Czech University Selects Visit No. 18 Men’s Hockey for Scrimmage on Friday

Casey Jones '90
The Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey

PUCK DROP

• The No. 18-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team opens its preseason schedule tonight against the Czech University Selects, who will be playing their third game in a six-day, five-game North American Tour.

• Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Lynah Rink. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Jason Weinstein (play-by-play) and Tony Eisenhut ‘88 (analysis) on the call.

PRESEASON SUCCESS

• Friday will be Cornell’s 78th official preseason game in program history. The Big Red are 62-9-6 (.844) in exhibitions and scrimmages and unbeaten in its last 28 (26-0-2, .964), a streak that includes 12 consecutive wins since a 2-2 tie with uOttawa on Oct. 15, 2017.

• Cornell has outscored opponents by an average of 3.67 goals per game during its 28-game unbeaten streak. Seven of the Big Red’s 26 victories in that span have come by two goals or fewer, including two of the last three: a 4-2 win over Princeton on Oct. 19, 2024, and a 5-4 overtime victory against the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team before the 2023-24 season opener.

• Four of Cornell’s nine exhibition losses have come against national or professional teams: the West German Olympic Team (1980), U.S. National Team (1983), Team Canada (1986), and Torpedo Yaroslavl (1995).

• Cornell’s last exhibition loss came Oct. 24, 2009, when the Big Red fell 3-2 to the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team. Ithaca native and future Cornell goaltender Andy Iles ‘14 registered 39 saves in the victory.

COMING TO AMERICA

• Friday marks Cornell’s seventh game against a non-North American opponent and the sixth such matchup at Lynah Rink. It will be the first international exhibition since Jan. 3, 2014, when the Big Red routed the Russian Red Stars 6-0 behind three-point performances from Matt Buckles (two goals, one assist), Cole Bardreau (three assists), and Joel Lowry (one goal, two assists).

• Cornell’s first international exhibition came on Feb. 4, 1980, when the West German Olympic team stopped in Ithaca while preparing for the Lake Placid Olympics. The Germans edged the Big Red 5-4 after Cornell rallied from a three-goal deficit to tie the game 3-3, only to allow two goals in 14 seconds midway through the final period.
Since then, Cornell has faced several other international opponents, including Sweden’s HC Vita Hästen on Dec. 12, 1987. In that game, current Big Red head coach Casey Jones ‘90 recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in Cornell’s 4-2 victory.

• The Big Red’s last loss to a European team came against Russia’s Torpedo Yaroslavl, which built a 5-0 lead behind a four-goal first period en route to a 7-4 victory on Jan. 3, 1995.

• After playing to a 2-2 tie with the Finnish Junior National Team at the UMass Invitational in Amherst, Mass., on Dec. 23, 1995 — a game Cornell lost in a shootout — the Big Red have won its last two international matchups by shutout, blanking the Polish Olympic Team 7-0 (Oct. 30, 1996) and the Russian Red Stars 6-0 (Jan. 3, 2014).

PASSING THE TORCH ON EAST HILL

• Although the regular season doesn’t begin for another two weeks, a new era has arrived on East Hill for the Cornell men’s hockey team as former Big Red captain Casey Jones ‘90 has assumed head coaching duties from legendary head coach Mike Schafer ‘86, who retired after a 30-year tenure.

• With Jones assuming the role, the 2025-26 season continues an impressive lineage of former players coaching the Big Red. This season marks the 39th consecutive year a Cornell graduate has served as head coach, joining Brian McCutcheon ‘71 (1987-95) and Schafer (1995-2025).

• Cornell owns the second-longest active streak in Division I hockey of having an alumnus serve as head coach, trailing only Boston University, which has had a graduate as head coach for each of the last 53 seasons, highlighted by Jack Parker’s 40-year tenure from 1973-74 to 2012-13. New Hampshire (36 years) and Boston College (32 years) are the only other programs with at least a 30-year streak of former players serving as men’s hockey head coach.

• Dating to the 1970-71 season, the first year Dick Bertrand ‘70 served as Cornell’s head coach, 50 of the last 56 years have featured a Big Red alum as head coach.

• Jones is one of 11 new head coaches in Division I hockey this season, including one of three new coaches in ECAC Hockey, joining RPI’s Eric Lang and Yale’s Joe Howe, who is serving as interim head coach of the Bulldogs for the 2025-26 season.

ECAC HOCKEY PRESEASON POLL

• The ECAC Hockey conference office announced Sept. 25 that Cornell was picked to finish third in its annual coaches’ preseason poll. Cornell received one of the 12 first-place votes, finishing as one of three teams with more than 100 points (111).

