National College Hockey Television Schedule (01/04 – 1/12)

As the NHL and the NHLPA continue with their endless lockout and squabble over billions of dollars, Hockey Related Revenue and other issues, there is actually watchable hockey that is being played tonight… In other words, you have options if you have cable  television or a satellite dish.

 Coming up this weekend, there are some nice national matchups. This weekend, the Cornell Big Red travel to Denver, Colorado for an important two-game nonconference series against the Denver Pioneers. This series has huge national implications in the Pairwise Rankings.  Tuesday night, Notre Dame travels to Minnesota to take on the Gophers in a crucial one game nonconference matchup.

*NESN = New England Sports Network. FCS= Fox College Sports. NBCSN = NBC Sports Network. DirecTV requires the “Sports Pack” to view the Regional sports Networks.

Fri.	Jan. 4		Dartmouth v. Quinnipiac	NESN	6:00 p.m.	683/414
Fr.	Jan. 4		Holy Cross at UND	FCS/Midco	7:37 p.m.	623
Fri.	Jan. 4		Colorado College at Nebraska-Omaha	NBC Sports Net.	7:30 p.m.	603 / 159
Fri.	Jan. 4		Robert Morris at Army	CBS Sports Net.	7:30 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Fri.	Jan. 4		Cornell at Denver	ROOT Sports	9:30 p.m.	683 / 414
Sat.	Jan. 5		Holy Cross at UND	FCS/Midco	7:07 p.m.	626
Sat.	Jan. 5		Merrimack at Vermont	CBS Sports Net.	7:30 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Tue.	Jan. 8		Bowling Green at Michigan	Big Ten Net.	7:30 p.m.	610 / 439 (C)
Tue.	Jan. 8		Notre Dame at Minnesota	FS North +	8:00 p.m.	657/444
Fri.	Jan. 11		Colorado College at UND	FCS/Midco	7:37pm	623
Fri.	Jan. 11		New Hampshire at Boston College	NESN	7:00 p.m.	628 / 434
Fri.	Jan. 11		Union at Princeton	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.	603 / 159
Fri.	Jan. 11		Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota	BTN	9:00 p.m.	610 / 439 (C)
Fri.	Jan. 11		Nebraska-Omaha at Denver	NBCSN	10:00 p.m.	603 / 159
Sat.	Jan. 12		Army at Air Force	CBS Sports Net.	6:00 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Sat.	Jan. 12		Colorado College at UND	FCS/Midco	7:07 p.m.	TBD
Sat.	Jan. 12		Alaska at Michigan	FS Detroit +	7:30 p.m.	664 / TBD
Sat.	Jan. 12		Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota	FS North	8:00 p.m.	668 / 436
Sat.	Jan. 12		Nebraska-Omaha at Denver	ROOT Sports	9:00 p.m.	683 /414

Bryon Bitz faces hearing with Shanny and the Department of Player Safety

Former Cornell Big Red forward Bryon Bitz was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for this dirty elbow on Los Angeles Kings forward Kyle Clifford. This is an unnecessary and dangerous hit and needs to be taken from the game of hockey. I predict that since Bitz, who is a third or fourth line player, will end up serving a suspension of a game or two for this hit on Clifford because the league will want to send a message.

NHL.COM ---- Vancouver Canucks right wing Byron Bitz will face a disciplinary hearing with the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety Thursday.

The hearing regards a boarding major Bitz received Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against Los Angeles when Bitz hit L.A.'s Kyle Clifford at 12:12 of the second period. Bitz was also assessed a game misconduct on the play.

Related articles

• Bits on Bitz (insidehockey.com)
• Kings Steal Home Ice By Beating Top-Ranked Canucks In Playoffs Opener (losangeles.cbslocal.com)
• Willes: No discipline or intelligence as Kings make Canucks pay for mistakes (theprovince.com)
• Kings Beat Canucks In Game One 4-2. Enjoy It & Get Back To Business On Friday (lakingsnews.com)

Redwing77's NCAA Tourney Bracket Pick'em Part Two

Here's the final installment. I'm not going to predict the Frozen Four outcomes until the teams have been set.

Midwest Regional:

This is about as difficult as the West. It features Michigan, Ferris State, Denver, and Cornell. Since I haven't seen 3 of the 4 teams in this bracket play, I'm going to be brief.

Ferris State vs. DU:

Ferris State is a Cinderella story. They came out of nowhere to choke away the CCHA tourney by losing in the first round.

DU is a tough team mad as all get out after getting embarrassed vs. UND in the WCHA Tourney championship.

Prediction: Feel good Ferris State. You made the tourney. Bad news: DU destroys you.

Michigan vs. Cornell:

SNOOOOOOOOOOOZEFEST. Cornell historically plays a boring style of hockey. Michigan is cold and calculating. If Shawn Hunwick shows up like he did vs. UND a year ago, Michigan wins easy. If he lets in weak goals like he did vs. WMU, then oops.

Prediction: Michigan wins.

Regional Final: Michigan vs. DU. I think DU stuns the #1 seed in this Regional.

East Regional:

This is the easiest bracket in the tourney by a LONG SHOT. If you could believe in a team like Union, it would be easy to think they'll walk into the Frozen Four however....

Union vs. Michigan State:

Union is a team that hasn't really played many quality teams. They've played a few ranked opponents. They've played nonconference ranked opponents in DU, CC, WMU, Michigan, and Merrimack. Against those opponents, they have a 2-2-2 record. Their wins were against Merrimack and Michigan.

Michigan State is an interesting story in that they squeaked in by the hairs on their chinny chin chin. If it was any other opponent I wouldn't give Michigan State a sniff at a win.

However....I'm not sold on either team doing anything, but since I have to pick a team...

Prediction: I predict upset city. Michigan State wins in OT. Union becomes the only #1 to fall in the first round.

Miami vs. Mass Lowell:

UMass is another Cinderella story. They've seemingly come out of nowhere. And that's where they're going in this NCAA tourney.

Miami: Been here done it before. Miami has been very inconsistent looking downright pathetic vs. WMU in the CCHA tourney. However, Blasi always watches his team drop one in their shorts before the NCAAs and well, things turn out alright.

Prediction: Miami wins.

Regional Final: I may not be sold on Union/MSU outcome but I am sold on this: If Miami beats UMass Lowell, they go to the Frozen Four.

I also predict that this Regional will be the most poorly attended.

Frozen Four Wrap Up:

Using my predictions: I think the final four teams will be BC, Minnesota, Miami, and DU.

Since I'm not sold on any teams but BC and Miami listed above, I'll wait until the Frozen Four is set to make my predictions.

Why Zucker didn't play last weekend.

Image via WikipediaTwo Colorado schools C.C. and DU kept their two high end players that just returned from the World Junior Championship out of the line up last weekend. DU forward Jason Zucker who is one of the top five forwards in the WCHA and probably soon to be a member of the Minnesota Wild went home to visit family while his team split with the UAH Chargers. That lose could be costly for the Pioneers.

Colorado College forward Jaden Schwartz, who is also a top five forward in the WCHA, was held out of Friday's game as well and the Tigers ended up losing to the Cornell Big Red, another costly personnel move, as the Tigers lost and tied the Cornell Big Red. 

Mike Chambers, the Field House --- DU coach George Gwozdecky said of the decision to keep Zucker out of the non-league set — a decision that was second-guessed by some in the wake of the upset loss to the nation’s only Division I independent program on Friday night. That loss conceivably could cost DU an NCAA tournament berth, considering its impact on the Pioneers in the PairWise rankings. Gwozdecky said the precedent was set after defenseman Matt Carle played for the champion U.S. team in 2004.

“Matt was part of that gold-medal team and he came back, and we didn’t know from experience what the whole thing was like and what it was going to do to Matt,” Gwozdecky said. “He was absolutely emotionally drained, physically drained, and his level of urgency wasn’t there for at least three weeks. After the first period of the first game he was back, it was like, ‘Oh, my God, I think we made a mistake here,’ because he was just shot. You certainly understand that. You’re playing for a gold medal on the world stage in front of huge crowds and all of a sudden, you’re coming back and playing against Bemidji or Wisconsin. It just doesn’t have the same luster.

I don't buy this argument that the players that return from the WJC need to be held out of games, they can get their rest as time allows, during the up coming weeks, there are also bye weeks in the schedule.

The reason I am not buying this argument is that you're talking about 19 year old kids who are world class athletes and not a bunch of 30-35 year old men playing in the house league. You have a limited number of games and the WCHA has taken a beating in the out of conference games and has an unimpressive inter-conference record of 26-25-8 and that could end up costing the WCHA come NCAA tourney selection time. 

Edit: I you click on this link you will see that Dan Myers of College Hockey News discussed this issue as well on the College Hockey News blog.

Related articles

• DU's Jason Zucker, CC's Jaden Schwartz set new bar at World Junior Hockey Championships (denverpost.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings - January 8 (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings - December 12 (insidehockey.com)

Riley Nash to Boston?

Guy Flaming from the Pipe Line Show and Coming Down the Pipe blog has an interesting blog post on Cornell Big Red star forward and Edmonton Oilers first round draft choice Riley Nash. It appears that he COULD be heading to the Bruins. It has been speculated that Rilley Nash who says that he is in no hurry to sign a professional contract with the Oilers could be involved in a draft day trade. Personally I would like to see the Bruins offer Blake Wheeler for Riley Nash.

BOS, EDM & Riley Nash

I'm of the belief that something could happen between the Oilers and the Bruins on draft day. I'm skeptical that it would involve a NHL roster player like Blake Wheeler though just in order to convince the Oilers to pass on the guy the Bruins prefer. That seems like a big price to pay to me. If a deal is made, I won't be surprised if it was a pick or two, maybe a pick and a prospect, coming back to the Oilers instead.

Dean has learned that the two teams had talks earlier this season involving Riley Nash and Mikko Lehtonen. We're not sure if it was a 1-for-1 swap but after we both spoke with sources from teams in each conference, we know that Nash does have some value around the league. In this case we're led to believe that it was Edmonton that wouldn't green light the trade.

Might the Bruins still have an interest in Nash? Lehtonen, a 6'3 and 196 lbs right winger, led the Providence Bruins in scoring this year with 50 points, he had 53 the year before. The Finnish player was drafted by the Bruins in the 3rd round of 2005.

Speaking of Nash, fans speculated that Montréal might have an interest in him after they'd signed his brother to a deal in the spring. About a month ago I asked a scout from the Canadiens if he personally liked Nash in his draft year and was told "I sure did". (I mentally noted that that particular scout survived GM Pierre Gauthier's purge last week). Maybe the Oilers and Habs can work something out on draft day. Would Montréal's 2nd round pick, 57th overall, be too much, too little or just enough?
[Coming down the Pipe]