COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After unveiling its
All-Decade Second Team last week, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) released its All-Decade First Team on Friday, as the NCHC continues to celebrate its 10th season of competition. The six-man squad, which includes former players from four NCHC teams, was revealed by position throughout the week on the NCHC’s social media accounts.
The Conference enlisted the help of fans to determine the NCHC’s two All-Decade Teams, with a
two-week fan vote taking place from Jan. 18-31. In addition, the NCHC has selected an Honorable Mention All-Decade Team using a combination of the fan voting, as well as input from conference staff.
Earning a spot on the NCHC All-Decade First Team are (in alphabetical order by position):
Boeser is one of only two NCHC players ever (along with fellow First-Team All-Decade defenseman Scott Perunovich) to earn First-Team All-NCHC accolades as a freshman, doing so in 2015-16 when he put up an NCHC single-season record 60 points. The Burnsville, Minn. native’s 27 goals that season are still the second-highest total in a single season in NCHC history. Boeser was tabbed NCHC Rookie of the Year in 2015-16 and named a First-Team All-American, while leading UND to the Penrose Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship. He also earned NCHC All-Rookie Team honors and the NCHC’s Three Stars Award, while helping the U.S. National Junior Team win a bronze medal as a freshman.
Injuries slowed Boeser’s sophomore season, but the UND assistant captain still scored 16 goals and tallied 34 points in 32 games. He finished his college career with 94 points (43g/51a) in 74 games for the Fighting Hawks, before joining the Vancouver Canucks, where he’s played six full seasons in the NHL, including one as an NHL All-Star.
Brodzinski started his career in the WCHA as a freshman, before playing his final two seasons with the Huskies in the NCHC’s first two seasons. The Blaine, Minn. native helped lead SCSU to the inaugural Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions in 2013-14 when he potted 21 goals and a career-best 41 points as a sophomore. He earned All-NCHC Honorable Mention that season.
The following year, Brodzinski again put up 21 goals and compiled 38 points in 40 games en route to First-Team All-NCHC accolades. He played a key role in helping the Huskies making the NCAA Tournament all three seasons of his college career and win at least one game each time, including the program’s first Frozen Four berth in 2013. Brodzinski finished his college career with 64 goals and 112 points in 120 games, including 42 goals and 79 points in his two seasons in the NCHC. He is now a member of the New York Rangers, splitting time with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack.
Terry was a two-time All-NCHC selection, earning Honorable Mention as a sophomore in 2016-17 and Second-Team honors as a junior in 2017-18. The Highlands Ranch, Colo. native also garnered First-Team All-American honors as a junior when he totaled 48 points (14g/34a) in 39 games, with his 34 assists tops in the NCHC that season. A year earlier as a sophomore, Terry led the Pioneers to the 2017 NCAA National Championship when he potted a career-best 22 goals, tying for the NCHC lead that year, and totaled 45 points. He was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team, as well.
Denver also won the Penrose Cup in Terry’s sophomore campaign, while he guided the Pioneers to the 2018 NCHC Frozen Faceoff title as an assistant captain his junior year. He also carried the U.S. National Junior Team to a gold medal at the 2017 World Junior Championship as a sophomore, scoring the gold-medal winning goal. Terry finished his college career with 115 points (45g/70a) in 115 games. He was named an NHL All-Star this season in his fifth season with the Anaheim Ducks.
Butcher became the NCHC’s first Hobey Baker Award winner in 2017, while also captaining Denver to the Penrose Cup and the 2017 NCAA National Championship, along with Terry. Butcher was a two-time First-Team All-NCHC selection, one of only four blue liners in NCHC history to do so, and a two-time All-American, garnering First-Team honors as a senior. The Sun Prairie, Wis. native earned NCHC Player of the Year as a senior in 2016-17, as well, along with NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year by putting up a career high 30 assists and 37 points, with the 30 helpers tops in the NCHC that season.
As an assistant captain as a junior, Butcher scored a career-high nine goals and totaled 32 points. He won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff as a freshman and played on a pair of U.S. National Junior Teams while at DU. Butcher finished his college career with 103 points (28g/75a) in 158 games, ranking third all-time in points among NCHC defensemen. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team with the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 and currently is under contract with the Dallas Stars, playing for their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars.
