Mike Chambers on the new "Super League"

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post has his take on the formation of the new Super League (CHSL). As always Chambers has an interesting take that’s just a little different than the other beat writers from around the league.

Mike Chamber; Denver Post ---- “There is no secret that many institutions, including ours, are looking at the intercollegiate hockey landscape and considering different options and opportunities for the future. It is our intent to continue to be a strong and proud partner with the other members of the WCHA while this process continues. The future of our program and the competitive alternatives for student-athletes attending our school in the future are decisions that need to be investigated, and weighed, and discussed.”

I wrote last winter that DU, CC and North Dakota, among others, should quit complaining about the UM and UW departures and recruit Notre Dame and Miami to the WCHA. The aforementioned stories in the Herald and elsewhere basically said the same thing, although I was surprised to see that a “new” conference would be a start-up league, not a “new-look” WCHA.

Hey, I’m all for an eight-team league that features DU, CC, UND, Notre Dame, Miami, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth and Western Michigan … but why not keep it under the WCHA banner? If they do go to a start-up league, would St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech just move to the CCHA, or if they remained in the “skinned” WCHA, who would join to make it a necessary six-team league?

Regardless, any league with DU, CC, UND, ND, Miami, UNO and UMD would be an excellent loop and make a fine non-conference scheduling partner with the Big Ten. Private schools DU and CC would UNDOUBTEDLY LOVE to be a hockey partner with Notre Dame, arguably the most recognized private school in the country.

Yikes!!! I think this is a scarey time in college hockey and there is a lot of uncertainty, like I told a friend of mine today, this makes my chest hurt. I don't think anyone really knows how this is going to play out. I do understand why these 6-8 schools are starting a "Super Conference" and I think that they are trying to do what is best for their universities

All WCHA teams released. Frattin Player of the Year

This is from WCHA.COM
First team all-WCHA

F — Matt Frattin, UND
F — Mike Connolly, Minnesota Duluth
F — Jack Connolly, Minnesota Duluth
D — Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
D — Chay Genoway, UND
G — Aaron Dell, UND

Second team all-WCHA

F — Justin Fontaine, Minnesota Duluth
F — Drew Shore, Denver
F — Jason Zucker, Denver
D — Jake Gardiner, Wisconsin
D — Matt Donovan, Denver
G –Kent Patterson, Minnesota

Third team all-WCHA

F — Jason Gregoire, UND
F — Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College
F — Drew LeBlanc, St. Cloud State
D — Kurt Davis, MSU-Mankato
D — Justin Faulk, Minnesota Duluth
G –John Faulkner, Nebraska-Omaha

All rookie team

F — Jason Zucker, Denver.
F — Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College
F — J.T. Brown, Minnesota Duluth
D — Justin Faulk, Minnesota Duluth
D — David Makowski, Denver
G — Sam Brittain, Denver

Player of the year: Matt Frattin, UND.
Rookie of the year: Jason Zucker, Denver.
Student-athlete of the year: Chay Genoway, UND.
Defensive player of the year: Justin Schultz, Wisconsin.
Coach of the year: Dean Blais, Omaha.
Scoring champion: Frattin.
Goaltending champion: Aaron Dell, UND.

From WCHA.COM

Frattin, who received 58 votes in player of the year balloting, also captured the league's scoring title (conference games only) with 40 points (22g, 18a), the most points by a Sioux player in league games since 2000-01. In 28 league games he averaged 1.43 points per game as the Sioux claimed the regular season championship for a record 15th time overall and second time in the past three seasons. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Frattin is tied for the NCAA Div. 1 lead with 29 goals, including a nation's-best 19 goals scored away from home, and leads UND in points (49), goals (29), power-play goals (9), game-winning goals (4), and shorthanded goals (2). He is currently riding his second nine-game point streak for the season, scored a goal in eight straight games earlier this season, and has gone consecutive games without a point on only two occasions. Frattin is a draftee of the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Genoway, who also earned All-WCHA First Team honors, was named the men's WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year in a vote of league member team Faculty Athletic Representatives. A two-time team captain and one of only three individuals to earn WCHA Scholar-Athlete honors four times (the others were Scott McCulloch of Colorado College from 2005-09 and Jenna Hewitt of Minnesota State from 2006-10), Genoway maintains a 3.558 cumulative grade-point average at North Dakota and will graduate in May with a BBA in Management. After a season-ending injury last year, the Morden, Manitoba product went on to earn a 4.0 GPA in the fall of 2010, has done a team-leading 68.5 hours of community service during this academic year and was named an ESPN the Magazine All-American as a junior. He is the fourth highest scoring defenseman overall in the WCHA this season with 26 points (6g, 20a) despite missing eight games, ranked second in the WCHA in points per game by a defenseman at 0.95, leads all active WCHA defensemen with 116 career points, and put together a 12-game point streak earlier this season, tying a 33-year old school record for defensemen. Genoway is also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior Class Award and has earned UND's Archie Krum Memorial Athletic Scholarship for "leadership qualities, high academic standards and athletic excellence" three years in a row.

