College Hockey's 50 Greatest Players Who Did Nothing in the NHL

College hockey season is winding down to the most exciting portion of the season.

The 2012 NCAA Division I Frozen Four matchups are set, as are the Hobey Baker Award nominees.

Though many of these players are at the top level of amateur hockey in the United States, few will find success in the NHL.

Here are fifty players who meet that description.

Jean-Marc Pelletier

A goaltender didn't work out for the Flyers?

No surprise here, the former Cornell netminder played in just three NHL games, giving up 11 goals.

A.J. Thelen

Drafted 12th overall in 2004 from Michigan State, this defenseman has never played in the NHL despite being selected ahead of other defensemen such as Andrej Meszaros and Mike Green.

Bryan Deasley

Drafted by Calgary in the first round of the 1987 draft after his first season with Michigan, Deasley's road to the NHL stopped after one season in the AHL.

David Harlock

This Michigan defenseman was drafted 24th overall in 1990, but did not do much in his 212 game NHL career.

In addition to two goals, Harlock recorded a minus-55 rating.

Michael Stewart

The Rangers do not have the greatest history of drafting college players in the first round.

Stewart was no steal at 13th overall in 1990; the defenseman from Michigan State never played for the Rangers...or any other NHL team.

Ryan Hughes

The Nordiques drafted the Cornell forward 22nd overall in 1990, but his only NHL work was three games in the 1995-96 season with the Bruins.

Mike Morris

Morris was drafted in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft out of high school. After four years at Northeastern, his stock dropped.

The forward only played two seasons in the AHL, never in the NHL.

Dan Cavanaugh

A second-round pick in 1999, Canaugh couldn't make it to the NHL after being a standout at Boston University.

Krys Kolanos

Kolanos is still in the NHL, but is far from a success story.

He was selected one pick after his Boston College teammate Brooks Orpik, who has played in three times as many games.

Lee Falardeau

The Rangers drafted Falardeau in the second round of 2002 after his freshman year with Michigan State.

He was last seen in the ECHL.

Ryan Sittler

Sittler was a touted prospect in 1992, being drafted seventh overall out of high school by the Flyers.

He had an impressive freshman season with Michigan (totaling 33 points in 35 games) but never made it to the NHL.

Simon Danis-Pepin

This shut-down defenseman from Maine was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft but has never played in the NHL.

He is currently with Chicago's minor league affiliate.

Mark Mowers

Mowers had nearly identical stats in Hockey East play as Chris Drury, with two more points (135 total) in one fewer games played (93).

His NHL career?

Not quite the same; he played in 278 games and totaled 62 points.

Jeff Jillson

Drafted 14th overall in 1999, this Michigan defenseman played in 140 NHL games over a six- year period.

Dan Ratushny

In his last year with Cornell, Ratushny put up impressive numbers; 31 points in 26 games as a defenseman.

He was drafted by the Jets in the second round of 1989 but played in just one career NHL game.

Sasha Pokulok

Drafted 14th overall in 2005 by Washington, the 6'5", 230-pound defender played two years at Cornell.

He spent more time in the ECHL than any other league and is now playing in Croatia.

Alex Ovechkin in 2004, this guy in 2005...What a turnaround for the Capitals.

Joe Finley

The Capitals' other first round draft pick in 2005 at least made it to the NHL. Picked 27th, the 6'8", 260-pound defenseman played in five games for the Sabres earlier this season.

He played for North Dakota.

Hugh Jessiman

Who was the next college player drafted after Jessiman went 12th overall in 2003?

Zach Parise.

Parise has played in 494 more NHL games than Jessiman, has 405 more points and is a career plus-55.

Jessiman has played in two NHL games, with five penalty minutes and no points.

Barrett Heisten

Drafted 20th overall in 1999, this winger was a point-per-game player with Maine in 2000 but appeared in just 10 NHL games.

Matt Gilroy

Gilroy has already been with three NHL teams (why doesn't anyone want to keep him?)

The former Boston University Terrier's teammate (and Hobey Baker nominee that season) Colin Wilson is comparitively successful, with 34 points in 66 games as a 22-year-old this season.

Dave Capuano

Capuano recorded 211 points in three seasons with Maine, but played only 104 games in the NHL.

Mark Mitera

Drafted out of Michigan in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft's first round (19th overall by Anaheim), Mitera has never made it to the NHL.

Just to note, Claude Giroux was drafted 22nd overall that year.

Ryan Duncan

The 2007 Hobey Baker Award went to the North Dakota winger who was a point-per-game player in his college days. He has yet to make it to the NHL, but is playing with the AHL's Portland Pirates.

Brian Lee

Since being drafted ninth overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the former North Dakota defenseman has managed to play in 179 NHL games at the age of 25.

That doesn't sound too bad until you find out that two picks later, a guy named Anze Kopitar was drafted by Los Angeles.

Kopitar only has more than 400 points in the NHL.

Jason Herter

He averaged 40 points per season in college with North Dakota, but only played one game in the NHL.

Strangely enough, Herter notched an assist in that game, so he can honestly say he was a point-per-game player in his career.

Mike Eruzione

The scorer of the game-winning goal in the 1980 Olympic semifinal hockey game was also a standout for Boston University.

Eruzione totaled 208 points in 127 collegiate games, but never played in the NHL. He only appeared in six total AHL games.

