The Army Black Knights men’s ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the United States Military Academy. The Black Knights are a member of Atlantic Hockey and play at the Tate Rink in West Point, New York.
History
The men’s ice hockey program at West Point has been in existence since the 1903–04 season. The team played outdoors until 1930 when the Smith Rink opened.[2] The team competed as independent members of NCAA Division I from the inaugural season through the 1960–61 season.[3] In 1961 the program became a founding member of the ECAC.[3] The team, known at the time as the Army Cadets, played as members of the ECAC from 1961 to 1962 season through the 1972–73 season before dropping their program to Division II status when the NCAA instituted numerical divisions. The Cadets would remain there until 1980 when they rejoined the ECAC as an associate member. Army became a full ECAC member in 1984 in the aftermath of the Hockey East schism but the Cadets wouldn’t remain for long and left the conference in 1990. The Cadets joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), which began sponsoring men’s hockey at the time, in 1999 and in 2001 the team name was changed to Army Black Knights along with the other athletic programs at the Academy.[3] In 2003, the MAAC’s ice hockey division split off and became the Atlantic Hockey Association, a hockey-only NCAA Division I conference.[4]
In 2007–08 season the Black Knights won their only conference title to date, the Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Championship. In that season the Knights finished with an overall record of 19 wins, 14 losses, and 4 ties and went 17–8–3 in conference play.[5] Took the No. 1 seed into the Atlantic Hockey playoffs and swept (#10) American Int’l two games to none in the three game first round series.[4] The Black Knight’s season came to an end in the semifinal game when they lost to (#5) Mercyhurst 2–4.[6]
Since 1950, the Cadets/Black Knights have been coached by a member of the Riley family. Jack Riley, best known for leading the United States to the gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics, coached at West Point from 1950 to 1986. He handed the reins to his son Rob in 1986, who in turn handed coaching duties to his younger brother Brian in 2004.
Army–RMC rivalry
The Army Black Knights have a long-standing rivalry with the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Paladins. It is considered one of the longest-running annual international sporting events in the world.[7][8]
The tradition originated when the commandant of RMC, Sir Archibald McDonnell, and the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur, suggested a game of ice hockey between the two schools in 1921.[9] After two years of exchanging ideas, the first game was played on February 23, 1923, at West Point. The Redmen won that first game 3–0.[10] In 1924 the series moved to Kingston, Ontario (the location of RMC), thus beginning the tradition of rotating venues. This was Army’s first away game and up until 1941, the West Point Game was the only time that Army played away from the Academy.[7][8]
Season-by-season results
All-time coaching records
As of March 5, 2024
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–Present | Brian Riley | 20 | 242–359–92 | .416 |
| 1988–2004 | Rob Riley | 18 | 257–288–33 | .473 |
| 1950–1986 | Jack Riley | 36 | 542–343–20 | .610 |
| 1945–1950 | Len Patten | 5 | 33–35–2 | .486 |
| 1944–1945 | Robert Lutz | 1 | 7–2–1 | .750 |
| 1943–1944 | John Hines | 1 | 5–4–0 | .556 |
| 1923–1943 | Ray Marchand | 20 | 76–106–9 | .421 |
| 1920–1923 | Talbot Hunter | 3 | 12–12–2 | .500 |
| 1918–1920 | Philip Day | 2 | 6–4–1 | .591 |
| 1917–1918 | Joseph Viner | 1 | 6–3–0 | .667 |
| 1914–1917 | Frank Purdon | 3 | 9–10–1 | .475 |
| 1912–1914 | Philip Gordon | 2 | 7–6–0 | .538 |
| 1910–1912 | LeRoy Bartlett | 2 | 3–4–1 | .438 |
| 1907–1910 | George Russell | 3 | 5–7–4 | .438 |
| 1904–1907 | Robert Foy | 3 | 15–8–0 | .652 |
| 1903–1904 | Edward Leonard King | 1 | 5–1–0 | .833 |
| Totals | 16 coaches | 121 seasons | 1230–1192–166 | .507 |
Awards
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
The following individuals have been inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Jack Riley (1979, 2000†)
† As the coach of the 1960 Olympic team.
IIHF Hall of Fame
The following individuals have been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
- Jack Riley (1998)
Army Sports Hall of Fame
The following individuals have been inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame.
- Jack Riley (2004)
Lester Patrick Award
The following individuals have been awarded the Lester Patrick Award.
