| Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
 | |
| University | Quinnipiac University |
| Conference | ECAC Hockey |
| Head coach | Rand Pecknold 32nd season, 666–359–107 (.636) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Arena | Frank Perrotti, Jr. Arena at theM&T Bank Arena Hamden, Connecticut |
| Colors | Navy and gold |
| Mascot | Boomer the Bobcat |
| NCAA tournament champions | |
| 2023 | |
| NCAA tournament runner-up | |
| 2013,2016 | |
| NCAA tournament Frozen Four | |
| 2013, 2016, 2023 | |
| NCAA tournament appearances | |
| 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| MAAC: 2002 ECAC: 2016 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| MAAC: 1999, 2000 AHA: 2005 ECAC: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
TheQuinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey team is aNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division Icollege ice hockey program that representsQuinnipiac University. The Bobcats are a member ofECAC Hockey. They play at theM&T Bank Arena inHamden, Connecticut.[1]
Quinnipiac College began sponsoring men's ice hockey as a varsity sport for the 1975–76 season. The program began as an independent team before joiningECAC 3 the following year. The program remained with the third-tier conference for over 20 years despite being aDivision II school for much of that time. The Braves left ECAC 3 in 1997 and spent a year as a D-II independent before moving up toDivision I as part of the university's transition to the top level. Quinnipiac was a founding member of theMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference ice hockey division, joining the conference as an affiliate member. The Braves won the MAAC Regular season Championship in their first season in the league. The trend continued as Quinnipiac won the title the follow two seasons.[2] In 2002 The Braves won the team's first playoff series, winning the MAAC Playoff Championship with a 6–4 win overMercyhurst.[3] With the win, Quinnipiac received an automatic bid to the2002 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, the first NCAA postseason appearance in program history.[3] Quinnipiac faced off againstCornell in the first round of the East Regional, held inWorcester, Massachusetts.[4] Quinnipiac's run into the NCAA tournament ended early in a 1–6 loss to the Big Red.[5] The game was the first NCAA tournament appearance for the Braves.[6] Quinnipiac finished the 2001–02 season 20–13–5, marking the team's fourth consecutive season with at least 20 wins.[7]
In 2003 the MAAC Hockey league split off from the main athletic conference to formAtlantic Hockey.[8] After two years in Atlantic Hockey Quinnipiac left to join theECAC, replacingVermont who left the league forHockey East[9] and changed their name to the Bobcats. QU was chosen over a number of applicants in large part to the university's commitment to build a new multipurpose sports arena to replace the civic-ownedNorthford Ice Pavilion.[9] The Bobcats moved into the new 3,386-seatTD Bank Sports Center (then known as TD Banknorth Sports Center) in 2007.[10]
The 2012–13 season has brought Quinnipiac to national prominence. The program reached a new high becoming the number one team in the country on February 11, 2013 in both the USCHO.com poll and USA Today College Hockey poll. Quinnipiac retained the ranking the following week despite losing their first game as the top ranked team toSt. Lawrence University as the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams also fell the same weekend. The Bobcats also won their first ever Cleary Cup presented to theECAC regular season champion. On March 24, 2013, the Bobcats received the number one overall seed in the2013 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. The Bobcats won the East Region with wins overCanisius (4-3) andUnion (5-1) to advance to the school's first everFrozen Four in Pittsburgh, Pa. In the national semifinals, Quinnipiac defeatedSt. Cloud State (4-1) to advance to the national championship game against archrivalYale. The Bobcats fell 4–0 to Yale to end the 2012-13 as the national runner-up.
In the 2013–14 season the Bobcats once again reached the NCAA tournament yet were defeated in the first round by Providence College 4–0. The team finished the season with a 24-10-6 record.
Quinnipiac once again had a successful 2014–15 season when they won their second ECAC regular season title in 3 years but lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to North Dakota 4–1. The team finished the season with a 23-12-4 record.
The 2015–16 season saw Qunnipiac set a school record for wins with 32 along with winning their 3rd ECAC regular season title in 4 years and winning the ECAC tournament championship for the first time. Quinnipiac blew through the East Regional with wins over RIT 4-0 and UMass Lowell 4–1 to capture the regional championship and advance to the Frozen Four in the Tampa for the 2nd time in 4 seasons. In the national semifinals the Bobcats withheld a late charge by Boston College to win 3-2 and advance to the second national championship game in program history. Once again Quinnipiac was denied a national championship this time at the hands of North Dakota in a 5–1 defeat. The team finished the season with a record of 32-4-7.
On April 8, 2023, the Bobcats won their first-everNCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament championship, defeating theMinnesota Golden Gophers 3–2, as sophomore forwardJacob Quillan scored the title-winning goal just ten seconds into overtime.
