Bemidji State promotes longtime assistant coach Winter to associate head coach for Beavers

Bemidji State has announced that longtime assistant coach Travis Winter has been promoted to associate head coach for the Beavers’ men’s hockey team. “Travis has been an integral part of the success of Beaver hockey and the Beaver hockey tradition,” said BSU head coach Tom Serratore in a statement. “He’s an accomplished and well-respected professional … Read more

Retired Bemidji State athletic director Dill named interim WCHA commissioner

Following approval by the league’s board of directors, the WCHA has announced that Tracy Dill will begin serving as its interim commissioner beginning Aug. 1. Dill, who retired as Bemidji State’s athletic director on June 30, replaces outgoing commissioner Jennifer Flowers, who resigned the position in mid-June after piloting the WCHA for three years. Flowers … Read more

North Dakota goaltender Driscoll ‘honored and humbled’ in receiving 2022 Senior CLASS Award

North Dakota goaltender Zach Driscoll has been selected as the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I men’s hockey coaches, national hockey media, and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men’s hockey. An … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Mason Cup making long-awaited return this weekend with conference championship on the line

When it is awarded to either Minnesota State or Bemidji State on Saturday night in Mankato, the Mason Cup will be at the end of its long journey back to its rightful place in the hands of the champions of the CCHA tournament. The CCHA’s championship trophy was one of the first things CCHA commissioner … Read more

Minnesota State, Michigan Tech have four players each among 13 players honored on 2022 all-CCHA first, second teams

The CCHA has announced its two all-CCHA teams for the 2021-22 season. 2021-22 All-CCHA First Team F – Nathan Smith, Minnesota State – 41 points F – Brian Halonen, Michigan Tech – (35) F – Julian Napravnik, Minnesota State (26) D – Jake Livingstone, Minnesota State (22) D – Elias Rosén, Bemidji State (18) G … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: After a competitive regular season, start of postseason should be ‘an awesome weekend of playoff hockey’

The Mason Cup is back. After a nine-year absence, the CCHA will award the championship trophy once again to the winner of its conference tournament, which begins with quarterfinal action this week. The trophy, named after famed Bowling Green, Lake Superior State and Michigan State coaching legend Ron Mason, was created in 2001. “We were … Read more

CCHA announces one-game suspension to Bemidji State defenseman Rosén for interference penalty Feb. 5 against Northern Michigan

The announced Tuesday a one-game suspension for Bemidji State junior defenseman Elias Rosén. The infraction occurred 14 seconds into the third period on Feb. 5, 2022, in a game between Bemidji State and Northern Michigan. The on-ice call was a minor penalty for interference, but after further league review, the CCHA has determined that the … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Which conference teams are gearing up for a run? Which conference teams are planning for ’22-23 season?

It’s already February, which I understand seems strange to everyone (if there’s anything the pandemic has taught us, it’s that time is essentially meaningless). But it’s true. It’s February, which means there’s just one month of CCHA regular season left until the playoffs. And because it’s almost the postseason, it’s about time that we start … Read more

Longtime Bemidji State hockey coach Peters, who guided Beavers to 13 national championships, dies at 84

A pillar of the Bemidji State and collegiate hockey community is gone today as longtime head coach, athletic director, and instructor R.H. “Bob” Peters passed away Wednesday at his home. He was 84. Peters’ involvement at Bemidji State began in 1966 and was woven through its buildings, programs, and teams, specifically its men’s hockey program … Read more

Bemidji State’s Sillinger, Northeastern’s Levi, Minnesota Duluth’s Fanti take home national player honors for November

The Hockey Commissioners Association announced Thursday its three men’s college hockey players of the month for November. Bemidji State senior forward Owen Sillinger is the player of the month, while Northeastern sophomore goaltender Devon Levi is the rookie of the month and Minnesota Duluth junior goalie Ryan Fanti is the goaltender of the month. Sillinger … Read more

Bemidji State’s Sillinger suspended one game by CCHA for head contact penalty against Arizona State

The CCHA announced Monday that Bemidji State sophomore forward Lukas Sillinger has been suspended for one game stemming from an incident at 9:55 of the third period on Friday, Nov. 26, against Arizona State. The on-ice call was a five-minute major and game misconduct penalty for contact to the head. The suspension will be served … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Bemidji State mixing youth, experience to perfection early in 2021-22 season

A quick look up and down Bemidji State’s roster would reveal a lot of familiar names: Ethan Somoza. Owen Sillinger. Alex Ierullo. Tyler Kirkup. All have been contributing to the BSU program consistently since their freshmen seasons, and their presence in the lineup this year — a few back for an extra year of eligibility … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: After ‘rough’ 2020-21 season, Ferris State ‘a superior team from what we were a year ago’

Losing isn’t usually the norm for a Bob Daniels-coached team. The Ferris State head coach has been behind the bench for 29 seasons. He’s guided his Bulldogs teams to three conference titles, four NCAA tournament appearances and one Frozen Four in that time frame. The usual expectation for the Bulldogs is to be competitive at … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: With experienced lineup, Michigan Tech ‘can compete with most anybody in the country’

When members of the media were looking at the teams in the newly-reconstituted CCHA this fall as we started to do our preseason picks and previews, one team made it easiest on everybody. And maybe it wasn’t the team you think. Have your guesses in? It might shock you to know that it was Michigan … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Dealing with key player departures, Lake Superior State finding new players stepping up to fill roles

It might have been reasonable to assume at the start of the 2021-22 season that Lake Superior State might have some issues scoring goals this year. After all, the Lakers lost four of their top five scorers (Ashton Calder, Pete Veillette, Hampus Eriksson and Will Reidell) either to graduation or the NCAA transfer portal (in … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Blasi ‘extremely happy with the progress we’ve made’ at St. Thomas in first weeks on ice as D-I program

After some time away, there’s one thing Rico Blasi noticed about the familiar rinks of the CCHA. “The smell is still the same,” the first-year St. Thomas coach joked in a phone interview Tuesday, reflecting on his team’s recent road trips to Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. Blasi, who played at Miami in the … Read more

CCHA 2021-22 Season Preview: New-look conference looking to make impact with eye on NCAA tournament

For the casual fan watching on a Friday or Saturday, chances are high that the inaugural season of the new CCHA won’t look much different than the final season of the WCHA. Seven of the eight teams were together in the WCHA, so the matchups, coaches and arenas are largely the same. And the league’s … Read more

Longtime WCHA supervisor of officials Shepherd named 2021 winner of conference’s Otto Breitenbach Distinguished Service Award

The WCHA announced Monday that conference supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd has been voted unanimously by the league’s 10 teams as the 2021 recipient of the Otto Breitenbach Distinguished Service Award. “The WCHA was and always will be the best league in college hockey and I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award,” … Read more