| 2004–05Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
| NCAA Division I National Champion Denver Cup, Champion WCHA, co-Champion WCHA Tournament, Champion NCAA Tournament, Champion | |
| Conference | T–1stWCHA |
| Home ice | Magness Arena |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #1 |
| USA Today | #1 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 32–9–2 |
| Conference | 19–7–2 |
| Home | 16–4–1 |
| Road | 10–4–1 |
| Neutral | 6–1–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | George Gwozdecky |
| Assistant coaches | Seth Appert Steve Miller Matt Cady |
| Captain | Matt Laatsch |
| Alternate captain(s) | Nick Larson Kevin Ulanski |
| Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey seasons «2003–04 2005–06 » | |
The2004–05 Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey season was the 56th season of play for the program and 46th in theWCHA. The Pioneers represented theUniversity of Denver in the2004–05 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games atMagness Arena and were coached byGeorge Gwozdecky, in his 11th season. The team won the2005 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, the 7th title in program history.
Denver began the defense of its first national championship in 35 years ranked #7 in the pre-season polls. While it was a fairly high ranking, the loss of several key players left the Pioneers with some significant challenges. The primary concern centered on identifying a suitable replacement forAdam Berkhoel as the starting goaltender. CoachGeorge Gwozdecky had called him the 'best goaltender in the country' the previous year and finding his successor would be critical for the program's chances.[1] WhileEdmonton draft pick Glenn Fisher had the inside track as a sophomore, training camp ended with Denver alternating between Fisher andPeter Mannino in goal.
Early results were mixed and the Pioneers got off to a sluggish start. After 10 games they sat at .500 but had faced a murderer's row of opponents. Seven of those games had come against top-6 opponents, including three consecutive weeks where Denver earned splits. Though the there were excuses as to why the Pios weren't at their top form, defeating tough competition was exactly what the team would need to do if they hoped to retain their status as champions. The defense, now led byteam captain Matt Laatsch, found its consistency in November and helped the team reel off several consecutive victories. As Denver climbed towards the top of the conference standings, they similarly rose in the polls, climbing back into the top-10.
During the winter break, Denver's defense faltered a bit againstMinnesota–Duluth. Fortunately, the offense had remained a strong suit for the team. The addition ofPaul Stastny helped buoy the offense, led byGabe Gauthier andMatt Carle.
After capturing theDenver Cup, the Pioneers dropped a stunner to bottom-feedingMichigan Tech. The sizable upset appeared to help refocus the team and sent Denver on another long undefeated streak. The loss to the Huskies ended up being the only defeat the Pioneers suffered over a 20-game stretch. With the platooning of Fisher and Mannino paying dividends in the win column, Denver shot to the top of the standings and earned the #1 ranking by mid-February. The Pioneers saw their streak end against Duluth but then lost the next game toMinnesota State–Mankato and fell to #3. While their ranking wasn't too consequential by then, as they had all but guaranteed themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament, the losses put Denver into a tie withColorado College for the conference lead. With the two meeting for the regular season finale, Denver had to win the weekend to capture theMacNaughton Cup. Unfortunately, they wereshutout by the Tigers in the first game, leaving the team only able to tie for the league crown. A complementary blanking from Mannino helped them do just that and the two long-time rivals were forced to share the regular season title.
Though Denver and Colorado College were tied with identical records, the Pioneers held the tiebreaker and received the #1 seed for theWCHA tournament.[2] The team utterly dominated Michigan Tech in the first game but they were pushed hard in the rematch. Despite firing 46 shots on goal, only one got pastCam Ellsworth. Fortunately, Mannino stopped everything that came his way and the team advanced to the conference semifinals.[3]
They met long-time rivalNorth Dakota at theXcel Energy Center and the two battled through a defensive struggle. Both teams were only able to score a single goal in regulation thanks to their respectivepower plays. With 60 minutes not enough to settle the score, the two prepared for overtime. While the match was set up to go long into the night, Gauthier ended the match on the first shot of the extra session. In the championship, only Colorado College stood in the Pioneers' way Denver had another defensive struggle on its hands. Despite possessing the #2 offense in the country, the Pioneers could only muster a single goal, again on the power play. Mannino, however, posted his 5th shutout of the season and allowedLuke Fulghum's marker to stand as the game-winner.
