The Quinnipiac Bobcats ice hockey program has come a long way since 1975 when the school first brought in a hockey team. After 46 years of hockey at Quinnipiac, here is Barrett’s top 5 list of players throughout the team’s history.

5. TODD JOHNSON(1985-1989)

Although Todd Johnson never played a division 1 game, his numbers for Quinnipiac were too impressive to overlook. Johnson had 202 points in 109 career games. The forward had 40 points or more every season for the Bobcats. His 1986-1987 campaign may be the greatest single season in Bobcat history where he put up 75 points in 32 games. To show how hard that is, the next leading point getter on that team had 55. The 75 points in one season is a school record and Johnson sits second all-time in scoring for the bobcats.

4. ODEEN TUFTO (2017-2021)

Odeen Tufto is arguably the greatest playmaker in Quinnipiac history. The center registered 168 points over his four-year career at quinnipiac which was good enough for seventh all time. When you think of Tufto, you probably think of passing. The Minnesota born forward holds the record for most assists among players in Quinnipiac history collecting 129. Tufto had 39 in this past season alone which put him second in the whole nation among points (46) only trailing the eventual Hobey Baker winner Cole Caulfield (52). Tufto was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker as well. In three of his four seasons as a bobcat, tufto hit the 40-point mark three times. In Tufto’s four years at Quinnipiac the club reached the NCAA Tournament twice including the 2020-2021 season where he was named captain. Tufto made an all-conference ecac hockey team every season at Quinnipiac including a first team bid in 2020-2021. This past march tufto signed an entry level contract with the tampa bay lightning.

3. MICHAEL GARTEIG (2012-2016)

No goalie in Quinnipiac history has ever reached 60 wins except for one. Michael Garteig surpassed that number by 18. Garteig was the back-bone for the Bobcats. The 6’1” netminder put up a career .917 save percentage. Garteig registered 19 shutouts in his time at quinnipiac, a record among all goalies who have played for the Bobcats. Three goaltenders share second place with 10. Garteig is one of six Bobcats who have been to the frozen four twice. In the 2015-2016 season garteig had his best season ever going 32-4-7 and posting a .924 save percentage along with a 1.91 goals against average in 43 games. Garteig made his second frozen four appearance, this time as the starter. Garteig’s dominant season ended at the hands of a 5-1 loss to North Dakota. Garteig still remains to this day as the most decorated goaltender in quinnipiac history

2. REID CASHMAN (2003-2007)

Arguably, the best defenseman in Quinnipiac history is Reid Cashman. Cashman scored 23 goals and 148 points in his 151-game career with the Bobcats. Cashman finished top five in scoring every year with Quinnipiac. In 2005, Cashman received the “Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year” award and led the whole league in scoring with 45 points giving him the “regular season scoring” trophy as well. He is the only player in Quinnipiac history to receive either of those awards. Cashman was always a scoring threat on the back-end. Cashman could quarterback a power-play as well as anybody in Quinnipiac history and could also get it done in 5-on-5 hockey. His 38 assists in the 2006-2007 season became a single season record among Quinnipiac defenseman. That year, Cashman was named captain of the bobcats. His special play making ability from the defenseman position put him second-all-time in assists among Quinnipiac players (125), a record that had not been broken until this year. Cashman is now the head coach at Dartmouth college.

1. CHRIS CERELLA (1997-2001)

Chris Cerella is the leading point scorer in Quinnipiac Bobcats history. The forward fell one goal shy of 100 and assisted 106 goals in his 126-game career with Quinnipiac. It didn’t take long for the Hamden crowd to know the name “Chris Cerella”. In his first year he scored 32 times and totaled 66 points in just 23 games making a 29-point gap for the second leading scorer on that team. After the 1997-1998 season, the Quinnipiac Bobcats hockey team turned into a division 1 program, but that did not stop the rookie sensation from producing. Cerella put up 2 more 20+ goal seasons (21,28) and was better than a point-per-game player every season. In the 1999-2000 season Cerella was named to the “first-team ALL-MAAC” with a 52-point campaign in just 36 games. In 2000-2001 he became the only player in Quinnipiac history to be named to two “first-team ALL-MAAC” teams. After his tenure with the Bobcats, Cerella jumped around from the ECHL, ACHL, and among other leagues.

Honorable mentions: Chase Priskie, Jamie Holden, Brian Herbert, Eric Hatzell, Bryan Leitch, Bill Verneris