USCHO Spotlight special edition: What is the fallout from the departure of seven teams from the WCHA?

 (Brad Phalin)
Bowling Green and Minnesota State are two teams exploring the idea of playing in a new — or different? — conference come 2021 (photo: Brad Phalin).

Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger discuss what they’ve learned and provide analysis of the news that broke June 28, 2019, that seven teams would be leaving the WCHA effective with the 2021-22 season. Included in this episode are thoughts about what led to the decision, the timing, what other realignments may be in store, and discussion of other programs that may be moving along toward adding D-I men’s hockey.

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About the hosts

Jim Connelly is a senior writer at USCHO.com and has been with the site since 1999. He is based in Boston and regularly covers Hockey East. He began with USCHO.com as the correspondent covering the MAAC, which nowadays is known as Atlantic Hockey. Each week during the season, he co-writes “Tuesday Morning Quarterback.” Jim is the winner of the 2012 Joe Concannon award. He a former color analyst for UMass-Lowell hockey’s radio network and studio analyst for NESN.

Ed Trefzger has been part of USCHO since 1999 and now serves as a senior writer and director of technology. He is the radio play-by-play voice for Rochester Institute of Technology hockey on the RIT Tigers Sports Network, and has been involved with the broadcasts as a producer, studio host, and color commentator since their inception. He is co-owner and president of broadcasting company Genesee Media, and was general manager of the former Rochester, N.Y., sports radio station 97.5 The Team.