Denver sat atop both polls at the end of the season. In spite of this, however, they received the #2 overall seed in thetournament.[4] To make matters worse,Minnesota was the host for the West Regional and, since the Gophers were also a #1 seed, Denver was slotted to open inAmherst, Massachusetts.
The Pioneers' facedCHA tournament championBemidji State in the Beavers' firstDivision I tournament game. While Denver was expected to roll over the unranked BSU squad, the Pios found themselves trailing twice early in the game. Bemidji State fought hard and never let Denver put any distance between the two. Despite being outshout 45–22, the Beavers equaled the Pios with 3 goals in regulation and sent the game into overtime. Denver controlled the play for much of the later portion of the game and they continued into the extra frame. After three and a half minutes the Pios had 5 shots to Bemidji's 1, the last of which found its way into the goal and prevented a stunning upset. The second game for the Pioneers went a little bit smoother. After trading 1-goal leads withNew Hampshire, a strong third period allowed the Pioneers to pull away from the Wildcats. The game was capped off by ahat-trick from Gauthier in the waning seconds.[5]
In the Frozen Four, Denver found three of its conference rivals waiting for them. This marked the first time in history, in any sport, that all four teams reaching the National Semifinals all came from the same conference.[6]
As a consequence of Fisher's struggles against Bemidji State and Peter Mannino stronger performance over the course of the entire season, Gwozdecky ended the goaltender rotation and went with his best option in goal. He needn't have worried, however, as Denver trounced Colorado College in the semifinal. The Pioneers outshout the Tigers 43–29 and, more importantly, outscored their in-state rivals 6–2. Most stunning was that all 8 goals in the game were scored in the power play, setting an NCAA tournament record.[7]
For the chance to repeat as national champions, Denver faced an old foe in North Dakota. The two had med three times prior for the national title with the most recent coming in1968. Jeff Drummond opened the scoring early in the first but Denver's lead was erased just a few minutes later on a power play marker fromTravis Zajac. The score remained even until just past the midway point of the game when Stastny added a goal on the man-advantage. It took another 18 minutes for the next goal but it was again Stastny on the power play. Despite a furious assault by North Dakota in the third, Denver's lead held and the game was salted away by Gabe Gauthier's 26 goal of the season into an empty net.
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Berkhoel | Goaltender |  United States | Graduation (signed withAtlanta Thrashers) |
| Max Bull | Forward | United States | Graduation (signed withLubbock Cotton Kings) |
| Ryan Caldwell | Defenseman |  Canada | Graduation (signed withNew York Islanders) |
| Lukas Dora | Forward |  Czech Republic | Graduation (signed withReading Royals) |
| Scott Drewicki | Defenseman | Canada | Transferred toMerrimack |
| Connor James | Forward | Canada | Graduation (signed withLos Angeles Kings) |
| Greg Keith | Forward | Canada | Graduation (signed withIdaho Steelheads) |
| Scott McConnell | Forward | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Blom | Defenseman | United States | 21 | Englewood, CO |
| Steven Cook | Forward | United States | 20 | Denver, CO; red shirt |
| Ryan Dingle | Forward | United States | 20 | Steamboat Springs, CO |
| Peter Mannino | Goaltender | United States | 20 | Farmington Hills, MI |
| Tom May | Forward | United States | 19 | Eagan, MN |
| Geoff Paukovich | Forward | United States | 18 | Englewood, CO; selected 57th overall in2004 |
