I think an appropriate collection should be at least 15 appearances or 5 titles which would be this list as posted. However, if it had to be both then Wisconsin is out. They have had great success in winning the title but they have not appeared often.
Appearances: [TABLE="border: 1, cellpadding: 1, cellspacing: 1"]
[TR]
[TD]Michigan[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Boston College[/TD]
[TD]25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Boston University[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Minnesota[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]North Dakota[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Denver[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Harvard[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Michigan State[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Maine[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Wisconsin 11
Titles: [TABLE="border: 1, cellpadding: 1, cellspacing: 1"]
[TR]
[TD]Michigan[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Denver[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]North Dakota[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wisconsin[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Boston College[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Boston University[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Minnesota[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lake Superior State[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Michigan State[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Michigan Tech[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Minnesota Duluth[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Given a lower criteria level Michigan State may be the next in line so it appears the drop off is significant past the top 6 or 7.
Michigan St is definitely a blue blood, historically. I'd also include New Hampshire among the historical blue bloods, but while MSU may have been on the hot seat and being considered for being booted out of the club, the creation of the B1G conference gives them the opportunity to get back in as a fully accepted member of the club. But so far they haven't taken advantage of that opportunity so could still lose their status. New Hampshire I believe has been booted from the club. If they got to a Frozen Four going forward, people would be shocked and it would probably be because of the same factors that get non-blue blood programs into the Frozen Four, an older veteran lineup that's played together for several years finally getting into a good groove at the right time of the year, and I'd say the same thing for Maine and possibly Harvard? LSSU for sure has lost their blue blood status, if they even had that status, and in retrospect, probably never was really a true blue blood. I argue below that UMD is not yet a blue blood, more of a one hit wonder, and it's LSSU that I think about when judging UMD. LSSU didn't match that short term success going forward. UMD seems that they probably will, but they could also go the way LSSU did. Michigan Tech is no longer a Blue blood and most likely never really was.
Wisconsin is definitely a blue blood. Some forget that Wisconsin didn't even have a hockey program until the 1960s and have won 6 titles with 3 different coaches in 4 different decades I believe? Totally not a one hit wonder, and were able to steal away a great coach from a non-blue blood program, which basically only a blue blood could do.
I would not consider UMD a blue blood historically, but I believe that their back to back titles in 2018 and 2019 puts them in the waiting room. Now all they need to do is not disappear into irrelevance like LSSU did. If they do, then they shouldn't be called into the blue blood clubhouse, but absolutely deserve a ton of respect for what they have accomplished. But if they end up back in the Frozen Four in the next 2-3 years, it could earn them my vote for entry into the blue blood clubhouse.
I mean, there are a ton of bands who are considered one hit wonders despite their having a legitimate 2nd hit. What keeps them relegated as one hit wonders is they never continued to produce hits after that 2nd hit, and the 2nd hit is usually not what they are remembered for. UMD, among non-super diehard fans, will always be remembered for their back to back titles that followed a runner up finish. Almost forgotten is their out of nowhere Championship in 2011. So they will always be remembered and respected for their amazing run from 2017-2019, that is their hit that they will be remembered for by basically all hockey fans, and die hards will also remember their other hit, the title in 2011. But like those one hit wonders with a legit 2nd hit, the difference between them and bands/artists who never became known as a one hit wonder, they have to prove it wasn't an exception to the general rule. Tons of music critics were very ready and willing to accept Terrance Trent D'Arby wasn't a one hit wonder. He actually had THREE legit hit songs, but they all were on that first album of his, and despite seeming to have a ton of talent and potential, he never was able to get another hit. That album was an amazing album and helps rank him as one of the greatest one hit wonders ever, as his one hit was basically an entire album vs one song, so UMD may go down in history as one of the greatest one hit wonders ever, seeing as they made 3 straight Title games, vs just winning one single title, but at the same time, like Micheal Jackson, way before he went solo, he had hits as a part of the Jackson 5, so UMD had a 2 year Frozen Four run back in the 80s, that only super die hard fans remember which is another reason they totally deserve to be sitting in that waiting room waiting to see if their application for membership will be accepted or not. Some of the board members may have already come to believe that they deserve membership, but I believe others are just not quite fully convinced, and I'm among that latter group. I went to UMD, so my bias would love to claim them as a blue blood now, but my unbiased analysis dependent side still feels more is needed from UMD.
