Maine Black Bears men's ice hockey

1993 National Championship

Maine was a heavy favorite to win its first national championship during the '91–'92 season. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed when they suffered a surprise first-round loss to Michigan State. The team lost many important players, including Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Pellerin, after the season. People expected the team to underperform entering '92–'93.

However, the Black Bears' freshman class of 1992 was stronger than expected. Its lineup included future NHL Star Paul Kariya, and renowned identical twin forwards Peter and Chris Ferraro, along with Jim Montgomery, "Little" Cal Ingraham, Chris Imes, Garth Snow and Mike Dunham.

Kariya scored 100 points in one season at school, while Montgomery finished his successful college years with 301 points. They had a 42–1–2 season record, won the HEA regular season title, and won the HEA conference championship. They also won their first national championship.

Their destiny was almost blown during the Frozen Four semifinals against the University of Michigan when the referees disallowed an otherwise legitimate Maine goal. The backside of the net was raised when the puck slid in causing confusion as to if it really went in. As a result, the game was tied at the end of regulation when Maine felt they should have won. In overtime, Lee Saunders scored the game-winner and sent Maine to the title game against defending champ Lake Superior State University.

Maine's near-perfect season found itself in jeopardy once again in the championship game. Despite an early and promising 2–0 lead, the Bears found themselves trailing the seasoned Lakers 4–2 after two periods. Working double shifts for period number three, two likely heroes emerged. Jim Montgomery scored a natural hat-trick in the third period, lifting Maine to a 5–4 win. Kariya assisted on all three goals.

There was a crackdown on many big college hockey programs during the 1990s for playing athletes who were deemed ineligible. Maine was one of these teams, and they suffered consequences including forfeited losses both retroactively and in future seasons. Some people questioned whether the 1993 title was real. But the NCAA let it go because the players were from past seasons and didn't play in Maine's championship.

1999 National Championship

The middle years of the 1990s were bittersweet for the Black Bears. They enjoyed some on-ice success and finished the national runner up in 1995, but due to sanctions and penalties for reasons previously mentioned, they were unable to compete in the NCAA tournament in 1996 and '97.

The 1998–1999 season crowned a much-less-likely champion than that of 1993. Maine did not win the regular season crown, nor did they even land in their own conference tournament final. They advanced to the NCAAs on an at-large bid due to a successful regular season, but were not most analysts' favorite to win the national title.

Following wins over Ohio State and Clarkson University, Maine advanced to the 1999 Frozen Four in Anaheim, California, where they would meet some familiar foes. Not long after Maine and Boston College met in the Hockey East semifinals, they squared off again in the national semis, with Maine goalie Alfie Michaud besting Scott Clemmensen and lifting the Black Bears past the Eagles 2–1 in overtime.

Though Maine's traditional nemesis for years was Boston University (not only through meaningful games, but because of a well-documented rivalry between Shawn Walsh and BU head coach Jack Parker), an even bigger feud was emerging between Maine and the neighboring New Hampshire Wildcats.

Led by Hobey Baker Award winner Jason Krog and future NHL goaltender Ty Conklin, #1 ranked UNH was primed to win their program's first national championship. Goals by Ben Guite and Niko Dimitrakos (Maine), and more outstanding goaltending by eventual tournament MVP Alfie Michaud kept Maine competitive and the scoreboard read 2–2 at the end of regulation.

Shortly after the 10-minute mark in OT, a careless play by UNH in their defensive zone turned into Maine's opportunity as Cory Larose swiped a drifting puck off the nearside boards and made a cross-ice pass to Marcus Gustafsson. Conklin made the initial save but with no defensive help, Gustafsson collected his own rebound and scored the game winner to clinch Maine's second national championship.

The Death of Walsh

Coach William "Shawn" Walsh inherited a relatively new and obscure hockey program at The University of Maine in 1984 and he was convinced that it could be built up to greatness. His finger was clearly on the pulse of every aspect of the program, and he held a sincere understanding of what it would take to develop success.

In order to achieve his goal, he needed to recruit skilled players, proper coaches to improve team caliber, the support of the university and its athletic department, and a strong fan base.

He took personal ownership in each of these categories. During its grassroots, there are even stories passed on of Walsh marching into the student dining commons, standing up and shouting on the tables, rallying students down to the games, and encouraging them to create a loud and hostile environment for Maine's opponents. The light blue "Maine-iak" shirts^[2] worn by the students at UMaine were one of his many ideas.

Most supporters and enthusiasts of the program credit the foundation of greatness held by the Black Bear Men's Ice Hockey team almost exclusively to Shawn Walsh.

In June 2000 Walsh was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (cancer of the kidneys). Knowing that his time may be limited, he hand-selected the coach he wanted to take over the team were he unable to continue. Always known as a fiery coach, Walsh surprised some when he selected mild-mannered UMass Lowell River Hawks coach Tim Whitehead (Hamilton '85). Whitehead earned his graduate degree in education at the University of Maine approximately 10 years prior, and during this time he worked with Walsh as a graduate assistant coach.

