10 Need-to-Know Facts About ACHA Men’s Hockey
If the NCAA doesn’t come calling, the ACHA is a great secondary option for college hockey players.
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When one thinks about American college hockey, the NCAA immediately comes to mind. This is with good reason, too, as many players who have excelled in their numerous programs have gone on to successful NHL careers. Even some from Division III schools are starting to find their footing professionally, whether in the NHL or in lower leagues. It allows players the opportunity to further their education while awaiting entry-level contracts, whether after being drafted or as a free agent, and it is a viable option for both North Americans and international players alike.
This begs some questions: What about players who want the college experience but have not committed to the NCAA? Surely, they must be allowed an avenue, too. USports in Canada is a decent route, usually for former CHL players, and it has seen graduates go on to the NHL, including Joel Ward, Cory Cross, and Steve Rucchin, but what if that is also not an option?
Cue the American Collegiate Hockey Association, or ACHA. With recent efforts to reduce the stigma attached to it being “club hockey,” defining that players can commit to a program in addition to trying out, the ACHA may not equal the NCAA’s track record of producing well-known talent but, with both former junior and former high school players on their rosters, it should not be overlooked as a possibility for those who want to receive a good education and play competitive hockey.
Here are ten things you need to know about ACHA men’s hockey and, hopefully, after you are done reading, you will have a greater appreciation for a more underappreciated path.
10. It Has Been in Existence for Nearly 30 Years
The ACHA has been around longer than most people realize. On April 20, 1991, at a conference in Skokie, Illinois, representatives from several schools got together to devise plans for a new collegiate hockey association. Several schools that attended had previously enjoyed NCAA membership, such as UCLA and Ohio University, and they wanted to return the sport to their campuses. Little did they realize that it would become a stroke of genius.
The ACHA began play the next season with two divisions and, as time passed, more schools began to implement the sport as part of their athletic options. Additionally, the growth of the sport in the United States as a whole, both professionally and at the junior level, had a mirror effect in the ACHA. It was such an incredible impact that a third men’s division was added in 1999 to keep up with the rapid expansion.
In that first season, 1991-92, the Men’s Division I championship was won by the Iowa State University Cyclones, a team that had actually been in existence since 1965. That same year, the first Men’s Division II championship was won by the University of Toledo Rockets, a team that has recently been promoted to Division I. In 2000, the Butler University Bulldogs won the first Men’s Division III championship.
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9. Almost Every American State is Represented
Looking around the United States, it is incredible to think of just how much the sport of hockey has grown. This growth can easily be demonstrated by looking at ACHA men’s hockey. As mentioned above, the growth of the sport in the United States has been a catalyst of sorts for the ACHA, and it is better off for it.
This season, ACHA men’s hockey has teams in 46 of the 50 American states. Just like the sport as a whole, the ACHA has a considerable amount of teams in states such as Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Illinois, and New Jersey. Thanks to the influence of NHL expansion, the ACHA has several schools located in warmer states, such as California, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina. Additionally, having members in American University and Georgetown University brings the ACHA to the District of Columbia, too.
Alaska and Hawaii have never had ACHA men’s hockey teams, which is surprising considering that there are two NCAA Division I men’s teams in Alaska, one in Anchorage and one in Fairbanks (though they have an ACHA women’s team). Additionally, with Alaska even being the home state of NHL players (i.e., Scott Gomez, Brandon Dubinsky, and Nate Thompson), that makes it even more surprising.
Historically, Louisiana and South Dakota have enjoyed ACHA stints. The South Dakota State University Jackrabbits had a non-consecutive tenure in ACHA men’s hockey. After débuting in 2000-01, a year in which they made it to the Division III championship final, they had a six-year break before returning in 2006-07. Another four-year break was followed by a five-year stay, yet another two-year hiatus, and then finally disbanding after the 2017-18 season. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns played four years in Division II between 2007-08 and 2010-11, while the Louisiana State University Tigers played three Division III seasons between 2014-15 and 2017-18, with a one-year break in 2016-17.
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8. There is One School Located in Canada
Of course, if there is any country that is synonymous with hockey, it is Canada. Seeing an opportunity, ACHA’s Division II absorbed Sault College in 2017-18. Located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, its location is quite ideal, being geographically close to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. (The move even inspired ACHA women’s hockey to add both Sault College and Lakehead University, which is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario.) With many Ontario-born players usually enrolling in USports programs, mostly OUA, it was an enlightened move to bring the ACHA to Ontario.
