Merrimack Hockey History

Mike McMahon
Aug 15, 2024
Share

Program Timeline

1947: Merrimack College is founded.

1948: The “Blue Blades” were formed. They were an unofficial hockey program that rented ice off campus and would compete against any team willing to play.

1953: Father Vincent McQuade appointed Father Paul Thabault as the moderator/coach of the hockey team.

1954-55: The first intercollegiate season for the program. Hockey was recognized as a varsity sport for the first time. The schedule included Babson, WPI, and Keene.

1956-57: Jim Reynolds was hired as head coach, and records officially began being kept.

1964: Ron Ryan was hired as head coach.

1965: J. Thom Lawler was hired as head coach.

1967: Merrimack won its first hockey championship, winning the ECAC Division II championship. Merrimack repeated as ECAC Division II champions in 1968.

1977: After nine years without a championship, Merrimack won the ECAC Division II championship for the third time in program history.

1978: Merrimack won its first national championship, led by coach J. Thom Lawler.

1978: Bruce Parker became head coach after the untimely passing of J. Thom Lawler, just months after he led Merrimack to a national championship.

1980: Merrimack won its fourth ECAC Division II championship.

1983: Ron Anderson was hired as head coach.

1987: Merrimack won its fifth ECAC Division II championship.

1988: Merrimack qualified for its first NCAA Division I tournament as an independent. The Warriors beat Beanpot and Hockey East champion Northeastern in a total goals series before falling to eventual national champion, Lake Superior State, in the national quarterfinals.

Merrimack also won its sixth ECAC Division II championship.

Jim Vesey, who is the all-time leader in scoring, won the Division II Hobey Baker Award.

1988: Jim Vesey signed with the St. Louis Blues (NHL), and Bobby Jay signed with the L.A. Kings (NHL).

1989: Merrimack won its seventh (and third straight) ECAC Division II championship.

1989: Jim Hrivnak signed with the Washington Capitals (NHL). He became the first goalie from Merrimack to sign an NHL contract.

1989-90: Merrimack joined Hockey East and became a full-time Division I program.

1995: Mark Cornforth signed with the Boston Bruins (NHL).

1996: Steve McKenna signed with the Los Angeles Kings (NHL).

1997: John Jakopin signed with the Florida Panthers (NHL).

1997-98: In his final season as head coach, Ron Anderson led Merrimack to the Hockey East semifinals at TD Garden (then known as the Fleetcenter) for the first time in program history.

Merrimack beat Boston University in a three-game series at BU’s Walter Brown Arena to reach the semifinals. The Terriers were the top seed in the tournament and the No. 1 team in the country. BU was led by Chris Drury, and Tom Poti.

1998: Darrell Scoville signed with the Calgary Flames (NHL).

1998: Chris Serino was hired as head coach.

2000: Greg Classen signed with the Nashville Predators (NHL).

2002: Matt Foy signed with the Minnesota Wild (NHL).

2005: Mark Dennehy was hired as head coach.

2008: Matt Jones signed with the San Jose Sharks (NHL).

2009: Joe Loprieno signed with the San Jose Sharks (NHL).

2010: Stephane Da Costa became the first Merrimack player to win the Tim Taylor Award as national rookie of the year.

2011: Dennehy led the Warriors back to the TD Garden. Merrimack lost to Boston College in its first Hockey East championship game.

Merrimack qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988. The Warriors lost to Notre Dame in the opening round.

2011: Stephane Da Costa signed with the Ottawa Senators (NHL) and became the first Merrimack player to make his NHL debut in the same season as his final NCAA season. Da Costa debuted against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game televised on Hockey Night in Canada.

2012: Joe Cannata signed with the Vancouver Canucks (NHL).

2013: Karl Stollery signed with the Colorado Avalanche.

2015: Rasmus Tirronen signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.

2017: Collin Delia signed with the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) and Hampus Gustafsson signed with the Washington Capitals (NHL).

Feb. 2018: Karl Stollery became the first Merrimack player to represent his country in the Olympics. Stollery played for Team Canada.

2018: Scott Borek was hired as head coach.

2018: Brett Seney signed with the New Jersey Devils (NHL).

2019: Johnathan Kovacevic signed with the Winnipeg Jets (NHL).

2022: Declan Carlile signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) and Zach Uens signed with the Florida Panthers (NHL).

2023: Borek led the Warriors back to TD Garden. In the Hockey East championship game, the Warriors fell in overtime against Boston University.

The Warriors qualified for the NCAA Tournament and lost to Quinnipiac in the opening round, which went on to win the national title.

2024: Alex Jefferies signed with the New York Islanders (NHL), Hugo Ollas signed with the New York Rangers (NHL) and Christian Felton signed with the Vancouver Canucks (NHL).

All-Americans

  • Mark Petit - 1973

  • Bil Dunn - 1975

  • Mike Reynolds - 1976

  • Paul Dunn - 1977

  • Bob Magnuson - 1979

  • Dean Fraser - 1980

  • Tom Lawler - 1980, 1981

  • Bob Fowler.- 1987

  • Mike Boyce - 1987, 1988

  • Jim Vesey - 1987, 1988

  • Jim Hrivnak - 1986, 1987, 1988

  • Rejean Stringer - 1999

  • Stephane Da Costa - 2011

  • Joe Cannata - 2012

  • Mike Collins - 2013

  • Alex Jefferies - 2023