Minnesota State has been selected by the CCHA head coaches to win the MacNaughton Cup, which is awarded to the regular-season champion, in the 2022-23 preseason coaches poll. The defending champions and Frozen Four finalists also won the 2022 Mason Cup as the league’s tournament winners. The Mavericks collected six first-place votes and totaled 69 … Read more
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
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 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
The CCHA overturned Josh Groll’s overtime goal well after the playoff championship trophy was presented. The league ordered the title game to resume.
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
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
The CCHA announced Monday its 2021-22 all-rookie team. 2021-22 CCHA All-Rookie Team F – Bradley Marek, Ferris State – 16 points F – Austen Swankler, Bowling Green – (13) F – Josh Nixon, Lake Superior State – (12) D – Eric Parker, Bowling Green – (12) D – Bennett Zmolek, Minnesota State – (9) G … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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