggins, F *2018–19: Atte Tolvanen, G;

, D; Troy Loggins, F Second Team All-WCHA *1988–89:

, F *1991–92:

, F *1992–93:

Joe Frederick Joe Frederick (born August 18, 1969) is an American former professional ice hockey right winger. Career Frederick was drafted 242nd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft and played for the Adirondack Red Wings of the Ame ...

, F *1993–94:

Mike Harding Mike Harding (born 23 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, writer, broadcaster and musician. Early life and education Harding's father, Louis Arthur "Curly" Harding, a navigator in the RAF, was killed in the Second Worl ...

, F *2015–16: Darren Nowick, F; Dominik Shine, F *2016–17: Atte Tolvanen, G *2017–18:

, D; Adam Rockwood, F *2018–19: Adam Rockwood, F *2019–20:

, D; Griffin Loughran, F *2020–21: Joseph Nardi, F Third Team All-WCHA *2014–15: Brock Maschmeyer, D *2016–17: Dominik Shine, F *2017–18: Darien Craighead, F; Robbie Payne, F *2019–20: Darien Craighead, F *2020–21: André Ghantous, F WCHA All-Rookie Team *1990–91: Tony Szabo, F *1991–92:

, G; Jason Helr, D *1993–94:

Dean Seymour Dean Seymour (born December 8, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the Finnish SM-liiga with KalPa Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Ku ...

, F *1996–97: Buddy Smith, F *2015–16: Atte Tolvanen, G *2016–17: Darien Craighead, F *2019–20:

John Hawthorne John Patrick Hawthorne (born 25 May 1964) is an English philosopher, currently serving as Professor of Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. He is r ...

, G *2020–21: Rico DiMatteo, G

CCHA

Individual awards

Don Waddell Donald Douglas Waddell (born August 19, 1958) is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player who is currently the president of hockey operations and general manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He previously held similar le ...

: 1978 *

Steve Weeks Stephen K. Weeks (born June 30, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Weeks played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Los A ...

: 1980 * Jeff Pyle: 1981 *

: 2005 Rookie of the Year * Jeff Poeschl: 1981 * Gary Emmons: 1984 * Chris Gobert: 2000

* Rick Comley: 1980, 1981 Perani Cup *

Craig Kowalski Craig Kowalski (born January 15, 1981) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL. Playing career Kowalski's Pro career begun on June 25, 2000, when he was selected ...

: 2004 Best Offensive Defenseman * Erik Gustafsson: 2009, 2010 Best Defensive Defenseman * Nathan Oystrick: 2005 Best Goaltender *

: 2005

All-conference teams

First Team All-CCHA *1977–78:

, D; Bill Joyce, F *1978–79: Tom Laidlaw, D *1979–80:

, G;

, D; Tom Laidlaw, D;

, F; Bill Joyce, F *1980–81:

, F; Jeff Pyle, F *1999–00:

Roger Trudeau Roger Trudeau (born April 22, 1976, in Marquette, Michigan) is an American ice hockey forward. Career Trudeau began his career playing at the junior level with the Waterloo Blackhawks in the USHL, spending two seasons with the Blackhawks. In 19 ...

, F *2004–05:

, G; Nathan Oystrick, D *2005–06: Nathan Oystrick, D *2006–07:

, F *2008–09: Erik Gustafsson, D *2009–10: Erik Gustafsson, D; Mark Olver, F *2011–12:

Tyler Gron Tyler Gron (born September 7, 1989) is a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing for the Hannover Indians in the Oberliga Nord. Gron played junior hockey in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before committing t ...

, F Second Team All-CCHA *1978–79:

, G *1980–81: Jeff Poeschl, G *1998–99: J. P. Vigier, F *1999–00:

Kevin Schmidt Kevin Gerard Schmidt (born August 16, 1988) is an American actor, known best for his role as Henry Baker in ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' and ''Cheaper by the Dozen 2'' and as Noah Newman in ''The Young and the Restless''. Schmidt also played Ryan i ...

