| Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
 | |
| University | Colorado College |
| Conference | NCHC |
| Head coach | Kris Mayotte[1] 5th season, 61–77–10 (.446) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Arena | Ed Robson Arena Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Colors | Black and gold[2] |
| NCAA tournament champions | |
| 1950,1957 | |
| NCAA tournament runner-up | |
| 1952,1955,1996 | |
| NCAA tournament Frozen Four | |
| 1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1955,1957,1996,1997,2005 | |
| NCAA tournament appearances | |
| 1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1955,1957,1978,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2001,2002,2003,2005,2006,2008,2011 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| WCHA: 1978 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| WCHA: 1952, 1955, 1957, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2008 | |
TheColorado College Tigers men's ice hockey team is aNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division Icollege ice hockey program that representsColorado College. The Tigers are a member of theNational Collegiate Hockey Conference. They began play atEd Robson Arena on the CC campus inColorado Springs starting in the 2021 season.[3]
In 1938Spencer Penrose and Charles Tutt developed plans to convertThe Broadmoor's unused equestrian center into an indoor ice arena, known as theBroadmoor Ice Palace.[4] After three weeks at a cost of $200,000 the Ice Palace opened and became the home of the Tigers Hockey program and theBroadmoor Skating Club.[5] Colorado College Tiger Hockey began in 1938 playing in the Pikes Peak Hockey League with various local teams sponsored by Colorado Springs area businesses.,[4] The Tigers opened play on January 21, 1938 in a 1-8 loss to a team sponsored by Giddings Department Store.[6] Garrett Livingston took over as head coach fin 1939 from John Atwood, who served as player/coach for the first season.[6] Livingston increased recruiting, bringing players fromCanada andNew England and transitioned the program from the Pikes Peak Hockey League into anNCAA Division I independent program.[6] The Tigers sweptMichigan 4-2 and 4-3 in the program's first-ever intercollegiate series early in the 1939-40 season. That same season Colorado College also played games againstColorado School of Mines,Montana School of Mines, and theUniversity of Southern California.[6]
The program and college was suspended duringWorld War II from 1942 to 1944.[4] Colorado College, with the cooperation of The Broadmoor, sponsored the firstNational Collegiate Athletic Association Ice Hockey Championship to conclude the 1947-48 season. The tournament was held at the Ice Palace for the next 10 years, during which time CC participating seven times.[6] Cheddy Thompson became the program's third head coach in 1945 after coming to Colorado Springs on assignment by theAir Force during the war. Thompson lead CC to the program's first NCAA championship in1950 with a 13-4 win overBoston University. Colorado College became one of the founding members of theMid-West Collegiate Hockey League (MWCHL) in 1951 withUniversity of Denver,Michigan,Michigan State,Michigan Tech,Minnesota, andNorth Dakota.[7] The league became the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (WIHL) in 1953 and became theWestern Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in November 1959.[7] The Tigers also finished as runner-up in 1952 and 1955, losing to Michigan in both appearances in the championship game.[6] In addition, he was named national Coach of the Year in 1952 by the United States Hockey Coaches Association.[6] The Tigers returned to the championship game in1957 with Tom Bedecki behind the bench. CC beatClarkson 5-3 in the semifinal round and won the school's second hockey championship with a 13-6 win over Michigan.[8] In 1961 the Ice Palace became known as the Broadmoor World Arena.[5] The 1957 championship was the final appearance in the NCAA Tournament until1978.[9] The Tigers finished the regular season and captured the school's first and onlyWCHA Tournament Championship and received a bid to the NCAA Tournament, in the first round the Tigers lost toBowling Green State 3-5.[10]
Bedecki abruptly resigned in 1958, and the Tigers went into a decline that would last for almost four decades. From 1958 to 1993, the Tigers would have only three winning seasons. The low point came in 1961-62, when the Tigers finished with a 0-23 record, still the worst in school history.
In 1993Don Lucia became the head coach of the Tigers. In his first season, 1993–94, he led the team to win theMacNaughton Cup, given to the WCHA regular season champion. It was Colorado College's first Cup win since 1957.[11] After serving as the Tigers' home ice for 55 years the Broadmoor World Arena closed in March 1994 and later demolished by The Broadmoor to make room for the resort's expansion.[5][12] Colorado College was then invited by theAir Force Academy to play at their home ice, theCadet Ice Arena until the newWorld Arena opened in 1998 on the southern side of Colorado Springs.[13] The Tigers returned to the NCAA post season in1995 for the first time since 1978. The Tigers lost in the quarterfinal round to Minnesota 2-5.[14] The following season CC made a second straight NCAA tournament appearance, receiving a number one seed in1996 NCAA Tournament. Colorado College beatUMass Lowell 5-3 in the quarterfinals andVermont 4-3 in the semifinal round before losing to 2-3 in overtime to Michigan in the championship game.[15] CC returned to theFrozen Four under Lucia for a second straight season in1997 before losing to North Dakota 6-2.[16] Lucia lead the Tigers to two additional NCAA Tournament appearances in1998 and1999 before leaving Colorado College to become head coach at Minnesota.[9]
Scott Owens took over as head coach of the program in 1999 and lead the Tigers to three straight NCAA Tournaments in2001,2002, and2003.[9][17] In the2005 Tournament The Tigers returned to the Frozen Four with a 4-3 victory over Michigan in the Midwest Regional Final.[18] In the Semifinal round the Tigers fell to the eventual national champion and rival Denver 2-6.[19] Owens lead CC to the NCAA Tournament again in2006 Tournament and in2008 Tournament, ending in first round exits both times.[9] The Tigers returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2011. The Tigers upset the number one ranked team and defending National Champions,Boston College 8-4.[20] The Tigers' win was led by freshmanJaden Schwartz, afirst round draft choice of theSt. Louis Blues making his St. Louis debut in the West Regional.[21] The Tigers' season ended in the Regional final in a 1-2 loss to Michigan.[22]
In 2018, CC announced plans to build a new $38 million arena located on campus. The facility is named Edward J. Robson Arena in honor of 1954 CC alum and former Tigers hockey player Edward Robson. This is the Tigers' new home rink after playing at theWorld Arena since 1998.