Since moving to theECAC, Quinnipiac's biggest rival has been theYale Bulldogs. The rivalry is dubbed the War on Whitney Avenue as the two campuses are separated by a mere 8 miles on Whitney Avenue inHamden, Connecticut, toNew Haven, Connecticut. The rivalry has reached its highest point in 2013 as both the Bobcats and the Bulldogs rank in the top 10 nationally and are 1 and 2 in the ECAC standings. The winner of the final game between the two teams receives the Heroes Hat which honors those who risked their lives during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The two teams met on April 13, 2013 for the fourth time in the 2012–13 season in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to play for the national championship. Quinnipiac won the previous three meetings by a combined score of 13–3, but was upset in the national championship game, 4–0.
TheCornell Big Red have also become a rival of Quinnipiac with the teams meeting in fiveECAC Hockey Playoff series since the 2007 season having won in 2007 atLynah Rink and in 2013 and 2016 in Hamden with the latter two coming with Quinnipiac as theECAC number one seed and seasons in which Quinnipiac reached the Frozen Four. Cornell won series in 2011 and 2018 both atLynah Rink. Quinnipiac is 3–2 in those series against Cornell with three of the series going the maximum three games. Things on the ice have been heated at times with a lot of physical play and bothRand Pecknold and Cornell head coachMike Schafer jawing at each other as well.
As of the completion of2023–24 season[11]
| School | Team | Away Arena | Overall record | Win % | Last Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University | Bears | Meehan Auditorium | 29–10–7 | .707 | - |
| Clarkson University | Golden Knights | Cheel Arena | 19–19–5 | .500 | - |
| Colgate University | Raiders | Class of 1965 Arena | 32–19–3 | .620 | - |
| Cornell University | Big Red | Lynah Rink | 19–26–4 | .429 | - |
| Dartmouth College | Big Green | Thompson Arena | 25–10–4 | .692 | - |
| Harvard University | Crimson | Bright-Landry Hockey Center | 18–18–5 | .500 | - |
| Princeton University | Tigers | Hobey Baker Memorial Rink | 24–11–1 | .681 | - |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Engineers | Houston Field House | 22–7–9 | .697 | - |
| St. Lawrence University | Saints | Appleton Arena | 26–19–6 | .569 | - |
| Union College | Dutchmen | Achilles Rink | 24–17–5 | .576 | - |
| Yale University | Bulldogs | Ingalls Rink | 28–7–5 | .763 | - |
Source:[12]
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As of completion of 2024–25 season[12]
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1979 | Jim Kennedy | 4 | 22–48–1 | .317 |
| 1979–1980 | Ralph O'Connor | 1 | 5–13–1 | .289 |
| 1980–1994 | Jim Armstrong | 14 | 139–188–8 | .427 |
| 1994–Present | Rand Pecknold | 31 | 666–359–107 | .636 |
| Totals | 4 coaches | 50 Seasons | 832–608–117 | .572 |
Source:[13]
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Cerrella | 1997–2001 | 126 | 99 | 106 | 205 | 230 |
| Todd Johnson | 1985–1989 | 109 | 90 | 112 | 202 | 128 |
| Jim Hanscom | 1976–1980 | 83 | 109 | 192 | ||
| Bill Verneris | 1978–1982 | 92 | 94 | 186 | ||
| Brian Herbert | 1999–2003 | 136 | 56 | 113 | 169 | 254 |
| Bryan Leitch | 2005–2009 | 157 | 53 | 116 | 169 | 124 |
| Odeen Tufto | 2017–2021 | 139 | 39 | 129 | 168 | 58 |
| Rick Ciardiello | 1983–1987 | 61 | 97 | 158 | ||
| Reid Cashman | 2003–2007 | 151 | 23 | 125 | 148 | 246 |
| Ethan De Jong | 2018–2023 | 184 | 61 | 83 | 144 | 76 |
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
| Player | Years | GP | Min | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaniv Perets | 2020–2023 | 74 | 4291 | 56 | 9 | 5 | 137 | 21 | .935 | 1.34 |
| Michael Garteig | 2012–2016 | 124 | 7261 | 78 | 25 | 16 | 237 | 19 | .917 | 1.96 |
| Eric Hartzell | 2009–2013 | 106 | 6139 | 58 | 27 | 17 | 201 | 10 | .924 | 1.96 |
| Andrew Shortridge | 2016–2019 | 78 | 4235 | 42 | 26 | 4 | 139 | 10 | .923 | 1.97 |
| Keith Petruzzelli | 2017–2021 | 94 | 5280 | 51 | 27 | 8 | 191 | 10 | .915 | 2.17 |
Statistics current through the start of the 2023–24 season.
