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Minnesota Duluth men's hockey is a strange mix of grit and glory. The school doesn’t have the money of the Gophers or the big-city flash. What it has are players who made the old Duluth Arena reek of cigarettes and Polarenas, who made Amsoil roar in March, the kind whose names still come up in arguments long after they’ve hung up the skates.
Here are the 10 greatest Bulldogs, not just numbers on a page, but legends in a city that breathes hockey.
1. Brett Hull
You knew he’d be here. “The Golden Brett” only gave Duluth two seasons, but they were two of the loudest years in Bulldog history. His 52 goals in ‘85-’86 didn’t just lead the nation, they turned every Friday into a fireworks show. The DECC boards shook when Hull ripped a one-timer — it was a cannon shot, a noise that scared goaltenders before the puck even hit the twine. Hull’s game was raw and reckless but also pure joy. He’d drift high, find a seam, and hammer a puck that left the goalie ducking for cover. He wasn’t built for defensive responsibility, and Sandelin would’ve benched him inside five minutes. But in the wide-open WCHA of the ’80s, Hull was untouchable. Everyone knew he wasn’t staying long — Calgary scooped him up, and the rest is Hall of Fame history. Still, Duluth can always say it housed one of the purest goal scorers the game has ever seen.
2. Bill Watson
If Hull was the hammer, Watson was the carpenter. Watson wasn’t just Hull’s set-up man; he was the engine that made the Bulldogs go. In 1985, Watson ripped off 46 goals and 109 points, earning the Hobey Baker and cementing UMD as a national power. He wasn’t the flashiest skater, but Watson had hands that could stickhandle in a phone booth and a hockey sense that turned average shifts into highlight reels. He was the guy who dragged Hull into the right spots, then cashed in when defenses overcommitted. Watson’s name doesn’t ring nationally the way Hull’s does, but ask anybody who was at the DECC in the mid-’80s and they’ll tell you: Watson was the real deal, and maybe the most complete forward Duluth ever iced.
3. Jack Connolly
Connolly looked like a kid you’d see down at London Road pumping gas — undersized, quiet, local. But the puck turned him into an artist. Duluth Marshall fans still claim him as one of their own, and Bulldog fans will forever remember him as the calm, brilliant center who made the ice his canvas. From 2008 to 2012, Connolly became the face of UMD hockey. He led the Bulldogs to three Frozen Fours, a national title in 2011, and capped his career with the Hobey Baker. He never muscled opponents, never outskated them — he thought the game a second faster. Connolly’s signature moment came in the 2011 Frozen Four, where his patience and playmaking carved up North Dakota and Michigan. He didn’t just win games; he controlled them, like a metronome.
4. Hunter Shepard
Shepard was the Bulldog backbone in net, the Grand Rapids kid who went from lightly recruited to UMD iron man. He started 115 straight games, a streak you won’t see again in the age of platoon goaltending. But it wasn’t just durability — it was a championship pedigree. Shepard backstopped UMD to consecutive NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019, making big saves look routine, big moments look calm. He thrived under playoff pressure, never blinking, never rattled. Bulldogs fans will tell you: Shepard’s name belongs next to the banners. When UMD needed one more stop, one more save, one more big game, he was there — glove flashing, jaw set, unshakable.
5. Chris Marinucci
Not every Bulldogs era has been golden. The early ’90s were lean, but they had Marinucci, which was enough. He scored, battled and dragged teams into relevance with pure willpower. Marinucci won the Hobey in 1994, the season where every shift felt like it ran through him. Superstars didn’t surround him, but he played like one, carrying Duluth on his back. Fans loved him for that grit — he never floated, never coasted, never gave the impression he was waiting for the NHL. He was a Bulldog in the truest sense: hard hat, lunch pail, goals when they mattered.
6. Keith “Huffer” Christiansen
Before Hull, before Watson, before banners, there was Huffer. At 5-foot-6, he didn’t look like much. But on the ice, he was everywhere — scoring, passing, leading. He captained the U.S. Olympic team in 1972 and later entered the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, but his legacy runs even deeper for Duluth. Christiansen was the first Bulldogs superstar to give UMD credibility on the national stage. Fans who watched him at the Duluth Curling Club rink still talk about how he owned games with brains and guts, not size.
7. Tom Kurvers
Kurvers wasn’t just smooth — he was silk. A defenseman who could run a power play with calm precision, Kurvers won the Hobey in 1984 and then played 11 years in the NHL. Before the term existed, he was the prototype of the modern puck-moving defenseman. Kurvers had vision, a heavy shot, and the patience to make the perfect first pass. He was the difference between “pretty good” and “legit contender at UMD.” When Bulldogs fans talk about class acts, Kurvers always tops the list. He carried himself like the game was a privilege, and his legacy stretches well beyond his playing days.
8. Norm Maciver
For too long, Maciver’s name floated outside the Top 10. No more. The Thunder Bay native was one of the smartest defensemen UMD ever dressed. He wasn’t big — 5-foot-9 and maybe 175 pounds — but he was brilliant. Maciver was an All-American who made plays others couldn’t even imagine. He went on to a 12-year NHL career and today is one of the sharpest executives in pro hockey. But in Duluth, he’ll always be remembered for his calm under pressure, quick hands, and knack for turning broken plays into scoring chances.
