Since the 1899-1900 season, upstate New York’s Cornell University has fielded a hockey team. A storied NCAA Division I program, the Big Red has 24 NCAA Tournament appearances, two NCAA National Championships, and eight Frozen Four appearances. The Big Red compete in the ECAC conference of college hockey against a field of Northeastern United States college programs, including archival Harvard University.
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An established Ivy League college hockey program that develops NHL-level talent, 38 players, who suited up for the Big Red appeared in NHL games from 1971 to the present. Of this group, 12 players appeared in 100 or more games in the league. The 12 Cornellians with 100 or more games in the NHL include Hockey Hall of Famers, Stanley Cup champions, Olympic medalists, and players with scores of other professional honors.
Joe Nieuwendyk
A 2011 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Joe Nieuwendyk’s professional career spanned two decades. A veteran of 1,257 NHL games, the center made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames on Mar. 10, 1987, against the Washington Capitals, scoring his first big-league goal on goaltender Pete Peeters. Throughout his long career, he also suited up for the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers.
A three-time Stanley Cup champion with Calgary (1989), Dallas (1999), and New Jersey (2003), Nieuwendyk also has a Calder Memorial (1988), King Clancy Memorial (1995), and Conn Smythe (1999) in his trophy case. On the international level, he won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Before joining the ranks of the NHL, Nieuwendyk played three seasons with Cornell between 1984 and 1987, compiling an outstanding 139 points in 73 games. As a member of the Big Red, he received several honors, including ECAC Rookie of the Year (1985) and ECAC Player of the Year (1987). He was drafted by the Flames 27th overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He is considered by many to be the best player to come out of Cornell University’s ice hockey program.
Matt Moulson
Matt Moulson appeared in 650 NHL games during a professional career that spanned 16 seasons. Between 2006 and 2022, the forward suited up for games in the American Hockey League (AHL) and NHL for the Manchester Monarchs, Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Ontario Reign, and Hershey Bears. The Ontario native had his best season in the NHL with the Islanders during the 2011-12 season when he recorded 69 points (36 goals and 33 assists) in 82 games. During the 2014-15 campaign, he served as an alternate captain for the Sabres.
Before turning professional, Moulson played in 134 games over four seasons with Cornell University. He was a member of two ECAC Tournament championship teams, the 2002-03 and 2004-05 squads. He was an alternate captain for the 2004-05 championship team. That season, he scored 22 goals and 20 assists in 34 games. The following season, he was named captain during his senior year of college. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Moulson won numerous NCAA and ECAC honors during his college career.
Kent Manderville
A silver medalist for Team Canada at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France, Kent Manderville played for Cornell for two seasons between 1989 and 1991. The center appeared in 54 games for the Big Red and recorded 57 career points. Drafted by the Flames in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, the Alberta native was traded to Toronto, where he made his professional debut during the 1992-93 campaign.
A veteran of 646 NHL games, in addition to parts of four seasons with the Maple Leafs, he also suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Penguins. Manderville was a member of the 1992-93 Maple Leafs squad that fell to the Kings (4-3) in the Campbell Conference Final. Seven seasons later, he returned to a conference final with the Flyers. In the 2000 Eastern Conference Final, the Flyers fell to the Devils in seven games. Manderville retired from professional hockey in 2007, after spending the final four seasons of his career in Europe.
Riley Nash
An alternate captain of the 2009-10 ECAC Conference Tournament championship team, forward Riley Nash played for Cornell for three seasons between 2007 and 2010. During the Big Red’s championship season, he recorded 35 points (12 goals and 23 assists) in 30 games. Drafted by the Oilers 21st overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, he made his professional debut with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL during the 2010-11 campaign.
The following season, he broke into the NHL for five games with Charlotte’s parent club, the Hurricanes. The 2013-14 campaign began an eight-season stretch of being a regular in the NHL with the Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Maple Leafs. From 20021 to the present, he has had limited appearances in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New York Rangers. An active member of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, Nash has appeared in over 500 NHL games.
