Todd D. Milewski

Todd D. Milewski has been associated with USCHO since 1998, first as WCHA columnist, then as a senior writer and executive editor. He's now editor emeritus.

This Week in the WCHA: February 20, 1998

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The fat lady’s singing. Eight teams are hearing "Taps." It’s over because it’s over, Yogi. North Dakota is going to win the 1997-98 Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championship, as most preseason observers may have suspected. With their powerful offense, steady defense and unbelievable young goaltenders, the Sioux and coach Dean Blais are finally looking … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: February 13, 1998

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Yet perhaps the biggest news in the conference this week occurred off the ice, as Michigan Tech decided not to follow archrival Northern Michigan into the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. After four long months of self-evaluation, Husky coach Tim Watters, in conjunction with athletic director Rick Yeo, the school’s senior administration, local community, fans and … Read more

Sudden Impact

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T.R. Moreau doesn’t even remember it happening. Fifteen minutes, two seconds into the first period of Wisconsin’s game against Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 9, Moreau and Duluth forward Joe Rybar followed the puck into the corner. Rybar checked Moreau into the boards, and the Badger winger’s neck whiplashed into the glass. Moreau fell to the ice and … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: February 6, 1998

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So much for lunges out of the cellar. So much for challenging the supremacy of this season’s Big Three. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is now essentially three mini-conferences, comprised of teams fighting for the McNaughton Cup, teams fighting for home ice in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and teams fighting to stay … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: January 30, 1998

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Wait, did I say five weeks? Whoops, I meant six. A quick glance at the top of the conference shows the casual observer that league-leading North Dakota has played 18 games, leaving a mere 10 games on the Sioux schedule. Do a little simple division, and you find Dean Blais’ squad active for five more … Read more

Reinprecht On A Roll

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For a guy who was just named the WCHA’s Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, Wisconsin forward Steve Reinprecht was quite humble. “It feels good, though the times I’ve won it, it’s been unexpected,” the sophomore center said. “It’s good that you get the honor of being Offensive Player of … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: January 23, 1998

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Well, this weekend Dean Blais’ North Dakota squad is Train A, and Grand Forks, N.D., is location X, while St. Cloud State assumes the role of Train B, and conductor Craig Dahl is happy to keep his team in the station. Western Conference Hockey Association power hangs in the balance this weekend as top-ranked North … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: January 16, 1998

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The return to a complete schedule comes after a pivotal group of games a week ago, during which the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota showed why they are the defending national champions. UND took two clear-cut decisions from then-No. 8 Colorado College, 4-1 and 6-1, narrowing St. Cloud’s lead to just two points in the … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: December 5, 1997

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If you take a casual glance at the WCHA standings, you might feel the urge to turn the page upside down. No, it’s not that old eyeglass prescription, and it’s not too much coffee. The Huskies of St. Cloud State are really in first place, and the Golden Gophers of Minnesota indeed seventh. St. Cloud’s … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: November 7, 1997

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Colorado College is proving itself to be a hard charger in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, having climbed all the way up to No. 2 in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll this week after a pair of victories at surprising Michigan Tech. CC is now 3-0-1 on the season, one of only two undefeated … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: October 31, 1997

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St. Cloud State, which dropped a pair at home to CCHA opponent Notre Dame two weekends ago, came back to earn three points against Mankato State, which had just split a pair in Duluth against the Bulldogs. Those selfsame ‘Dogs then turned around and put a whipping on big brother Minnesota Friday, before losing the … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: October 24, 1997

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St. Cloud State, bereft of much of last year’s good-for-third-place talent, was swept by lightly-regarded CCHA opponent Notre Dame, and Minnesota-Duluth lost to upstart Mankato State on Friday before clawing back for a 7-6 goalies-optional victory the next day. In the same vein, Minnesota’s early-season showdown with Maine started out disastrously with a 6-1 thrashing, … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: October 17, 1997

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For the rest, it’s game time once again as the first (near-)full weekend of play is finally upon us. Four of the eight — North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth — hit the ice for the first time this season (though UND, CC and DU’s games are exhibitions against Canadian schools). The rest — … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: March 14, 1997

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WCHA Playoffs: Final Five by Steve Page When the Western Collegiate Hockey Association expanded from nine to 10 teams in 1992-93, league officials decided to invite everybody to their tournament. Nice gesture, but now five teams reach the conference’s Final Four (which is, consequently, the Final Five instead). To solve the dilemma of having an … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: March 7, 1997

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WCHA Playoffs: First Round by Steve Page Every coach in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is in agreement on this: gaining home-ice advantage for the first round of the conference playoffs was their primary goal all season. So this weekend, it’s the have-nots traveling to the haves. Final WCHA Standings The victors in the best-of-three … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: February 28, 1997

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WCHA Preview: Feb. 28-Mar. 1, 1997 by Steve Page North Dakota has come all the way back. A weekend sweep of visiting Alaska-Anchorage gave the Fighting Sioux a share of the WCHA regular-season title, their first since 1987. UND also gained the number-one seed for the WCHA playoffs by virtue of the tiebreaker it holds … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: February 21, 1997

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WCHA Preview: Feb. 21-22, 1997 by Scott Brown Despite a split against Northern Michigan, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux edged ever closer to the MacNaughton Cup last weekend. Although the Sioux managed only two points on the road, their competitors fared no better: Minnesota split a home series with Minnesota-Duluth, and Denver and Colorado College … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: February 14, 1997

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WCHA Preview: Feb. 14-15, 1997 by Scott Brown North Dakota refused to yield ground to its pursuers over the weekend. The first-place Fighting Sioux, edging ever closer to the MacNaughton Cup, swept last-place Michigan Tech to maintain a three-point lead in the standings over Minnesota. The Gophers, for their part, took four points against ninth-place … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: February 7, 1997

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WCHA Preview: Feb. 7-8, 1997 by Scott Brown The playoff picture in the WCHA is simultaneously a little clearer and a little muddier than it was last week. The North Dakota Fighting Sioux staked their claim to the top spot in the conference, sweeping the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Grand Forks, ND, 6-4 and 6-2. … Read more

This Week in the WCHA: January 31, 1997

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WCHA Preview: Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 1997 by Scott Brown The WCHA now officially enters the stretch run for the playoffs. With St. Cloud’s visit to Notre Dame out of the way, only WCHA league games remain for the ten teams in the conference. That means undiluted entertainment for fans, as no fewer than seven teams … Read more