9. Justin Faulk
Faulk only wore the Bulldogs sweater for one season, but what a season. In 2011, the freshman defenseman scored 33 points and anchored UMD’s run to its first national championship. He had a cannon from the point and the confidence to use it. It was apparent he was NHL-bound — Carolina grabbed him immediately, and he’s since logged nearly 1,000 NHL games. But his name will always be tied to that breakthrough 2011 title for Duluth fans.
10. Curt Giles
The rock. Giles wasn’t flashy. He didn’t pile up points. What he did was shut you down, wallop you, and make you hate playing against him. He played at UMD in the late ’70s, joining the program as a 17-year-old, before captaining the Minnesota North Stars and carving out a 1,100-game NHL career. Ask anyone who faced him — Giles made the ice feel smaller. He gave UMD a toughness that carried on long after he left.
11. Matt Niskanen
Virginia’s gift to UMD. Niskanen gave the Bulldogs three sturdy years on the blue line (2005–07) before heading to the NHL, where he logged nearly 1,000 games and won a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018. He wasn’t flashy, but he was consistent, and in hockey that’s everything. Smart outlet passes, steady defensive zone play, quiet leadership. Coaches loved him because they didn’t have to think about him. He just did the job — night after night.
12. Neal Pionk
From Hermantown to Amsoil to the NHL. Pionk wasn’t the biggest, but he played bigger than he was. At UMD (2015–17), he was a tone-setter: throwing hits, jumping into the rush, and making opponents miserable. He carried that edge into the pros, where Winnipeg and the Rangers leaned on him for long minutes. Ask around the NHL: Pionk’s not the guy you notice until you realize he’s been beating you shift after shift.
13. Dylan Samberg
Another Hermantown kid who turned reliability into a career. Samberg played three seasons for UMD (2017–20), winning two NCAA titles. He wasn’t a headline-maker — he was the backbone of the blue line. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he was a wall in the defensive zone. Today, he’s anchoring Winnipeg’s defense (currently on IR), quietly becoming the kind of pro every team needs. UMD fans always appreciate a player who makes the game simple and clean, and Samberg fit the bill.
14. Pokey Trachsel
Cult hero doesn’t even cover it. Pokey was a brutally rugged Bulldogs defenseman in the mid-’70s, a time when UMD hockey was still clawing for national respect. The DECC was smoky, the bleachers were loud, and Pokey stood out like a gambler on a hot streak. Fans lived and died with him, and to this day, old-timers still tell Pokey stories at local watering holes.
15. Alex Stalock
Nobody played goalie in Duluth quite like Stalock. From 2006 to 2009, he was equal parts goaltender, showman, and chaos agent. He’d skate the puck to the red line, chirp opponents, and still manage to rob them with a sprawling glove save seconds later. Fans adored him because he made every game an adventure. Stalock took that swagger to the NHL, carving out a long pro career while becoming a cult favorite everywhere he stopped. In Duluth, he’ll always be remembered for his unpredictability and brilliance.
16. Scott Perunovich
The wizard. Perunovich, from Hibbing, turned Amsoil into a magic show between 2017 and 2020. He had the puck on a string, quarterbacking power plays and making defense look like ballet. In 2020, he won the Hobey Baker, cementing himself as one of the most skilled blue-liners in UMD history. Injuries have slowed his NHL career, but Bulldog fans will always have the memory of him slicing through defenses, drawing gasps from the crowd with every rush. If Maciver was chess, Perunovich was jazz.
17. Glenn “Chico” Resch
Before he became a Stanley Cup-winning goalie with the New York Islanders — and later a cult figure as an NHL broadcaster — Resch was a Bulldog in the early ’70s. He was flashy, confident, and unafraid to gamble. Chico gave UMD fans something to believe in at a time when national respect was still a dream. He played like every save was a performance, and he carried that same flair to the pros, where he hoisted the Cup in 1980.
18. John Rothstein
The ’70s didn’t consistently deliver wins, but they had Rothstein. He was one of those players who could score in bunches, giving Bulldog fans a reason to cheer even in lean times. His name doesn’t carry Hobey hardware or NHL rings, but in Duluth, he’s remembered as a steady scorer who kept the DECC faithful warm during frigid winters. For old-guard Bulldog fans, Rothstein’s goals were the highlight reels of the decade.
19. Mark Pavelich
Eveleth native, undersized forward, relentless skater. Before he became a Miracle on Ice legend in 1980, Pav was dazzling fans at UMD from 1976–79. He wasn’t just skill — he was scrappy, unafraid to go into the corners despite his size. At Duluth, he racked up points and made teammates better. Then he went on to Olympic immortality, scoring the assist on Mike Eruzione’s game-winner against the Soviets. For Bulldogs fans, he was ours before he was America’s.
20. John “Bah” Harrington
Another Bulldog tied to Lake Placid glory. Bah played at UMD from 1975–79, bringing speed, smarts, and personality to the ice. His Olympic moment came with an assist in the Miracle game, but his Bulldog legacy is just as strong. Harrington was the kind of player fans loved — always buzzing, smiling, and pushing the pace. His name still carries weight in Duluth, where the Miracle kids are remembered as Bulldogs first, Olympians second.
Bulldog hockey doesn’t measure itself against Minneapolis glitz. It measures itself in grit, banners, and names that last. From Hull’s cannon to Watson’s Hobey, Shepard’s iron-man streak to Pavelich’s Miracle, these 20 players are the spine of a program that turned a scrappy hilltop school into a national power.
And if you don’t like the list? Make your own. Just don’t expect anyone in Duluth to agree with you.