Conference Action starts this week - Review of the WCHA.

Here is my prediction on how the season will shake out.

1.) UND Fighting Sioux
Returning players – UND
Last Season’s Record - 25-13-5
Forwards: Jason Gregoire (20g-17a—37pts) Jr, Danny Kristo (15g-21a—36pts) So, Evan Trupp (8g-26a—34pts) Sr, Brett Hextall (14g-12a—26pts) Jr, Brad Malone (11g-14a—25pts)Sr. Matt Frattin (11g-8a—pts) Sr.
Defense: Chay Genoway (4g-6a—10pts) Sr, Derrick LaPoint (2g-20a—22pts) Sr, Jake Marto (5-13—18) Sr, Ben Blood (5g-9a—14pts) Jr.
Goalie: Brad Eidsness (24-10-4, 2.11, .914).
Key Loss(es): Darcy Zajac, Chris VandeVelde.
Fan Blog: Goon's World, Sioux Yeah Yeah!, Dirty's Diatribe.
Message Board/Blog: Sioux Sports
Media Blog: University of North Dakota Hockey.

2.) SCSU Huskies
Returning players – SCSU
Last season’s Record - 20-11-5
Forwards: Garrett Roe (20g-29a—49pts) Sr, Tony Mosey (14g-26a—40pts)Sr, Drew LeBlanc (6g-25a—31pts)Jr, Ben Hanowski (9g-10a—19pts) So, Aaron Marvin (5g-11a—16pts) Sr.
Defense: Oliver Lauridsen (6g-6a—12pts) Jr, Chris Hepp (0g-2a—2pts) Sr.
Goalies: Mike Lee (12-9-3, 2.80 GAA, .917 SV%) So. Dann Dunn (12-5-2, 2.80 GAA, .917 SV%) Sr.
Key Loss(es): Ryan Lasch, Garrett Raboin.
Message Board: Da Huskies.
Fan Blog: Husky Hockey Time.
Media Blog: Husky Hockey.

3.) UMD Bulldogs
Returning players – UMD
Last Season’s Record - 22-17-1
Forwards: Jack Connolly (18g-31a—49pts) Jr, Mike Connolly (14g-26a—40pts) Jr, Justin Fontaine (21g-25a—46pts) Sr, Travis Oleksuk (10g-14a—24pts) Jr.
Defense: Brady Lamb (11g-13a—24pts) Jr, Mike Montgomery (2g-15a—17pts) Sr, Dylan Olson (1g-11a—12pts) So.
Goalie: G Kenny Reiter (13-10-0, 2.36 GAA, .912 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Jordan Fulton, Brady Hjelle, Rob Bordson.
Message Board: The Penalty Box.
Fan Blog: Runninwiththedogs.
Media Blog: Ciskie Blog, Rink and Run.

4.) DU Pioneers
Returning players – DU
Last Season’s Record - 27-10-4
Forwards: Anthony Maiani (8g-26pts--34) Sr, Sr. F Kyle Ostrow (16gt-10a—26pts) Sr, Jesse Martin (14g-8a—22pts) Sr, Drew Shore (5g-14a—19pts) So.
Defense: Matt Donovan (7g-14a—21pts) So, John Lee (2g-10a—12pts) Jr, William Wrenn (0g-7a—7pts) So.
Goalie: Adam Murray (3-4-1, 3.79 GAA, .874 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Joe Colborne, Patrick Wiercioch, Marc Cheverie, Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Ruegsegger.
Fan Blog: Let's Go DU.
Media Blog: Mike Chambers.

5.)UW Badgers
Returning players – UW
Last Season’s Record - 28-11-4 overall,
Forwards: Craig Smith (8g-25a—33pts) So, Jordy Murray (12g-9a—21pts) Jr, Derek Lee (1g-8a—9pts) So.
Defense: Jake Gardiner (6g-7a—13pts), John Ramage (2g-10a—12pts), D Justin Schultz (6g16a—22pts),
Goalie: Scott Gudmandson (20-5-4, 2.34, .913) Sr., Brett Bennett (8-6-0, 2.82 GAA, .885 SV%) Sr.
Key Loss(es): Cody Goloubef, Brendan Smith, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Davies, Blake Geoffrion.
Fan Blog: 60 Minutes, No Alibis, No Regrets.
Media Blog: Badgers Hockey.

