Connecticut Huskies The Connecticut Huskies , also called the UConn Huskies , are a Men ' s Division I team in Atlantic Hockey , and a Women ' s Division I team in Hockey East . History of the Men ' s Ice Hockey Program . The University of Connecticut has had a long but almost entirely undistinguished history in men ' s ice hockey , mainly due to remaining a college division ( now Division III ) hockey program . The team ' s first season was 1960 - 61 , finishing with a 4 - 6 - 1 record . That first team would be led by coach John Chapman , who would coach the next twenty seasons as well . The Huskies would play in the first three years of the ECAC , though they would only play 19 league games over those years , mostly against opponents that they would face for many years in the Division III ranks . When the league split between major and college division programs , the Huskies went with the college division teams . The team mainly played against NESCAC or other major division schools playing at the college level ( most of whom are long gone , like Lehigh and Rutgers , but some of whom still play Division I hockey , like Army , Holy Cross , Vermont , Massachusetts and Lowell Tech , now UMass - Lowell ) during the Chapman years , but did not have any success in those years . Coach Chapman ' s overall record was 196 - 221 - 7 . Chapman ' s final year would be 1980 - 81 , and he would be replaced by former player Ben Kirtland . Kirtland would coach for seven years , during which the Huskies would make their first appearances in the ECAC playoffs . Again , the teams never put together any successful seasons , and Kirtland would leave with a losing ( 85 - 98 - 2 ) coaching record . The only accomplishment of note in the Kirtland years was the ascension of UConn ' s only player to make the NHL : former captain and all - time Husky goal scorer leader Todd Krygier . Kirtland would be replaced by one of his former players , current coach Bruce Marshall , in the 1988 - 89 season . The time under coach Marshall would see UConn ' s most successful seasons ; UConn would make eight appearances in the ECAC East playoffs in the ten seasons they played in that league under Marshall , and produce a 150 - 98 - 19 record , with their best season being 1991 - 92 ( 22 - 4 - 2 ) . In 1993 - 94 , the first UConn Classic hockey tournament would be played at the outdoor rink that was their team ' s home ; the tournament is now in its twelfth season . UConn would win the tournament in 1995 - 96 , 1999 - 00 , and 2003 - 04 , and has only failed to reach the championship four times ( though three of those would be in the Division I era ) . The 1998 - 99 season would be a season of firsts for the Huskies . For one , the old outdoor rink was finally enclosed , and the UConn Ice Arena ( now the Mark Freitas Ice Forum ) would open with a 3 - 1 Husky win over American International . As well , this would be their first season playing in Division I , as a member of the MAAC ( now Atlantic Hockey ) . The Huskies would finish third in the league , with a 20 - 10 - 4 overall record ( Coach Marshall ' s second twenty - win season ) , but lose in the inaugural MAAC semifinals to eventual winner Holy Cross . The next season brought Coach Marshall ( and UConn ) their first league championship , taking the 1999 - 2000 tournament title . Unfortunately , it would be the year before the MAAC would receive an automatic bid to the tournament . In 2001 - 02 , the Huskies also opened up a yearly trophy series with the Quinnipiac Bobcats , which the Huskies have never won but the Bobcats have never swept , known as the Heroes ' Hat . Past that season , the Huskies have struggled . They ' ve not had a winning overall record , nor finished in the top half of the league ( though 2002 - 03 featured their first win against a Big Four program , a 5 - 4 overtime upset of Colgate , and this year ' s campaign would see the Huskies finally beat the Minutemen of UMass after five tries at the Division I level , a 3 - 2 OT victory at Amherst ) . Still , the hope remains in the small but loyal Husky hockey fan base that they might be as successful at the Division I level as they were during Coach Marshall ' s time in the ECAC East . Women ' s program . " main article Connecticut Huskies women ' s ice hockey "