The Hockey East is the United States’ northernmost NCAA hockey conference. It is based in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Ultimately, most hockey fans recognize schools like the University of Maine, Boston College, Boston University, University of Massachusetts (Amherst), and Providence College because of their national championships.
However, several other New England schools, including the University of New Hampshire (Wildcats), have found success in Division I. Since their inception in 1925, the Wildcats have been runner-ups for the NCAA National Champion on two occasions (1999 and 2003) while competing in the NCAA Frozen Four seven times.
Related: All-Time New Hampshire-Born Lineup
Although the Wildcats have yet to win it all, the school does have three conference championships (1979, 2002, 2003) and has won the Conference regular season championships eight times. Statistically, the Wildcats have compiled a record of 1292-1024-174 in 97 seasons, good enough for a .554 win percentage. Furthermore, the club has an even better win record in regular season play, 1200-903-171 (.565), than in the playoffs, 66-65-3 (.504).
New Hampshire Wildcats Statistical Leaders
Interestingly, the Wildcats’ highest scorer player, Ralph Cox, never played in the NHL after scoring 243 points over four seasons (1975-1979) with the school. Unfortunately, despite his collegiate success, he was also the last player cut from the 1980 U.S. hockey team that won gold at the Lake Placid Olympics (The Miracle on Ice).
Moreover, the Wildcats’ best statistical netminder, Kevin Regan, who won a record 70 games from 2004 to 2008, also never played in the NHL. Besides once holding the school record for goals-against average (2.27), he still maintains the top spot with the highest save percentage (.928). Coincidently, both the Wildcats’ statistical leaders were drafted by the Boston Bruins, Cox in 1977 and Regan in 2003.
Despite those interesting stories, 46 former Wildcats have made it into the NHL, with Gordie Clark (1974) being the first and Warren Foegele (2017) being the latest. Surprisingly, 28 players forged their paths through the draft, while 18 became free agents who eventually found their spots, with Trevor van Riemsdyk the only one to win a Stanley Cup.
Related: “Miracle on Ice” 40 Years Later: Where Are They Now?
Historically, only two players born in New Hampshire who attended the school eventually made it to the NHL. Surprisingly, they are both netminders: Brian Foster (Pembroke, NH) and Casey DeSmith (Rochester, NH). Meanwhile, only five players have worn a Wildcats jersey and eventually won the Stanley Cup.
So, with those statistics and achievements in mind, here are the top five NHL players who played with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcats.
5. Normand Lacombe (1981 – 1983)
Normand Lacombe may not have been the first player drafted from UNH. However, in 1983, he became the school’s highest-selected prospect. During the first round of that year’s entry draft, the Buffalo Sabres called his name with the 10th selection.
At that time, the closest anyone had got to be a first-round selection was Rod Langway in 1977, going as the 36th pick in the second round. After debuting with the Sabres in 1984, he went to the Edmonton Oilers in 1987, where he would win the Stanley Cup a year later in 1988.
Lacombe retired from the NHL in 1991 after a two-year run with the Philadelphia Flyers. Statistically, he left the league having played in 319 games, scored 53 goals, and added 62 assists for 115 points.
4. Trevor van Riemsdyk (2011 – 2014)
As mentioned earlier, van Riemsdyk went undrafted after three seasons patrolling the blue line, collecting 65 points in 102 games. Despite being named to the All-Hockey East Rookie Team in 2013, he had to wait to sign an entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks in March 2014.
Interestingly, within seven months of making his NHL debut, van Riemsdyk hoisted the Stanley Cup when the Blackhawks won it all in June 2015. However, after three seasons, the Vegas Golden Knights selected the defenseman in the 2017 Expansion Draft before trading him to the Carolina Hurricanes a few days later.
Now, van Riemsdyk is playing in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., with the Capitals coming off a career year with 23 points in 2022-23. Statistically, thus far, he’s skated in 531 games and tallied 24 goals, and 88 assists, for 112 points.
3. Dave Lumley (1973 – 1977)
Dave Lumley played with the Wildcats through the mid-1970s, appearing in 126 games and collecting 170 points. Historically, he sits just outside the top ten (now) in Wildcats scoring, with the cut-off currently sitting at 174 points.
