# 1947–48 NCAA men's ice hockey season

The 1947–48 NCAA men's ice hockey season began in November 1947 and concluded with the 1948 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on March 20, 1948 at the Broadmoor Ice Palace in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This was the 1st season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 54th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team. In 1947 there were quasi-official guidelines separating major and minor football programs across the NCAA, but no such determinations had been made for ice hockey teams. Even among the universities that played ice hockey, no such distinctions were even attempted until the mid-1960s. As such, all American universities operating a men's varsity ice hockey program are included here.
As this was the first time a national championship was held, it is considered (unofficially) the first season of NCAA Division I ice hockey since it is the first time that any college teams would have to conform to NCAA regulations regarding recruitment, scholarship, eligibility, etc. The tournament was, itself, born out of a desire to definitively decide the best collegiate team in the country. With only a handful of universities even playing ice hockey (indoor ice rinks were fairly expensive to operate) and even less playing a decent number of games each year only four teams were selected to play in the tournament.

## Regular season
### Season tournaments

| Tournament | Dates | Teams | Champion |
| NEIHL Tournament | March 8–9 | 4 | Boston College |

### Standings

1947–48 NCAA Independent ice hockey standingsvte :
| | Intercollegiate | Intercollegiate | Intercollegiate | Intercollegiate | Intercollegiate | Intercollegiate | Intercollegiate | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| | GP | W | L | T | Pct. | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Army | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | .719 | 78 | 39 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 78 | 39 |
| Bemidji State | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 13 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 37 | 63 |
| Boston College | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | .737 | 126 | 60 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 126 | 60 |
| Boston University | 24 | 20 | 4 | 0 | .833 | 179 | 86 | 24 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 179 | 86 |
| Bowdoin | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 45 | 68 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 56 | 73 |
| Brown | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 61 | 91 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 61 | 91 |
| California | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 45 | 62 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 87 | 89 |
| Clarkson | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | .458 | 67 | 39 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 96 | 54 |
| Colby | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 28 | 41 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 41 |
| Colgate | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 54 | 34 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 83 | 45 |
| Colorado College | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 84 | 73 | 27 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 207 | 120 |
| Cornell | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 3 | 43 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 43 |
| Dartmouth | 23 | 21 | 2 | 0 | .913 | 156 | 76 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 156 | 81 |
| Fort Devens State | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | .231 | 33 | 74 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Georgetown | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 21 |
| Hamilton | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | – | – |
| Harvard | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | .409 | 131 | 131 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 135 | 140 |
| Lehigh | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 | 8 | 95 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 108 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 30 |
| Michigan | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | .889 | 105 | 53 | 23 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 141 | 63 |
| Michigan Tech | 19 | 7 | 12 | 0 | .368 | 87 | 96 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 91 | 97 |
| Middlebury | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | .607 | 111 | 68 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 127 | 74 |
| Minnesota | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 78 | 73 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 100 | 105 |
| Minnesota–Duluth | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 21 | 24 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 28 |
| MIT | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | .421 | 93 | 114 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 93 | 114 |
| New Hampshire | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | .308 | 58 | 67 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 58 | 67 |
| North Dakota | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 51 | 46 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 103 | 68 |
| North Dakota Agricultural | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 27 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 29 |
| Northeastern | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | .526 | 135 | 119 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 135 | 119 |
| Norwich | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 38 | 58 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 56 | 70 |
| Princeton | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | .444 | 65 | 72 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 79 | 79 |
| St. Cloud State | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 55 | 35 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 73 | 55 |
| St. Lawrence | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 65 | 27 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 95 | 50 |
| Suffolk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tufts | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 15 |
| Union | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | 7 | 86 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 86 |
| Williams | 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | .364 | 37 | 47 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | – | – |
| Yale | 16 | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 60 | 69 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 89 | 85 |
1947–48 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ice hockey standingsvte :
| | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Hamline † | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Augsburg | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Concordia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | – |
| Gustavus Adolphus | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | – | – |
| Macalester | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Saint John's | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | 5 | 6 | 0 | – | – |
| St. Olaf | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | – | – |
| St. Thomas | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | – | – |
| † indicates conference champion |||||||||||||||
1947–48 New England Intercollegiate Hockey League standingsvte :
| | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Boston University † | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | .923 | 86 | 40 | 24 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 179 | 86 |
| Boston College * | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 77 | 29 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 126 | 60 |
| Northeastern | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 108 | 79 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 135 | 119 |
| Bowdoin | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 32 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 56 | 73 |
| MIT | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 62 | 87 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 93 | 114 |
| Middlebury | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 27 | 48 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 127 | 74 |
| New Hampshire | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 42 | 56 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 58 | 67 |
| Norwich | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 25 | 50 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 56 | 70 |
| Fort Devens State | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | 30 | 55 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Colby | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 17 | 27 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 41 |
| † indicates conference champion * indicates conference tournament champion |||||||||||||||
1947–48 Pentagonal League standingsvte :
| | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Conference | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall |
| | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| Dartmouth † | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 49 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 156 | 81 |
| Army | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 78 | 39 |
| Harvard | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 | 31 | 33 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 135 | 140 |
| Princeton | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 23 | 31 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 79 | 79 |
| Yale | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 20 | 32 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 89 | 85 |
| † indicates conference champion |||||||||||||||