| Paul Stastny | Forward | United States | 18 | Quebec City, QC |
| Andrew Thomas | Defenseman | United States | 18 | Bow, NH |
As of August 12, 2021.[8]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Zach Blom | Freshman | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1983-01-16 | Englewood, Colorado | Wichita Falls Rustlers (NAHL) | — | |
| 3 | Steven Cook | Freshman (RS) | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1984-02-01 | Denver, Colorado | River City Lancers (USHL) | — | |
| 4 | Brett Skinner | Junior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 1983-06-28 | Brandon, Manitoba | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | VAN, 68th overall 2002 | |
| 5 | Andrew Thomas | Freshman | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 1985-11-14 | Bow, New Hampshire | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — | |
| 6 | Michael Handza | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 1983-12-29 | Glenshaw, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh Forge (NAHL) | — | |
| 7 | Adrian Veideman | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1983-04-13 | Sicamous, British Columbia | Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) | — | |
| 8 | Jon James | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1983-09-24 | Arnold, Missouri | Chicago Freeze (NAHL) | — | |
| 9 | Gabe Gauthier | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 1984-01-20 | Torrance, California | Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) | — | |
| 10 | Ryan Helgason | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 1984-05-02 | Woodbury, Minnesota | Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL) | — | |
| 11 | Paul Stastny | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 1985-12-27 | Quebec City, Quebec | River City Lancers (USHL) | — | |
| 12 | Geoff Paukovich | Freshman | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 1986-04-24 | Englewood, Colorado | USNTDP (USHL) | EDM, 57th overall 2004 | |
| 14 | Tom May | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 1985-04-24 | Eagan, Minnesota | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — | |
| 15 | Jonathan Foster | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1982-08-03 | Suffern, New York | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — | |
| 16 | Kevin Ulanski (A) | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1982-05-19 | Madison, Wisconsin | Billings Bulls (NAHL) | — | |
| 17 | Luke Fulghum | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 1980-10-16 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — | |
| 18 | Ted O'Leary | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 1982-09-01 | Arvada, Colorado | Cedar Rapids Roughriders (USHL) | — | |
| 19 | Ryan Dingle | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1982-08-25 | Steamboat Springs, Colorado | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — | |
| 20 | Jussi Halme | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 1980-08-24 | Nokia, Finland | Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja) | — | |
| 21 | J. D. Corbin | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1985-03-23 | Littleton, Colorado | USNTDP (USHL) | COL, 249th overall 2004 | |
| 22 | Jeff Rogers | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1984-01-26 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | — | ||
| 23 | Brock McMorris | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1983-02-01 | Cherry Hills, Colorado | Topeka Scarecrows (USHL) | — | |
| 25 | Matt Carle | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 1984-09-25 | Anchorage, Alaska | River City Lancers (USHL) | SJS, 47th overall 2003 | |
