CMA Notable Alumni
A total of 22 former Culver players have been drafted by NHL teams and seven former players played or are currently playing in the NHL, including:
Gary Suter CMA '82 holding the Calder Trophy he received as NHL Rookie of the Year for the 1985-86 season playing with the Calgary Flames. A five-time All-Star, played 16 seasons in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames
Aris Brimanis in action during the 2000-01 season with the New York Islanders. He also has spent time in the Anaheim, Philadelphia and St. Louis organizations.
Kevin Dean was the second Culver graduate (Suter being the first) to get his name on the Stanley Cup when New Jersey won in 1995. Dean also played for the Chicago Blackhawks
Barry Richter was the first Culver player to play in the Olympics and has since played for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens
Mike Farrell in pre-season action with the Washington Capitals. He was acquired by the Nashville Predators in the summer of 2003.
John-Michael Liles was drafted by Colorado in 2000, was a Hobey Baker finalist in 2003 and made the Avalanche roster for the start of the 2003-04 season. He was named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team in 2004.
Ryan Suter was the first former Culver player to be drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft when the Nashville Predators selected him seventh overall in 2003. He became the seventh former Culver player to play in the National Hockey League in 2005.
Former Culver players John-Michael Liles and Ryan Suter were teammates on Team USA for the 2005 World Championship Tournament in Austria.
Evan and Kenneth Kearns were teammates at Colby College
Dan Krenn ’04 played for perennial NCAA Division III power Norwich
Corey Rhodes ’91 was on the cover of the Princeton hockey program
John-Michael Liles was an All-American at Michigan State.
Tom Zabkowicz ’03 skates for Maine
Nathan Mayfield and Jason Choi skated at West Point
Brian Sipotz played at Miami of Ohio and was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2001 draft.
Evgeny Saidachev ’03 won three titles as a member of the eight-time NCAA Division III national champion Middlebury Panthers
R.J. Enga ’91 has played professionally in Europe and North America since graduating from Colorado College.
Ryan Harris ’95 was a member of New Hampshire’s national runner-up team in 1999.
Skeeter Moore played on a line with Brett Hull at Minnesota-Duluth and went on to a successful professional career in the Swedish Elite League.
Teammates Jamie Spencer and Kirk Daubenspeck after a game in Madison
Former Culver teammates Nick Lamia, Mike Payne and Buff Shuttleworth made their way to Colby College after graduation.
As of fall 2008, 155 former Culver players have earned varsity letters or are presently playing in their initial season at more than 70 NCAA Division I, II and III schools and ACHA Division I schools listed below. Culver hockey alumni have won national titles at the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III and ACHA Division I levels. Former players are encouraged to contact any member of the coaching staff or the alumni office with corrections or inadvertent omissions from the list below. An * marked next to a particular person's name designates that he was an NHL draft pick.