- Jack Riley (1986, 2002)
NCAA
Individual awards
Spencer Penrose Award
| Lowes’ Senior CLASS Award
| Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award
| NCAA Scoring Champion
|
All-Americans
AHCA Second Team All-Americans
- 2007–08: Josh Kassel, G
- 2020–21: Trevin Kozlowski, G; Colin Bilek, F
- 2021–22: Colin Bilek, F
MAAC
Individual awards
Offensive Player of the Year
| Goaltender of the Year
| Defensive Rookie of the Year
|
All–MAAC teams
First Team[12]
- Brad Roberts (2003)
Second Team
- Joe Dudek (2003)
Rookie Team[13]
- Chris Casey (2002)
- Brad Roberts (2003)
Atlantic Hockey
Individual awards
Player of the Year[14]
| Rookie of the Year
| Best Defenseman[15]
| Individual Sportsmanship Award
|
Regular Season Scoring Trophy
| Regular Season Goaltending Award
| Coach of the Year
|
All-Atlantic Hockey Teams
First Team[16]
- Josh Kassel (2008)
- Zach McKelvie (2008, 2009)
- Luke Flicek (2008)
- Owen Meyer (2009)
- Alexander Wilkinson (2018)
- Trevin Kozlowski (2021)
- Thomas Farrell (2021)
- Colin Bilek (2021, 2022)
Second Team
- Brad Roberts (2006)
- Tim Manthey (2006, 2007)
- Josh Kassel (2007)
- Owen Meyer (2008)
- Marcel Alvarez (2010, 2011)
- Cody Omilusik (2010)
- Parker Gahagen (2016, 2017)
- Michael Wilson (2018)
- Dalton MacAfee (2019)
- Dominic Franco (2020)
- John Zimmerman (2021)
- Gavin Abric (2022)
- Anthony Firriolo (2022)
- Joey Baez (2023, 2024)
Third Team
- Luke Flicek (2007)
- Cody Omilusik (2011)
- John Keranen (2023)
Rookie Team
- Tim Manthey (2006)
- Owen Meyer (2007)
- Marcel Alvarez (2009)
- Joe Kozlak (2013)
- C. J. Reuschlein (2014)
- Tyler Pham (2015)
- Alexander Wilkinson (2017)
- Dominic Franco (2017)
- John Zimmerman (2018)
- Anthony Firriolo (2020)
- Lincoln Hatten (2021)
- Max Itagaki (2023)
- Mac Gadowsky (2024)
Statistical leaders
Career scoring leaders
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Years | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Rost | 1973–1977 | 104 | 226 | 330 | ||
| Tom Rost | 1976–1980 | 118 | 169 | 287 | 284 | |
| George Clark | 1971–1975 | 153 | 113 | 266 | ||
| Jim Knowlton | 1978–1982 | 90 | 172 | 262 | ||
| David Merhar | 1966–1969 | 112 | 117 | 229 | ||
| Robbie Craig | 1980–1984 | 86 | 135 | 221 | ||
| Ed Collazzo | 1979–1983 | 93 | 104 | 197 | ||
| Frank Keating | 1978–1982 | 65 | 131 | 196 | ||
| Dan Cox | 1979–1983 | 61 | 133 | 194 | ||
| Biff Shea | 1981–1985 | 68 | 120 | 188 |
Career goaltending leaders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Minimum 35 games
| Player | Years | GP | MIN | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevin Kozlowski | 2017–2021 | 65 | 3865 | 36 | 21 | 6 | 142 | 3 | .911 | 2.18 |
| Jack Shepard | 1960–1963 | .920 | 2.20 | |||||||
| Neil Meiras | 1961–1964 | .896 | 2.28 | |||||||
| Parker Gahagen | 2013–2017 | 110 | 6372 | 41 | 49 | 16 | 255 | 10 | .926 | 2.40 |
| Josh Kassel | 2005–2009 | 77 | 4415 | 37 | 31 | 7 | 181 | 8 | .909 | 2.46 |
Statistics are current through the start of the 2022-23 season.