• Quinnipiac was tabbed to finish as ECAC Hockey’s regular-season champion, garnering nine first-place votes and finishing with 129 points, ahead of Clarkson, which had the remaining two first-place votes, by 11 points (118). Dartmouth (97 points) finished 14 points behind the Big Red, as it was selected to finish fourth to round out the projected first-round byes for the 2026 ECAC Hockey Championship.

• Union was right behind Dartmouth with 93 points, and Harvard (79), Colgate (77), and Princeton (55) were slated to host first-round games. Rounding out the 12-team poll were St. Lawrence (48), Brown (47), RPI (42), and Yale (27).

PERENNIAL POWER

• Cornell began the season ranked No. 17 in the preseason USCHO.com poll, which was released Sept. 22. It marked the Big Red’s ninth consecutive season starting ranked in the top 20 of the preseason USCHO poll.

• It is the second-longest streak in program history, trailing only an 11-year span when the Big Red were ranked in the preseason poll from 2002 to 2012.

• Cornell is one of four Division I programs that have been ranked in the preseason top 20 in each of the last nine seasons, joined by Denver, North Dakota and Providence.

• North Dakota (25 consecutive years) and Denver (24 straight) are the only two Division I programs that have been ranked in the top 20 of the preseason poll since USCHO permanently increased its poll from 15 to 20 teams for the 2005-06 season. North Dakota’s streak — the longest active in Division I hockey — dates to the 1997-98 season.

• Providence is the only other team ahead of Cornell, having been named a preseason top-20 team in each of the last 13 preseason polls, dating to the 2013-14 campaign.

• Across USCHO’s 29 preseason polls, Cornell has been included 23 times, making the Big Red one of seven Division I programs to appear in at least 20 preseason polls, joined by North Dakota (29), Boston College (27), Michigan (27), Minnesota (26), Boston University (25) and Denver (25).

TIME TO STUDY THE ROSTER…

• Cornell has 14 newcomers on this year’s roster — 12 freshmen and two sophomore transfers — matching the program’s highest total since 2021-22, when the Big Red added 14 freshmen following the COVID-19 cancellation of the 2020-21 season.

• Only four teams in program history have had more newcomers: 1992-93 (18), 1957-58 (16), 1964-65 (16), and 1978-79 (16). The 1978-79 team included four transfers from Penn, which disbanded its program that year.

• Newcomers comprise 45.2 percent of Cornell’s roster, the 13th-highest percentage in the program’s modern era (since 1957-58) and the highest since 2021-22 (46.7 percent).

• Cornell’s 12 freshmen are tied with Alaska, Boston University, Bowling Green, Colorado College, UMass Lowell, and Miami (Ohio) for second-most in Division I, trailing only Michigan Tech (13).

YOU FEEL THAT (NHL) DRAFT?

• Cornell has nine players drafted by NHL clubs, the program’s highest total since 2005-06 (nine). Only the 1990-91 (14) and 2004-05 (10) teams had more NHL draft picks on their roster.

• For the first time in program history, Cornell has three draft picks selected within the first three rounds: forward Jonathan Castagna (70th overall, Utah via Arizona), defenseman Michael Fisher (76th, San Jose) and defenseman George Fegaras (83rd, Dallas). The Big Red previously had two players selected in the first three rounds 10 times, including three of the last four seasons (1967-68, 1968-69, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2023-24, 2024-25).

• Fisher is the highest-drafted Cornell defenseman since Sasha Pokulok went 14th overall to Washington in 2005.

• Freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer was Cornell’s lone selection in this past June’s NHL Entry Draft, taken in the fifth round (145th overall) by the Montréal Canadiens. He became the 13th Big Red goaltender to be drafted and the first since David LeNeveu was selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the second round (48th overall) in 2002.

• Cornell’s nine NHL draft picks are tied with Colorado College for 11th-most in Division I. Boston University leads the nation with 19.

(BIG) RED MEANS STOP

• Cornell has firmly established itself as one of the nation’s premier defensive programs, ranking among the top 10 in Division I for scoring defense 12 times over the past two decades — the most by any Division I team during that span. The Big Red is one of three programs to post 10 or more top-10 finishes in that period, alongside Denver and Minnesota State (10 each).

