Silver Puck Club

Colgate University Athletics

Colgate’s Silver Puck Club was founded in 1958 as a booster club for a revitalized hockey program which had been dormant since the early 1950’s. Over the years, renewed interest in hockey has been accompanied by an expanded role for Silver Puck. Now a prime support group for the sport, its members include alumni, parents and friends from all over the world who share a common interest in collegiate ice hockey at Colgate University. Jerry Quill, a university trustee and Silver Puck Award recipient, succeeded John LeFevre as club president at the 2005-06 banquet.

Funds generated from annual membership fees in the Silver Puck Club are used to help the recruiting program under NCAA and university rules and regulations. Silver Puck Club fees are also used to underwrite the costs of the annual Silver Puck players' banquet, provide trophies for players, the Silver Puck Award, as well as enable other needed aids, equipment and materials not covered by the university’s budget for the team and coaches.

Job one for Silver Puck and the coaching staff is to continue to convince high-profile hockey players to enroll at Colgate. In order to be successful, Silver Puck must express the key advantage to the student-athlete, which is the Colgate experience. Colgate stands for something special that people want. It is an experience that can match or better any offered by any other school in Division I hockey.

The Silver Puck award is given each year by the club to a person or persons whose continued support and contributions to the Colgate hockey program warrant special recognition and applause. The award is a silver-plated, puck-sized award weighing three pounds and is inscribed with the recipient’s name.

To recognize very special persons or occasions, the Silver Puck Club has awarded gold pucks. The first gold puck went to Harry Farmer ’39 in 1978 for his contributions to Colgate hockey over the years, beginning with his playing years, and then his continuing efforts as an alumnus to organize and develop the Silver Puck Club. He helped start what has become one of the most active, largest and effective alumni support organizations in Division I college hockey.

Following his talk at the 1984 Silver Puck Banquet, Gordie Howe received a Gold Puck Award from his friend, coach Terry Slater. This award recognized his record-setting career as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and his contributions to professional hockey.

Slater was awarded with a gold puck by Farmer at the 1985 Silver Puck Banquet. This was in recognition of Terry’s monumental contributions to the Colgate hockey program and the players whom he coached in the 15 years from 1977 to 1992. His 251 wins at Colgate and his 31 wins during the 1989-90 season that led to Colgate’s ECAC championship and appearance in the NCAA finals, assure his place among Colgate’s coaching legends.

In 1999, Whit Williams was honored posthumously for his 59 years of service to Colgate and Colgate hockey. Linda Williams accepted Whit’s puck from John LeFevre, who then succeeded Whit as president of the Silver Puck Club, and served in that capacity for seven years.

At the 2000 Silver Puck Banquet, the first gold puck awarded to a hockey team went to the 1989-90 team for its ECAC Championship and NCAA runner-up season. Twelve members of that team were present. Grant Slater accepted the gold puck in honor of the team’s accomplishments in memory of his father, Terry Slater.