The new arena has a capacity of 3,407, less than half that of World Arena.[3] It features an NHL-sized rink instead of the World Arena's Olympic-size rink. Robson Arena sits around 6,050 feet above sea level, about 200 feet below the World Arena. Colorado College initially hoped for it to be ready for play by 2020.[23][24][25] Changes made during the planning process, most notably the addition of a parking garage and a shift in the arena footprint within its city block, led to delays. The arena opened for the 2021–22 season.[3]
Source:[26]
As of the end of the 2024–25 season[9]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937–1938 | John Atwood | 1 | 3–9–0 | .250 |
| 1938–1942 | Garrett Livingston | 4 | 31–21–6 | .586 |
| 1944–1945 | C. E. Moore | 1 | 1–3–1 | .300 |
| 1945–1955 | Cheddy Thompson | 10 | 149–72–5 | .670 |
| 1955–1958 | Tom Bedecki | 3 | 59–28–1 | .676 |
| 1958–1963 | Tony Frasca | 5 | 30–85–4 | .269 |
| 1963–1966 | Bob Johnson | 3 | 27–49–4 | .363 |
| 1966–1971 | John Matchefts | 5 | 54–88–3 | .383 |
| 1971–1982 | Jeff Sauer | 11 | 166–228–11 | .423 |
| 1982–1988 | Mike Bertsch | 6 | 65–157–6 | .298 |
| 1988–1993 | Brad Buetow | 5 | 68–118–11 | .373 |
| 1993–1999 | Don Lucia | 6 | 166–68–18 | .694 |
| 1999–2014 | Scott Owens | 14 | 324–228–54 | .579 |
| 2014–2021 | Mike Haviland | 7 | 67–153–22 | .322 |
| 2021–Present | Kris Mayotte | 4 | 61–77–10 | .446 |
| Totals | 14 coaches | 85 seasons | 1,271–1,384–156 | .480 |
Hockey Hall of Fame[edit]Source:[27]
| United States Hockey Hall of Fame[edit]Source:[28]
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| NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Scoring Champion
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AHCA Second Team All-Americans
| WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
| WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
| WCHA Freshman/Rookie of the Year
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WCHA Coach of the Year
| MCHA / WIHL / WCHA Scoring Leader
| MCHA / WIHL / WCHA Goaltending Leader
| WCHA Most Valuable Player in Tournament
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| NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year
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This is a list of Colorado College alumni who have played or coached on anOlympic team.[26]
| Name | Position | CC Tenure | Team | Year | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Gambucci | Center | 1949–1953 |  USA | 1952 |  Silver |
| Dan Griffin | Goaltender | 1971–1975 | USA | 1976 | 5th |
| Gary Hughes | Defenseman | 1955–1958 |  Poland (Coach) | 1964 | 9th |
| Roy Ikola | Goaltender | 1946–1950 | USA | 1948 | DQ |
| Doug Lidster | Defenseman | 1979–1983 |  Canada | 1984 | 4th |
| Vern Mott | Goaltender | 1976–1977 |  Norway | 1988 | 12th |
| Robert Rompre | Forward | 1950–1951 1953–1956 | USA | 1952 | Silver |
| Steve Sertich | Right wing | 1970–1974 | USA | 1976 | 5th |
The following is a list of people associated with the Colorado College men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses).[29]
Source:[26]
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Delich | 1975–1979 | 153 | 111 | 174 | 285 | |
| Brian Swanson | 1995–1999 | 167 | 88 | 144 | 232 | |
| Doug Palazzari | 1970–1974 | 117 | 95 | 133 | 228 | |
| Bruce Aikens | 1978–1982 | 137 | 100 | 117 | 217 | |
| Rob Doyle | 1983–1987 | 153 | 51 | 151 | 202 | |
| Jim Warner | 1974–1978 | 142 | 89 | 109 | 198 | |
| Greg Whyte | 1977–1981 | 149 | 86 | 111 | 197 | |
| Peter Sejna | 2000–2003 | 126 | 91 | 99 | 190 | |
| Jay McNeill | 1992–1996 | 158 | 100 | 89 | 189 | |
| Dave Feamster | 1976–1980 | 150 | 45 | 139 | 184 | |
| Brett Sterling | 2002–2006 | 150 | 108 | 76 | 184 |
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% =Save percentage; GAA =Goals against average
Minimum 50 Games
| Player | Years | GP | Min | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Bachman | 2007–2009 | 70 | 4176 | 39 | 20 | 11 | 156 | 7 | .922 | 2.24 |
| Curtis McElhinney | 2001–2005 | 91 | 5153 | 62 | 15 | 8 | 199 | 9 | .911 | 2.32 |
| Matt Zaba | 2003–2007 | 110 | 6349 | 55 | 42 | 10 | 256 | 10 | .913 | 2.42 |
| Jeff Sanger | 1998–2002 | 127 | 7466 | 76 | 45 | 4 | 309 | 16 | .906 | 2.48 |
| Colin Zulianello | 1997–2001 | 60 | 3121 | 135 | 2 | 2.60 |
Statistics current through the start of the 2024-25 season.
