By Ryan O'Leary

The United States Hockey Hall of Fame will once again induct multiple former college hockey standouts as a part of their 2011 class. Among the inductees are University of Wisconsin alumnae Chris Chelios and Gary Suter as well as former Boston University star, Keith Tkachuk. In addition to these three players, Mike "Doc" Emrick, renowned commentator and friend of college hockey, and Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider will be inducted this fall as well.

More: Hall of Fame honorees who played college hockey

The induction ceremony is set for Monday night in Chicago.

All three of these superstar players began their careers in the NCAA ranks before moving on to the professional and international stage. Chelios and Suter both played two years for the University of Wisconsin while Tkachuk played one season for Boston University. In addition to multiple years in the National Hockey League, all three of these players led the United States in multiple Olympic Games and World Cups. All three played significant roles in winning the silver medal in the 2002 Olympic Games and the gold medal in the 1996 World Cup.

Emrick received his masters from the University of Miami (Ohio) and PhD. from Bowling Green State University. He continues to supplement his NHL work with numerous NCAA games.

Chelios won the 1983 NCAA championship with the Badgers. Now with two sons at Michigan State, Chelios looks at how the college game has developed and says, "I try to convince my kids to go to college, first and foremost for the education-I can't believe how good [college hockey] has gotten with the skill level and the speed."

Chelios' championship run did not end when he left Wisconsin. He won three Stanley Cups as well as three Norris Trophies as the NHL's top defensive player. He finished his NHL career as the all-time leader amongst defensemen in games played with 1,651 and 10th all-time in points amongst defensemen with 948. He also appeared in 11 NHL All-Star games.

On an international level, Chelios made four Olympic appearances for the red, white and blue (1984, 1998, 2002, 2006). In his last three Olympic appearances, Chelios was given the honor of wearing the captain's "C" on his USA jersey. In total, Chelios made 10 international appearances and is only one of two American men to represent the U.S. at four Olympic games. Chelios will also be inducted into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.

A friend of Chelios from the time he was a Wisconsin recruit through his years on the Chicago Blackhawks, Gary Suter came into the NCAA as Chelios left for the NHL. Suter played for the Badgers from 1983-85 and amassed 73 points in 74 games.

"We had a great time there," Suter said of his relationship with Chelios that began in Madison, "and we've been great friends ever since."

During his 17-year NHL career Suter tallied 844 points in 1,145 games, ranking fourth in scoring among American blueliners. Suter was also the first American-born winner of the Calder Trophy in 1986, his first year out of college. Suter made eight international appearances for the United States including the 2002 Olympic silver medal and 1996 World Cup.

Another key player in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey was Boston University alumnus Keith Tkachuk. Tkachuk played one year for the Terriers before advancing to play 19 seasons in the NHL. He is one of four American born players to have scored more than 500 goals in his career and he totaled 1,065 points in 1,201 games in the NHL. Tkachuk is a five-time NHL All-Star who appeared in four Olympic Games (1992, 1998, 2002, 2006) as part of his eight total appearances on the international level.

These three players and one announcer add to the many members of the US Hockey Hall of Fame with NCAA connections. In total there are 153 members that have been enshrined in the US Hockey Hall of Fame since it was established in 1973.