Interestingly, he heard his name called in the 1974 WHL Draft by the Vancouver Blazers (79th overall) and by the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL Entry Draft (199th overall). However, Lumley opted to play with the Canadiens and made his NHL debut in 1979. Although his time in Montreal was brief (three games), he ended up in Edmonton and won two Stanley Cups (1984 and 1985) with the team.
Currently, Lumley is the only player from UNH to win the Stanley Cup more than once and still ranks fifth all-time amongst the school’s alums with 258 points in the NHL. Opting to retire from professional hockey in 1986, he scored 98 goals and collected 160 helpers in 437 games.
2. James van Riemsdyk (2007 – 2009)
Thus far, every skater on this list has their name on the Stanley Cup; however, the second-best NHL player from UNH is James van Riemsdyk. Despite still chasing his first championship after 14 seasons, there’s no denying his place on the list based on his NHL totals to date.
Right now, van Riemsdyk ranks first amongst players from UNH in goals (300), assists (291), and points (591). Ultimately, after skating in 54 more games, he’ll break Langway’s record of 994 games, and six games after that, he’ll become the only player in the school’s history to surpass 1,000 games in the NHL.
Related: Bruins: 7 Cool Things About James van Riemsdyk
Statistically, while attending UNH, he scored 74 points in 66 games. Moreover, in 14 seasons in the NHL, he’s collected two 30-goal and five 20-goal seasons while splitting his career with the Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs. During the 2023 offseason, van Riemsdyk returned to New England, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Bruins.
1. Rod Langway (1975 – 1977)
Although hundreds of players have worn a UNH jersey, with a handful making it to the NHL, no one has the legacy Langway does. As one of the top prospects during his time with the Wildcats, where he scored 69 points in 65 games as a defenseman, the Canadiens made him (then) the highest-drafted player (36th overall) from the school in 1977.
As a 22-year-old in 1979, he assisted the Canadiens in winning the Stanley Cup, becoming UNH’s first champion in the NHL. However, after four seasons in Montreal, the Capitals acquired him at 25 in 1985, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Upon dressing with the Capitals in 1983, he would win back-to-back Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenseman. Additionally, he earned three straight All-Star Team honors from 1983 to 1985. Furthermore, he was a regular at the NHL All-Star Game, appearing in consecutive seasons from 1981 to 1986.
Eventually, Langway retired from professional hockey in 1993 at 35, suiting up for 994 games. Surprisingly, thanks to a plus-276 rating, he still ranks 36th all-time in the category in NHL history. Ultimately, as one of his generation’s best defensemen, Langway became the only player in UNH history to have a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame, earning induction in 2002.
Honorable Mentions
Even though this list could have expanded to seven or even ten names, the list seems more impactful when trimmed down to the best. Ultimately, every player to win the Stanley Cup cracked the top five, except Kevin Dean (1987-1991) and Bryan Muir (1992-1995).
Ultimately, Dean played 331 games and collected 55 points before winning a championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995. Meanwhile, Muir skated in 279 games, scored 53 points, and won a title with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. Despite boosting rings, the pair didn’t have significant careers in the NHL, which led to exclusion from the top five.
However, there are currently some UNH alumni that deserve some recognition for their career totals, like Daniel Winnik (798 games), Steve Leach (702 games), Bobby Gould (145 goals), Brett Pesce (145 assists), Andy Brickley (222 points), and Jay Miller (1,723 penalty minutes).
Additionally, two netminders in the NHL have made names for themselves: Ty Conklin and DeSmith. Despite playing only three years with UNH, Conklin was named team captain and walked away holding several school records, including lowest goals-against average at 2.18. In the NHL, he became the first player to start in three outdoor games, achieving the feat in 2003, 2008, and 2009.
Meanwhile, DeSmith is one of the best players born in New Hampshire and currently serves as Tristan Jarry’s backup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. At 31 years old, he’s 81 games away from Conklin’s record and 38 victories away from claiming that category too.
Final Thoughts
Although the Wildcats only have a few championship banners hanging at the Whittmore Center Arena in Durham, the school has the country’s 14th-oldest hockey program (1923). And despite being overshadowed by their neighboring universities and rivals in Hockey East, UNH players and alumni should be proud of the school’s achievements in sports and academics. Ultimately, the players on this list understand that they represent a small group of skaters who eventually lived out their dreams in the NHL while finding personal and professional success.
