1978–79_NCAA_Division_I_men's_ice_hockey_season
The 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 1978 and concluded with the 1979 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on March 24, 1979 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. This was the 32nd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 85th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.
Quick Facts –79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Duration ...
| 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Olympia Stadium served as the host for the 1979 Frozen Four | |||||
| Duration | October 1978– March 24, 1979 | ||||
| NCAA tournament | 1979 | ||||
| National championship | Olympia Stadium Detroit, Michigan | ||||
| NCAA champion | Minnesota | ||||
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Pre-season poll
The top teams in the nation voted on by coaches before the start of the season. The poll was compiled by radio station WMPL.
More information WMPL Poll, Rank ...
| WMPL Poll | |
|---|---|
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | Minnesota |
| 2 | Boston University |
| 3 (tie) | Denver |
| 3 (tie) | North Dakota |
| 5 | Wisconsin |
| 6 | Bowling Green State |
| 7 (tie) | Boston College |
| 7 (tie) | Cornell |
| 9 | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Minnesota Duluth |
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Season tournaments
More information Tournament, Dates ...
| Tournament | Dates | Teams | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Country Thanksgiving Festival | November 24–25 | 4 | Clarkson |
| Pacific Rim Tournament | December 7–13 | 3 | Alberta |
| Union Holiday Festival Tournament | December 15–16 | 4 | Colgate |
| Cornell Holiday Festival | December 28–29 | 4 | Cornell |
| Broadmoor World Tournament | December 28–30 | 3 | Soviet Traktor |
| Old Colony Invitational | December 28–30 | 4 | Bowling Green |
| Rensselaer Holiday Tournament | December 28–30 | 4 | St. Lawrence |
| Great Lakes Invitational | December 29–30 | 4 | Michigan Tech |
| Auld Lang Syne Classic | December 30–31 | 4 | Dartmouth |
| Yale Invitational | January 5–6 | 4 | New Hampshire |
| Beanpot | February 5, 12 | 4 | Boston University |
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Standings
More information Conference, Overall ...
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| Minnesota† | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 80 | 43 | 44 | 32 | 11 | 1 | 239 | 147 | |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 73 | 50 | 41 | 25 | 13 | 3 | 215 | 172 | |
| Michigan | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 75 | 36 | 8 | 27 | 1 | 132 | 210 | |
| Michigan State | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 77 | 36 | 15 | 21 | 0 | 140 | 192 | |
| † indicates conference regular season champion | ||||||||||||||
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More information Conference, Overall ...
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| Bowling Green†* | 24 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 43 | 142 | 54 | 45 | 37 | 6 | 2 | 179 | 113 | |
| Ohio State | 24 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 31 | 126 | 101 | 40 | 25 | 13 | 2 | 218 | 170 | |
| Northern Michigan | 24 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 27 | 109 | 93 | 34 | 19 | 13 | 2 | 168 | 126 | |
| Lake Superior State | 24 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 23 | 118 | 112 | 36 | 16 | 18 | 2 | 164 | 181 | |
| Saint Louis | 24 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 20 | 104 | 137 | 35 | 16 | 16 | 3 | 174 | 189 | |
| Western Michigan | 24 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 116 | 142 | 36 | 17 | 19 | 0 | 171 | 182 | |
| Ferris State‡ | 24 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 87 | 163 | 34 | 10 | 24 | 0 | 155 | 217 | |
| Championship: Bowling Green † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion ‡ Ferris State was still considered a member of the NAIA | ||||||||||||||
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More information Conference, Overall ...
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | Pct. | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| Boston University† | 23 | 17 | 4 | 2 | .783 | 101 | 76 | 30 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 138 | 106 | |
| New Hampshire* | 25 | 17 | 5 | 3 | .740 | 151 | 103 | 35 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 203 | 148 | |
| Cornell | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | .727 | 129 | 88 | 29 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 166 | 114 | |
| Dartmouth | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 | .659 | 104 | 78 | 30 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 144 | 102 | |
| Clarkson | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | .591 | 135 | 106 | 31 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 184 | 136 | |
| Providence | 24 | 13 | 9 | 2 | .583 | 105 | 102 | 28 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 134 | 123 | |
| Yale | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | .568 | 105 | 91 | 27 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 129 | 125 | |
| Vermont | 21 | 11 | 10 | 0 | .524 | 97 | 98 | 30 | 12 | 18 | 0 | 122 | 141 | |
| Northeastern | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | .500 | 94 | 107 | 27 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 112 | 129 | |
| Brown | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | .476 | 86 | 89 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 105 | 108 | |
| Boston College | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | .455 | 106 | 112 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 167 | 141 | |
| Colgate | 20 | 7 | 13 | 0 | .350 | 97 | 124 | 28 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 166 | 144 | |
| Rensselaer | 25 | 8 | 16 | 1 | .340 | 124 | 136 | 28 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 141 | 145 | |
| Harvard | 22 | 5 | 16 | 1 | .250 | 86 | 109 | 26 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 108 | 131 | |
| St. Lawrence | 24 | 5 | 18 | 1 | .229 | 81 | 132 | 31 | 8 | 21 | 2 | 118 | 162 | |
| Princeton | 21 | 2 | 15 | 4 | .190 | 71 | 119 | 26 | 5 | 17 | 4 | 95 | 138 | |
| Championship: New Hampshire † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion | ||||||||||||||
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More information Conference, Overall ...
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| Air Force | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 31 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 157 | 139 | |
| Miami | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 37 | 22 | 14 | 1 | 257 | 145 | |
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More information Conference, Overall ...
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| North Dakota†* | 32 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 44 | 168 | 110 | 42 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 245 | 144 | |
| Minnesota* | 32 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 41 | 177 | 116 | 44 | 32 | 11 | 1 | 239 | 147 | |
| Minnesota-Duluth | 32 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 40 | 176 | 141 | 40 | 22 | 14 | 4 | 213 | 170 | |
| Wisconsin | 32 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 40 | 164 | 138 | 41 | 25 | 13 | 3 | 215 | 172 | |
| Notre Dame | 32 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 35 | 161 | 153 | 38 | 18 | 19 | 1 | 184 | 196 | |
| Denver | 32 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 30 | 147 | 174 | 43 | 20 | 20 | 3 | 188 | 217 | |
| Michigan Tech | 32 | 13 | 16 | 3 | 29 | 152 | 141 | 38 | 17 | 18 | 3 | 182 | 165 | |
| Colorado College | 32 | 11 | 19 | 2 | 24 | 144 | 185 | 38 | 12 | 24 | 2 | 165 | 218 | |
| Michigan State | 32 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 122 | 180 | 36 | 15 | 21 | 0 | 140 | 192 | |
| Michigan | 32 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 117 | 190 | 36 | 8 | 27 | 1 | 132 | 210 | |
| Championship: Minnesota, North Dakota † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion | ||||||||||||||
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Final regular season polls
The final top 10 teams as ranked by coaches (WMPL) before the conference tournament finals.
More information WMPL Coaches Poll, Ranking ...
| WMPL Coaches Poll | |
|---|---|
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Dakota |
| 2 | Bowling Green State |
| 3 | Minnesota |
| 4 | Boston University |
| 5 | New Hampshire |
| 6 | Minnesota Duluth |
| 7 | Wisconsin |
| 8 | Cornell |
| 9 | Ohio State |
| 10 | Dartmouth |
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Main article: 1979 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
| First round March 18 | Semifinals March 22–23 | National championship March 24 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | New Hampshire | 3 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Minnesota | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Minnesota | 6 | ||||||||||||
| A | Bowling Green | 3 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Minnesota | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | North Dakota | 3 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | North Dakota | 4 | Third-place game | |||||||||||
| E2 | Dartmouth | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | New Hampshire | 3 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Dartmouth | 7 | ||||||||||||
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the season.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
More information Player, Class ...