6.) UMN Golden Gophers
Returning players – UMN
Last season’s Record - 18-19-2
Forwards: Mike Hoeffel (14g-10a—24pts), Jacob Cepis (7g-12a—19pts) F Zach Budish (7-10--17),
Defense: Cade Fairchild (4-17--21), Sr. F), Aaron Ness (2-10--12) So, Seth Helgeson
Goalie(s): Alex Kangas (16-15-1, 2.60 GAA, .911 SV%) Sr., Kent Patterson (2-4-1, 3.10 GAA, .901 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Jordan Schroeder, Josh Birkholz, Nick Leddy.
Message Board/Blog: Gopher Puck Live.
Media Blog: Goal Gophers.

7.) UNO Mavericks
Returning players – UNO
Last Season’s Record - 20-16-6 (First Year WCHA)
Forwards: Rich Purslow (14g-13a—27pts) Sr, Joey Martin (10g-16a—26pts) Sr, Alex Hudson (14g-11a—25pts) Jr, Terry Broadhurst (13g-11a—24pts) So, Matt Ambroz (10g-14a—24pts) Sr.
Defense: Eric Olimb (2g-18a—20pts), Jr, ( Kyle Ensign (0g-8a—8pts) Jr.
Goalie: John Faulker (13-10-4, 2.60 GAA, .905 SV%).
Key Loss(es): Eddie Del Grosso, Nick Fanto, Mark Bernier, Jeremie Dupont, Jeric Agosta
Fan Blog: Husker Mike Blasphemy.
Media Blog: Mavericks Today.

8.) BSU Beavers
Returning players – BSU
Last season’s Record - 23-10-4 (First Year WCHA)
Forwards: Matt Read (19-22—41) Sr, Jordan George (13-21—34) So, Ian Lowe (21-10—31) Sr.
Defense: D Brad Hunt (7-26—33) Jr, Brady Wacker (1g-10a—11) So.
Goalie(s): Dan Bakala (19-8-3, 2.32, .917) Jr, Mathieu Dugas (4-2-1, 1.93 GAA, .918 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Tyler Lehrke, Chris McKelvie.
Message Board: The Beaver Pond.
Media Blog: Up North Sports Report, College Hockey Tonight, Brian's Corner Of Cyberspace.

9.) CC Tigers
Returning players – CC
Last season’s Record – 19-17-3
Forwards: Rylan Schwartz (6-22--28), Tyler Johnson (14-9--23), Stephen Schultz (5-15--20),
Defense: Gabe Guentzel (3-20--23), Sr. D Ryan Lowery (4-14--18),
Goalie: Joe Howe (17-15-3, 2.80, .907).
Key Loss(es): Bill Sweatt, Mike Testwuide, Nate Prosser.
Fan Blog: (?)
Media Blog: Eye of the Tigers.

10.) MSUM Mavericks
Returning players – MSUM
Last Season’s Record - 16-20-3
Forwards: Rylan Galiardi (11g-14a—25pts) Sr, Michael Dorr (5g-11a—16pts) Jr, Eriah Hayes (8g-6a—14pts) So, Mike Louwerse (7g-6a—13pts) Jr.
Defense: Ben Youds (3g-23a—26pts) Sr, Kurt Davis (5g-18a—23pts) Sr, Channing Boe (2g-5a—7 pts) Sr, Ben Youds (3g-23a—26pts) Sr.
Goalie(s): Phil Cook (8-6-2, 2.59 GAA, .908 SV%) So, Austin Lee (7-11-0, 2.85 GAA, .907 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Zach Harrison, Geoff Irwin, Kael Mouillierat, Tyler Pitlick, Jared Steward, Kevin Murdock.
Media Blog: Puckato, MavBlog.

11.) UAA Seawolves
Returning players – UAA
Last Season’s Record - 11-23-2
Forwards: Tommy Grant (9g-17a—26pts, Sr. F Sean Wiles (9-8--17), So. F Daniel Naslund (3-10--13), Jr. Jade Portwood (3g-2a—5pts)
Defense: Curtis Leinweber (4g-8a—12pts), Kane Lafranchise (3g-12a—15pts), Luka Vidmar (2g-10a—12pts).
Goalie: Dusan Sidor (0-0-0 6.00 GAA .846 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Lee Baldwin, Bryce Christianson, Kevin Clark, Josh Lunden.
Fan Blog: Delusions of Grandeur.
Media Blog: Woody on Hockey.

12.)MTU Huskies
Returning players – MTU
Last Season’s Record - 5-30-1
Forwards: Brett Olson (18g-12a—30pts), So. F Jordan Baker (9g-9a—18pts), Eric Kattelus (2g-8a—10pts), Bennett Royer (4g-6a—10pts),
Defense: Steven Seigo (4g-15a—19pts), Deron Cousens (1g-7a—8pts),
Goalies: Kevin Genoe (4-18-1, 3.54 GAA, .904 SV%) So, Josh Robinson (1-12-0, 4.68 GAA, .876 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Malcolm Gwilliam, Drew Dobson, John Kivisto.
Fan Blog: MTU Hockey Blog,
Media Blog(?): Mining Gazette.