COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs getting underway Monday night (tonight), sixteen (16) former National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) players from seven schools will have a chance to compete for Lord Stanley’s Cup during the NHL postseason. Additionally, six more alumni of NCHC teams that didn’t play in the Conference are also on NHL Playoff rosters, marking 22 alumni of NCHC teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, with the possibility of more to be added throughout the postseason.
Among NCHC teams, Denver and Minnesota Duluth each have five former players currently on playoff rosters, while North Dakota and St. Cloud State have four each. Among NCHC alumni only, the Bulldogs lead the way with four former NCHC players in the playoffs, while DU and SCSU have three each. North Dakota and Omaha have two NCHC alums a piece in the dance, while Colorado College and Miami have one each.
The Los Angeles Kings lead all NHL playoff teams with five NCHC alumni on their roster. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only other playoff team with multiple former NCHC players on their roster with two. The Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals all have three alums of NCHC teams on their rosters. Eleven (11) of the 16 NHL playoff teams have at least one NCHC alumnus on the roster entering the postseason.
All eight opening-round playoff series feature at least one NCHC alumnus, with four getting underway Monday and the other four starting on Tuesday night. The Edmonton Oilers versus the L.A. Kings Western Conference Quarterfinal series, which starts Monday, features six NCHC alumni (five on L.A. and one on Edmonton), while the New York Rangers against the Pittsburgh Penguins Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series has three NCHC alums (two on Pittsburgh and one on the Rangers).
Among the 22 alumni of NCHC teams in the playoffs, 15 are forwards and seven are defensemen. Among only the 16 NCHC alums, 12 are forwards and four are blue liners.
The NCHC saw 66 alumni play in the NHL during the 2021-22 regular season, including 13 former players making their NHL debut. The NCHC has now had 86 alumni play at least one game in the NHL in the conference’s nine-year history.
Additional NCHC alumni could be added to NHL playoff rosters as American Hockey League (AHL) playoff teams are eliminated, including former SCSU defenseman Jack Ahcan with the Boston Bruins and former UND blue liner Matt Kiersted with the Florida Panthers. Both finished the regular season with their NHL teams before being reassigned for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs.
Four former NCHC players have gone on to hoist the Stanley Cup previously, including former Miami forward Blake Coleman back-to-back the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Coleman is back in the playoffs this year with the Calgary Flames. Jake Guentzel (Omaha) and Josh Archibald (Omaha) have a chance to win their second Cup after both won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017. Guentzel is still in Pittsburgh, while Archibald is now with Edmonton. Former UND forward Shane Gersich lifted the Cup with Washington in 2018.
All 22 alumni looking to lift the Cup this year are listed below by NCHC school, with NCHC alumni in bold:
COLORADO COLLEGE
Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina (2013-15)
DENVER
Tyler Bozak, F, St. Louis (2007-09)
Danton Heinen, F, Pittsburgh (2014-16)
Trevor Moore, F, Los Angeles (2013-16)
Logan O’Connor, F, Colorado (2015-18)
Jason Zucker, F, Pittsburgh (2010-12)
MIAMI
Blake Coleman, F, Calgary (2011-15)
MINNESOTA DULUTH
Joey Anderson, F, Toronto (2016-18)
Mikey Anderson, D, Los Angeles (2017-19)
Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis (2010-11)
Alex Iafallo, F, Los Angeles (2013-17)
Scott Perunovich, D, St. Louis (2017-20) – IR
NORTH DAKOTA
Derek Forbort, D, Boston (2010-13)
Tyson Jost, F, Minnesota (2016-17)
T.J. Oshie, F, Washington (2005-08)
Troy Stecher, D, Los Angeles (2013-16)
OMAHA
Josh Archibald, F, Edmonton (2011-14)
Jake Guentzel, F, Pittsburgh (2013-16)
ST. CLOUD STATE
Jonny Brodzinski, F, New York Rangers (2012-15)
Nic Dowd, F, Washington (2010-14)
Nick Jensen, D, Washington (2010-13)
Blake Lizotte, F, Los Angeles (2017-19)
WESTERN MICHIGAN
None
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