This post might piss a few people off, but I take a contrary

view on the success of the 2010-2011 season.

While that freshman class certainly had a number of talented players (including what will likely be the best individual Irish player in the NHL for some time to come) I think other than Lee and Tynan the seniors had far more to do with bouncing back from a sub-par (and injury riddled) 2009-2010 season. Joe Lavin remains a bit of an unsung hero (he was a transfer and played only a half season of hockey in an Irish sweater before being named the unexpected captain for the 2010-2011 season) and the leadership of other seniors, notably Calle Ridderwall and Ryan Guentzel (the latter having a huge 40 or so point season -- doubling the point total of first three years combined) really propelled the team to St. Paul.

The members of the class of 2014 failed to win a tournament game after 2011 and were key actors in the rather stunning collapse of the 2011-2012 season, which started with a pre-season #1 ranking and just 2 losses in the first 15 games. To me they looked like they got caught up in all of the hype surrounding them as this great class and the opening of the CFIA. They did help claim the final CCHA crown of all time, but in its final season of existence the CCHA was as weak as it had been since the first time Notre Dame joined in the early 1980s.

I know I'm in the minority but I was just never impressed with the 2010-2011 freshmen.