| Player | Class | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Johnson | Junior | Wisconsin | 40 | 41 | 49 | 90 | 34 |
| George McPhee | Freshman | Bowling Green | 43 | 40 | 48 | 88 | 58 |
| Dave Delich | Senior | Colorado College | 36 | 32 | 52 | 84 | 26 |
| Mark Wells | Senior | Bowling Green | 45 | 26 | 57 | 83 | 30 |
| Mark Taylor | Junior | North Dakota | 42 | 24 | 59 | 83 | 28 |
| Kevin Maxwell | Freshman | North Dakota | 42 | 31 | 51 | 82 | 79 |
| John Markell | Senior | Bowling Green | 42 | 31 | 49 | 80 | 96 |
| Mark Pavelich | Junior | Minnesota–Duluth | 37 | 31 | 48 | 79 | 52 |
| Steve Christoff | Junior | Minnesota | 43 | 38 | 39 | 77 | 50 |
| Paul Tilley | Junior | Ohio State | 39 | 32 | 44 | 76 | 55 |
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Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 33% of their team's total minutes.
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
More information Player, Class ...
| Player | Class | Team | GP | Min | W | L | OT | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wally Charko | Sophomore | Bowling Green | 39 | 2307 | 32 | - | - | 92 | - | .914 | 2.39 |
| Bob Iwabuchi | Freshman | North Dakota | 22 | 1274 | - | - | - | 61 | 1 | .907 | 2.74 |
| Dan Kodatsky | Freshman | Miami | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.82 |
| Bob Gaudet | Sophomore | Dartmouth | 23 | 1385 | - | - | - | 70 | 2 | .896 | 3.03 |
| Rick Mills | Freshman | Clarkson | 14 | 706 | - | - | - | 38 | 0 | .893 | 3.23 |
| Steve Janaszak | Senior | Minnesota | 41 | 2428 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 131 | 1 | .895 | 3.23 |
| Steve Weeks | Junior | Northern Michigan | 25 | 1437 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 82 | 0 | .902 | 3.42 |
| Jim Craig | Junior | Boston University | 19 | 1009 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 60 | 1 | - | 3.57 |
| Mel Donnelly | Junior | North Dakota | 10 | 561 | - | - | - | 34 | 0 | .881 | 3.66 |
| Greg Moffett | Sophomore | New Hampshire | 31 | 1431 | 21 | - | - | 89 | 0 | .892 | 3.73 |
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More information Award, Recipient ...
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More information Award, Recipient ...
ECAC
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WCHA
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Main article: 1979 NHL Entry Draft
More information Round, Pick ...
| Round | Pick | Player | College | Conference | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Mike Ramsey | Minnesota | WCHA | Buffalo Sabres |
| 2 | 40 | Dave Christian | North Dakota | WCHA | Winnipeg Jets |
| 3 | 42 | Neal Broten | Minnesota | WCHA | Minnesota North Stars |
| 3 | 61 | Bill Whelton | Boston University | ECAC Hockey | Winnipeg Jets |
| 3 | 63 | Kevin Maxwell | North Dakota | WCHA | Minnesota North Stars |
| 4 | 69 | Glenn Anderson | Denver | WCHA | Edmonton Oilers |
| 5 | 92 | Jim Brown | Notre Dame | WCHA | Los Angeles Kings |
| 5 | 97 | Dan Makuch | Clarkson | ECAC Hockey | New York Rangers |
| 6 | 114 | Bill McCreary | Colgate | ECAC Hockey | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 6 | 115 | Marc Chorney | North Dakota | WCHA | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 6 | 117 | Glenn Johnson | Denver | WCHA | Atlanta Flames |
| 6 | 121 | Greg Moffett | New Hampshire | ECAC Hockey | Montreal Canadiens |
| 6 | 122 | John Gibb | Bowling Green | CCHA | New York Islanders |
| 6 | 123 | Dave McDonald ‡ | Minnesota–Duluth | WCHA | Hartford Whalers |
| 6 | 124 | Tim Watters | Michigan Tech | WCHA | Winnipeg Jets |
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† incoming freshman
‡ McDonald had left school mid-season.
[14]
- "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". CCHA. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- "2008-09 ECAC Hockey Media Guide" (PDF). ECAC Hockey. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- "2008-09 WCHA Yearbook 113-128" (PDF). WCHA. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- "NCAA Tournament". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "1978-79 NCAA Division I Statistics". Elite Prospects. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- "NCAA Division I Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- "CCHA Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "CCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "ECAC Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "ECAC All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "WCHA Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- "1979 NHL Entry Draft". Hockey DB. Retrieved October 25, 2023.