| 26 | Nick Larson (A) | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 1980-11-08 | Moorhead, Minnesota | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — | |
| 27 | Matt Laatsch (C) | Senior (RS) | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 1980-08-19 | Lakeville, Minnesota | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — | |
| 28 | Glenn Fisher | Sophomore | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1983-04-25 | Edmonton, Alberta | Fort Saskatchewan Traders (AJHL) | EDM, 148th overall 2002 | |
| 29 | Peter Mannino | Freshman | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 1984-02-17 | Farmington Hills, Michigan | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — | |
| 30 | Danny King | Sophomore | G | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1982-05-08 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Huntsville Wildcats (OPJHL) | — | |
| 39 | Jeff Drummond | Senior | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 1982-08-04 | Leduc, Alberta | Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) | — |
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| #1 Denver†* | 28 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 114 | 81 | 43 | 32 | 9 | 2 | 174 | 110 | |
| #2 Colorado College† | 28 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 98 | 66 | 43 | 31 | 9 | 3 | 160 | 101 | |
| #4 Minnesota | 28 | 17 | 10 | 1 | 35 | 105 | 80 | 44 | 28 | 15 | 1 | 155 | 109 | |
| #13 Wisconsin | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 35 | 94 | 64 | 41 | 23 | 14 | 4 | 127 | 91 | |
| #3 North Dakota | 28 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 29 | 71 | 67 | 45 | 25 | 15 | 5 | 136 | 103 | |
| Minnesota–Duluth | 28 | 11 | 13 | 4 | 26 | 90 | 89 | 38 | 15 | 17 | 6 | 119 | 118 | |
| Alaska–Anchorage | 28 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 22 | 72 | 102 | 37 | 12 | 19 | 6 | 94 | 129 | |
| Minnesota State–Mankato | 28 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 82 | 109 | 38 | 13 | 19 | 6 | 118 | 140 | |
| St. Cloud State | 28 | 8 | 19 | 1 | 17 | 66 | 100 | 40 | 14 | 23 | 3 | 109 | 126 | |
| Michigan Tech | 28 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 16 | 64 | 98 | 37 | 8 | 25 | 4 | 91 | 136 | |
| Championship: Denver †indicates conference regular season champion *indicates conference tournament champion Final rankings:USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Top 15 Poll | ||||||||||||||
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 7 | 7:35 PM | vs. Windsor* | #7 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (Exhibition) | Fisher | W 6–0 | 4,506 | ||||
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 9 | 6:07 PM | vs. #6 Minnesota* | #7 | Xcel Energy Center •Saint Paul, Minnesota (US Hockey Hall of Fame game) | Fisher | L 2–5 | 1,7409 | 0–1–0 | |||
| October 15 | 5:05 PM | at #2 Boston College* | #11 | Conte Forum •Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Mannino | L 2–6 | 5,810 | 0–2–0 | |||
| October 16 | 5:00 PM | at Northeastern* | #11 | Matthews Arena •Boston,Massachusetts | Fisher | W 4–2 | 1,531 | 1–2–0 | |||
| October 22 | 7:38 PM | vs. St. Cloud State | #13 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | W 5–2 | 6,022 | 2–2–0 (1–0–0) | |||
| October 23 | 7:07 PM | vs. St. Cloud State | #13 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | W 6–1 | 6,087 | 3–2–0 (2–0–0) | |||
| October 29 | 6:07 PM | at #5 Wisconsin | #10 | Kohl Center •Madison, Wisconsin | Fisher | L 3–6 | 10,759 | 3–3–0 (2–1–0) | |||
| October 30 | 6:07 PM | at #5 Wisconsin | #10 | Kohl Center •Madison, Wisconsin | Mannino | W 5–3 | 12,035 | 4–3–0 (3–1–0) | |||
| November 12 | 7:35 PM | at #4 Colorado College | #11 | Colorado Springs World Arena •Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) | Fisher | L 1–3 | 7,686 | 4–4–0 (3–2–0) | |||
