Category Archives: Hockey

Hockey, Pioneers, University of Denver

70 Years of DU Hockey History Part II: A Temporary Decline – 1970-1994

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Our own Puck Swami has authored a three-part historical retrospective for the 70th anniversary of the DU Hockey program. This is Part II. Part One can be found here, and the final part III will follow in the coming weeks. While these stories will run far longer than our usual stories, remember that 70 years is a lot to cover. Enjoy!

Given DU hockey’s successes in the program’s first 20 years, there was no reason to believe that the Pioneer hockey program was about to enter a 35-year period with no NCAA titles. After all, there was plenty of talent in the pipeline. In the early 1970s, DU leveraged its 1960s dominance to attract a number of star players who would move on the NHL — George Morrison, Peter McNab, Bruce Affleck, Rob Palmer, Mike Busniuk, Rich Preston, Mike Christie, Mike Lampman, Vic Venasky and Ron Grahame would all wear the Crimson and Gold in the early-to-mid 70s before moving on to the highest level. Continue reading 70 Years of DU Hockey History Part II: A Temporary Decline – 1970-1994 →

Hockey, Men's Sports

Data and Graphs and Charts, Oh My: NCHC in the USCHO Poll through the Years

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If you weren’t around on Twitter yesterday, you likely missed a long thread that we tweeted from our account that offered a visual representation of how all eight NCHC teams have fared in the weekly USCHO poll since the conference’s inaugural season in 2013. It’s no secret that the NCHC has dominated college hockey in recent years in both nonconference and postseason play. The Colorado Springs-based conference has had at least one participant in every Frozen Four since that first season and between North Dakota, Denver, and Minnesota Duluth, it has won each of the last four national titles. To say that the NCHC has been good or even great might somehow be the understatement of the decade. Continue reading Data and Graphs and Charts, Oh My: NCHC in the USCHO Poll through the Years →

Hockey, University of Denver

Puck Swami: Amazing 70th Anniversary Celebration Brings DU Community Together in Epic Style

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On November 2 at Magness Arena, you could feel something powerful.

It was tradition — the glue that binds us all together as part of a special DU community.

Carson and Buddy BlOM
DU Goalie Michael Corson (center) who would go on to shut out Niagara in his first DU start —  perhaps the biggest night of his sports career to date — gets between-period encouragement from Buddy Blom, a goaltender who played for DU in the mid-1960s. The admiring look on Corson’s face encapsulated the feeling of the entire 70th Anniversary Weekend. Photo: University of Denver

Continue reading Puck Swami: Amazing 70th Anniversary Celebration Brings DU Community Together in Epic Style →

Hockey, Men's Sports

Niagara Falls to Denver in 4-0 Shutout as Pioneers Remain Unbeaten

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Photo courtesy Shannon Valerio/DU Athletics

DENVER – Goaltender Michael Corson may not have entered the minds of most Denver fans ahead of the 2019-2020 season. The assumption was that it would be a two-horse race between Devin Cooley and freshman Magnus Chrona. Then Cooley got hurt before the season started and those plans changed. Tonight, against Atlantic Hockey’s Niagara, Corson shined for the top-ranked Pioneers as he stopped all 16 shots he faced en route to Denver’s 4-0 victory with more than 170 Denver Hockey alumni on hand to witness the shutout. Continue reading Niagara Falls to Denver in 4-0 Shutout as Pioneers Remain Unbeaten →

Hockey, Men's Sports

Denver Hockey unveils alternate jersey commemorating 70th Anniversary season

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It was announced earlier this week that the #1 Denver Pioneers would unveil a new alternate uniform for the 70th Anniversary Weekend celebration and earlier this evening, the program unveiled what they look like. You will notice there are a number of parallels between these alternates and the Battle on Blake jerseys that the Pioneers wore against Colorado College at Coors Field. See the video from DU Hockey below for the full unveiling: Continue reading Denver Hockey unveils alternate jersey commemorating 70th Anniversary season →

Hockey

Pioneers take first of two from Niagara 6-2

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Photo courtesy of Shannon Valerio / DU Athletics

DENVER – It was an interesting game Friday at Magness Arena when the Pioneers hosted Niagara.  We knew it was going to be a steep hill to climb from the start for the Purple Eagles coming into Denver and facing a hot Pioneers team, but they didn’t help themselves by taking 11 minor penalties.  Towards the end of the game, Niagara looked exhausted from defending their own goal but they battled to the end.  Let’s see how this game unfolded.  Continue reading Pioneers take first of two from Niagara 6-2 →

Hockey, Men's Sports

Over 170 DU Hockey Alumni Expected for 70th Anniversary Weekend

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Over 170 Denver Hockey Alumni, representing all decades of the 70 years of DU Hockey are expected to return to the DU campus this weekend for DU’s hockey series against Niagara. This is the largest DU gathering of DU hockey alumni in history, surpassing the program’s 60th Anniversary celebration in October of 2009. Continue reading Over 170 DU Hockey Alumni Expected for 70th Anniversary Weekend →

Hockey, Men's Sports

70 Years of DU Hockey History: The First 20 Years 1949-1969

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Our own Puck Swami has authored a three-part historical retrospective for the 70th anniversary of the DU Hockey program. Part One begins today, and the other two parts will follow in the coming weeks. While these stories will run far longer than our usual stories, remember that 70 years is a lot to cover. Enjoy!

As we celebrate 70 years of Pioneer hockey this coming weekend (Nov. 1-2, 2019), it helps to know just how far the DU Hockey program has evolved in those 70 years. The first 20 formative years saw DU go from a terrible start-up program to the dominant program of the 1960s as a five-time NCAA Champion. Part One of this series reviews those first 20 years of DU Hockey. Continue reading 70 Years of DU Hockey History: The First 20 Years 1949-1969 →

Hockey, Men's Sports

Double Trouble Season 2, Episode 1: Reviewing Three Weeks of Top-Ranked Denver Hockey

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Top-ranked Denver and Boston College tangled this weekend at Magness Arena and Denver came away with 3-0 and 6-4 victories for its fifth and sixth straight wins to start the season. It was a great Homecoming weekend for the Pios both on and off the ice. DU played great hockey all weekend against a big, skilled, NCHC-like Boston College team and it bodes extremely well for the rest of the season (and its eventual Pairwise positioning). At times, Denver dominated BC and at others, they were forced to play on their heels and find a way to push back. Denver was successful on all fronts and if you’re a DU fan, you have to be pleased with how the first three weeks have gone for the unbeaten Pios. Continue reading Double Trouble Season 2, Episode 1: Reviewing Three Weeks of Top-Ranked Denver Hockey →