Minnesota and its unique community-based hockey model produce far more NCAA Division I hockey players than any other state

Statistics courtesy of:

A look at the numbers for the 2025-26 season: 

Minnesota blows away any other state in producing men’s NCAA Division I talent.

Division I Men’s Players 

Minnesota 223 

New York 94 

Michigan 91 

Massachusetts 86 

Illinois 67 

DI Men’s Teams w/ Most Minnesotans 

Minnesota 20 

St. Thomas 16 

St. Cloud State 13 

Augustana 12 

Air Force 11 

Minnesota is the clear front runner in producing Division I talent in women’s hockey.

Division I Women’s Players 

Minnesota 185 

Massachusetts 105 

New York 41 

Illinois 37 

Michigan 36 

DI Women’s Teams w/ Most Minnesotans 

Minnesota State 20 

St. Thomas 17 

Bemidji State 14 

Minnesota 10 

Sacred Heart 10 

• Minnesota produces 16% of all Division I women’s players and 13% of all Division I men’s hockey players. 

• Minnesotans make up 28% of Americans playing Division I women’s hockey and 23% of Americans playing Division I men’s hockey. 

• 37 of 45 Division I women’s teams (82%) feature at least one Minnesotan, including 12 of the 15 teams in the current USCHO.com Poll (Clarkson, Colgate and UConn are the exceptions). 

• 51 of the 64 Division I men’s teams (80%) feature at least one Minnesotan, including 15 of the 20 teams in the current USCHO.com Poll (UConn, Cornell, Penn State Providence, Quinnipiac are the exceptions). 

• 24 of the 25 teams to win a men’s NCAA title this century have had a Minnesotan on their roster (Providence in 2015 is the lone exception). 

• Every team to win a women’s NCAA title has had multiple Minnesotans on its roster. 

• All 47 Minnesotans who have appeared in the NHL this season played NCAA hockey. 

• There are 23 Minnesotans on PWHL rosters this season and all 23 played NCAA hockey. 

• There were 18 Minnesotans on PWHL rosters in 2024-25. Eleven of them appeared in the Walter Cup finals. 

• 97% of all NCAA Division I women’s hockey players and 93% of all NCAA DI men’s players earn their degrees. 

Top Minnesota-born point scorers in men’s Division I this season (as of 1/18/26): 

Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth Hermantown 24 GP, 20-18—38 

Zam Plante, Minnesota Duluth Hermantown 24 GP, 11-22—33 

Cruz Lucius, Arizona State Grant 24 GP, 12-20—32 

Jayson Shaugabay, Minn. Duluth Warroad 24 GP, 7-25—32 

Bennett Schimek, Arizona State Mendota Heights 23 GP, 10-21—31 

Top Minnesota-born goaltenders in men’s Division I this season (as of 1/18/26): 

Hampton Slukynsky, Western Mich. Warroad 16-6-0, 2.37 GAA, .909 SV% 

Top Minnesota-born point scorers in women’s Division I this season (as of 1/18/26): 

Ava Lindsay, Minnesota Minnetonka 23 GP, 11-21—32 

Jamie Nelson, Minnesota Andover 24 GP, 6-21—27 

Sloane Matthews, Ohio State Plymouth 24 GP, 9-14—23 

Maddy Christian, Penn State Elk River 25 GP, 13-9—22 

Mercury Bischoff, Minnesota St. Cohasset 24 GP, 14-6—20 

Ella Boerger, St. Thomas Andover 24 GP, 5-15—20 

Katelyn Roberts, Penn State Chanhassen 25 GP, 11-9—20 

Top Minnesota-born goaltenders in women’s Division I this season (as of 1/18/26): 

Uma Corniea, Princeton Edina 10-4-0, 1.65 GAA, .940 SV% 

Sedona Blair, New Hampshire Eden Prairie 6-7-3, 2.05 GAA, .930 SV% 

Jadyn Weiser, Assumption Albertville 9-10-2, 2.28 GAA, .930 SV% 

16 Division I men’s head coaches hail from Minnesota: 

Ben Barr, Maine 

Reid Cashman, Dartmouth 

Pat Ferschweiler, Western Michigan 

Keith Fisher, Lindenwood 

Mike Hastings, Wisconsin 

Josh Hauge, Union 

Joe Howe, Yale (interim) 

Andy Jones, Bentley 

Brett Larson, St. Cloud State 

Zach McKelvie, Army West Point 

Bob Motzko, Minnesota 

Garrett Raboin, Augustana 

Steve Rohlik, Ohio State 

Scott Sandelin, Minnesota Duluth 

Frank Serratore, Air Force 

Tom Serratore, Bemidji State 

5 Division I women’s head coaches hail from Minnesota: 

Laura Bellamy, Harvard 

Bethany Brausen, St. Thomas 

Shari Dickerson, Minnesota State 

Amber Fryklund, Bemidji State 

Melanie Ruzzi, Brown