Jim Craig

Another noted hero from that game, goaltender Jim Craig, was also past his biggest accomplishments by the time he went to the NHL.

Craig gave up 100 goals in 30 games.

Mike Kelfer

Among Hockey East's all-time leading scorers, Kelfer averaged 43 points per season with Boston University from 1985 to 1989 but never played in the NHL.

Kevin Porter

Porter was drafted before his freshman year with Michigan. By senior year he was a Hobey Baker Award winner, but now he's struggling to crack the Colorado Avalanche lineup.

At age 26, he has some time to improve, but so far, he's hardly made as much of a mark at the NHL level that he did in college.

Junior Lessard

The 2004 Hobey Baker winner had an impressive season with Minnesota-Diluth, totaling 63 points in 45 games.

After a 27-game NHL career, Lessard found himself traveling through five different minor hockey leagues.

Brian Bonin

The 1996 Hobey Baker Award winner totaled 81 points in 42 games that season. He only played in 12 NHL games, with no points.

Scott Pellerin

Now an assistant coach for the Manchester Monarchs, Pellerin managed to play in 536 NHL games but was never a very productive player.

College was a different story, Pellerin was voted the nation's best in his senior season of 1991-92 after totaling 223 points in a career 167 games with Maine.

Marty Sertich

The 2005 Hobey Baker Award winner totaled 64 points in 42 games that season, but has never played a regular season NHL game.

Jon Morris

Hockey East's all-time leading point-scorer played for UMass Lowell from 1984 to 1988, but played just 103 games in the NHL.

Peter Sejna

With Colorado College: 126 games, 190 points, one Hobey Baker.

With St. Louis Blues (entire NHL career): 49 games, 11 points.

Brian Holzinger

His career year in the NHL had him totalling 51 points over 81 games in 1996-97.

This is after being the 1995 Hobey Baker Award winner with 69 points in 38 games.

Lane MacDonald

Not to be confused with Lanny McDonald, this 1989 Hobey Baker Award winner was drafted in the third round but never made it to the NHL.

He totaled 227 points over 128 games with Harvard.

Jason Botterill

He scored 61 points in his last season with Michigan, went 20th overall in 1994, but only played in 88 NHL games.

Chris Marinucci

The 1994 Hobey Baker Award winner totaled 138 points in his final two seasons with Minnesota-Diluth, but played just 13 games in the NHL.

George McPhee

The Washington Capitals' General Manager won the 1982 Hobey Baker Award.

McPhee played for Bowling Green from 1978-82, totaling 267 points over 153 games.

He only managed to play 115 games in the NHL with the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. He scored 49 points with 257 penalty minutes.

He was notable for fighting more than 30 times in his short career, being quite good with a 5'9", 170-pound frame.

David Emma

With 239 points in 147 collegiate games for Boston Colege, Emma won the 1991 Hobey Baker Award.

His 166 points in Hockey East puts him second all-time in that conference's scoring records.

He played in just 34 NHL games.

Jason Krog

After totaling 218 points in his last three seasons at New Hampshire, the 1999 Hobey Baker Award winner played in 202 NHL games, with just 59 total points.

Bill Watson

Watson won the 1985 Hobey Baker Award as a player for the University of Minnesota-Diluth.

In his college career, he totaled 210 points in 108 games. In his NHL career, he totaled 56 points in 115 games but left after four seasons.

He is now a volunteer assistant coach for his alma-mater, according to UMDBulldogs.com.

Mark Fusco

Fusco won the 1983 Hobey Baker Award and totaled 135 points over 112 games as a defenseman with Harvard.

He played just 80 games in the NHL.

Scott Fusco

Fusco totaled 248 points in 123 games with Harvard and won the 1985 Hobey Baker Award.

He was drafted in the 11th round by New Jersey in 1982 but never played in the NHL.

Robb Stauber

The first goalie to win a Hobey Baker Award, Minnesota's Robb Stauber took the trophy in 1988.

Stauber and his aggressive goaltending style only lasted 62 games in the NHL. His career goals-against average of 3.81 was less than impressive.

Tony Hrkac

Hrkac is an example of a player who excels in the minor levels, but never quite maintains that at the NHL level.

Despite winning the 1987 Hobey Baker Award with a 116 point season in 48 games, he never found a steady job at hockey's highest level.

Hrkac spent parts of 12 seasons in the NHL with ten different teams. Though he managed to put up 371 career points, his excellence at lower levels suggested he could've done more.

In the 1992-93 season, he totaled 132 points over 80 games in the IHL.

Jim Montgomery

With more than 300 collegiate points with Maine, Montgomery was rather disappointing in the NHL.

He never played more than 30 games in a season after his rookie year. He has 80 career NHL points.

Jennifer Botterill

Here are a few facts you probably never knew: There is a female version of the Hobey Baker, for the best collegiate hockey player in the country.

Botterill is the only two-time winner of the Patt Kazmaier trophy. She is also Harvard University's all-time leading scorer.

She played in the Canadien Women's Hockey League, leading the league's inaugural season in points.

Botterill has won Olympic Gold Medals with Team Canada in 2002, 2006 and 2010 after getting silver in 1998.

Rick DiPietro

The former Boston University goaltender was picked first overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Since the Islanders gave him a 15-year, $67.5 million contract, DiPietro has done nothing but hurt himself.

B/R Featured Columnist Jason Sapunka covers the NHL and Philadelphia Flyers.

Follow @moreSapunka