Just 17 programs have ever won a men’s D-I ice hockey championship.
Even more exclusive is the club of programs that have managed to repeat as champions. It’s only happened eight times, but Boston College enters 2010-11 with designs on joining the four programs — Boston University, Michigan, Denver and Minnesota — that have done it.
The last time a team repeated was in 2005, when Denver went back-to-back just two years after Minnesota had done the same. The last time an eastern team did it was in 1972, when Jack Kelley’s BU squad repeated as kings of college hockey.
A year ago, the Terriers, now under Jack Parker, were in the same position BC finds itself in now. But BU discovered just how difficult it is to repeat in the modern era — particularly if you don’t get off to a good start.
“I think a lot of it is the attitude,” said Terriers captain Joe Pereira, whose Terriers slumped to a 4-9-3 start in their repeat bid last year.
