Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey
| Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey | |
|---|---|
| University | Tennessee State University |
| First season | 2025–26 |
| Head coach | Duante Abercrombie |
| Arena | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Colors | Reflex blue and white[1] |
The Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey program is an upcoming college ice hockey team that will represent Tennessee State University.
History
Founding
Tennessee State University (TSU) officials announced plans to form a club hockey team to would begin play in 2024–2025 at the June 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville with the intent of achieving NCAA Division I status by 2026–2027, becoming the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to offer men's ice hockey at any collegiate level. Plans changed, as the university decided to go directly to NCAA Division I starting in the 2025-2026 season.[2]
On January 20, 2024, 22-year old Toronto native Xavier Abel enrolled at the university to become the first player to commit to the team.[3][4] A few months later, Duanté Abercrombie was named the team's first head coach on April 18.[5]
Season-by-season results
All-time coaching records
Club
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024– | Duanté Abercrombie | 1 | 0–0–0 | – |
| Totals | 1 coach | 1 season | 0–0–0 | – |
Players
Upcoming 2025–26 team
As of November 24, 2024.
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Xavier Abel | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 2001-06-29 | Chicago, Illinois | Drury University (ACHA D2) | — | |
| - | Trey Fechko | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2003-10-16 | Raritan, New Jersey | Janesville Jets (NAHL) | — | ||
| - | Marcus Fechko | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 150 lb (68 kg) | 2005-09-15 | Raritan, New Jersey | Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL) | — | ||
| - | Sangyeob Kim | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2004-02-26 | Seoul, Korea | North Iowa Bulls (NAHL) | — | ||
| - | Johnny Hicks | G | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 154 lb (70 kg) | 2005-09-11 | Kamloops, British Columbia | Brooks Bandits (BCHL) | — | ||
| - | Grady Hoffman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2005-06-10 | Yorkton, Saskatchewan | Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) | — | ||
| - | Greye Rampton | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 2004-09-09 | Chilliwack, British Columbia | Kenai River Brown Bears (NAHL) | — | ||
| - | Bowden Singleton | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 154 lb (70 kg) | 2004-05-15 | Calgary, Alberta | Calgary Canucks (AJHL) | — | ||
| - | Ethan Wongus | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 154 lb (70 kg) | 2004-04-12 | Edmonton, Alberta | Maine Nordiques (NAHL) | — | ||
| - | Stephen Kirkpatrick | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 161 lb (73 kg) | 2004-04-02 | Calgary, Alberta | Spruce Grove Saints (BCHL) | — | ||
| - | Kaycee Cole | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2004-01-20 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) | — | ||
| - | Andrew Bellantyne | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2004-05-08 | Whitby, Ontario | Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) | — |
Commitments for 2026–27 season
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Aidan Gray | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 1520 lb (689 kg) | 2008-08-22 | Detroit, Michigan | Little Caesars 16U AAA (16U AAA) | — |
See also
References
- ^ Tennessee State University Brand Guide (PDF). December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ "Tennessee State's Historic Foray Into Ice Hockey Could Break Barriers For Black Youth In Sports | National Urban League". nul.org. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ "Color of Hockey: Abel 1st player to commit at Tennessee State University | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. January 20, 2024.
- ^ Mosley, Kyle T. (January 19, 2024). "Tennessee State University Reportedly Has First Men's Ice Hockey Player Commitment". HBCU Legends.
- ^ "Abercrombie named coach of inaugural Tennessee State hockey team | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. April 18, 2024.