Since their absorption, the Cougars have become a rather successful team. In 2018-19, only their second ACHA season, they won the Division III championship, earning promotion to Division II. Team captain Ryan Vendramin, a Sault Ste. Marie native who played twenty games in the OHL for the Sarnia Sting, has been an offensive juggernaut, recording 255 career points for the Cougars, and was named the ACHA Division II Player of the Year this season.
The Cougars have enjoyed commitments from former OJHL players en masse since their absorption. This year’s roster included former Trenton Golden Hawks forwards Mark Tassone and Gage Stephney, former Burlington Cougars defenceman Kaelan O’Flynn and goaltender Justin Richer, and former St. Michael’s Buzzers defenceman Mitchell Devins-Cann. Among their commits for 2020-21 is another former OJHL defenceman, Wyatt Villalta, whose twin brother Matthew is a goaltender in the Los Angeles Kings organization.
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7. Former NHL Players’ Sons Have Participated
When a player is the son of a former NHLer, expectations can be lofty. The path that he chooses for his own career is carefully scrutinized, whether he goes to the NCAA, major junior, or, in the case of European players, the AHL. Either way, it is always intriguing to see if the hockey DNA is there, especially when some decide to go a different route altogether. In a way, it can be considered a blessing, showing that they are not going to use their father’s (or even sibling’s) name to forge their paths, and they have been better off for it.
William Brodeur could have enjoyed any route he wanted. Unlike four of his family members, he is a forward, preferring to victimize goaltenders instead of being one himself. Like his older brother Anthony and twin brother Jeremy, Brodeur attended Shattuck St. Mary’s, graduating in 2015. His brothers each opted to play in the CHL with Anthony playing in the QMJHL and Jeremy in the OHL. William decided to enroll at Providence College in Rhode Island, not to play for the Friars’ NCAA team but for their ACHA team. He played all four years of his college career, recording 36 points (sixteen goals, twenty assists) in 74 games, before graduating with a marketing degree in 2019.
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide had two players on their roster this past season who know a lot about the pressure of living up to familial expectations. A right winger unlike his father Curtis, Taylor Joseph transferred to the University of Alabama after playing only five games of NCAA Division III hockey at SUNY-Oswego. The move paid off handsomely as, upon graduation this year, he has become one of the team’s best players on a historical level. He is tenth in all-time games played (109), tied for third in all-time points (124), third in all-time goals (63), sixth in all-time assists (61), and his 48 points in 2016-17 are the second-best for one season in team history, all records for a Canadian-born player.
Recently finished his sophomore year with the Crimson Tide, Caelan Brière (pictured) also went a completely different route than his famous family members. With a father who was accomplished at both the QMJHL and NHL levels, and one brother playing in the NCAA, Brière’s commitment to the University of Alabama came as a surprise. A utility player who can play both forward and defence, Brière has been very successful, scoring five goals in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and he has become a fan favourite in his own right without needing his father’s name helping him.
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6. A Former Player Has Been Drafted to the NHL
To this day, there has yet to be an NHL player with an ACHA background. While Dustin Penner’s former junior college, the Dakota College of Bottineau, is currently a member of the ACHA, it was in the NJCAA when he attended, disqualifying him from being considered an ACHA alumnus. That being said, the ACHA may emerge having its first NHL representative when Daniel Walcott makes his début.
After graduating from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, Walcott, who was born in Île-Perrot, Quebec, made the move to St. Charles, Missouri, enrolling at Lindenwood University. He played only one year with the Lions, recording thirteen points in 33 games. In 2013, he made the decision to leave the ACHA for the QMJHL, signing with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The move paid off as, after his first season, the then-20-year-old was chosen in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers.
Walcott spent his overage season with Blainville-Boisbriand, captaining the team, and, less than one year after being drafted, his rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has spent the last five years with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, spending one year as an alternate captain and being named their Man of the Year in 2020.
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5. It Has Seen Its Share of Tragedy
When a hockey player dies, especially during his or her career, it is an even more profound loss, making fans wonder what the future held. It happens at all levels of hockey, from peewee to professional, and it is tragic in any situation. There are, however, some hockey players who, when they pass away, do not have their deaths become as notable as others but they should be recognized nonetheless. Since 2005, ACHA men’s hockey has seen thirteen active players die in a variety of tragic circumstances.
Jaxon Logan (pictured) of the Brigham Young University Cougars was the first, passing away due to commotio cordis after a puck hit him in the chest during a game in 2005. In 2008, a van carrying eight members of the Purdue University Boilermakers hit a patch of black ice and crashed, killing Andrew Jackson and injuring the others. The next year, in 2009, Stephen Russell, a goaltender for the North Carolina State University Wolfpack, drowned while swimming.
The 2010s were especially calamitous. In 2010, Taylor Vit, a member of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, died when his SUV rear-ended a bus. 2011 saw two players lose their lives within two months; Slippery Rock University’s Mike Kenitz died from a broken neck sustained in a diving accident in June and, in August, David Mosier III of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide passed away in his sleep. 2014 saw another on-ice tragedy after Indiana University Hoosiers player Michael Giesler collapsed and died at a team practice while, in 2015, Adam Cheung of the Robert Morris University-Illinois Eagles lost a battle with cancer.
2016 was an especially tragic year for the ACHA with four players losing their lives. In January, Chance Wolf, a player with the University of Florida Gators, fell six stories to his death when he was looking over a railing at an apartment complex near the school. That summer, two players on the Bridgewater State University Bears died within six weeks of each other; Matthew Benting succumbed to cardiac arrhythmia while James Crockett was killed in a car accident. Lastly, Jason Jablonski of the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen was felled by leukemia. The last two years of the 2010s were especially rough for the Boise State University Broncos, as the team lost Christian “Buddy” Dale to an accidental drowning in 2018 and Bobby Skinner to a gunshot wound in 2019.
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4. The NCAA Influence is Strong
Even though ACHA men’s hockey is not as celebrated as its NCAA counterpart, there is no denying that, without the NCAA, the ACHA as we know it would not exist. As mentioned earlier, both leagues have schools across the United States, but geography is not the only similarity.
There are currently 75 schools in ACHA men’s hockey that also have an NCAA team, Division I or Division III. In fact, two teams currently in the NCAA, the Arizona State University Sun Devils (D1) and the SUNY-Canton Kangaroos (D3) were both in the ACHA at one time, with ASU still employing two teams in it. There is even a rumour circulating that the University of Illinois Fighting Illini may come to the NCAA someday.
Additionally, a further 32 ACHA schools are former members of the NCAA, including two that currently have different names. When they were in the NCAA, Loyola Marymount University and Cleveland State University were known as Loyola University of Los Angeles and Fenn College, respectively. Even more impressively, out of the 21 current ACHA schools that were once in NCAA Division I, four had NHL graduates: The University of Illinois-Chicago (Shawn Cronin), Northern Arizona University (Greg Adams), St. Louis University (Lindsay Middlebrook), and Kent State University (Dean Sylvester).
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3. Some Players Have Amazing Offensive Seasons
If there is anything that sets ACHA men’s hockey apart from its NCAA counterpart, considering that the NCAA influence is so palpable, it is the fact that players can enjoy unprecedented offensive seasons. Usually, NCAA hockey has a reputation of being defensively tight, with only twelve players (nine Division I, three Division III) historically recording 100 points or more in one season, the last being Paul Kariya, who hit the century mark in his only season at the University of Maine 27 years ago.
In ACHA hockey, recording 100 points or more in one season is a common occurrence. Historically, there have been 43 times when a player has reached the century mark, including six players — Jesse Hubenschmidt (University of Michigan-Dearborn Wolverines), Jim Gehring (West Chester University Golden Rams), Quinell Oucharek (Walla Walla University Wolves), Damien Lona (University of Cincinnati Bearcats), Brendan MacDonald (Utah State University Aggies), and Kent Arsenault (also USU) — who have done so twice in their careers.
Furthermore, while the NCAA has seen fifteen instances of a player scoring 50 or more goals in a season, including Phil Latreille’s record 80 goals for the Middlebury College Panthers, there have been 37 times in ACHA history where a player has reached the 50-goal plateau, with George Mason University Patriots forward Cameron Smith (pictured) doing so each year he has played.
For the aforementioned Quinell Oucharek, offensive production was a family affair. He and his brother Quisto, who also played at Walla Walla University, have the top two spots for the highest single-season point totals in ACHA history, recording 149 and 144 points, respectively, in 2007-08. Between the two of them, the Oucharek brothers recorded a total of 797 career points (347 goals, 450 assists) in 221 combined games.
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2. The Array of Schools is Outstanding
As mentioned in #9 and #8, ACHA men’s hockey spreads across the United States, with participating schools in 46 states and the District of Columbia, as well as one Canadian province. In total, the 390 teams across the three divisions were from an aggregate of 347 different schools, making it the largest hockey association in the world by individual membership.
While that number is impressive in itself, what is most impactful is the schools themselves. As mentioned in #4, 75 schools, slightly over one-fifth of the ACHA’s membership, also have NCAA counterparts, giving players another avenue if they choose. 44 schools play in more than one division, with the Adrian College Bulldogs and Liberty University Flames each having a team in all three. Furthermore, the Marian University Sabres and Calvin University Knights offer both junior and senior varsity options, while Robert Morris University-Illinois has both a Maroon and a Gold team.
If an Ivy League education seems appealing to an ACHA player, all eight of its members have teams. Both the Columbia University Lions and University of Pennsylvania Quakers have NCAA history but is no longer an option. State technological universities are also well-represented with Florida Tech, Georgia Tech, Indiana Tech, Lawrence Tech (located in Michigan), MIT, Michigan Tech, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, and Wentworth Institute of Technology (located in Massachusetts) all being ACHA members, in addition to the Colorado School of Mines and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Smaller and community colleges are also given rightful ACHA memberships, even though many former members have joined together to form other leagues such as the NAIA and the UNYCHL. That being said, the ACHA still boasts Aquinas College, Erie Community College, Santa Rosa Junior College, St. Thomas Aquinas College, and Suffolk County Community College as members.
The ACHA is also comprised of schools that adhere to steadfast religious beliefs. Catholic schools such as the University of Mary, Lewis University, and Siena College are members while Christian schools such as Liberty University (Evangelical), Hope College (Calvinist), Concordia University-Ann Arbor (Lutheran), Southern Methodist University, the College of Wooster (Presbyterian), and Brigham Young University (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) are, as well.
Perhaps the most impressive group of ACHA members has to be the amount of military schools represented, both allowing and disallowing civilian enrollment. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point (Army), Air Force Academy, and Norwich University all have both NCAA and ACHA programs but only the ACHA offers hockey at all five federal service academies, including the U.S. Naval, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine Academies, and senior military colleges such as The Citadel and Texas A&M University.
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1. Players Come From All Over the World
There is no denying that hockey is an international sport. One just has to look at the amount of members in the IIHF, which are spread over six continents, to see how much it has grown around the world, from snow-covered lands such as Sweden and Russia, to warmer nations like India and the United Arab Emirates. As the sport continues to grow, it becomes a microcosm of the rich multiculturalism in our society.
In recent times, the ACHA has also become quite international. Long gone are the days when only Americans and Canadians completely filled the rosters. Daniel Echeverri, who played four years at Florida Gulf Coast University, was born in Medellín, Colombia. Austrian forward Alexander Korner played one year at the University of Cincinnati. Croatian goaltender Filip Ćurković spent three of his four years of college playing at San Diego State University.
As per rosters on EliteProspects.com, when looking at the number of players in ACHA men’s hockey from outside of the United States and Canada in 2019-20, as opposed to within those two countries, it does not look that impressive. Only 157 players across the three divisions this season are not from the United States or Canada, less than two percent of the 9955 total participants.
That aside, it is the multitude of places where these players call home that is of most significance. Players come from thirty different countries across six continents, as well as one British Overseas Territory (Turks & Caicos) and one special autonomous region (Hong Kong). Across the three divisions, the other 155 players are sorted as 27 from Sweden; nineteen from the Czech Republic; seventeen from Russia; nine from Germany; seven from France; six apiece from China, Mexico, and Switzerland; four apiece from Australia, Finland, Great Britain (three English, one Scottish), Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Taiwan, and Ukraine; three apiece from Lithuania, Norway, and South Korea; two apiece from Denmark, Estonia, Japan, Serbia, and Turkey; and one apiece from Argentina, Belarus, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Qatar, and South Africa. Considering that the IIHF has 81 members, having 31 of them represented in the ACHA is an incredible accomplishment.
