Don Lucia has been announced as the 2024 Hobey Baker “Legend of College Hockey” recipient.
In 31 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Lucia compiled a 736-403-102 record, and is Minnesota’s all-time winningest coach with 457 wins for the Gophers from 1999 to 2018. He is one of 10 coaches to record more than 600 NCAA men’s hockey wins, and one of six to win national titles in back-to-back seasons.
Lucia has 22 NCAA tournament victories in 18 career tournament appearances. Five of those appearances are from his time at Colorado College (1993-1999), which makes Lucia the only coach other than Jerry York to lead two different schools to at least five NCAA tournament appearances.
He began his head coaching career at Alaska, leading the Nanooks from 1987 to 1993.
Lucia coached 12 Hobey Baker Award finalists, including winner Jordan Leopold (2001-02). In addition, he coached 19 first team All-Americans, 73 all-conference players, nine conference defensive players of the year, and three conference rookies of the year.
These days, Lucia continues to be active in collegiate hockey, currently serving as the commissioner of the CCHA since the conference’s reorganization in 2021. Under Lucia’s leadership, the CCHA has experienced substantial growth, expanding from seven teams in 2021 to its current nine teams.