As of August 11, 2025.[30]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Beckham Dempsey | Freshman | G | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2004-09-06 | Wayne, Illinois | Boston Junior Rangers (NCDC) | — |
| 3 | | Seth Constance | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2004-10-26 | Northville, Michigan | Northeastern (HEA) | — |
| 4 | | Max Burkholder | Junior | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2003-08-08 | Chaska, Minnesota | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — |
| 5 | | Ryan Koering | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2005-02-11 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) | — |
| 6 | | Colton Roberts | Freshman | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 209 lb (95 kg) | 2006-06-08 | North Vancouver, British Columbia | Vancouver Giants (WHL) | SJS, 131st overall 2024 |
| 7 | | Philippe Blais-Savoie | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2005-06-10 | San Jose, California | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — |
| 8 | | Brandon Lisowsky | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2004-04-13 | Port Coquitlam, British Columbia | Victoria Royals (WHL) | TOR, 218th overall 2022 |
| 9 | | Owen Beckner | Sophomore | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2005-02-27 | Victoria, British Columbia | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | OTT, 204th overall 2023 |
| 10 | | Bret Link | Junior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | 2002-04-09 | Anchorage, Alaska | Fargo Force (USHL) | — |
| 11 | | Shane Kozlina | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2004-06-23 | Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania | Maine Nordiques (NAHL) | — |
| 12 | | Merril Steenari | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2004-01-18 | Aliso Viejo, California | Fargo Force (USHL) | — |
| 14 | | Connor Hvidston | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-09-11 | Tisdale, Saskatchewan | Calgary Hitmen (WHL) | ANA, 139th overall 2022 |
| 15 | | Nick Baer | Sophomore | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2004-03-14 | Minnetonka, Minnesota | Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL) | — |
| 17 | | Tomas Mrsic | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2006-02-26 | Surrey, British Columbia | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) | STL, 113th overall 2024 |
| 18 | | Fisher Scott | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2004-10-27 | Carbondale, Colorado | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | DET, 208th overall 2024 |
| 19 | | Mateo Mrsic | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-08-29 | Cloverdale, British Columbia | Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) | — |
| 20 | | Gavin Lindberg | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2004-04-20 | Fergus Falls, Minnesota | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — |
| 21 | | Ryan Alexander | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | 2002-06-17 | Toronto, Ontario | Arizona State (NCHC) | — |
| 22 | | Jordan Brisson | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-12-01 | Manhattan Beach, California | Chicago Steel (USHL) | — |
| 24 |  | Klāvs Veinbergs | Junior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2003-03-27 | Riga, Latvia | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | TBL, 224th overall 2022 |
| 25 | | Riley Stuart | Junior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 2002-01-17 | Phoenix, Arizona | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) | — |
| 26 |  | Wilson Björck | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2006-01-13 | Stockholm, Sweden | Djurgårdens IF U20 (J20 Nationell) | VAN, 143rd overall 2025 |
| 27 | | Matteo Mann | Freshman | D | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 229 lb (104 kg) | 2004-12-31 | Sackville, New Brunswick | Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) | PHI, 199th overall 2023 |
| 28 | | Brayden Schuurman | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 2004-02-22 | Abbotsford, British Columbia | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) | — |
| 29 | | Drew Montgomery | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2003-03-27 | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Omaha Lancers (USHL) | — |
| 30 | | Jackson Unger | Freshman | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-01-13 | Calgary, Alberta | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) | — |
| 33 | | Kaidan Mbereko | Junior | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-07-28 | Aspen, Colorado | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
Over 170 Colorado College alumni have gone on to play professionally, including over 30 current and formerNHL players:[31][32]
As of July 1, 2025.
| =NHL All-Star team | =NHL All-Star[33] | =NHL All-Star[33] andNHL All-Star team | =Hall of Famers |
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