NCAA Hockey: Five Programs Setting their Athletes Up for NHL Success

NCAA Hockey: Five programs setting their students up for NHL success

ST PAUL, MN - APRIL 7: Cale Morris #32 and Jake Evans #18 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish clear the puck from Karson Kuhlman #20 of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs during the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship held at the Xcel Energy Center on April 7, 2018 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

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Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images /

5. Denver University Pioneers

NHL Representatives: 13

Recent Accomplishments (Since 2014): 2016 Frozen Four, 2017 Champions

Standout Alum: Paul Stastny

Beginning the countdown is one of the most successful NCAA Hockey programs over the last few years, the Denver Pioneers. Denver has the fewest current members of the NHL of any team in the top five, but their recent accomplishments cannot be ignored. After reaching the Frozen Four in 2016, the Pioneers won the championship the very next year.

Read. Greatest Player To Wear Each Jersey Number. light

The driving force behind those two excellent seasons was Jim Montgomery, the new head coach of the Dallas Stars. Those squads also had some excellent prospects, including Troy Terry of the Anaheim Ducks, who helped the US win the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Other Denver players who have gone on to successful NHL careers include the aforementioned Stastny, Tyler Bozak and Will Butcher.

The Pioneers are expected to have another strong season on the backs of five NHL draft picks, including Terry. As long as they can continue to have success developing pro players, they should rise in these rankings as well.

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