Though this year’s Frozen Four is a rare oddity, with all participating teams from one conference, the WCHA, that didn’t stop the participating players from leaving their mark on the annual All-American teams, announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association on Thursday.
Seven of the 12 members of the first and second team West All-Americans will play in Columbus this weekend, with Colorado College producing four All-Americans, all first team.
CC’s forward duo of Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling, both finalists for the annual Hobey Baker award as well, were joined teammates Mark Stuart on defense and Curtis McElhinney in goal on the West first team. Denver’s Matt Carle was also selected to a first-team defenseman, while teammates Brett Skinner and Gabe Gauthier were second team selections.
In the East, Boston College’s Andrew Alberts was the only player nationally to repeat as a first-time All-American. Teammate Patrick Eaves, a second-team selection in 2004 was also named to the first team.
The state of Minnesota, which Alberts, Eaves, Stuart and Sertich all call home, was the leading producer of All-Americans. Europe, which last year produced five All-Americans, this year had only one, Northern Michigan goaltender Tuomas Tarkki from Finland.
Of the 12 First Team members, only McElhinney is Canadian.
Notably, of the 24 All-American selected, only 11 of them are seniors. In the West, that number is even more dramatic as only three of the 12 selected will graduate this year.
Below is a complete list of 2004-05 All-Americans:
First team
East
G David McKee, So., Cornell (Irving, Texas)
D Andrew Alberts, Sr., Boston College* (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
D Noah Welch, Sr., Harvard @ (Brighton, Mass.)
F Sean Collins, Sr., New Hampshire (Reading, Mass.)
F Patrick Eaves, Jr., Boston College# (Faribault, Minn.)
F Jason Guerriero, Sr., Northeastern (Manorville, N.Y.)
West
G Curtis McElhinney, Sr., Colorado College% (Calgary, Alb.)
D Matt Carle, So., Denver (Anchorage, Alaska)
D Mark Stuart, Jr., Colorado College (Rochester, Minn.)
F T.J. Hensick, So., Michigan (Howell, Mich.)
F Marty Sertich, Jr., Colorado College (Roseville, Minn.)
F Brett Sterling, Jr., Colorado College (Pasadena, Calif.)
Second Team
East
G Dov Grumet-Morris, Sr., Harvard (Evanston, Ill.)
D Charlie Cook, Sr., Cornell (Port Huron, Mich.)
D Brian Yandle, Jr., New Hampshire (Sudbury, Mass.)
F Matt Moulson, Jr., Cornell (Mississauga, Ont.)
F Ryan Shannon, Sr., Boston College# (Darien, Conn.)
F Lee Stempniak, Sr., Dartmouth* (West Seneca, N.Y.)
West
G Tuomas Tarkki, Sr., Northern Michigan (Rauma, Finland)
D Andy Greene, Jr., Miami (Trenton, Mich.)
D Brett Skinner, Jr., Denver (Brandon, Manitoba)
F Gabe Gauthier, Jr., Denver (Buena Park, Calif.)
F Colin Murphy, Sr., Michigan Tech (Fort MacMurray, Alberta)
F Jeff Tambellini, Jr., Michigan (Port Moody, B.C.)
* First Team in 2003-04
# Second Team in 2003-04
@ First Team in 2002-03
% Second Team in 2002-03