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Alaska-Fairbanks Russ Vogel |
American International College Mike Sowa, Derek Powell |
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Alabama – Huntsville Brian Butcher |
University of Arizona Tom Thompson |
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Arizona State University Greg Muir |
Bemidji State Graham McManamin |
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Bentley College Tyler Quartuccio |
Bethel College Matt Chapman |
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Boston College Scott Zygulski* |
Boston University Victor Saponari, Vinny Saponari |
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Bowling Green Aris Brimanis*, Aaron Ellis*, Matt Eldred, Jason Helbing |
Clarkson John Bolton |
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Colby Nick Lamia, Paul Shuttleworth, Mike Payne, Jason Weigel, Evan Kearns, Kenneth Kearns |
Colgate Pat Farrell |
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Concordia Steve Nelson |
Connecticut College Mike Burkons, Zach Eubank, Kip Theno |
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Colorado College R.J. Enga*, Paul Badalich |
Delaware Aaron Chockla |
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Denver University Nate Dewhurst |
Ferris State Casey Harris, Aaron Schmit |
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Fitchburg State Aaron Abitz |
Fredonia Mike Liberatore, Marty Diamond |
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Hamilton College Tim Hannen, Bob Sacco, David Racine |
Hobart College Jeremy Church |
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Holy Cross Mark Pannitto, Nick Genovese, Derek Gittus |
University of Illinois Pat Olson |
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Johnson and Wales Zach Hamilton |
Lake Forest Mark Sherrod, Bryan LaFevor, Bobby Chappuis, Tom Dutton, Matt Shoepflin |
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Maine Tom Zabkowicz, David deKastrozza |
Marian Ron Guzior |
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Massachusetts-Lowell Jeremy Dehner, Bob Robbins |
Merrimack College Ryan Guzior |
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Miami of Ohio Todd Channell*, Tom Holdeman*, Steve Rohr*, Brian Sipotz*, Matt Cady, Whit Whitacre, Taylor Hustead |
Michigan Chris Fragner |
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Michigan State John-Michael Liles* |
Middlebury College Evgeny Saidashev, Aaron Copeland, Justin Gaines, Michael Krestchmer |
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Milwaukee School of Engineering Joe Conners, Andrew Carlson |
Minnesota – Duluth Skeeter Moore |
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New England College Jim Ryan |
University of New Hampshire Kevin Dean*, Ryan Harris, Mark McGinn, Jeff Lenz |
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Nichols Joe Nangle |
Northeastern Justin Kearns, Jon Koop, Randy Guzior |
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Notre Dame Jeff Badalich, Jeff Henderson, Tom Smith |
Norwich Hal Keegan, Dan Krenn |
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Ohio State University Brian Kaselak |
Ohio University Greg Cherne, Greg Hemsoth, Dennis Reed, Jeremy Church, Steve Primiano |
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Oswego Jim Freeburg, Pat Duggan |
Penn State Paul Shuttleworth, Geoff Martha |
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Plattsburgh Mike Thomas |
Providence Mike Farrell*, Russ Guzior*, David Ruhly*, Mike Lucci |
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Princeton Andy Cesarski*, Corey Rhodes, Michael Sdao, Will MacDonald |
Quinnipiac Nathan Tutt |
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RIT Greg Eisensmith |
RPI Eric Perardi |
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Salve Regina University Marc Copeland, Kyle Ratkey |
Skidmore Lorn Anderson, Jeremy Ernst, Jonathan Watanabe |
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St. Cloud State University Sam Zabkowicz |
St. John’s University Jason Weigel |
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St. Lawrence Jim Giacin* |
St. Louis University Erik Pearson, James Snyder |
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St. Mary’s Steve Hubner |
St. Michael’s Joe Caligiuri, Ryan Anderson |
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St. Norbert Dan Hodgman |
St. Olaf Carson Womack |
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Trinity Jim Schacht, Mike Elwood |
Tufts Ross Gimbel |
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Union Mike Flanagan, Scott Seney |
U.S. Air Force Academy Jeff Seminaro, John Sullivan, Andrew Ramsey, Josh Priewe |
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U.S. Military Academy Jason Choi, Paul Lentini, Brady Dolim, Nate Mayfield |
U.S. Naval Academy Jeff Clark, Joe Liles, Andrew Stoner, Keegan Kinkade, Eric Smitley |
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Utica Trent Flory |
Vermont Gary Lisa, Ryan Miller |
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Wesleyan Bryce Prosser, Mike Miller |
Western Michigan Bob Worden |
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Williams Mike Payne |
Wisconsin Gary Suter*, Ryan Suter*, Barry Richter*, Kirk Daubenspeck *, Blake Geoffrion*, Jamie Spencer, Jason Helbing, Matt Murray, Jeff Slinde, Shane Connelly |
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Wisconsin – Eau Claire Matt Bentley |
Wisconsin – River Falls Joe Tiberio |
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Wisconsin – Stevens Point Justin Zimmerman, Craig Dakins |
Yale Rich Holdeman |