, D *2003–04: Nathan Oystrick, D *2011–12: Justin Florek, F *2021–22:

AJ Vanderbeck AJ, or variants, may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters * Applejack (''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic''), a character from the fourth incarnation of ''My Little Pony'' * A. J. (''The Fairly OddParents''), a fictio ...

, F *2022–23: André Ghantous, F *2023–24: Josh Zinger, D CCHA All-Rookie Team *1998–99: Chad Theuer, F *1999–00: Jimmy Jackson, D; Chris Gobert, F *2004–05:

, F *2007–08: Erik Gustafsson, D; Mark Olver, F *2010–11: Kevin Kapalka, G *2021–22: Charlie Glockner, G *2022–23: Béni Halász, G; Josh Zinger, D; Joey Larson, F *2024–25: Jakub Altrichter, F

Northern Michigan Wildcats Hall of Fame

The following is a list of people associated with the Northern Michigan men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Northern Michigan Wildcats Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses). * Scott Beattie (2003) *

Joe Blake John Joseph Blake (1882 – 23 February 1931) was an English footballer who played as an outside-forward for Southampton in the early part of the twentieth century. Football career Blake was born in Belchamp Walter, near Sudbury and played ...

(2002) *

(1991) * Rick Comley (1998) *

(2002) * Gary Emmons (1999) *

(2007) * Bill Joyce (1998) * Tom Laidlaw (1990) * Jay McQuillan (2017) * Mike Mielke (2009) * Darryl Plandowski (2014) * Bill Pye (2007) * Bill Schafhauser (2008) *

(2013) *

(1993) *

(1990) *

(2002) * 1979–80 Hockey Team (2017) * 1990–91 Hockey Team (1998)

Olympians

This is a list of Northern Michigan alumni who have played on an Olympic team.

Wildcats in the NHL

As of July 1, 2024. File:DDrake.jpg,

File:Justin Florek - Boston Bruins.jpg, Justin Florek File:Mark Olver Avalanche cropped.jpg, Mark Olver File:Michael Santorelli (26283942126) (cropped).jpg,

Source:

Notable players

Dual US/French citizen Eric LeMarque went on to play for Team France at the

1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...

, later losing his feet to frostbite in a mishap chronicled in autobiography and in the 2017 film '' 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain''.

Arena

The Wildcats play at the 3,902-seat

on the NMU campus in

. The arena has been the home of the Wildcats since 1999, replacing

Lakeview Arena Lakeview Arena is a 3,100-seat multi-purpose arena, located in Marquette, Michigan. It opened in 1974, during the Marquette Iron Rangers hockey season. The team had previously played in the historic Palestra, a building that had moved from Lauriu ...

which had been the home to NMU hockey since the program began in 1976.

Pageantry

Puckheads

The Puckheads are a group of fans of the Wildcats hockey team, made up of students as well as community residents. In the words of a ''

Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'', also known as "''The Daily''", is the independent student newspaper of the University of Michigan published in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established on September 29, 1890, the newspaper is financially and editorially independe ...

'' feature article, "The Puckheads have created an atmosphere that makes the Berry Events Center one of the most entertaining and frustrating road trips for other teams in the CCHA.""'Puckheads' add to Icers' challenge"
''

'', November 14, 2005. The Puckheads were founded in November 1996 at Lakeview Arena. They travel and follow the team on many occasions, and have established rivalries with other teams' fan groups, notably the "Red Army" supporters of the Nebraska–Omaha

Mavericks Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 Ma ...

.Chad Purcell
"Fish fight: Whopper of a brawl leads to a friendly rivalry"
''

Omaha World-Herald The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ...

'', January 21, 2010.

References

External links

Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey
{{Central Collegiate Hockey Association College ice hockey teams in Michigan NCAA Division I men's ice hockey teams 1976 establishments in Michigan Ice hockey clubs established in 1976