After reading this it would appear that Red Berenson has his head screwed on right. I would imagine that Red is right there probably are a few teams that don’t want to leave the WCHA or CCHA.
Ann Arbor.COM-- Michigan coach Red Berenson said Friday afternoon that although Penn State's financial commitment to hockey is a "huge step in the right direction for any more future growth in college hockey" having the Nittany Lions join one conference over another doesn't make a difference to him.
Berenson expects a lot of speculation to take place over the next four years, but he doesn't think the answer is breaking up existing leagues with long-standing traditions.
"I don't think teams are anxious to leave their own conference and abandon them and start a new conference," Berenson said. "I don't think anyone wants to see a league take a hit."
Since when is Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey considered hockey hotbeds? Michigan, Minnesota and Massachusetts are considered hockey hotbeds with thriving youth hockey programs. Some of the stuff I have read surrounding the Penn State University announcement recently is absolutely ridiculous.
The Daily Collegian-- The Big Ten released a statement saying a decision on the formation of a Big Ten hockey conference will not be made without significant discussion.
As far as appointing a head coach, Curley said he would begin reviewing candidates within the next year.
Commenting on the speculation, Curley said he had preliminary talks with the five Big Ten schools who currently offer Big Ten hockey and they agreed to begin discussions about a possible conference at the October Big Ten meetings.
While the decision hasn’t been made yet, Curley does anticipate the varsity teams to go by the university’s signature name, the Nittany Lions, rather than their current name, the Icers.
The next step the university will take is appointing an architect for the construction of the state-of-the-art facility. The new facility has not been named yet but Curley said he plans to sit down and talk with the Pegulas about a possible title within the next three-six months.
Curley also believes the teams will be financially self-sustaining, citing the university’s majority population from hockey hotbeds including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey.
Besides collegiate hockey, Curley said the new rink could also be used for figure skating and NHL exhibition games, as well as for concerts and other university events.
Again the move the UNO Mavericks is looking better and better all of the time for the UNO hockey program.
Omaha World-Herald --- With speculation swirling of another conference shakeup down the road, the Mavs' move to the WCHA might've happened at an ideal time. Penn State just announced that it will begin playing Division I men's hockey in 2012-13, making the formation of a long-rumored Big Ten hockey conference a strong possibility.
But even if Minnesota and Wisconsin eventually depart the WCHA, UNO still will be aligned with North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College, St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth. The introduction of Big Ten hockey would seemingly have a far more negative impact on the Mavs' old conference, with the CCHA waving goodbye to high-profile programs Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and possibly even Notre Dame.
In the here and now, it's a certainty that the puck will drop on a new season in October, and UNO will get after the goal of making it to the WCHA Final Five. The league's showcase event — now featuring a six-team format — happens in March at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
When it comes to positioning the Mavs for WCHA success, it's hard to imagine a better power structure for the program.
Ah the speculation, why not a team in Iowa City as well?
Goal Gophers -- Two other Big Ten teams have made inquiries about doing the same, But Paul Kelly, executive director of College Hockey, Inc., the education and marketing arm of NCAA hockey, isn't saying which teams.
One team supposedly in the mix is Illinois.
Makes sense if someone is looking at the top club teams. The Illini have played in the ACHA national tournament in 13 of the past 15 years and have made the semifinals seven times. Illinois won the national title in 2005.
So are the Illini a Division I prospect? Publicly, no.