• Over the last nine seasons, Cornell has finished top 10 nationally in scoring defense seven times, tying Minnesota State for the most in Division I. The Big Red has also placed top 12 in each of its last eight seasons, one more than Denver and Minnesota State, and in 10 of its last 11 campaigns, matching Minnesota State for the national lead.

• Across the past decade, Cornell has allowed an average of 1.985 goals per game, joining only Minnesota State (1.894) as the lone Division I programs to yield fewer than two goals per contest. That consistency extends beyond recent years — Cornell has not conceded 100 or more goals in a season since 1997-98, a streak spanning 26 consecutive seasons. The run stands as the longest active in Division I hockey, double the next-closest streaks by Minnesota State and Providence (13 each). Clarkson (8) and Quinnipiac (7) rank second and third, respectively, in ECAC Hockey.

LIGHTING THE LAMP (CARNELIAN) RED

• On the opposite end of Cornell’s defensive prowess, the Big Red has also shown a consistent ability to light the lamp. Cornell has averaged at least three goals per game in each of the past seven seasons, dating back to 2017-18.

• The Big Red’s seven-year streak of averaging three or more goals per game is the second-longest active run in Division I hockey, behind only Western Michigan’s nine-season streak. Boston University and North Dakota each enter the year with six consecutive seasons above the three-goal mark, while Quinnipiac holds ECAC Hockey’s second-longest active streak at five seasons.

• Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, Cornell has averaged 3.204 goals per game — the 12th-best figure in Division I and second-highest among ECAC Hockey programs, trailing only Quinnipiac’s 3.444 mark, which ranks sixth nationally. Denver leads all Division I teams over that span with a 3.652 average.

PUTTING THE ‘BIG’ IN BIG RED

• Cornell ranks second nationally in both average height (6-foot-1.7) and weight (198.0 pounds) this season, according to College Hockey, Inc. research. Only UMass (6-foot-1.9) and Notre Dame (200.3 pounds) are larger on average.

• The Big Red are one of seven programs to place in the top 10 in both average height and weight, alongside Brown, Harvard, North Dakota, Notre Dame, St. Cloud State, and UMass.

• This year’s average height and weight both rank among the largest averages in Cornell’s modern era, dating back to 1957-58. The height average surpasses the previous record set in 2015-16 by 0.16 inches, while the weight ranks as the fourth-heaviest in program history, trailing only the 2015-16 (198.86 lbs.), 2014-15 (198.85 lbs.), and 1999-00 (198.70 lbs.) squads.

• It is also the 10th time in program history Cornell has averaged at least 6-foot-1 in height — all since 2004-05 — and the fifth time the program has averaged at least 197 pounds.

• Cornell’s size will be tested early: three of its first four regular-season games come against fellow top-10 programs in average height and weight — a two-game series at UMass and a road matchup at Harvard.

HAIL TO THEE, OUR ALMA MATER!

• Casey Jones ‘90, the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey, is one of 25 Division I head coaches leading his alma mater this season.

• Roughly 40 percent of the 63 active Division I programs are helmed by alumni head coaches. Within ECAC Hockey, Jones is joined by Ted Donato (Harvard), Mike Harder (Colgate), Jean-François Houle (Clarkson), and Brendan Whittet (Brown).

ITHACA, N.Y. — Ken Dryden '69, the legendary Cornell men's hockey goaltender who still holds the program record for career wins (76) and backstopped the Big Red to its first national championship in 1967, died Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 78.

"Ken Dryden was not only one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of hockey, but also a symbol of excellence, intellect, and leadership who represented Cornell with unmatched distinction," said Dr. Nicki Moore, Cornell's Meakem & Smith Director of Athletics & Physical Education. "His impact on the game, on our university, and in communities throughout his homeland in Canada will endure far beyond the ice. Cornell Athletics & Physical Education mourns his passing, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who were inspired by his extraordinary life."

"Ken Dryden was the quintessential student-athlete," added Casey Jones '90, the current Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Ice Hockey. "He was a great ambassador for Cornell and hockey in general. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

"Intelligent, classy, articulate, kind, athletic, and thoughtful are just a few characteristics that come to mind," stated former Cornell men's hockey head coach Mike Schafer '86. "Ken Dryden was a legend and a trailblazer in the sport of hockey. Cornell University, Cornell Hockey, the Montreal Canadiens, and the hockey community have lost one of the greatest ambassadors for our sport. Our thoughts go out to his family, and especially his wife, Lynda."

