A glance at an NHL Board of Governors' meeting or a look at the NHLPA negotiating committee clearly demonstrates the clout that former college hockey players have in the sport.
Nearly half of all NHL general managers have college hockey backgrounds. Three hundred and one former college players appeared in the NHL last season, and many played a prominent role in helping to negotiate the new collective bargaining agreement.
The Hockey News recognizes that influece in its latest list of 100 People of Power and Influence in hockey, which appears in its Jan. 21, 2013, issue. Among the entrants with college hockey ties are current NHL players, international hockey leaders and former college players in NHL executive positions.
Among the former NCAA players on the list, with their ranking:
13. Ron Hainsey. The former UMass Lowell star was a key player for the NHLPA.
15. David Branch. The current president of the CHL played college hockey at Massachusetts.
17. Bob Nicholson. Hockey Canada's leader played at Providence College
21. Sam Flood. A former captain at Williams, Flood now leads NBC Sports' hockey coverage.
22. Brian Burke. The now-former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager played at Providence.
23. David Backes. Minnesota State's former star is now the captain in St. Louis.
25. Jonathan Toews. Possibly the best former NCAA player in the NHL spent two years at North Dakota.
27. Ryan Miller. The former Hobey Baker winner at Michigan State is among the top goalies in the game.
32. Rob Blake. Once a star at Bowling Green, now a rising star in the NHL hockey operations department.
34. Geoff Molson. The owner of the Montreal Canadiens played at St. Lawrence.
37. David Poile. Nashville's general manager starred at Northeastern.
43. Lou Lamoriello. The Hockey Hall of Famer was a player and coach at Providence and one of the architects of Hockey East.
48. Jim Johansson. The former Wisconsin Badger was the architect of USA Hockey's gold medal at the World Junior Championship.
49. Joe Nieuwendyk. The former Cornell superstar is leading a resurgence as general manager of the Dallas Stars.
66. Dan Bylsma. The recent NHL coach of the year played college hockey at Bowling Green.
70. Kevin Westgarth. The Los Angeles Kings' enforcer and NHLPA leader played at Princeton.
Other college ties are highlighted in the issue, including No. 69 Terry Pegula - whose donation to Penn State launched the Nittany Lions' program - and College Hockey, Inc.'s Mike Snee, mentioned among the "next wave" of powerbrokers.
Check out the Jan. 21 issue of The Hockey News, featuring hockey wives on the cover (including wives of former collegians Kent Huskins, Brian Elliott and George Parros), for the full list.