| November 13 | 7:05 PM | vs. #4 Colorado College | #11 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (Rivalry) | Mannino | W 6–3 | 6,077 | 5–4–0 (4–2–0) | |||
| November 19 | 7:37 PM | vs. #3 Minnesota | #11 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | L 4–5 | 6,038 | 5–5–0 (4–3–0) | |||
| November 20 | 7:07 PM | vs. #3 Minnesota | #11 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | W 5–2 | 6,027 | 6–5–0 (5–3–0) | |||
| November 26 | 7:37 PM | vs. #11 Boston University* | #10 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | W 4–1 | 6,199 | 7–5–0 | |||
| November 27 | 7:07 PM | vs. Massachusetts* | #10 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | W 6–1 | 6,096 | 8–5–0 | |||
| December 3 | 5:07 PM | at Michigan Tech | #7 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena •Houghton, Michigan | Fisher | W 5–1 | 2,154 | 9–5–0 (6–3–0) | |||
| December 4 | 5:07 PM | at Michigan Tech | #7 | MacInnes Student Ice Arena •Houghton, Michigan | Mannino | W 4–2 | 2,017 | 10–5–0 (7–3–0) | |||
| December 17 | 6:07 PM | at Minnesota–Duluth | #7 | Duluth Entertainment Convention Center •Duluth, Minnesota | Fisher | T 4–4 OT | 4,849 | 10–5–1 (7–3–1) | |||
| December 18 | 6:07 PM | at Minnesota–Duluth | #7 | Duluth Entertainment Convention Center •Duluth, Minnesota | Mannino | W 5–4 OT | 5,053 | 11–5–1 (8–3–1) | |||
| Denver Cup | |||||||||||
| January 1 | 7:07 PM | vs. Air Force* | #7 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (Denver Cup semifinal) | Fisher | W 9–4 | 5,981 | 12–5–1 | |||
| January 2 | 7:07 PM | vs. Northeastern* | #7 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (Denver Cup championship) | Mannino | W 4–0 | 5,960 | 13–5–1 | |||
| January 7 | 7:37 PM | vs. Michigan Tech | #5 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | L 0–3 | 5,983 | 13–6–1 (9–4–1) | |||
| January 10 | 7:07 PM | vs. Michigan Tech | #5 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | W 1–0 | 6,013 | 14–6–1 (10–4–1) | |||
| January 21 | 6:08 PM | at St. Cloud State | #6 | National Hockey Center •St. Cloud, Minnesota | Fisher | W 5–2 | 5,531 | 15–6–1 (11–4–1) | |||
| January 22 | 6:07 PM | at St. Cloud State | #6 | National Hockey Center •St. Cloud, Minnesota | Mannino | W 6–1 | 5,595 | 16–6–1 (12–4–1) | |||
| January 28 | 7:37 PM | at Alaska–Anchorage | #5 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | W 8–4 | 6,105 | 17–6–1 (13–4–1) | |||
| January 31 | 7:07 PM | at Alaska–Anchorage | #5 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | W 3–2 OT | 6,120 | 18–6–1 (14–4–1) | |||
| February 4 | 6:37 PM | at #13 North Dakota | #4 | Ralph Engelstad Arena •Grand Forks, North Dakota (Rivalry) | Fisher | W 4–2 | 10,908 | 19–6–1 (15–4–1) | |||
| February 5 | 6:07 PM | at #13 North Dakota | #4 | Ralph Engelstad Arena •Grand Forks, North Dakota (Rivalry) | Mannino | W 4–2 | 11,128 | 20–6–1 (16–4–1) | |||
| February 11 | 7:37 PM | vs. #4 Wisconsin | #3 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | W 4–3 | 6,068 | 21–6–1 (17–4–1) | |||
| February 12 | 7:07 PM | vs. #4 Wisconsin | #3 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | T 3–3 OT | 6,094 | 21–6–2 (17–4–2) | |||
| February 18 | 7:37 PM | vs. Minnesota–Duluth | #1 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Fisher | W 5–4 | 6,121 | 22–6–2 (18–4–2) | |||
| February 19 | 7:07 PM | vs. Minnesota–Duluth | #1 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado | Mannino | L 3–6 | 6,147 | 22–7–2 (18–5–2) | |||
| February 25 | 6:37 PM | at Minnesota State–Mankato | #1 | Midwest Wireless Civic Center •Mankato, Minnesota | Mannino | L 5–8 | 3,557 | 22–8–2 (18–6–2) | |||