Roster
As of September 14, 2023.[18]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gavin Abric | Senior | G | 6′ 3″ (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-01-11 | Hayward, Wisconsin | Jersey (NCDC) | — |
| 2 |  | Mac Gadowsky | Freshman | D | 6′ 3″ (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-01-10 | Fairbanks, Alaska | Fairbanks (NAHL) | — |
| 3 |  | Easton Zueger | Freshman | D | 5′ 8″ (1.73 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2003-06-07 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Sioux City (USHL) | — |
| 4 |  | John Driscoll | Sophomore | D | 6′ 4″ (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2001-08-19 | Littleton, Colorado | Green Bay (USHL) | — |
| 5 |  | Jon Bell | Freshman | D | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 2002-06-22 | St. Cloud, Minnesota | Wisconsin (NAHL) | — |
| 6 |  | Pierce Patterson | Freshman | D | 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2002-02-26 | Valrico, Florida | Amarillo (NAHL) | — |
| 7 |  | Andrew Gilbert | Junior | D | 6′ 5″ (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2000-05-02 | Fairfield, Connecticut | Jersey (NCDC) | — |
| 8 | | Ricky Lyle (C) | Senior | F | 6′ 1″ (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-08-21 | Duluth, Minnesota | Madison (USHL) | — |
| 9 | | Nik Hong | Freshman | F | 5′ 11″ (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-08-27 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | St. Cloud (NAHL) | — |
| 10 |  | Jake Felker | Senior | F | 5′ 11″ (1.8 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-03-19 | Omaha, Nebraska | Youngstown (USHL) | — |
| 11 | | Josh Bohlin | Junior | F | 6′ 1″ (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2000-02-10 | Wausau, Wisconsin | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) | — |
| 12 |  | Jake Hewitt | Freshman | F | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-07-05 | Ashburnham, Massachusetts | Nanaimo (BCHL) | — |
| 13 |  | Michael Sacco (C) | Junior | F | 5′ 8″ (1.73 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1999-11-16 | Syosset, New York | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (NAHL) | — |
| 14 | | Owen Nolan | Sophomore | D | 6′ 0″ (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-03-10 | Mahopac, New York | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 15 |  | Lucas Kanta | Sophomore | F | 6′ 2″ (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2001-04-20 | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) | — |
| 16 | | Hunter McCoy | Junior | F | 6′ 0″ (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2000-08-01 | Newburyport, Massachusetts | Maryland (NAHL) | — |
| 17 |  | Vincent Salice | Freshman | F | 5′ 7″ (1.7 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2003-02-28 | Commerce Township, Michigan | Omaha (USHL) | — |
| 18 | | Dayne Hoyord | Freshman | F | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-03-19 | Scandinavia, Wisconsin | Odessa (NAHL) | — |
| 19 |  | Max Itagaki | Sophomore | F | 5′ 5″ (1.65 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 2002-06-18 | Glenview, Illinois | Nanaimo (BCHL) | — |
| 20 |  | Sean Vlasich | Sophomore | D | 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-04-20 | Hillsdale, New Jersey | North Iowa (NAHL) | — |
| 21 | | Stephen Willey | Sophomore | F | 6′ 1″ (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2001-03-26 | Shelton, Connecticut | New Jersey (NAHL) | — |
| 22 | | Jude Brower | Sophomore | D | 6′ 1″ (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2001-06-11 | Mahopac, New York | Boston Jr. Bruins (NCDC) | — |
| 23 | | Joey Baez | Junior | F | 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-01-12 | Tampa, Florida | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 24 | | Andrew Garby | Junior | D | 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2000-09-17 | Canton, Michigan | Fairbanks (NAHL) | — |
| 25 | | Barron Woodring | Freshman | F | 6′ 2″ (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2002-07-05 | Chicago, Illinois | Sioux City (USHL) | — |
| 26 | | Joey Dosan | Sophomore | F | 6′ 6″ (1.98 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 2001-03-20 | Bloomington, Minnesota | Springfield (NAHL) | — |
| 27 |  | Trevor Smith | Sophomore | F | 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-03-02 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Boston Advantage (NCDC) | — |
| 28 | | Brent Keefer | Freshman | F | 6′ 0″ (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-09-28 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Northeast (NAHL) | — |
| 29 |  | Eric Huss | Senior | F | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 1999-03-16 | Dallas, Texas | Lone Star (NAHL) | — |
| 31 |  | Evan Szary | Junior | G | 5′ 11″ (1.8 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2000-02-29 | Nashville, Tennessee | South Shore (NCDC) | — |
| 33 |  | Gus Holt | Freshman | G | 6′ 3″ (1.91 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | 2003-02-21 | Bowling Green, Ohio | Victoria (BCHL) | — |
Olympians[edit]
This is a list of Army alumni were a part of an Olympic team.
| Name | Position | Army Tenure | Team | Year | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Palmer | Goaltender | 1956–1959 |  USA | 1960 |  Gold |
Black Knights in the NHL
As of July 1, 2022.
|
Army West Point Athletics Mission
Mission:
To recruit, educate, train, and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country, through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
Vision:
We cultivate diverse, inclusive, winning teams who compete for championships, lead with integrity, and honor the tradition of USMA as the world’s preeminent leader development institution.
Our Values:
• Excellence
• Character
• Selfless Service
Our Priorities:
• Competitive Success
• Extraordinary Division I Athletic Experience
• Public Engagement & Revenue Generation
• Sustainability
Coach Brian Riley
Brian Riley enters his 20th season at the helm in 2023-24, after being named Army hockey’s 16th head coach of the program in 2004.
Following 14 years as an assistant to his brother Rob and a lifetime of hockey education from his father Jack, Brian knew all about the U.S. Military Academy.
