AMESBURY, Mass. – There were 74 Hockey East alumni named to National Hockey League rosters for opening night of the 2023-24 season, it was announced this week by the NHL. In total, 31 of the 32 member clubs carry at least one Hockey East alumnus on their roster. A full list of players can be found below.

The 74 players represent every Hockey East member institution, led by Boston University (17), Boston College (16), and Massachusetts (8). Rounding out the schools are Providence (7), Northeastern (7), New Hampshire (5), Maine (4), UMass Lowell (3), UConn (1), Merrimack (1), and Vermont (1). Additionally, four Notre Dame skaters who competed in Hockey East earned NHL roster spots.

The Boston Bruins boast seven Hockey East alumni and the Montreal Canadiens boast six Hockey East players on their rosters, the most of any NHL club while 20 of the 32 clubs carry at least two league products.

The roster data includes players who are on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve to open the season, or who have been designated injured non-roster.

The Hockey East Association saw 21 current players and recruits selected in the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft, representing eight of the 11 Hockey East member schools. The selections were highlighted by six picks in the first round and 12 in the first three rounds. Hockey East’s 21 selections were once again the most of any college hockey conference and represent 45% of the 46 NCAA players and recruits chosen.

Forty-four NCAA Division I programs – representing all six NCAA Division I men’s conferences – boast at least one former player on an NHL roster, led by Michigan’s 25. Other schools with 10 or more alums on NHL rosters include: Minnesota (21), Boston University (17), Boston College (15), Wisconsin (13), Harvard (11), Minnesota Duluth (10) and North Dakota (10).

The Buffalo Sabres enter the season with a league-leading 12 former college hockey players on their opening night roster, followed by the New York Rangers (11), Vancouver Canucks (11), Boston Bruins (10) and Colorado Avalanche (10). Also of note, half of the NHL’s 32 current general managers played college hockey, as did 13 of the league’s current head coaches, including 2023 NHL Coach of the Year Jim Montgomery (Maine ’93).

More NCAA alumni are playing in the NHL than ever before, as evidenced by the record 349 who appeared in the NHL during the 2021-22 season. NCAA Division I men’s hockey successes also extend beyond the ice, where the sport enjoys a 92-percent graduation rate that ranks among the top five of all NCAA Division I men’s sports. The puck drops tonight with a triple-header on ESPN/ESPN+ featuring Nashville at Tampa Bay, Chicago at Pittsburgh, and Seattle at defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas. Those six rosters showcase a combined 38 former NCAA standouts, including Kraken forward and 2023 NHL Rookie of the Year and Matty Beniers (Michigan).