Todd D. Milewski

MADISON, Wis. — The term playoff atmosphere gets thrown around after weekends like these, but the reality is this type of game most often doesn’t get played in front of partisan crowds. You usually see college hockey at this level on neutral ice in a conference or NCAA tournament, not when there’s still almost two … Read more

Maybe you’ve seen this already. If you haven’t, it’s worth a look for the production value if nothing else. Like most schools with a video board, Alaska has an intro sequence that plays before the game. I’m not sure anything I’ve seen tops this in terms of graphics talent, but there are some head-scratching moments … Read more

Some random (and not-so-random) thoughts after the 15th week of the season: * You’ve got to think there’s at least a bit of panic at Quinnipiac. A team that finished November with a 12-1 record has fallen on hard times — big time. In December and so far in January, the Bobcats are 1-8-1. They … Read more

Some random (and not-so-random) thoughts after the 14th week of the season: * I think it’s time for a new No. 1. I just wish, for the sake of further believing in my poll ballot, that Denver had stepped up and emphatically taken that top spot instead of just moving up by not losing. Robert … Read more

You may have heard the criticism of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program at some point. In short, it goes like this: Too much money on too few players. I’m guessing you’d get a “bring it on” kind of look from a pro-NTDP person today if you tried to start the argument. The majority … Read more

A few thoughts in an abbreviated (and delayed … thanks, Sunday tournament games) edition: * Here’s a good read from Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail about the college-vs.-major junior issue, tied to the differences in the United States and Canadian World Junior Championship teams. In the end, the choice between the two routes … Read more

Here are some interesting numbers from the 21-year history of the Badger Hockey Showdown, which came to a close Sunday with Wisconsin beating Yale in a shootout for the title: 34 — Teams that have played in the tournament. Bowling Green and Yale were the most frequently invited guests, each appearing four times. 18 — … Read more

All was right again in Ferris State’s world. A day after allowing a season high for goals and shots on goal, the Bulldogs clamped down on defense, got some strong offensive performances and put together what they called a bounce-back victory. Blair Riley scored and added an assist in the first period as No. 11 … Read more

It seems like we hear about one travel-related nightmare around the holidays every year. This year, it was Yale having quite the adventure trying to get to Madison, Wis., for the Badger Hockey Showdown. The Bulldogs left New Haven on Thursday but then, according to coach Keith Allain, spent about 3 1/2 hours waiting on … Read more

Ferris State went through the first half of the season as one of the pleasant surprises in college hockey, picked for a low finish but instead building a strong record. From a stout penalty kill to solid goaltending to a dependable defense, none of it came through in the first game after the holiday break. … Read more