Perunovich is the NCHC’s only three-time First-Team All-NCHC selection in conference history, earning the honor all three seasons at Minnesota Duluth. He joined Butcher as the NCHC’s only other Hobey Baker Award winner, capturing college hockey’s highest honor as a junior in 2020. The Hibbing, Minn. native was the NCHC Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and the Conference’s Player of the Year in 2019-20, while garnering NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year all three seasons of his college career. He was also a three-time All-American, including twice on the First Team.
Perunovich piled up 40 points (6g/34a) as a junior, which is tied for the NCHC single-season record for points by a defenseman, while his 34 assists that year are still a single-season blueliner record in the NCHC. He also became the lone defenseman to win the NCHC scoring title with 32 points in conference play as a junior. As a freshman, he scored a career-best 11 goals and totaled 36 points, while helping UMD capture the first of two straight NCAA National Championships. Perunovich earned the Tim Taylor Award as National Rookie of the Year in 2017-18, as well, the only NCHC player to capture the honor. He also won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in 2019 and earned a bronze medal with the 2018 U.S. National Junior Team. Perunovich finished his college career with 105 points (20g/85a) in only 115 games, ranking second all-time in NCHC defenseman scoring, despite only playing three seasons. He is now under contract with the St. Louis Blues, while battling through an injury.
Shepard backstopped Minnesota Duluth to a pair of National Championships in 2018 and 2019, along with Perunovich. He was a three-time All-NCHC selection, including First-Team All-NCHC his final two seasons. Shepard was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team both NCAA title seasons as well. He is one of only two goalies, along with Denver’s Tanner Jaillet (on the Honorable Mention All-Decade Team), to be named NCHC Goaltender of the Year twice. The Cohasset, Minn. native was a two-time All-American as well, including First Team as a junior in 2018-19 when he was also a Mike Richter Award finalist. Also that year, Shepard backstopped UMD to the 2019 NCHC Frozen Faceoff crown while earning tournament Most Outstanding Player honors.
A team co-captain as a senior, Shepard had a save percentage north of .918 all four seasons and a goals-against average below 2.00 in two of his three years as the starter. He holds the top two single-season marks in shutouts in NCHC history and is the Conference’s shutout king with 17 in his career. Shepard finished his college career with 76 wins (76-37-5), which ranks third in NCHC history, in 119 games, while his .922 career save percentage ranks sixth and his 1.94 GAA is second all-time in the NCHC. He is now a member of the Hershey Bears in the AHL.
Along with the First and Second All-Decade Teams, the NCHC has named an Honorable Mention All-Decade Team consisting of:
Borgström was the NCHC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in his two seasons in college, while winning a National Championship with DU in 2017. He scored at least 22 goals both seasons in the NCHC and was a two-time First-Team All-American. Czarnik played his first two seasons in the CCHA, before playing his last two in the NCHC. He was a two-time All-NCHC selection and two-time All-American, captaining Miami to the 2015 Frozen Faceoff title. Ortega is the NCHC’s all-time points leader with 139 career points in 147 games and all-time goals leader with 70. He earned First-Team All-NCHC and Second-Team All-American as a senior.
Attard was a two-time All-American and two-time NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year with WMU. He garnered NCHC All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman and First-Team All-NCHC as a sophomore and junior before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers. Slavin was a two-year standout for the Tigers, earning inaugural NCHC Rookie of the Year in 2013-14. The Carolina Hurricanes standout earned Second-Team All-NCHC honors as a freshman and First-Team accolades as a sophomore.
Jaillet joins Shepard as the NCHC’s only other two-time Goaltender of the Year. He also won the Mike Richter Award in 2017 after backstopping DU to a national championship. Jaillet was a two-time First-Team All-NCHC pick and a two-time All-American, as well. He is tied for the NCHC’s all-time winningest goaltender with 82 victories in net and ranks in the top five all-time in the NCHC in save percentage (.925), saves (3,153), shutouts (9) and GAA (2.04).
To read about the NCHC All-Decade Second Team, click
here. All three NCHC All-Decade Teams are listed below.
NCHC All-Decade First Team (in alphabetical order by position)
NCHC All-Decade Second Team (in alphabetical order by position)
NCHC All-Decade Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order by position)
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