« Hockey 2015-16

Ralph Cuddemi

School
Canisius College
Position
Forward
Major
Communications

Classroom

Ralph Cuddemi has a cumulative 3.66 grade-point average as a communication major with a minor in marketing. He is a two-time selection to the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team and a four-time member of the Dean’s List at Canisius.

Character

Cuddemi has been a leader on and off the ice during his time at Canisius. He was elected team captain during the 2015-16 season and has been put in charge of mentoring a team with 12 freshmen and 20 underclassmen. Off the ice, Cuddemi has shown he is one of the most committed players in the program. Noted by the Canisius coaching staff as the player who has improved the most in strength and conditioning during his time on campus, Cuddemi went from 10 points his freshman year (5g, 5a) to 32 points as a sophomore (15, 17a) and a team-best 39 points as a junior (22g, 17a). His jump from 10 to 32 points between his rookie and sophomore campaigns is the largest in the program’s history.

Community

During his time at Canisius, Cuddemi has been very active within the Buffalo community. He has worked with Hasek’s Heroes, helping to bring the game of hockey to underprivileged inner-city youth, while also coaching the Buffalo Bisons youth hockey team. Off the ice, Cuddemi has also volunteered at a local soup kitchen, the Food Bank of Western New York, Habitat for Humanity, Canisius Community Days and has worked with special education children playing floor hockey and other physical education games.

Competition

Cuddemi has been a key player in the most successful stretch in Golden Griffin hockey history, helping lead the team to three-straight trips to the Atlantic Hockey Final Four for the first time. During his junior season, Cuddemi earned All-Atlantic Hockey accolades after ranking eighth nationally in power-play goals (8), 10th in goals (22) and 33rd in points (39) as Canisius completed its best regular season with a second-place Atlantic Hockey finish. His junior campaign came on the heels of helping lead the team to two consecutive conference championship games, earning Atlantic Hockey All-Tournament Team accolades as a sophomore and recording half of his season point total (5 of 10) during the Griffs’ Atlantic Hockey title run as a rookie. Cuddemi entered his senior season as the team’s active leader in points (81) and goals (41). After totaling 22 tallies as a junior, he was just 21 goals shy of the program’s all-time record, currently held by former NHL player Cory Conacher.