The knowledge, preparation and hard work have all paid off for Brian as he adds to the Riley legacy and Army hockey. Just the third Army hockey coach in the past 70 years, Brian Riley has made his mark on a program coached by his father and brother in his past 17 seasons at the helm.
A three-time Atlantic Hockey Association Coach of the Year, he led the team to its first regular season championship in program history. Riley reached 100 wins at Tate Rink on November 30, 2018 with a 5-4 win over Canisius. He’s had five players chosen to participate in the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Competition and 12 named to the AHA Academic All-Star Team.
Aside from his standard coaching responsibilities, Riley served as the President of the American Hockey Coaches Association from 2014-17. He has also served on the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee from 2013-18, which is responsible for the management of the NCAA Championship.
Riley has coached an AHA Player of the Year, an AHA Goalie of the Year, an AHA Rookie of the Year and two AHA Best Defenseman. Seven of his players have been First Team Atlantic Hockey All-Conference, while 12 were named to the second team and two to the third. Riley has also mentored 10 to the All-Rookie Team and five who received the Atlantic Hockey Sportsmanship Award.
In addition to the on-ice success of his players, Riley had the pleasure of coaching 2008 and 2013 Men’s Hockey Senior CLASS Award winners Bryce Hollweg and Cheyne Rocha. Rocha earned first team Academic All-America honors two years in a row. Several other highlights include coaching eight Atlantic Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees and 104 on the AHA All-Academic squad.
Riley was named the league coach of the year for the first time in 2005-06 when the team finished fifth in conference play after overcoming an 0-7-1 start.
In his first campaign behind the Black Knights’ bench, Riley earned his first-career win when Army stunned Colgate, 3-2, in Hamilton, N.Y.
Riley led his team to 11 wins during that initial season, setting the Academy record for most victories by a rookie head coach. He broke the record established by his brother, Rob, in 1986-87. In addition, the younger Riley also piloted the Black Knights to their first postseason win in more than a quarter century when Army defeated American International College, 5-3, in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey tournament.
Riley’s father, Jack, started it all in 1951 when legendary football coach and athletic director at West Point, Earl “Red” Blaik hired him to head the hockey program. What began as a one-year contract turned into a 36-year Hall of Fame career that culminated in 542 victories.
Riley’s brother, Rob, took the reins from his father in the fall of 1986 and racked up 306 victories of his own over 18 winters.
When Rob officially stepped down in the summer of 2004, he passed the torch (and family tradition) on to his younger brother.
Brian played an integral role in recruiting many of the athletes that helped Army put together back-to-back 20-win seasons and tutored Corey and Ian Winer, former Colorado Avalanche forward Dan Hinote.
Riley recruited Zach McKelvie, a defenseman who was signed by the Boston Bruins organization after his senior season in 2009. He then served two years of active duty as an Infantry Officer before officially starting his professional career in the Calgary Flames organization in 2011. McKelvie now resides as the Associate Head Hockey Coach for the Black Knights and is still one of the most talented defensemen to play Army hockey. More recently, Riley mentored Dominic Franco who received an offer a one-year contract within the Buffalo Sabres organization through American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans in 2020.
A 1983 graduate of Brown, Riley began his coaching career in 1984 with a three-year stint as an assistant coach at SUNY Plattsburgh. During that period, the Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament three times, reaching the championship game twice.
In 1988, Riley moved to the Division I ranks at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. There, he teamed with his cousin, Bill Riley, for one season, directing the River Hawks to the NCAA Tournament, giving him his fourth straight postseason appearance.
The following winter, Riley joined his brother’s staff at West Point for the first time where he spent the next seven seasons. In 1996, the West Point native left the comfort and familiarity of the Academy, where he grew up, for the great Midwest and a head coaching position at Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep School in Faribault, Minn.
There, Riley carved out a stellar two-year coaching career in which his teams compiled an impressive 94-19-10 record. In his first season, Riley directed the squad to a 40-9-7 record before improving to 54-10-3 in 1997-98.
In 1999, Riley returned to West Point, where he served at his brother’s side until assuming the head coaching position in 2004.
During his collegiate playing days, Riley co-captained Brown’s hockey squad his senior season, earning honorable mention All-Ivy League. He was presented the Class of ’36 Trophy for his outstanding contributions over his four-year career and the Patrick Jones Trophy for most team spirit.
Prior to starring at Brown, Riley attended New Hampton Prep and led the hockey team to a No. 1 national ranking among prep schools. He was chosen as the school’s most outstanding athlete while captaining both the soccer and hockey teams.
Riley completed course work on his master’s, earning a graduate degree in Education from Boston University, in May 2003.
Riley is married to the former Marybeth Feldman of Highland Falls, N.Y. The couple has three children: Jack, Danielle and Brendan.