As of September August 9, 2025.[14]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Drew Hockley | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-03-03 | Kentville, Nova Scotia | Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) | — |
| 3 |  | William Gilson | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-06-28 | Old Greenwich, Connecticut | Rensselaer (ECAC) | — |
| 4 | | Logan McCutcheon | Freshman | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 161 lb (73 kg) | 2004-01-29 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) | — |
| 5 | | Brady Schultz | Freshman | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2004-07-23 | Monroe, Connecticut | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) | — |
| 6 | | Charlie Leddy | Senior | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2004-01-11 | Fairfield, Connecticut | Boston College (HEA) | NJD, 126th overall 2022 |
| 7 | | Elliott Groenewold | Sophomore | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 201 lb (91 kg) | 2006-02-04 | Bellows Falls, Vermont | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) | BOS, 110th overall 2024 |
| 8 | | Matthew McGroarty | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2003-01-30 | Westport, Connecticut | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — |
| 10 | | Tyler Borgula | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2005-10-06 | Livonia, Michigan | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — |
| 11 | | Aaron Schwartz | Sophomore | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2004-03-22 | Parkland, Florida | Surrey Eagles (USHL) | — |
| 12 | | Markus Vidicek | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2004-03-21 | Montréal, Quebec | Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) | — |
| 14 | | Victor Czerneckianair | Senior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | 2002-02-17 | Southington, Connecticut | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — |
| 16 | | Jeremy Wilmer | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 2003-08-16 | Rockville Centre, New York | Boston University (HEA) | — |
| 17 | | Ben Riche | Freshman | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2005-03-15 | Bethune, Saskatchewan | Prince George Cougars (WHL) | — |
| 18 | | Anthony Cipollone | Senior | F | 5' 6" (1.68 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-05-14 | Purchase, New York | Brooks Bandits (AJHL) | — |
| 19 | | Ethan Wyttenbach | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2007-02-10 | Roslyn, New York | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | CGY, 144th overall 2025 |
| 20 | | Mason Marcellus | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-07-19 | Greely, Ontario | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 22 | | Braden Blace | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-09-09 | Duncan, British Columbia | Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL) | — |
| 23 | | Antonin Verreault | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2004-07-28 | Mirabel, Quebec | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) | — |
| 24 | | Alex Power | Senior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-01-04 | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador | Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL) | — |
| 25 | | Nate Tivey | Freshman | D | 6' 5" (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2004-03-27 | Burlington, Ontario | Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) | — |
| 26 | | Matthew Lansing | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2007-02-24 | Tonawanda, New York | Fargo Force (USHL) | VAN, 207th overall 2025 |
| 27 | | Andon Cerbone | Junior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 163 lb (74 kg) | 2004-04-13 | Stamford, Connecticut | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | — |
| 28 | | Chris Pelosi | Sophomore | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2005-03-05 | Sewell, New Jersey | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | BOS, 92nd overall 2023 |
| 29 | | Dylan Silverstein | Sophomore (RS) | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 2004-02-07 | Calabasas, California | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) | — |
| 31 | | Sam Scopa | Freshman | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2005-01-10 | Lexington, Massachusetts | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — |
| 33 |  | Matej Marinov | Junior | G | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 157 lb (71 kg) | 2003-06-16 | Nitra, Slovakia | Fargo Force (USHL) | — |
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AHCA Second Team All-Americans
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| Regular season Goaltending Award
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First Team All-Atlantic Hockey
Second Team All-Atlantic Hockey
Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team
ECAC Hockey Player of the Year
| ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year
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| ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year
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ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman
| ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward
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| ECAC Hockey Most Outstanding Player in Tournament
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The following is a list of people associated with the Quinnipiac men's ice hockey program who were elected into the Quinnipiac Bobcats Hall of Fame (induction date in parentheses).[15]
As of July 1, 2025.[16]
| =NHL All-Star team | =NHL All-Star[17] | =NHL All-Star[17] andNHL All-Star team |
| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | Games | Stanley Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skyler Brind'Amour | Center | CAR | 2024–Present | 2 | 0 |
| Connor Clifton | Defenseman | BOS,BUF | 2018–Present | 384 | 0 |
| Connor Jones | Forward | NYI | 2016–2017 | 4 | 0 |
| Collin Graf | Right Wing | SJS | 2023–Present | 40 | 0 |
| Matthew Peca | Center | TBL,MTL,OTT,STL | 2016–2022 | 83 | 0 |
| Yaniv Perets | Goaltender | CAR | 2023–Present | 2 | 0 |
| Chase Priskie | Defenseman | FLA | 2021–2022 | 4 | 0 |
| Jacob Quillan | Center | TOR | 2024–Present | 1 | 0 |
| Brogan Rafferty | Defenseman | VAN | 2018–2021 | 3 | 0 |
| Devon Toews | Defenseman | NYI,COL | 2018–Present | 473 | 1 |
| Bryce Van Brabant | Left Wing | CGY | 2013–2014 | 6 | 0 |
