BOSTON – Northeastern men's ice hockey alumni Jim Madigan and Chris Nilan are among the inductees into the 2026 Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Thursday.
The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the Sea Crest Beach Resort in Falmouth, Mass., bringing together members of the hockey community to celebrate the achievements and legacies of these exceptional honorees.
Madigan, now in his fifth year as the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Northeastern, spent 10 seasons as the head coach of the Huskies from 2011 to 2021, leading the program to three straight Beanpot championships (2018, 2019, 2020), including the program's first in 30 years, two Hockey East titles (2016, 2019), three NCAA appearances (2016, 2018, 2019), the first Hobey Baker Award winner (2018) and Mike Richter Award winner (2019) in program history, and saw 20 of his players drafted by NHL teams.
Madigan finished his coaching career with a 174-132-39 record and owns the best winning percentage in school history (.561). He also played a key role in establishing the first endowed head coaching fund in university history with the creation of the Fernie Flaman Endowed Men's Hockey Coach Fund in 2017.
Madigan brings more than 40 years of college and professional athletics experience to his current post on Huntington Avenue. He served as a professional scout for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1993 to 2011, winning a Stanley Cup in 2009. Northeastern fans also will remember Madigan's tenure as an assistant coach for the Huskies from 1986 to 1993. During that seven-year stint, he recruited and coached four All-Americans and 15 All-Hockey East selections, helping NU to 100 wins including the 1988 Beanpot title and NCAA tournament berth.
As a player at Northeastern, Madigan was a four-year letterwinner under Fernie Flaman (1981–85). During his freshman campaign, NU won 25 games, establishing a single-season wins record that remains tied for best in program history en route to the NCAA Frozen Four. Building on that success, Madigan was a key contributor to two Huskies' Beanpot championships in 1984 and 1985, and skated in 119 career games recording 78 points (34-44-78).
A Boston native, Chris Nilan built his reputation on grit, toughness, and an unrelenting work ethic that embodied the city's blue-collar spirit. Nicknamed "Knuckles," Nilan carved out a memorable NHL career, most notably with the Montreal Canadiens, where he played a key role on the 1986 Stanley Cup championship team. Beyond his physical presence on the ice, he was respected as a loyal teammate and competitor whose passion for the game never wavered, earning him lasting admiration throughout the hockey community.
Nilan played three seasons at Northeastern from 1976 to 1979, appearing in 66 games before going on to appear in 688 NHL games logging 225 points and more than 3000 penalty minutes. He is one of two Huskies in program history to win the Stanley Cup as a player (Josh Manson in 2022).
