They're doing it again

Why? Why do I let North Dakota do this to me every season? Somewhere around the middle of the season, I start to look past UND when thinking about the race for the WCHA’s MacNaughton Cup and which teams will be best equipped to make a run in the NCAA tournament. Then the Sioux go … Read more

Wrapping it up nicely

Regular season championships carry no weight in selection for the NCAA tournament, so it’s easy to look past them as inconsequential. I don’t buy into that. Yes, there are two championships that are more important — a league postseason title, which carries an automatic bid to the national tournament, and the NCAA crown — but … Read more

Wrapping it up nicely

Regular season championships carry no weight in selection for the NCAA tournament, so it’s easy to look past them as inconsequential. I don’t buy into that. Yes, there are two championships that are more important — a league postseason title, which carries an automatic bid to the national tournament, and the NCAA crown — but … Read more

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This is a new one

Just when you thought you’ve seen everything … Wisconsin’s John Mitchell was ejected from Saturday night’s game against Denver in the third period for excessive roughness on a hit up high on the Pioneers’ Tyler Ruegsegger. If only that was the end of the story. Outside the Kohl Center media room after the game, we … Read more

This is a new one

Just when you thought you’ve seen everything … Wisconsin’s John Mitchell was ejected from Saturday night’s game against Denver in the third period for excessive roughness on a hit up high on the Pioneers’ Tyler Ruegsegger. If only that was the end of the story. Outside the Kohl Center media room after the game, we … Read more

Sending a message … but what's the message?

The WCHA and Minnesota State both sent word today that Mavericks center Trevor Bruess has been suspended for one game. The crime? Conduct “detrimental to the game,” the league said. How about a release to explain the release? You have to have some background knowledge to understand what the league is getting at when it … Read more

A bit of randomness

A few random thoughts as we close another weekend of college hockey: ** There aren’t many (weeks, that is) left before we get into postseason play. Two in Atlantic Hockey, the CCHA and ECAC Hockey; three in the CHA, Hockey East and the WCHA. Yale has a chance to put away its first ECAC title … Read more

A bit of randomness

A few random thoughts as we close another weekend of college hockey: ** There aren’t many (weeks, that is) left before we get into postseason play. Two in Atlantic Hockey, the CCHA and ECAC Hockey; three in the CHA, Hockey East and the WCHA. Yale has a chance to put away its first ECAC title … Read more

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First place and on the outside

Here’s an interesting case: Wisconsin moved into a tie for first place in the WCHA by completing a two-game road sweep of Minnesota on Saturday night, and it didn’t even move up into an at-large spot for the NCAA tournament. The Badgers are 15th in the PairWise Rankings — the usual cutoff is 14 because … Read more

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Shootouts won’t count double

With news Thursday that the WCHA women’s league won’t use the result of shootouts to determine tiebreakers in the league standings, everyone is in agreement. The CCHA and the Hockey East women’s league already made that same determination, and it only seems to make sense. Those leagues are awarding shootout winners an extra point on … Read more

Shootouts won't count double

With news Thursday that the WCHA women’s league won’t use the result of shootouts to determine tiebreakers in the league standings, everyone is in agreement. The CCHA and the Hockey East women’s league already made that same determination, and it only seems to make sense. Those leagues are awarding shootout winners an extra point on … Read more

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A lot left to figure out in WCHA

After Friday’s games, the top eight teams in the WCHA standings were separated by eight points. After Saturday, it was seven points between first place and eighth place. At that rate, this is going to get ridiculous. But the WCHA, as close as it is, isn’t without company in the tight-standings department. In ECAC Hockey, … Read more

A lot left to figure out in WCHA

After Friday’s games, the top eight teams in the WCHA standings were separated by eight points. After Saturday, it was seven points between first place and eighth place. At that rate, this is going to get ridiculous. But the WCHA, as close as it is, isn’t without company in the tight-standings department. In ECAC Hockey, … Read more

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UAH seeks spot in CCHA

Alabama-Huntsville is applying for a spot in the CCHA, the Huntsville Times reported today. At the same time, UAH is expressing some interest in the WCHA, with athletic director Jim Harris telling the newspaper that it will send a “letter of intent” to the WCHA in regard to making an application. The WCHA briefly opened … Read more

UAH seeks spot in CCHA

Alabama-Huntsville is applying for a spot in the CCHA, the Huntsville Times reported today. At the same time, UAH is expressing some interest in the WCHA, with athletic director Jim Harris telling the newspaper that it will send a “letter of intent” to the WCHA in regard to making an application. The WCHA briefly opened … Read more

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The teams (and leagues) speak

Two teams. Two news releases. Two leagues. Two notes of support. Two different messages. That about sums up what we got today in the wake of incidents last Saturday night in the CCHA and the WCHA. First, the more severe one. Michigan State has suspended Corey Tropp and Andrew Conboy for the rest of the … Read more