Former Middlebury coach Beaney heads up 2016 AHCA major award winners

The American Hockey Coaches Association announced its major awards for 2016 on Thursday and the awards honor eight individuals who have greatly contributed to college hockey in the United States. All award-winners will be formally recognized at the AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla., on April 27 and April 29. Headlining the honorees is former Middlebury head … Read more

Wednesday Women: Returns

Miye D

After two weeks of the second half, Candace and Arlan ponder all the standings races, whether BC showed vulnerability in its win over BU, and what the possible return of Amanda Kessel could mean to Minnesota’s fortunes.

Minnesota standout Kessel back skating with Gophers, return still unknown

Minnesota’s Amanda Kessel hasn’t played a game since the 2014 Winter Olympics because of concussion issues, has resumed skating with the Gophers and could possibly play this season, according to the Grand Forks Herald. Last July, Minnesota coach Brad Frost said that Kessel wouldn’t be able to finish out her senior year because of persisting … Read more

Holiday pictures

Do you know those family photos that people like to include in their Christmas cards? Or at least people once did; now the photo is pretty much the whole Christmas card, with the “Merry Christmas” and everyone’s name already printed, so all the sender has to do is stuff it in an envelope and add … Read more

Boston Pride bring a sample of professional hockey to Minnesota

This weekend, I watched women’s professional hockey in Minnesota for the first time, viewing Saturday’s game on television and attending my first women’s pro game on Sunday. The games were billed as being the first professional women’s games played in Minnesota, as the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) visited the independent … Read more

Desbiens not shy about leading Wisconsin to the top

Those meeting junior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens during her early days at Wisconsin likely came away with a misleading first impression. People like forward Rachel Jones, now a senior for the top-ranked Badgers and Desbiens’ roommate. “She was very shy, didn’t really communicate with people at first,” Jones said. That’s hardly the way people in her … Read more

Wednesday Women: Chasing perfection

Annie Pankowski of Wisconsin (David Stluka)

As the first half of the season closes, two teams have perfect records, the ECAC is in turmoil, Boston University struggles, and Mercyhurst remains the top boss in the CHA. Candace and Arlan discuss Wisconsin’s sweep of Minnesota, the teams chasing Quinnipiac, and wonder about whether a squad can achieve what Minnesota did a few years ago: a perfect record.

Harvard works for a different end to its season

Mother used to always say, “It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” The hockey equivalent would be that it’s better to get to the championship and lose than never to play for a championship at all. If that’s true, then Harvard would know better than anyone. To be … Read more

Wednesday Women: First-half finales

Lara Stalder of Minnesota-Duluth (Dave Harwig)

As the first half approaches its final two weeks, Candace and Arlan ponder what they learned from last weekend and what it might mean when Minnesota and Wisconsin square off the first time and Mercyhurst faces Robert Morris, and discuss the overall state of parity in the game.

Yale looking to add a championship to its culture

By some interpretations, Yale has gotten off to a slow start this season. “They’re not happy that we’re 1-6-1, especially the senior class,” coach Joakim Flygh said of his team. “They deserve better.” From a different perspective, it’s really not that slow of a start. Four years ago, the season before the current senior class … Read more

Wednesday Women: Lessons learned

Maddy Field of Ohio State plays against Minnesota State (www.BigTenPhoto.com / Walt Middleton Photography 2011)

Candace and Arlan talk about the lessons learned from Minnesota’s sweep of Bemidji State and Ohio State’s win over North Dakota, preview the first clash of Alex Carpenter and Kendall Coyne, look at home ice candidates in the ECAC, what Penn State’s series win over Robert Morris does to the CHA, and the use of four-on-four OT in Hockey East.

Wednesday Women: Second tier

Alexa Gruschow (Rensselaer - 11). ((c) Shelley M. Szwast 2013)

Candace and Arlan look at RPI’s upset of Clarkson, the too-hard-to-call CHA and ECAC, the results of Boston College and Boston University, what Bemidji’s win over Ohio State does for the Beavers, and what players are standing out that might not normally get accolades.