Shawn Walsh died from cancer on September 24, 2001.

A green clover with his name underneath is hung in his honor along with the three retired players' numbers in Alfond Arena. In 2006 the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center, a new extension of Alfond Arena with coaching and administrative offices, meeting areas, and new player facilities opened. This several-million-dollar project was funded through private donations—many coming from dozens of players Walsh coached through his 17 years with Maine.

Maine Recession

In the summer of 2008, assistant coach Guy Perron and Volunteer Assistant Coach Grant Standbrook both stepped aside from the program. Standbrook retired, while Perron was hired as an amateur scout for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League.^[3] In 2006 and 2007 Maine would go to the Frozen Four but hit a regrouping session in 2008. 2008 was a dark year as Maine finished 9th in Hockey East and didn't even qualify for the playoffs, then in 2009 Maine entered the Hockey East Playoffs 8th and was eliminated in the first round by BU.

In 2010 Maine reversed their two-year drought and finished 4th in Hockey East, Maine would go all the way to the Hockey East Championship but would lose to BC. The next year a resurgent Merrimack team finished 4th and eliminated Maine from the Hockey East Tournament and once again dashed their hopes of getting back to the national tournament. Going into the 2012 Maine didn't look very likely to break the 4-year drought, especially with the early departure of junior standout Gustav Nyquist, but Spencer Abbott would step up and have an incredible campaign. Abbott would lead the nation in scoring, and lead Maine to 4th in Hockey East, Maine would go all the way to the Hockey East championship, but would once again be beat by future national champion Boston College.

Even though Maine lost in the Hockey East championship they had a good enough record to qualify for the national tournament breaking a four-year drought. The terrific 2012 season ended in the first round of the national tournament with a loss to defending national champion University of Minnesota Duluth. Whitehead was fired on Tuesday April 9, 2013, after going 11–19–8.

Reclaiming Hockey East

After posting the program's first 20-win season in over a decade, getting back to the Hockey East semifinals and the NCAA Tournament, Maine was once again in the conversation for national title contention. Coach Barr's efforts had brought Maine hockey back to life; Alfond Arena was once again conference leader in sellouts, and a $50 million grant had been approved for renovation of Alfond Arena and the Sean Walsh Hockey Center. Despite losing All-Hockey East Second Team and Rookie Team star Bradly Nadeau to the NHL, the team tapped into a new recruiting pool in college hockey; the transfer portal. Among the five players who transferred in ahead of the 2024-25 season was former Massachusetts forward Taylor Makar, a 7th round pick of the Colorado Avalanche and one of Barr's former players at Amherst. This team would be led by experience rather than talent, and by elite goaltending from sophomore Albin Boija. Entering the season ranked 12th in the national polls, the Black Bears started with a 6-0-1 run and was in the race for the top of Hockey East. Falling just short of Boston College, Maine finished the regular season 2nd in the conference. After beating UMass Lowell 7-1, the Bears moved onto TD Garden for the second straight year, where they met a red-hot 9th place Northeastern squad, who had just upset regular season champion BC. Despite jumping out to a 2-goal lead, Maine found themselves down 3-2 in the third period to the Huskies, who were being carried by an epic performance by sophomore goalie Cameron Whitehead, but a late goal sent the game to extra time. Over halfway through double overtime, senior center Nolan Renwick scored on the team's 61st shot, sending the Black Bears to their first conference title game since 2012. The following night, the Black Bears defeated Connecticut, 5-2, with Lynden Breen, the last player to play for Red Gendron, scoring the opening goal. For the first time in 21 years, the Maine Black Bears were back on top of Hockey East. Albin Boija was named the tournament MVP. However, the season would end in disappointment. Locking in a #1 seed in the 2025 NCAA tournament, Maine drew a spot in the Allentown Regional, and a semifinal match against a surging Penn State, just 90 miles from the Nittany Lion's campus. Playing what amounted to a road game, the Bears were defeated, 5-1. Maine finished the campaign with a 24-8-6 overall record. Albin Boija ended the season a runner up for the Mike Richter Award, and was named an AHCA Second Team All-American, posting a remarkable 1.93 GAA, .923 save percentage, and 4 shutouts.

