Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey

History

The team was founded in the fall of 1971 as a club sport called the Ice Griffs, led by Dr. David Dietz. Two years later they joined their first conference and by 1976 had won two conference titles. The following year Canisius joined a new conference and, after winning the championship—their fourth in six years—the program was elevated to varsity status. Brian Cavanaugh became the coach as the team moved into Division III. The first two seasons went well, but when Cavanaugh took a year off in 1982 the program slumped to single-digit wins before rebounding after his return. When the MAAC announced a hockey division in 1997, Canisius was one of three member teams with an existing program and became a founding member of the league that began play in 1998–99. The Golden Griffins finished with a winning record in their first season and reached the conference title match. Despite a 20-win season the following year, they were eliminated in the first round and won only one MAAC playoff game after their inaugural Division I season.