| February 26 | 6:07 PM | at Minnesota State–Mankato | #1 | Midwest Wireless Civic Center •Mankato, Minnesota | Mannino | W 5–2 | 4,091 | 23–8–2 (19–6–2) | |||
| March 3 | 7:37 PM | at #1 Colorado College | #3 | Colorado Springs World Arena •Colorado Springs, Colorado (Rivalry) | Fisher | L 0–3 | 7,881 | 23–9–2 (19–7–2) | |||
| March 4 | 7:37 PM | vs. #1 Colorado College | #3 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (Rivalry) | Mannino | W 5–0 | 6,179 | 24–9–2 (20–7–2) | |||
| WCHA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 11 | 7:37 PM | vs. Michigan Tech* | #2 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (WCHA First Round Game 1) | Fisher | W 7–1 | 6,002 | 25–9–2 | |||
| March 12 | 7:07 PM | vs. Michigan Tech* | #2 | Magness Arena •Denver,Colorado (WCHA First Round Game 2) | Mannino | W 1–0 | 6,029 | 26–9–2 | |||
| Denver Won Series 2–0 | |||||||||||
| March 18 | 7:07 PM | vs. #13 North Dakota* | #2 | Xcel Energy Center •Saint Paul, Minnesota (Rivalry; WCHA semifinals) | Fisher | W 2–1 OT | 13,132 | 27–9–2 | |||
| March 19 | 6:37 PM | vs. #1 Colorado College* | #2 | Xcel Energy Center •Saint Paul, Minnesota (Rivalry; WCHA championship) | Mannino | W 1–0 | 16,507 | 28–9–2 | |||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 26 | 10:00 AM | vs. Bemidji State* | #1 | Mullins Center •Amherst, Massachusetts (Northeast Regional semifinal) | Fisher | W 4–3 OT | — | 29–9–2 | |||
| March 27 | 10:00 PM | vs. #6 New Hampshire* | #1 | Mullins Center •Amherst, Massachusetts (Northeast Regional final) | Mannino | W 4–2 | 3,441 | 30–9–2 | |||
| April 7 | 12:08 PM | vs. #3 Colorado College* | #1 | Value City Arena •Columbus, Ohio (Rivalry;National semifinals) | ESPN2 | Mannino | W 6–2 | 17,116 | 31–9–2 | ||
| April 9 | 5:08 PM | vs. #10 North Dakota* | #1 | Value City Arena •Columbus, Ohio (Rivalry; National Championship) | ESPN | Mannino | W 4–1 | 17,155 | 32–9–2 | ||
| *Non-conference game.#Rankings fromUSCHO.com Poll. All times are inMountain Time. Source:[9] | |||||||||||
| April 9[10] | Denver | 4 – 1 | North Dakota | Value City Arena | Recap |
| Scoring summary[11] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | DEN | Jeff Drummond (16) | Ulanski andGauthier | 6:15 | 1–0 DEN |
| UND | Travis Zajac (20) –PP | Fuher andStafford | 9:52 | 1–1 | |
| 2nd | DEN | Paul Stastny (16) –GW PP | Ulanski and Laatsch | 30:08 | 2–1 DEN |
| 3rd | DEN | Paul Stastny (17) –PP | Carle andSkinner | 48:19 | 3–1 DEN |
| DEN | Gabe Gauthier (26) –EN | Stastny | 59:23 | 4–1 DEN | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty | Time | PIM |
| 1st | UND | Matt Greene | Roughing | 2:31 | 2:00 |
| DEN | Adrian Veideman | Roughing | 2:31 | 2:00 | |
| UND | Matt Greene | High-Sticking | 6:31 | 2:00 | |
| DEN | Andrew Thomas | High-Sticking | 8:55 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | DEN | Jussi Halme | Tripping | 21:28 | 2:00 |
| DEN | Jussi Halme | Hooking | 25:55 | 2:00 | |
| UND | Brian Canady | Contact to the Head-Elbowing | 28:26 | 2:00 | |
| DEN | Paul Stastny | Holding | 31:37 | 2:00 | |
| UND | Rory McMahon | Interference | 33:34 | 2:00 | |
| UND | Andy Schneider | Hooking | 37:09 | 2:00 | |
| DEN | Paul Stastny | Obstruction Hooking | 38:06 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | UND | Mike Prpich | Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 42:57 | 2:00 |
| DEN | Andrew Thomas | Holding | 42:57 | 2:00 | |
| DEN | Michael Handza | Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 42:57 | 2:00 | |
| UND | Matt Greene | Cross-Checking | 47:01 | 2:00 | |
| UND | Nick Fuher | Slashing | 48:53 | 2:00 | |
| DEN | Geoff Paukovich | Interference | 49:46 | 2:00 | |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabe Gauthier | C | 43 | 26 | 31 | 57 | 46 |
| Paul Stastny | C | 42 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 30 |
