The Princeton University men’s ice hockey program dates back to the 1890s. Since its establishment, a number of notable players have suited up in the black and orange for the Tigers. A program steeped in history, the New Jersey-based Ivy League college team has called Hobey Baker Memorial Rink home since 1923. The arena’s namesake, an athletic great who was tragically killed in World War I, is just one of the many notable players to star for the Tigers.
Related: Hockey’s All-Time All-Ivy League Team
Since 1970, there have been 16 former Princeton Tigers who have played in the NHL. Syl Apps Jr., class of 1970, was the first player to join the ranks of an NHL franchise with three alumni currently under contract with NHL franchises.
Syl Apps Jr.
The son and father of professional hockey players, Syl Apps Jr. played parts of 10 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings. A rising prospect who played one season of college hockey at Princeton (1966-67 season), he was selected 21st overall in the 1964 NHL Amateur Draft by the Rangers.
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Apps made his NHL debut during the 1970-71 season, splitting time between the Rangers and Penguins. The center was considered one of the franchise’s first stars, having led the team in scoring during three seasons between 1970 and 1978. He was selected for the NHL All-Star Game during the 1974-75 season and named the contest’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). He retired from professional hockey after playing for the Kings during the 1979-80 season.
Ed Lee
Ed Lee was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1981. After spending four seasons with Princeton from 1980 to 1984, the right-winger joined the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Nordiques, the Fredericton Express, to close out the 1983-84 campaign. Despite spending most of his professional career in the minor leagues, he appeared in two games for the Nordiques during the 1984-85 season.
André Faust
André Faust appeared in 10 games for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1992-93 season, and another 37 games during the 1993-94 season. Over the course of parts of two seasons with the Flyers, he recorded 17 points (seven assists and 10 goals). The center was drafted in 1989 by the New Jersey Devils. Following his professional career in North America, he played eight seasons in Europe before retiring from hockey following the 2003-04 campaign.
Mike McKee
A native of Toronto, defenseman Mike McKee played for Princeton for four seasons from 1988 to 1992. Selected by the Nordiques in the 1990 NHL Supplemental Draft, McKee appeared in 48 games for the franchise during the 1993-94 season, scoring three goals and tallying 12 assists. McKee spent the 1994-95 season in the AHL with the Cornwall Aces before retiring from the game. Following his hockey career, he entered the business world, completing a Master of Business Administration at Harvard Business School in 1999.
Jeff Halpern
A veteran of 14 NHL seasons, Jeff Halpern was a star hockey player at Princeton between 1995 and 1999. Despite going undrafted, the center appeared in 79 games for the Washington Capitals during the 1999-2000 season. He went on to play for the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Rangers, and Phoenix Coyotes before retiring following the 2013-14 season with 373 points in 976-career games.
Following his playing career, Halpern joined the coaching ranks as an assistant with the Syracuse Crunch, AHL affiliate of the Lightning, for the 2016-17 season. Following his second season with the Crunch, he was promoted to the big league club leading up to the 2018-19 season. As an assistant with the Lightning, the former center won two Stanley Cups during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
Chris Corrinet
Chris Corrinet played for the Princeton Tigers between 1997 and 2001, appearing in 124 games for the Tigers. Drafted in 1998 by the Capitals, the right-winger spent the bulk of his professional career in the AHL. He had a “cup of coffee” in the NHL with the Capitals during the 2001-02 season, tallying one assist in eight games. The New England native retired after spending the 2004-05 season in the ECHL with the Victoria Salmon Kings.
George Parros
George Parros is arguably one of the most popular former NHLers to come out of Princeton. A four-year player who appeared in 111 games for the Tigers between 1999 and 2003, Parros embraced the role of an enforcer during his nine-season career in the NHL. The former Princeton captain was drafted by the Kings in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, and appeared in 474 NHL games for Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, and Canadiens. A career highlight for the right-winger came during the 2006-07 when he captured the Stanley Cup with the Ducks. In 32 regular season games that season, the moustachioed Parros made his presence on the ice known by racking up 102 penalty minutes for Anaheim. Another 10 minutes came in five playoff appearances.
Parros retired from professional hockey after spending the 2013-14 season with the Canadiens. Following his retirement from playing, Parros focused his efforts on running his clothing company Violent Gentlemen. In 2016, he joined the NHL Department of Player Safety and is currently the head of that department.
Darroll Powe
Known as a center with outstanding penalty killing skills, Darroll Powe made his NHL debut on Oct. 24, 2008 for the Flyers. This was the beginning of a six-year NHL career in which he would also suit up for the Minnesota Wild and Rangers. Before turning professional, he played four seasons for Princeton, serving as the team’s alternate captain during the 2005-06 season, and captain the next season, his senior year of college.
