In October, when the leaves were turning southern Michigan into a rolling patchwork of color, Tyler Harlton missed the open sky of the western Canadian prairie. The Pense, Sask., native could appreciate the beauty of autumn in East Lansing, but he couldn’t help feeling penned in. “When you’re surrounded by trees on all sides, it … Read more
Minnesota sophomore defenseman Ben Clymer will miss the remainder of the 1997-98 season after reinjuring his shoulder Wednesday afternoon in practice. Clymer, the top collegiate player taken in the 1997 NHL draft, will be scheduled for surgery in the near future. “Ben has an anterior instability in the shoulder which has not responded to protection … Read more
Hockey in Minnesota just took a step forward. Oct. 13, 1997, marked the first day of official practice for the new Minnesota women’s hockey team. Women have been playing hockey on the East coast for years, and with the sudden growth spurt in girls’ hockey in Minnesota area high schools, the time seemed right to … Read more
This weekend sees the debut of college hockey’s new season-opening tourney, the Ice Breaker Invitational, at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wis. The tourney, originally announced at the NCAA championships last March, brings together one team each from the CCHA, WCHA, ECAC and Hockey East for a two-day event. This year, the invitees are … Read more
The Michigan State Spartans, coming off a third-place, 23-13-4 season and a first-round NCAA tournament loss, have been anointed the team to beat by CCHA coaches and media. “It’s nice to know going in that you are among the group that has a chance to win the league,” said MSU head coach Ron Mason. “But … Read more
On Saturday, Gophers captain Mike Crowley became the second Minnesota player in a one-week span to turn pro, announcing his signing with the NHL’s Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Forward Erik Rasmussen announced his agreement to terms with the Buffalo Sabres last Wednesday. Crowley, a defenseman who would have been a senior this season, had nine … Read more
The new season-opening Ice Breaker Cup tournament has undergone a change of venue and taken on a new name and corporate sponsor. The tournament is now the Team Cheerios Ice Breaker Invitational, and will be played at Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wis., home of the host Wisconsin Badgers. Originally, the tournament was to be … Read more
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Minnesota winger Erik Rasmussen will announce today that he has signed with the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres. Rasmussen was the first American-born player taken in the 1996 draft, when the Sabres made him the seventh overall pick. His salary of $875,000 per year for three seasons is fixed by … Read more
As reported by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Minnesota head coach Doug Woog has been placed on notice by athletic director Mark Dienhart for letting several hockey players — none underage — have access to beer at his expense after some games. “Under different athletic directors I’ve served [with], we’ve had different policies and no policies on … Read more
The Ice Breaker Cup, a new season-opening college hockey tournament, debuts at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago next October. The tournament will feature four Division I teams, one from each of the four major conferences,in a single-elimination competition on Oct. 11-12, the first weekend of the NCAA college hockey season. “The Ice Breaker Cup is … Read more
According to the Hobey Baker selection committee, a Hobey Baker Award winner should “exhibit strength of character” and possess “oustanding skills in all aspects of the game.” According to Michigan head coach Red Berenson, this year’s Hobey Baker winner is “an excellent person” who “shares his success with his teammates.” And this year’s winner is … Read more
Michigan senior center Mike Legg’s internationally-famous lacrosse-like goal will receive its best publicity yet this week when it is nominated for an ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) by ESPN in the category of “Outrageous Play of the Year.” The balloting will run starting with Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. Sportscenter and continue through Monday. Voting will … Read more
The “lacrosse” goal by University of Michigan center Mike Legg is under consideration for two major awards this year: Canada’s sporting network TSN’s “Play of the Year,” and an ESPY awards from the American equivalent, ESPN, the University of Michigan announced this week. Legg’s goal, which came in a quarterfinal game of the 1996 NCAA … Read more
The WCHA announced Wednesday that the officiating crew of Buzzy Christensen, Jon Campion and Mark Nebel was suspended for one weekend, following a series they refereed in Marquette, Mich. The crew officiated both games of the Nov. 22-23 weekend between the Northern Michigan Wildcats and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, which the two teams split; Minnesota … Read more
According to Ohio State coach John Markell, sophomore defenseman Dan Harrison has left the OSU hockey program due to personal reasons. Harrison, who received Honorable Mention for last season’s CCHA All-Rookie Team, has left school and returned to his home in Newmarket, Ont. Harrison was third in scoring for the Buckeyes last year, with 19 … Read more
Allegations of wrongdoing centered around Minnesota head coach Doug Woog intensified over the weekend. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Sunday that Woog concealed an illegal payment to a former player from officials in Minnesota’s athletic department, and that then-assistant coach Bill Butters knew about the payment, and hinted at that knowledge to his superiors, but … Read more
Minnesota today suspended hockey coach Doug Woog and pulled one scholarship from the program for Woog’s role in obtaining cash to help a former player pay tuition expenses after his eligibility had ended. The decision was announced by men’s athletics director Mark Dienhart at an early-evening news conference at Mariucci Arena. Dienhart said Woog gave … Read more
The University of Minnesota and the NCAA are engaged in an investigation into possible rules infractions, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Sunday, October 20, 1996. Reportedly Gopher head coach Doug Woog gave co-captain Chris McAlpine $500 after the conclusion of the 1993-94 hockey season, once defenseman McAlpine had used up his hockey eligibility. The money … Read more
When you walk into the meager hockey office in the current Ohio State University Athletic Department you at once realize, because of location, the significance of this program in relation to others. The office itself is located on the inside of the basketball arena, within the rotunda, with a minuscule ice rink adjoining it. Anyone … Read more
The defending 1996 NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines are the runaway favorite to win the Central Collegiate Hockey Association again in 1996-97. Michigan garnered all of the possible 9 first place votes in the coaches’ poll, while gaining 33 of 34 possible first place votes in the CCHA media poll. Michigan State was the consensus second-place … Read more