Restoring The Rink: Northern Arizona University

The pool of eligible players for NCAA Division I hockey swelled last fall with the addition of CHL players. Despite the increase, the number of teams at the Division I level has dropped to 62, with Mercyhurst University discontinuing their program for 2026-27. Restoring The Rink examines programs that have gone defunct and their viability in today’s market.

History:

Northern Arizona University (NAU) was a short lived, mostly independent, Division I hockey program that played from 1980-1986. Chemistry professor Dr. Gerald Caple helped found an initial club team in 1971. After a slow start, the club program strung together five years of 20 wins or more from 1975-1980. In 1981 the team was elevated to NCAA Division I. 

The Lumberjacks again showed steady growth, going from 5-19 to 17-11-1 in just one year. NAU notched what would be program best 21-6 record in 1983-84. However, the squad's downfall was around the corner, through no fault but circumstance. 

Walkup Skydome, the Lumberjacks' home rink had severe ice issues. According to the Arizona Daily Sun, the trench that allowed pumped in Freon to cool the ice was built improperly, causing slush to form instead of ice. The construction company which built the rink initially had to fix the issue under warranty in 1979. Unfortunately, that company later went bankrupt and the problems grew to the point that it would have cost the university $1 million (close to $3.5 million today). Add in a 6% budget cut by NAU for 1986, and hockey was removed as a Division I sport following the 1985-86 campaign.

In 1991, the club team was brought back. NAU has two ACHA teams, one competing in Division II and the other at the Division III level. Dr. Caple was consulted during the team's resurrection and was named to the ACHA Hall of Fame in 2018. Their current home rink is the Jay Lively Activity Center Hockey in Flagstaff.

Hockey Impact: 

Despite the void left by NAU NCAA Hockey, hockey continues to be a part of the desert. In 1996, the NHL's Phoenix and later Arizona Coyotes were born. Names like Shane Doan, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle were just some of the talented players who wore the Kachina logo on their chest. The team's best season was their run to the 2012 Western Conference Finals, where they lost in 5 games to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings.

Even with 2024's relocation to Utah, hockey  remains a staple in Arizona. Arizona State University plays at Mullet Arena in Tempe, while the American Hockey League's Tuscon Roadrunners just extended their lease through the 2027-28 AHL Season.

Market Viability:

There is absolutely a market for NCAA hockey in Flagstaff based on its rich history. With only 11 NCAA sports sponsored by NAU between men and women, it's a real possibility that the Division I Lumberjacks could make a comeback. What makes this possibility stronger is a natural rival in Arizona State just down the road in Tempe.

As referenced by Professor Noah Henderson my article on NIL in NCAA Hockey, smaller schools like NAU are poised to benefit from the current revenue sharing model. Whether the university is up to the task of either building a new rink or further renovating Walkup Skydome remains to be seen. 

Looking back, retired administrators are contrite about the program's cancellation. Former NAU president Eugene M. Hughes told Arizona Daily Sun, “I must tell you that the discontinuance of the hockey program was one of my greatest disappointments as president." The current faculty at NAU ought to rectify the unfortunate situation of 1986 by Restoring The Rink during the budget cut's 40th anniversary.