Jonathan Toews is the only former NCAA star to accept the Stanley Cup as his team's captain more than once. As the North Dakota alumnus seeks this third Cup, he is the face of a franchise that relies heavily on NCAA contributions - both now and in the future.

Infographic: NCAA in the Stanley Cup Final | NCAA Alums in NHL Front Offices

Toews's assistant captains, Duncan Keith (Michigan State) and Patrick Sharp (Vermont), are both former college players. Chicago's front office is led by Notre Dame graduate Stan Bowman and features 23 former college players, more than any other franchise.

It's not always by design, but as a group they have targeted a large number of NCAA players through the draft and free agency.

“In general you have a little more time with those players,” Bowman said at the 2014 NHL Draft, where seven of his nine selections were headed to college. “You have four or five years. It’s tougher when you have a two-year window to sign a guy. Sometimes they don’t define themselves by that second year and you have to make a decision, do you sign them or not. We like that element that because you have the player for four years – you don’t have to leave them there for four years, but you have a little bit more control over it.”

The 13 drafted prospects Chicago had playing college hockey in 2014-15 were the most in the NHL. Boston University alum Mike Sullivan, who joined the Blackhawks staff this year after a 10-year NHL coaching career, works in player development to support those draftees.

Sullivan joined Bernie Corbett on Hockey on Campus earlier this year to discuss his impressions of NCAA hockey after having been away from this level of the game:

"You're playing against men," Sullivan said. "You're not playing against boys. There's a big difference between a 17-18 year old and a 23-24 year old.

"I've come to realize how hard a game it is," he added. "You are fighting for every inch of ice. It's proven to be a decent training ground for the next level."

In addition to developing draft picks, Sullivan helps identify undrafted free agents, an important market for Chicago. The Blackhawks signed Trevor van Riemsdyk out of New Hampshire last spring, and there is hope that he can recover from injury quickly enough to play in the Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks also signed Matt Carey (St. Lawrence) last year and added Kyle Baun (Colgate) and Tanner Kero (Michigan Tech) this year.

As Toews & Co. pursue a third Stanley Cup in six years, it's clear that their success, both now and in the future, relies heavily on the contributions of the college game.

Hear from Stan Bowman and Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Kelley (Colby) at the 2014 NHL Draft: