ASU Adding Hockey College Hockey, Good or Bad?

I saw the comment above in the Grand Forks Herald chat and I had to include it in my blog post.

First, I think with the announcement that Arizona State University adding hockey is grounds for celebration. Hey, the more the merrier. I don't look at it as gloom and doom. After college hockey blew up a few summers ago with re-alignment many people were predicting that gloom and doom. I don't think that's the case. If you look at the USCHO poll, the top-20 teams are mostly Division II schools and mid majors. Gone from the top-20, traditional powers like Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Think about this, Union College won the NCAA title last year, they're a Division III school. So I don't believe that adding another Big-Five school is going to ruin college hockey.

Jeff Cox, SBNCollegeHockey --- However, college hockey has always been a niche sport in the colder regions of the country. It has thrived with smaller schools playing up and having success such as 2014 NCAA Champion Union College and Minnesota-Duluth in 2011. Little-known schools nationally such as Northern Michigan, Lake Superior, RPI and Bowling Green won national titles in the 80s and 90s. The current No. 1 team in the nation and winner of three national titles, Michigan Tech, is a small school located in the upper peninsula that certainly wouldn't even sniff such success in football or basketball.

When Penn State elevated its successful club program to the NCAA level a few years ago, we saw the dismantlement of the CCHA and the fraction of the WCHA into the Big Ten, NCHC and a revamped WCHA. Depending on which rumor you believe, the Sun Devils seem destined for the NCHC or WCHA, both could be argued as logical choices for the newest member of college hockey's fraternity.

None of this is a knock on Penn State or Arizona State. Both, rightfully so, are entitled to look out for their best interests. No school, big or large, is necessarily tasked with looking out for the interests of any other institution outside of their own. But, college hockey is a small fraternity and one that needs to keep all its members to ensure future success. The small schools with a rich hockey history have been vital to the sport. Going forward it is imperative that College Hockey Inc. and other powers that be in the sport maintain balance in expansion with keeping the glorious history of the sport alive.

Related articles

• ASU to Add Division I Hockey(ndgoon.blogspot.com)

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• The Student Section: Regular Season Episode #6(hockeywilderness.com)

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ASU to Add Division I Hockey

The story of the day -- the announcement that Arizona State University is going to add Division I Hockey. One of the places that ASU could land is the NCHC. As Brad Schlossman mentioned earlier this week, there's been some discussion between the commissioner and ASU.

House of Sparky --- Three years from now in 2017-18 the Sun Devils will join a conference and two stand out as the most likely landing spots. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) has shown interest, as has the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). It is to be determined which one Arizona State chooses.

Of the two, the NCHC would boost Arizona State's profile the most. It would guarantee games against one of the NCAA perennial powerhouses in North Dakota, a school with 20 Frozen Four appearances and seven national titles. Last season North Dakota lost in the Frozen Four to Minnesota.

Geographically the NCHC makes sense as well. Included in it are Colorado College and the University of Denver, the two closest schools to Tempe in either the NCHC or WCHA. The third-closest, Nebraska-Omaha, is also an NCHC school.

The NCHA is the more popular conference as far as fan attendance as well. Last season the most popular WCHA team was Bemidji State with an average of 3,562 fans per game, according to U.S. College Hockey Online. That ranked 22nd in the NCAA.

#ASU promotes men's ice hockey program to NCAA Division I status: http://t.co/pdIRC6hmxj pic.twitter.com/tqyVJeq86n
— Arizona Sports 98.7 (@AZSports) November 18, 2014

Final version: ASU (@TheSunDevils) to launch Division I men's hockey program (18 new scholarships): http://t.co/gQFPAPU3lL via @FOXSPORTSAZ
— Craig Morgan (@cmorganfoxaz) November 19, 2014

Arizona State to sponsor NCAA Division I men's hockey program: ASU will become the ninth col... http://t.co/wSVEgUqrch #NCAAhockey #NCAA
— NCAA Wire (@ncaawire) November 19, 2014

College Hockey in Arizona?

#459790409 / gettyimages.com

Here's an interesting story, it could be noting more than conjecture at this point. I suppose the NCHC would be a logical location for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Justin Emerson, House of Sparky -- "He said ‘Mr. Anderson, if you provided varsity-level hockey at ASU ... you would be able to attract so many students from the East and from the North and even from Canada to want to come to Tempe, Arizona to play the sport at a high level,'" Anderson said. "He said ‘I guarantee you, there would be so many prospects for you.' And you know what, I believe that."

Arizona State hockey and coach Greg Powers have done a superb job bringing in high-level talent. Six players next year will be alumni of the United States Hockey League, one of the top junior hockey leagues in North America. That number is by far the highest in the ACHA.

Current USHL veterans include current NHL players like St. Louis forward Paul Stasny, Montreal forward Max Pacioretty, San Jose forward Joe Pavelski, and Olympic hero T.J. Oshie of St. Louis.

There are 11 members of next year's Sun Devil hockey team chose Arizona State over NCAA Division I schools, and one- defenseman Connor Schmidt- played NCAA last season.

I will believe it when I see it. Also, it’s not as easy to start a Division I Hockey team as the author suggests. That being said, it w would be a nice road trip for fans during the cold winter months. Allegiant Air flies from Grand Forks, ND to Phoenix.