In the long list of outstanding goaltenders who have manned the crease for the Clarkson Hockey program, none rates better than Bruce Bullock. A two-time All-America, earning the prestigious honor in 1970 and 1971, Bullock was also selected to the highly exclusive ECAC 1970s All-Decade team. From the fall of 1968 until March of 1971, the Golden Knights had a chance to win every game because of the brilliant play of Bullock. Playing in 85 games under head coach Len Ceglarski, the Toronto, Ontario native compiled a 61-19-3 record along with a .905 save percentage and a 2.95 goals against average.
Playing in 26 games as a sophomore in his first season of varsity competition for the Green and Gold, Bullock amassed 728 saves and helped lead Clarkson to a 19-7-2 record during the 1968-69 campaign.
The following season, 1969-70, the 5-7, 150-pound Bullock backstopped the Knights to one of their best seasons ever as Clarkson, ranked second in the country, finished with a 24-8 overall record which included second-place showings in the ECAC and NCAA tournaments. He posted regular-season shutouts over Laval, Yale, Colgate and New Hampshire.
Despite being on the losing end in the championship games of the league and national tourneys, Bullock was selected Most Valuable Player at the ECAC Championship Tournament at the Boston Garden and NCAA All-Tournament goaltender. At the national championship played in Lake Placid, Bullock posted 30 saves in Clarkson’s 4-3 victory over Michigan Tech in the semifinals and then followed with 40 stops in the title game, a 6-4 loss to Cornell.
As a senior in 1970-71, Bullock set the Clarkson record for most wins in a season as he posted a 27-4-1 mark in the Knights’ goal while posting a .920 save percentage and a 2.37 goals against average. Bullock was named a first-team ECAC All-Star and was also honored as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
After his standout collegiate career, Bullock, who was named Clarkson’s Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1971, became the first Golden Knight to play in the National Hockey League, tending the crease for the Vancouver Canucks.
He played 16 games in the NHL from 1972-77 and posted a 3-9-3 record. He also played professionally for the Seattle Totems in the World Hockey League and the Tulsa Oilers in the Central Hockey League.
Bullock closed out his professional hockey career with the Phoenix Roadrunners in the Pacific Hockey League, playing 62 games over two seasons from 1977-79.
Bruce Bullock accepts his Athletic Hall of Fame plaque from Clarkson AD Sean T. Frazier