## 1948 NCAA Tournament

| Semifinals March 18–19 | Semifinals March 18–19 | Semifinals March 18–19 | National Championship March 20 | National Championship March 20 | National Championship March 20 |
| E1 | Dartmouth | 8 | | | |
| W2 | Colorado College | 4 | | | |
| W2 | Colorado College | 4 | E1 | Dartmouth | 4 |
| | | | W1 | Michigan | 8 |
| W1 | Michigan | 6* | W1 | Michigan | 8 |
| E2 | Boston College | 4 | | | |
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

## Player stats
### Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the season.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Class | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Gordon McMillan | Junior | Michigan | 23 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 20 |
| Dick Rowell | Junior | Colorado College | – | 18 | 37 | 55 | – |
| Bill Riley | Graduate | Dartmouth | – | 30 | 23 | 53 | – |
| Wally Gacek | Junior | Michigan | 23 | 27 | 26 | 53 | 8 |
| Dana Hixon | Sophomore | Boston University | – | 33 | 16 | 49 | – |
| Al Renfrew | Junior | Michigan | 23 | 26 | 21 | 47 | 14 |
| Thomas Gerard | Sophomore | St. Lawrence | 15 | 23 | 19 | 42 | – |
| Bob Mason | Sophomore | Boston College | – | 21 | 19 | 40 | – |
| Arthur Moher | Junior | Yale | – | 21 | 19 | 40 | – |
| Don Cleary | Junior | Boston University | – | 21 | 16 | 37 | – |

### Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 33% of their team's total minutes.
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | Class | Team | GP | Min | W | L | OT | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
| Robert O'Connor | Sophomore | Princeton | 18 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.72 |
| Jack McDonald | Junior | Michigan | 23 | 1410 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 63 | 2 | - | 2.68 |
| Ralph Bevins | Sophomore | Boston University | 24 | 1450 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 86 | 2 | - | 3.56 |
| Gene Delvecchio | Freshman | St. Lawrence | 14 | 803 | - | - | - | 52 | 2 | - | 3.88 |
| Bob Murray | Sophomore | North Dakota | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | .894 | 4.07 |
| Ian Watson | Junior | California | 16 | 965 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 76 | 0 | - | 4.73 |
| James Burns | Sophomore | Yale | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.07 |

## Awards
### NCAA

| Award | Award | Recipient |
| Most Outstanding Player in NCAA Tournament | Most Outstanding Player in NCAA Tournament | Joe Riley, Dartmouth |
| AHCA All-American Teams |||
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
| Ian Watson, California | G | Bernie Burke, Boston College |
| Ross Smith, Michigan | D | Connie Hill, Michigan |
| Butch Songin, Boston College | D | George Pulliam, Dartmouth |
| Pat Finnegan, California | F | Jim Bell, Northeastern |
| Bill Riley, Dartmouth | F | Roland DePaul, Minnesota |
| Joe Slattery, Colorado College | F | Wally Gacek, Michigan |