| Matt Carle | D | 43 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 68 |
| Luke Fulghum | LW | 43 | 23 | 19 | 42 | 14 |
| Brett Skinner | D | 43 | 4 | 36 | 40 | 30 |
| Jeff Drummond | F | 42 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 18 |
| Kevin Ulanski | F | 39 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 24 |
| Jon Foster | LW | 42 | 21 | 8 | 29 | 50 |
| Geoff Paukovich | LW | 41 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 120 |
| Adrian Veideman | D | 42 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 26 |
| J. D. Corbin | LW | 41 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 22 |
| Ryan Dingle | C | 43 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 32 |
| Jussi Halme | D | 42 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 36 |
| Matt Laatsch | D | 42 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 48 |
| Michael Handza | F | 36 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 18 |
| Ryan Helgason | F | 29 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 26 |
| Andrew Thomas | D | 42 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 78 |
| Tom May | F | 22 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Nick Larson | D | 34 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 26 |
| Glenn Fisher | G | 22 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Zach Blom | D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Brock McMorris | F | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Peter Mannino | G | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Jon James | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Ted O'Leary | F | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 174 | 294 | 468 | 754 |
| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Mannino | 23 | 1344:40 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 49 | 626 | 5 | .927 | 2.19 |
| Glenn Fisher | 22 | 1247:27 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 59 | 473 | 0 | .889 | 2.84 |
| Empty Net | - | 4:54 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 43 | 2597 | 32 | 9 | 2 | 110 | 1099 | 5 | .909 | 2.54 |
| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 (Final) | ||
| USCHO.com | 7(4) | - | 11 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3(1) | 1(22) | 1(16) | 3(4) | 2(4) | 2(3) | 1(17) | - | - | |
| USA Today | 7(4) | 6(4) | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2(9) | 2(10) | 3(2) | 3(2) | 2(3) | 1(18) | 1(33) | 1(34) | |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 1, 25 and 26.[13]
| Player | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Mannino | NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player | [14] |
| Matt Carle | AHCA West First Team All-American | [15] |
| Brett Skinner | AHCA West Second Team All-American | [15] |
| Gabe Gauthier | ||
| Paul Stastny | WCHA Rookie Player of the Year | [16] |
| George Gwozdecky | WCHA Coach of the Year | [16] |
| Matt Carle | All-WCHA First Team | [17] |
| Brett Skinner | ||
| Gabe Gauthier | All-WCHA Second Team | [17] |
| Paul Stastny | WCHA All-Rookie Team | [18] |
| Gabe Gauthier | WCHA All-Tournament Team | [19] |
| Matt Laasch | ||
| Peter Mannino | NCAA All-Tournament team | [20] |
| Brett Skinner | ||
| Matt Carle | ||
| Paul Stastny | ||
| Gabe Gauthier |
| =NHL All-Star team | =NHL All-Star[22] | =NHL All-Star[22] andNHL All-Star team | = Did not play in the NHL |
| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 44 | Paul Stastny | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2 | 60 | T. J. Fast† | Los Angeles Kings |
| 4 | 96 | Chris Butle† | Buffalo Sabres |
| 4 | 109 | Andrew Thomas | Washington Capitals |
| 7 | 222 | Matt Glasser† | Edmonton Oilers |
† incoming freshman