Douglas Murray
A native of Sweden, Douglas Murray played for Cornell for four seasons between 1999 and 2003. A member of the 2002-03 ECAC Conference Tournament championship team, Murray served as alternate captain and captain for the Big Red during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. His 32 points in 35 games during the 2001-02 season won him several NCAA and ECAC honors. That season, the blueliner was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award presented annually to college hockey’s best player.
Drafted by the San Jose Sharks during the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Murray made his professional debut with the team during the 2005-06 season. He was a member of the 2010-11 Sharks that fell to the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Final (4-1). Between 2005 and 2014, the defenseman appeared in 518 NHL games for the Sharks, Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens. He retired from professional hockey after spending the 2014-15 season in Germany.
Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden appeared in goal for Cornell during three seasons between 1966 and 1969. In 83 games, the Ontario native had 76 wins between the pipes. During three college seasons, he recorded .945, .938, and .936 save percentages (SV%). His goals-against average (GAA) also remained well below 2.00 during his tenure with the Big Red. His contributions to the Cornell hockey team were recognized with numerous NCAA and ECAC honors.
Dryden’s 397 NHL games were spent entirely with the Canadiens. A member of the team between 1971 and 1979, he made his professional debut on Mar. 14, 1971, against the Penguins, giving up one goal in a 5-1 victory. In parts of eight seasons, he captured six Stanley Cups.
During Montreal’s march to the 1977 Stanley Cup championship, Dryden was lights out in goal. He recorded a 1.56 GAA and .932 SV%, including four shutouts, in 14 playoff games. In the Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens shut out the Bruins in four games. His outstanding performance in goal was recognized with five Vezina Trophies (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
Brian Hayward
Brian Hayward played goaltender for Cornell University from 1978 to 1982. His best season with the Big Red came during the 1981-82 season when he appeared in goal for 22 games, recording a 3.17 GAA and .912 SV%. That season, the team captain also received NCAA (East) All-American Team and NCAA (ECAC) First All-Star Team honors.
Hayward turned professional during the 1982-83 campaign, splitting time between the Jets and their AHL affiliate, the Sherbrooke Jets. This marked the beginning of an 11-season NHL career when he also spent time with the Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars, and Sharks. Career highlights came during the 1986-87, 1987-88, and 1988-89 seasons, when he won the William M. Jennings Award for the NHL’s lowest goals-against number as a member of the Canadiens. He shared this honor each season with Patrick Roy. The Ontario native retired after the 1992-93 season after 357 NHL games.
Ryan O’Byrne
Blueliner Ryan O’Byrne’s professional hockey career spanned nearly a decade, with stops in the AHL, NHL, ECHL, Russia, Switzerland, and Sweden. Before turning professional in 2006, the British Columbia native played three seasons with Cornell. A member of the 2004-05 ECAC Conference Tournament championship team, O’Byrne was a physically imposing force on the ice during his college and professional careers.
In college alone, the defenseman had 208 penalty minutes in 92 games for the Big Red. Throughout parts of six NHL seasons, he appeared in 308 games for the Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and Maple Leafs. He retired from professional hockey following the 2015-16 season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with the club HV71.
Colin Greening
Colin Greening played four seasons with Cornell from 2006 to 2010. The forward is considered one of the top leaders in program history, having served as an alternate captain his sophomore season and team captain his junior and senior campaigns. He led the Big Reg to an ECAC Conference Tournament championship during the 2009-10 season when he recorded 35 points (15 goals and 20 goals). At Cornell, he was also a member of the Quill and Dagger Society, a senior honor society.
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Greening turned professional during the 2010-11 season, appearing in 59 games for the AHL’s Binghamton Senators and 24 games for their parent club, the Ottawa Senators. His longest tenure in the NHL came the following season, when he appeared in 82 games for the Senators, scoring 17 goals and 20 assists. The remainder of his career was marked with time spent overseas and bouncing between the AHL and NHL. In the AHL, he was a member of the Calder Cup champion Senators (2010-11) and Marlies (2017-18) squads. He retired from professional hockey following the 2018-19 campaign after spending the season with the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs. Greening retired with 286 NHL games.
