Men's Ice Hockey

Chris Davidson '99 M'06
Third season

Chris Davidson, who has guided the Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team to back-to-back Northeast-10 Conference Tournament championships in his first two seasons as head coach, enters his 11th season as a college hockey coach in 2009-10, and his third at the helm of the Purple Knights. He has compiled a 23-29-3 record in his first two seasons as head coach.

In his first year as head coach in 2007-08, Davidson guided the Purple Knights to the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament championships. The team finished with an overall record of 12-14-1, including 4-1-0 in NE-10 play, and Davidson earned the league's Coach of the Year award in the process.

Davidson led the Purple Knights to another NE-10 Tournament title in 2008-09, as he guided the fifth-seeded squad to the championship. Saint Michael's finished 11-15-2 in 2008-09, winning its last four games.

Prior to his promotion in March of 2007, Davidson served as an assistant coach to long-time head coach Lou DiMasi for seven years.  

A Clinton, N.Y. native, Davidson graduated from Saint Michael's in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Master's degree in Business in 2006.

Davidson has been instrumental in delivering a number of talented players to Saint Michael's over his tenure. During this time, one Purple Knight was named an All-American, 19 have earned All-ECAC accolades and 17 have received NE-10 honors. He has recruited three 'Players of the Year', two 'Goaltender of the Year', and two 'Defensive Players of the Year'.  Eight of Davidson's recruits have signed professional contracts, while another has represented Canada at the Maccabiah Olympic Games. 

The 33-year-old Davidson returned to Saint Michael's before the start of the 2000-01 season, after serving as the top assistant for one year at Manhattanville College of the ECAC West.  At Manhattanville, Davidson's primary duty was as the recruiting coordinator. In his first four seasons as an assistant at Saint Michael's, Davidson helped guide the Purple Knights to three consecutive Division II Championships (2002-04). In his 10 years at Saint Michael's, the Purple Knights have qualified for the playoffs each year.

In addition to his work at the collegiate level, Davidson has worked at various USA Hockey Select Regional Camps. Since 2002, Davidson has been a member of the Player Development and Select Coaching Staff for the New England District. In  the summer of 2007, Davidson served as a coach for the USA Under-17 Select Festival in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.  In April of 2007, Davidson was elected to the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Board of Governors. 

A former forward for the Saint Michael's, Davidson was a four year letter winner and voted captain of the 1998-99 team that captured the NCAA Division II National Championship by defeating New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University). It is Saint Michael's only national championship in school history, and Davidson was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team for scoring a goal and an assist in the championship game. As a member of one of the most successful teams to ever wear the Purple Knight uniform, Davidson and his classmates amassed a total of 65 wins over their career. Davidson and his classmates were members of four teams that reached the ECAC Championships during their time. Davidson's playing career also extended to the Southern Professional Hockey League, as he played for both Macon (Ga.) and Pee Dee (S.C.).

Davidson also served as Saint Michael's golf coach from 2004-07.

Davidson's Year-by-Year Results  

Year School Wins Losses Ties Notes
2007-08 Saint Michael's 12 14 1 NE-10 Regular Season Champions
NE-10 Tournament Champions
NE-10 Coach of the Year 
2008-09 Saint Michael's 11 15 2 NE-10 Tournament Champions
  Totals (2 Years) 23 29 3