At Cornell, Dryden compiled a remarkable 76-4-1 record with a 1.59 goals-against average and .939 save percentage, while leading the Big Red to the first three of its four consecutive ECAC Hockey Tournament titles (1967-69), two ECAC Hockey regular-season championships (1968 and 1969), and the 1967 NCAA title. His career goals-against average and save percentage still rank second in program history among eligible goaltenders.

After graduating from Cornell in 1969 with a degree in history, Dryden launched an extraordinary eight-year NHL career with the Montréal Canadiens. He won six Stanley Cups, five Vezina Trophies, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1971 as the Stanley Cup Playoffs' MVP, and the Calder Trophy in 1972 as the league's Rookie of the Year.

In 1973, Dryden earned the first of his five Vezina Trophies after leading the league in wins (33), goals-against average (2.26), and save percentage (.926). He remains one of four goaltenders in NHL history to win the award at least five times, alongside Jacques Plante (seven), Bill Durnan (six), and Dominik Hasek (six).

Dryden stepped away from hockey for the 1973-74 season, briefly retiring while earning a law degree from McGill University and working at a Toronto law firm, before returning to the Canadiens in 1974. Over the next five seasons, he anchored one of the NHL's most dominant dynasties, guiding the Canadiens to four straight Stanley Cups (1976-79) and capturing the Vezina Trophy each year. During that stretch, he posted a 150-33-30 record with a 2.13 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, and 28 shutouts.

"From the moment Ken Dryden joined Montréal as a 23-year-old rookie in 1971, he made an immediate and lasting impact on the NHL, the Canadiens franchise, and the goaltending position," said NHL Commissioner and fellow Cornell alumnus Gary Bettman '74 in a statement." After playing six regular-season games during that first year, Ken proceeded to lead his team to a Stanley Cup while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player. It is almost incomprehensible to believe that he accomplished all of that the year prior to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the League's best rookie in 1971-72.

"Ken's early success was only a harbinger of what was to come. In eight years with the Canadiens, Ken would lead a team filled with future Hall of Famers to six Stanley Cup championships, quickly becoming a beloved figure in his adopted hometown of Montréal. He won five Vezina Trophies as the League's top goaltender, including four consecutive awards from 1975-76 to 1978-79. Named as a member of the League's Greatest 100, he was the NHL's dominant goaltender during the 1970s.

"On a personal note, Ken was a fellow Cornellian whose career ranks among the greatest runs in collegiate hockey and famously led the Big Red to the 1967 NCAA Championship. On behalf of the National Hockey League, we mourn the passing of a legendary Canadian and extend our sincere condolences to his wife Lynda, family, and many friends and fans all over the hockey world."

Dryden was inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, both in his first year of eligibility. His No. 29 sweater was retired by the Canadiens in 2007, and his No. 1 sweater was retired by Cornell in 2010, alongside Joe Nieuwendyk's No. 25.

The Dryden family has requested privacy at this time. Those wishing to honor his memory are encouraged to make a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre or the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

SCOUTING THE CZECH UNIVERSITY SELECTS

• All 12 teams that compete in the Univerzitní Hokej League will be represented on its first North American trip. Black Dogs Budweis, UK Kings Prague, and ZCU Academics Plzen all have five representatives apiece. United HK and VŠE Falcons Prague each have three players, while BO Ostrava Vítkovice Steel, CVUT Engineers Prague, Riders University Pardubice will travel two players, rounding out the programs with multiple representatives. CZU Farmers Prague, HC MUNI, HC North Wings Ústí nad Labem, and VUT Cavaliers Brno each have one representative.

• Former Cornell men’s hockey player Dan Svoboda ‘01, who is on the senior advisory board of the ULLH, has played an integral role in coordinating both the Big Red’s trip to Czechia last summer, as well as this year’s trip for the Czech University Selects.

• During its trip, the Czech University Selects will play five games in a six-day span. The team played fellow Ivy League and ECAC Hockey rivals Brown on Tuesday and against Yale on Wednesday and will play Division III programs Skidmore and Castleton on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

• “This is about more than just hockey,” said Tomáš Hlavác, chairman of the Czech University Hockey Association. “We want to build a bridge between our programs and North America, and to show that Czech university hockey is ready for the international stage.”

• Along with the competitions, the team will receive tours of each campus, the hockey arena and its ammenities, while learning how American collegiate sports operate.

• “If we can battle, keep games close, and maybe steal a win, we’ll have made history,” Hlavác stated. “The experience alone will push us forward.”

2 YEARS, 4145 MILES (6672 KILOMETERS), 1 MEETING

• Last year, Cornell played the Czech University Selects in an exhibition at Zimní stadion Eden on Aug. 13, 2024.