Brad Chartrand
Brad Chartrand played in the NHL for parts of five seasons. He appeared in 215 regular-season games between 1999 and 2004, recording 50 points (25 goals and 25 assists) for the Kings. Before turning professional, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native played four seasons for Cornell University.
Chartrand served as team captain for his junior and senior seasons. The right-winger’s best season of college hockey came during the 1995-96 campaign when he exploded offensively, scoring 24 goals and 19 assists in 34 games. This offensive surge supported Cornell in capturing the ECAC Conference Tournament championship for the first time in 10 years. That season, he also received the ECAC’s Best Defensive Forward award.
Morgan Barron
Morgan Barron played in 98 games for Cornell between 2017 and 2020. The forward scored 14 goals and 18 assists during the 2019-20 campaign while wearing the captain’s “C.” The recipient of several NCAA, ECAC, and Ivy League honors during his college career, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award during his last season at Cornell.
Drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Rangers, Barron made his NHL debut with New York in 2021. After being traded to the Jets, he became an NHL regular, appearing in 70 games last season. The Nova Scotian’s 21 points (eight goals and 13 assists) paved the way for his return to the Jets’ big league roster this season.
Joakim Ryan
Rumson, New Jersey’s Joakim Ryan played for Cornell University between 2011 and 2015. Drafted by the Sharks in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, his best season of college hockey came during the 2013-14 campaign, when he recorded 24 points (eight goals and 16 assists) in 32 games. He wore the alternate captain’s “A” for the Big Red during his last season of college hockey.
The defenseman made his NHL debut with the Sharks during the 2017-18 season. During parts of four seasons in the NHL, he appeared in 145 games with the Sharks, Kings, and Hurricanes before joining the Malmö Redhawks of the SHL. Joakim is the son of former tennis pro Catarina Lindqvist Ryan.
Ben Scrivens
Ben Scrivens tended goal for the Cornell Big Red between 2006 and 2010. A native of Alberta, he appeared in 117 games for the university. His best college season came during the 2008-09 campaign when he won 22 games, recording a 1.81 GAA and .931 SV%. During his senior year, he won the Ken Dryden Trophy as ECAC goaltender of the year and was named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. The goaltender ended his college career with 19 shutouts, placing him on the all-time NCAA leader list for the category.
Scrivens played in parts of five seasons between 2011 and 2016, appearing in 144 NHL games. He made his NHL debut for the Maple Leafs during the 2011-12 campaign, when he appeared in 12 games, recording a 3.13 GAA and .903 SV%. His longest tenure at the NHL level came during the 2014-15 campaign when he played in 57 games for the Oilers, recording a 3.16 GAA and .890 SV%. He retired after spending the 2017-18 season in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
Jacob MacDonald
Jacob MacDonald played for Cornell between 2011 and 2015. During his time with the Big Red, he appeared in 104 games, recording 21 points. Following his 2014-15 senior year, the Brighton, Michigan native joined the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL as an unsigned free agent. That was the start of four seasons in the minor leagues before playing two NHL games for the Florida Panthers during the 2018-19 season. Since then, he has appeared in parts of four NHL seasons with the Avalanche and Sharks. To date, MacDonald has appeared in just over 100 NHL games.
Next in Line
Sam Malinski of the Avalanche appears to be the next Cornell graduate who has a shot at playing in over 100 games in the NHL. A member of the Big Red hockey team from 2019 to 2023, the 25-year-old blueliner signed with Colorado following his senior season. Prior to turning professional, he had 65 points in 91 games for Cornell. The former Cornell captain made his NHL debut this season for the Avalanche on Nov. 13, 2023. If Malinski makes it to the 100 NHL game mark, he will join a proud fraternity of former Cornell players who have made notable impacts on the league.