Kevin Westgarth
Between 2008 and 2014, right-winger Kevin Westgarth played parts of five seasons in the NHL with the Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, and Calgary Flames. A major highlight of his career was winning a Stanley Cup with the Kings during the 2011-12 campaign. Before turning professional, he played college hockey at Princeton from 2003 to 2007. During the 2003-04 season, the freshman led his Tigers squad with 48 penalty minutes, establishing his reputation as an enforcer on the ice. He ended his professional hockey career with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) during the 2014-15 season.
Mike Moore
A member of the 2007-08 ECAC Tournament champion Tigers squad, defenseman Mike Moore wore the captain’s “C” during this championship run. Undrafted and signed to an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks, he played parts of three seasons in the AHL before making his NHL debut during the 2010-11 season. He scored his first and only NHL goal on Nov. 17, 2010 against the Avalanche. This appearance was one of six with the Sharks during a professional career that spanned from 2008 to 2022, a majority of which was spent in the AHL and Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Taylor Fedun
Taylor Fedun was a member of the Princeton hockey team between 2007 and 2011, wearing the captain’s “C” and recording 22 points (10 goals and 12 assists) during his fourth season. He was also a member of the 2007-08 ECAC Tournament champion Tigers squad. Since turning professional, he has played parts of eight seasons in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers, Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Stars, and Penguins. The 35-year-old defenseman is currently under contract with the Penguins organization and is playing for the AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Mike Condon
A goaltender for parts of four seasons who appeared in 129 NHL games with the Canadiens, Penguins, and Ottawa Senators, Mike Condon played for Princeton between 2009 and 2013. His professional hockey career began when he signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL following his senior year with the Tigers. On Oct. 11, 2015, he made his NHL debut with the Canadiens, a 3-1 victory over the Senators. This was the first start of 55 appearances that season in which the Massachusetts native recorded a 2.71 goals against average (GAA) and .903 save percentage (SV%). Over the next three seasons, he appeared in 74 more NHL games. His career NHL numbers in goal were strong, posting a 2.80 GAA and .905 SV%, which included six shutouts. He retired from professional hockey after playing 11 games for three different AHL and ECHL teams during the 2019-20 campaign.
Following his playing career, Condon transitioned into the coaching ranks of college hockey. He served as the volunteer assistant goaltending coach for Northeastern University during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Eric Robinson
A native of New Jersey who went on to star for the Tigers from 2014 to 2018, Eric Robinson was an important contributor during Princeton’s run to a 2017-18 ECAC Tournament championship. The former Princeton captain signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Mar. 27, 2018. That season, he appeared in one game for the Blue Jackets.
During the next two seasons, the left-winger split time between the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, and the big league club. He became a regular member of the Blue Jackets during the 2020-21 season, a spot he maintained until being demoted to the AHL earlier this season. On Dec. 6, 2023, Robinson was traded by Columbus to the Sabres.
Max Véronneau
Right winger Max Véronneau played four seasons with Princeton between 2015 and 2019. A member of the 2017-18 ECAC Tournament champion team, he recorded 55 points (17 goals and 38 assists) that season. He wore the alternate captain’s “A” before turning professional with the Senators following Princeton’s 2018-19 campaign. He appeared in parts of two seasons with the Senators, scoring two goals and tallying two assists in 16 games. He is currently playing professional hockey in Sweden.
Ryan Kuffner
A member of the 2017-18 ECAC Tournament champion Princeton Tigers, Ryan Kuffner signed a professional entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings following his fourth and final college hockey campaign on Mar. 12, 2019. The forward made his professional debut four days later against the New York Islanders and went on to play in nine more games for the Red Wings to close out the 2018-19 season. Over the next four seasons, he split time between the AHL, ECHL, and DEL.
Josh Teves
Between 2015 and 2019, Josh Teves appeared in 126 games for the Princeton Tigers scoring 16 goals and tallying 69 assists. A member of the 2017-2018 ECAC Tournament champion Tigers squad, the defenseman signed a one-year contract with the Canucks in 2019. The Calgary-native appeared in one game for the Canucks, a 5-4 loss to the Ducks on Mar. 26, 2019. Since then, he has suited up for minor league games in North America and played professionally in Europe.
Princeton NHL Hopefuls
Former Princeton Tiger Liam Gorman (class of 2023) and Corey Andonovski (class of 2022) appear to be next in line to get their shot at the NHL. Gorman, who is currently playing in his fifth season of college hockey as a graduate transfer to the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), was selected by the Penguins in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. As of the summer of 2022, his NHL rights are controlled by the Chicago Blackhawks. Andonovski is currently under contract with the Penguins. The right-winger is in his third season of professional hockey in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