• After the Czech University Selects took a 1-0 lead in the first period, the Big Red responded with four unanswered goals, to post a 4-1 victory.

CZECH UNIVERSITY SELECTS NHL CONNECTIONS

• Jaroslav Pouzar’s father, Jaroslav, was a fourth-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft and spent four seasons with the Oilers, winning three Stanley Cups. In 186 career NHL games, he registered 82 points (34 goals, 48 assists).

HUTSON'S OVERTIME WINNER LIFTS #8 BOSTON UNIVERSITY OVER #16 MEN'S HOCKEY

BOX SCORE | RECAP | HIGHLIGHTS | POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE | PHOTO GALLERY

TOLEDO, OHIO (MARCH 29, 2025) — Boston University junior forward Quinn Hutson's goal 6:25 into overtime helped lead the second-seeded and No. 8-ranked Terriers (23-13-2) to their 3-2 victory over the fourth-seeded and No. 16-ranked Cornell men's hockey team (19-11-6) in the Toledo Regional final at the Huntington Center on Saturday evening.

Hutson's golden goal sent Boston University to its third consecutive Frozen Four appearance under head coach Jay Pandolfo, who improved to 10-0 all-time in regional games as a player and head coach of the Terriers.

Matt Copponi and Cole Hutson, Quinn's younger brother, also scored for the Terriers in the victory. Freshman goaltender Mikhail Yegorov stopped 37 of 39 shots to earn his 10th win of the season since joining the Terriers in early January.

Sophomore forward Ryan Walsh and senior forward Jack O'Leary were the goal scorers for Cornell, who received a 40-save performance from senior goaltender Ian Shane.

Both Shane and Walsh were named to the Toledo Regional All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of the contest.

The result marked the final game coached by Mike Schafer '86, the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Hockey. His 30-year tenure as the Big Red's bench boss came to a close with a final record of 561-300-117, good for a .633 win percentage. Schafer's 561 career victories are 331 more than the second-place holder, Dick Bertrand '70.

Leaving an indelible mark on the Cornell men's hockey program, Schafer guided Cornell to 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2003 Frozen Four in Buffalo, N.Y., where the Big Red established the single-season program record for wins (30). Cornell ended up winning at least 20 games on 14 occasions and had 18 campaigns with a .600 win percentage, including each of the last eight seasons. In ECAC Hockey play, Schafer helped the Big Red win 10-plus conference games 24 times, including the previous eight campaigns.

"I couldn't be more proud of our hockey team," Schafer said. "If we played yesterday, we would have been without five guys. We unfortunately got hit with the flu while we're out here and the guys that sucked it up in this game never said a word, never batted an eyelash, played hard throughout the night. We gave it everything we possibly could. As a coach, that's all you ask of your players. I told them after the game all you ask is their heart and soul and their preparation to go out on the ice and give it everything they have, from blocking shots to back-checking and taking a hit. It's the adage as a coach, the commitment these guys have had, just their perseverance, and they had a shot at it.

"I'm grateful for my career, I'm grateful for Cornell for providing me the job. I'm not happy we lost; I'm very proud of our players and how they represent Cornell. In today's society, are they not the truest student-athletes? They pay to go to school and have a tough curriculum. They grinded out exams last night from 6-7:30 last night. They're the truest sense of a student-athlete in a world where it's chaos. How could you not be proud as a coach? That's why I've stayed at Cornell. It's the best job in the country. Best fans, best university, best combination of hockey and academics."

Cornell seemed to have scored the first goal of the game within the first seven minutes when Walsh deflected the rebound of junior forward Dalton Bancroft's shot from the left faceoff circle. However, the officials immediately disallowed the goal, stating that Walsh had deflected the puck into the net with his hand. The Big Red challenged the ruling, and it was ultimately overturned, awarding Cornell a 1-0 lead.

The Cornell lead would be short-lived as Boston University responded with a goal of their own 72 seconds later when Shane saved Copponi's shot, and a Cornell defender inadvertently knocked the loose rebound into the net.

Late in the first period, Walsh received a five-minute face-masking penalty following a lengthy video review that occurred during the final media timeout. Despite the man advantage being split into two segments due to a slashing penalty against Boston University's Devin Kaplan as the first period ended, Shane saved all six shots on goal from the Terriers.

Neither side scored on their 10 shots on target during the second period, but a penalty called as time expired allowed Boston University to start the third period with a power play. Cole Hutson scored on a shot from the goal line, beating Shane over his near-side shoulder to put the Terriers ahead just 34 seconds into the frame.

