The sport of hockey has seen some major changes throughout its history. From the invention of curved stick blades to the introduction of goalie masks, the sport is constantly changing and evolving. As a result, there are several historical records that could stand the test of time.
So, we dove into the record books, and we found seven college hockey records we think will never be broken.
HOCKEY HISTORY: Teams with the most men’s hockey championships
1. 116 points in a single season — Tony Hrkac, North Dakota (1987)
The NHL saw a noticeable jump in physicality and scoring in the 1980s. Legendary players like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux routinely scored 150+ points per season. Similarly, the run-and-gun play style dominated NCAA men’s hockey. It’s no surprise that the NCAA record for most points in a season comes from 1986-87, when Tony Hrkac scored 116 points in just 48 games for North Dakota.
Hrkac scored 46 goals that season, second only to his linemate, Bob Joyce, who scored a UND record 52. He added 70 assists, many of which were on Joyce’s goals, to bring his total to 116, good for a 2.42 point-per-game clip.
Since 1987, the closest anyone has come to Hrkac’s record was in 1993 when Paul Kariya scored 100 points for Maine. Kariya was also the last player to score 100 points in a single season, as scoring has seen a decline in the modern game.
READ MORE: Hrkac one of 10 players who went straight to the NHL playoffs
Minnesota’s Natalie Darwitz holds the single-season scoring record in NC women’s hockey with 114 points in 2005. Much like the men’s game, it has proven harder to score each season as defenses and goalies have gotten more skilled over the years. Minnesota’s Amanda Kessel (2013) is the only NC women’s hockey player since 2005 to eclipse 100 points.
2. 8 goals in a single game — Bob Wheeler, Brown (1952); Bill Sullivan, North Dakota (1948)
We have to go way back for this one. All the way back to before helmets were mandated. UND’s Bill Sullivan (1948) and Brown University’s Bob Wheeler (1952) share the record for most goals in a single game with eight. While the final score in Wheeler’s performance is not available, we know that Sullivan’s goals came in a 17-6 rout of North Dakota State on Feb. 27, 1948. Much like Hrkac’s single-season points record, it is hard to see a player in the modern era scoring that many times in a game, so it’s probably safe to say this record will stand forever.
Jenny Potter of Minnesota-Duluth and Nicole Corriero of Harvard share the women’s record with six goals in a game. Potter did it on Dec. 18, 2002, in a win over St. Cloud State. Corriero did it the next season for Harvard against Union (NY). These records might be a little more attainable than the men’s, but six goals is still a lofty mark in today’s game.
3. 13 points in a single game — Gordie Peterkin, Renssealer (Dec. 2, 1952)
This one is pretty wild. Gordie Peterkin holds two NCAA records with his performance for RPI on Dec. 2, 1952. While we don’t know the final score, we know RPI scored AT LEAST 13 goals, as Peterkin had four tallies and nine assists to set the NCAA single-game points record. His nine assists tie Don Sennott (1951-52) for the most in a single game.
RPI had a wild 1952 season, averaging an NCAA record 8.22 goals per game. 18 games. 148 goals. That record is probably safe as well.
4. 15-second hat trick — Tom Meeker, Clarkson (Feb. 12, 1955)
Alright, one more from the days of old. On Feb. 12, 1955, Clarkson’s Tom Meeker set the record for the fastest hat trick with three goals in just 15 seconds in an 18-2 win over Hamilton.
To put into perspective how ridiculous that is, the next fastest hat trick was 46 seconds by Army’s John Dowalgo in 1973. Since 1990, the fastest hat trick is Matthew Peca on Mar. 31, 2013—it took him a whopping three minutes and twelve seconds. This one is probably the safest record on the whole list.
5. 89 saves in a single game — Kaitlyn Daly, Post (Nov. 9, 2018)
Here’s one we don’t have to go back THAT far for. In November of 2018, Saint Anselm routed Post in back-to-back games, 8-2 and 9-0, respectively. Those might not sound like anything special, but you’ll see a different story when you dig into the numbers. Post’s freshman goaltender Kaitlyn Daly stopped an NCAA record 89 of 97 shots she faced in the 8-2 loss, good for a respectable .918 save percentage.
The next closest to Daly’s record is Emme Ostrander of Franklin Pierce, who made 79 saves in a 2-1 quintuple-overtime loss to Saint Anselm in 2020, the longest NC women’s hockey game to date—though the fact it took five extra periods makes Daly’s record even more impressive.
Notre Dame’s Cal Petersen holds the record on the men’s side with 87 saves in a 4-3 loss to UMass on March 6, 2015. This game also went to five overtimes, making it the longest game in DI men’s hockey history.
6. Longest shutout streak (375:01) — Blaine Lacher, Lake Superior St. (1994)
This one is a four-in-one record. In 1994, Lake Superior St. Goalie Blaine Lacher pitched shutouts in five consecutive starts, an NCAA record. He also holds the record for consecutive shutout minutes with 375:01. Now here’s the fun part: those five starts were in consecutive games for the Lakers, over the course of just 15 days. That means Lake Superior St. also holds the team records for consecutive game shutouts and consecutive shutout minutes.
The closest any goalie has come to either record was North Dakota goalie Cam Johnson in 2015-16. Johnson recorded four consecutive shutouts and 298:25 consecutive shutout minutes. 2016 North Dakota is also second all-time in each of the previously mentioned team records.
7. 23 career shorthanded goals — John Madden, Michigan (1994-97)
John Madden—no, not THAT John Madden—holds two NCAA records for shorthanded goals: most in a single season (10) and most in a career (23). While a couple of players have come close to 10 SHG in a season since Madden did it in 1996, no player has come within seven of his career record since he graduated in 1997.
Madden played four seasons for Michigan from 1994-97, winning a national championship as a junior in 1996. His shorthanded wizardry continued at the NHL level, as he tied the NHL rookie record at the time by scoring six SHG in 1999-00.