Barr's first four years in Orono had proved a massive success. The revived Black Bears had posted back-to-back 20 win seasons in nearly 20 years, returned to the NCAA tournament twice, and had finally won the Hockey East tournament again. However, Coach Barr's first win in the national tournament remained elusive, and the departing group of players left the coaching staff with much work to do in the summer of 2025. Maine had been among the leaders in faceoffs for the last two seasons, and graduating from the team were their top three centers; Lynden Breen, Taylor Makar, and Harrison Scott. Defensive stalwart and captain David Breazeale graduated as well. While Barr still had a strong and experienced defensive corps, backed by a returning Boija, he needed to replace players who had accounted for nearly half of the team's goals the previous season. For that, the staff looked to take advantage of a landslide NCAA decision, which would change the landscape of college hockey. The NCAA had recently announced that players from Canada's CHL leagues, the QMJHL, WHL, and OHL, once considered professional, would be eligible for NCAA hockey. Maine was one of the programs to pounce on the opportunity; of the 13 incoming new players, 9 came from the CHL, including 5 NHL draft choices. With these factors in mind, Maine entered the 2025-26 campaign ranked 6th in the nation. The Black Bears opened the season against AHA team Holy Cross, and the talent on the roster was on full display; freshman forward Justin Poirier scored a hat trick in his collegiate debut. Maine would sweep the Crusaders, 5-2 and 6-0, with four of the five NHL prospects registering a point.

However, despite the strong start, Maine would turn in a disappointing campaign. The team's offense was productive, but team defense and goaltending turned out to be a liability throughout the season. Albin Boija and freshman Matthis Rousseau recorded the lowest team save percentage since the 2010-11 season. Poor locker room chemistry, low morale and personality problems among the new players were also frequently reported on. The lowest point came in December, when the Black Bears were swept at home, 1-0 and 3-2, by archrival New Hampshire. The frustrating season would end with a 5-0 loss to Boston College in the Hockey East quarterfinal, and the Black Bears finished 18-14-3 overall. There was one bright spot however; senior Brandon Holt led the team in scoring and turned in an exceptional defensive performance. He would become the first Maine skater to be named an AHCA All-American since 2014. He was also named Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman.

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Individual awards

All-American Teams

AHCA First Team All-Americans

AHCA Second Team All-Americans

All-Conference Teams

First Team All-ECAC Hockey

Second Team All-ECAC Hockey

Individual awards

All-Conference Teams

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

Rookie Team

Individual

• Most Power Play Goals in a Game: Jay Mazur, 4 (Feb 17, 1987 vs UMass Lowell)

Team

• Most Wins in a Season: 42 (1992–93)
• Most Goals in a Season: 292 (1992–93)
• Most Goals in a Period: 11 (Nov 11, 1978 vs St Thomas)
• Most Power Play Goals in a Game: 8 (March 3, 1990 vs UMass Lowell)

Individual

• Most Goals In A Game: Brian Flynn and Jay Mazur, 5
• Most Power Play Goals In A Game: Jay Mazur, 4 (Feb 7, 1987 vs UMass Lowell)
• Most Points In A Game By A Defenseman: Jack Capuano, 6 (Jan 30, 1988 vs New Hampshire)
• Most Points In A Season By A Rookie: Paul Kariya, 63 (1992–93)
• Most Assists In A Season By A Rookie: Paul Kariya, 48 (1992–93)
• Most Assists In A Game By A Rookie: Paul Kariya, 5 (Dec 5, 1992 vs Northeastern)
• Longest Point Streak: Paul Kariya, 23 games (1992–93)

Team

• Best Win Percentage In A Season: .938 (1992–93)
• Fewest Losses In A Season: 1 (1992–93)
• Most Road Wins In A Season: 12 (1992–93)
• Longest Winning Streak: 16 (Nov 7, 1992 - Feb 13, 1993)
• Longest Unbeaten Streak: 30 (Jan 25, 1992 - Feb 13, 1993)
• Fewest Goals Allowed In A Season: 42 (2003–04)
• Most Power Play Goals In A Season: 50 (1990–91)
• Most Short-Handed Goals In A Game: 3 (Jan 23, 2004 vs Boston University)

Single Season

• Most Goals: Cal Ingraham; 46 (1992–93)
• Most Assists: Paul Kariya; 75 (1992–93)
• Most Points: Paul Kariya; 100 (1992–93)
• Most Points By A Defenseman: Keith Carney; 56 (1990–91)
• Most Points By A Rookie: Paul Kariya; 100 (1992–93)
• Most Wins: Blair Allison; 32 (1994–95)
• Most Wins By A Rookie: Ben Bishop; 21 (2005–06)
• Lowest Goals Against Average: Jimmy Howard; 1.19 (2003–04)
• Best Save Percentage: Jimmy Howard; .956 (2003–04)
• Most Saves: Jeremy Swayman; 1,099 (2019–20)
• Most Shutouts: Jimmy Howard; 6 (2003–04, 2004–05)

Career

• Most Goals: Jean-Yves Roy, 108
• Most Assists: Jim Montgomery, 198
• Most Points: Jim Montgomery, 301
• Most Points By A Defenseman: Keith Carney, 128
• Most Wins: Garth Snow, 64
• Best Goals Against Average: Jimmy Howard, 1.84
• Best Save Percentage: Jimmy Howard, .931
• Most Shutouts: Jimmy Howard, 15