O'Leary tied the game up with 5:30 left in regulation as he wristed a shot from the mid-slot. Senior forward Sullivan Mack set up the play by taking the puck away from a pair of Boston University players at the half wall.

Both sides generated scoring chances in the opening 30 seconds of overtime, with Shane and Yegorov each making crucial stops to extend the game further.

Quinn Hutson solidified the Terriers' third consecutive trip to the Frozen Four after attempting a shot from the right point that evaded traffic in front of Shane and went into the bottom left corner of the goal.

2025-26 Roster

If you’ve never been to a Big Red hockey game at Cornell’s Lynah Rink, there are quite a few things you’ve never experienced. You’ve never camped in line to get season tickets and ensure your spot as one of the raucous and devoted "Lynah Faithful." But most importantly, if you’ve never been to Lynah, you’ve never experienced all the best that college hockey offers.

Lynah Rink, which enters its 68th year serving as the home of Big Red hockey this season, was formally dedicated on April 6, 1957, a month after its opening to the public on March 4, 1957. The facility, which was built following a $500,000 anonymous donation (approximately $5.59 million in 2024), honors the late James Lynah '05, who served as the director of athletics at Cornell from 1935-43.

The donation to build Lynah Rink resurrected the Cornell hockey program following a 10-year hiatus, ensuring hockey returned as a varsity sport for the 1957-58 season.

Cornell began sponsoring hockey as a varsity sport with the 1900-01 season, which featured all Big Red home games played on the university’s outdoor rink on Beebe Lake. Due to a series of abnormally mild winters, the program was left — literally — on thin ice, causing Cornell to drop the program entirely after the 1947-48 campaign.

Since its opening in March of 1957, Lynah Rink has received numerous face-lifts since hosting its inaugural event on March 21, 1957, a 7-3 victory for the NHL’s New York Rangers in an exhibiton against the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Gump Worsley stopped 44 shots in the victory for the Rangers.

Among the renovations, Cornell spent nearly $1 million in the summer of 2000, to replace the rink floor, drainage system, frost protection and refrigeration piping, and adding new boards and seamless glass.

During the summer of 2006, a 16,700-square-foot expansion added new locker rooms, coaches offices, study lounges, new athletic training space, and approximately 450 new seats in the seating bowl.

Over last season’s winter break, updated Cornell branding on the façade and south concourse brought a more modern look to the facility.

Though many physical aspects of Lynah Rink have changed over time, the crowd remains constant. Lynah Rink can hold 4,267 boisterous Cornell hockey fans, who provide unwavering support for the Big Red while creating an unparalleled atmosphere in college hockey.

Although many rinks in the nation are bigger in capacity, few are known to be louder. The Cornell fans, aptly named the "Lynah Faithful," stream into every home contest, making themselves as much a part of the game as the players do. Whether they’re cheering for the Big Red or joining the pep band in their rendition of "Give My Regards to Davy," the Lynah Faithful reaffirms the old saying, "There’s no place like home."

Since the doors opened on Lynah Rink, the Cornell men's hockey program has won a pair of NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships in 1967 and 1970, garnering an ECAC Hockey-record 13 tournament championships (1967-70, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1996-97, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2024) and 26 Ivy League titles, 22 of which have been won outright.

Cornell will play its final preseason contest next Saturday, Oct. 25, when it welcomes the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team to Lynah Rink. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

Next Saturday’s meeting with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team will mark the 12th all-time meeting between the programs. Cornell leads the series 9-1-1 and has won the last six meetings.

The U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team enters this weekend with a 1-8-0 overall record. Its lone win came in a 7-3 victory over the Lincoln Stars on Sept. 21. Last weekend, the team was shut out in a road games against Western Michigan (7-0) and Wisconsin (6-0). This weekend, the NTDP U-18’s will host Lake Superior State on Friday before welcoming Ferris State on Saturday.

Next Saturday’s game at Lynah Rink will be the second contest of the NTDP U-18’s Empire State trip, following a matchup with Niagara on Friday, Oct. 24.

Victor Plante leads the NTDP U-18’s with seven points (three goals, four assists) in nine games. Sammy Nelson, Lukas Zajic, AJ Garcia, Jamie Glance, and Dayne Beuker each have two goals.

In goal, Brady Knowling (1-2-0, 3.47 GAA, .890 SV%) and Luke Carrithers (0-5-0, 4.49 GAA, .859 SV%) have each played five games between the pipes.