It's Official: New League Starting 2013-14 + Redwing77's Musings Part One (Updated)

Countdown to 2013-2014

Brad Schlossman confirmed what he essentially broke: There is the new conference going to go down the first year the BTHC is in existence. Here's the story:

The full statement:

We are pleased to announce that six top NCAA Division I ice hockey programs will become founding members of a newly formed hockey conference, which will begin competition for the 2013-14 season. The six institutions are Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha and University of North Dakota.

We understand and appreciate the widespread interest in developments relating to the formation of the new hockey conference. More information will be provided about the initiatives that have been undertaken, as well as the next steps involved, at a news conference in Colorado Springs this Wednesday, July 13. Our programs look forward to continued associations with our current leagues, the WCHA and CCHA, for the next two seasons.

Additional information about Wednesday’s news conference will be forthcoming in the next few days. There will be no further comment from athletic directors, coaches or other officials from any of the institutions until Wednesday’s news conference.

I guess it has been pretty hashed out. But here's the major themes I've been seeing in comment sections:

1. BTHC started the dominoes falling. The Big Ten Hockey conference, in my opinion, did set all of this up by completely changing the landscape of college hockey from the traditional league and divisional mindset to more of a modern business perspective where TV deals and $$$ mean more than tradition and balance. Yes, there are aspects involved that make sense for the conference, but it seems like the pros don't outweigh the cons unless you are a supporter of a Big 10 team.

2. The WCHA disintegration is largely due to the WCHA leadership (or lack thereof). Goon and many others seem pretty dead set on this, but I'm STILL not sold (even after Goon called me to tell me that my perspective on this is wrong!). McLeod didn't come across as being very strong in the face of apparent crisis. I agree. He hasn't looked good many times in the past as well (I seem to recall the member schools basically bludgeoning him into admitting BSU and UNO). Greg Shepherd is just a stooge and meaningless in this case but I throw his name into this because he's a buffoon just like McLeod. In any case, my view is this: If the member schools really didn't like McLeod, they could have simply canned him. They didn't even after a bunch of bad things happened. My view is this: UND, CC, UMD, and DU didn't care much for McLeod and essentially wanted him gone. The other schools, especially the smaller schools like UAA and MTU, disagreed with the other schools. So... "the big four" couldn't garner the votes or whatnot to give McLeod the boot. So they walked and took UNO with them.

But I maintain that the WCHA administration is just one nail in the coffin. The major issue is, of course, money. The BTHC (I prefer the Big Ten Conference of Hockey so I can call it the BTCH.. lovin' that) teams are looking out for themselves and that forces other teams to do the same or flounder in mediocrity. These teams bolted for the same thing. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure it is going to be as lucrative as they expect. Likewise, sticking around wouldn't have been any better. So, it was a lose lose situation.

3. It's all UND's fault. I think it is going to be UND's fault because UND is the biggest name (despite DU being just as notable in the DI college hockey world) in the collegiate niche sport associated with the "Super League." No one will blame Miami or UNO or CC or UMD. They're all relatively small fish. That leaves DU and UND. I always thought DU and McLeod got along famously. After all, Gwoz or the DU AD had VERY easy access to McLeod. DU is a small school in a big city. That doesn't mean alot in this issue but it's all I can dream up. I'm not quite certain why, despite all of the schools that are splitting being pivotal in this process, DU isn't given the share of scrutiny that UND is being given.

4. This is the end to some of the programs. I can't much argue with this. I think most will survive but I still can't help but believe that financially strapped programs such as BGSU, LSSU, and perhaps Ferris State and Northern Michigan may end up in hot water over this. Hot water on ice usually produces a sinking feeling... And unless there's a lot of under the table secrecy that is unheard of in the days of information freedom, there's not a whole lot of schools looking to add DI Hockey. I feel that, if we're still at 59 DI hockey teams in 2016, it will be a miracle. If we increase, then Paul Kelly and College Hockey, Inc. should be deified.

5. There is going to be some mighty hard feelings even without the blame game. This is going to be the reality. I'd love to blame the BTCH (I'm rolling with it. Sue me) for this, but when Penn State announced they were going DI, I don't think anyone was surprised at the formation of the BTHC so it is a sad departure and one fraught with some bitterness, but not all that much animosity. Everyone knows what the Big 10 stands for so this is par for the course, even though the scale was a bit bigger. However, the CHSL's formation comes with a lot of mystery behind the closed doors of the WCHA meetings, some apparent built up angst certainly between some schools and the league office and perhaps even between the schools themselves... It's just not an amicable split. It's simply going to be a rough 2 years ahead of us with unknowns galore. With McLeod being rather untrustworthy to begin with, does he act professionally towards the 5 departing teams or does he throw bones to those who chose to stay? As terrifying as these conspiracy theories may be to those who believe in them, the best way to find out is to watch how the officials treat UND, DU, UMD, UNO, and CC this next two years. If any other WCHA teams, such as BSU, get the invite, throw their name into that hat as well.

Minnesota Wild get more local talent: Sign Apple Valley/Burnsville product

Ok, he's no Brent Burns. In fact, he's not even a top pair defenseman, but the Minnesota addressed their hole in defense by adding Burnsville product and Apple Valley High School graduate (not to mention UMaine alum) Mike Lundin.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman and Minnesota native Mike Lundin to a one-year deal.
The 26-year-old Lundin had one goal and 11 assists in 69 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. He averaged more than 20 minutes per game and blocked 106 shots and will be counted on to bolster the blue line after the Wild traded top defenseman Brent Burns to San Jose on draft night.
The signing brings Lundin home. He is a native of the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville and played high school hockey at Apple Valley, where he was a finalist for the state's prestigious Mr. Hockey award in 2003.
He played in college at Maine and was a fourth-round pick of the Lightning in 2004.

(Article made by the Associated Press and can be found here)

I am no Wild fan, Goon is. I don't think Lundin is anything to write home about. He's not going to blow it out there on the ice, but he's not Brent Burns either.

Should you be excited?

I guess. The sad truth is: Mike Richards was the big name. And there is so little other notable names floating out there that Jaromir Jagr is coming back to the NHL to try again and that made almost as big of a splash as Richards' signing with the Rangers.

I expect that the major moves are done with the offseason already, which will make the NHL fan stir crazy for the season to begin. I do not foresee many big trades being made and there is certainly, in my opinion, nothing going on of note with free agency.

I do not foresee the Wild being much better this next season, but unlike in previous years, there wasn't many names they could go after to make the team much better than it is. Sure, losing Burns will hurt, but they gained Dany Heatley and Devon Setoguchi. That being said, the Wild aren't going to amount to much for a long time because of the state of affairs Risebrough left in regards to the Wild's minor league and prospect talent depth (that being fairly solid defensively and grit-wise but almost completely bereft of finishers and playmakers).

All in all, Wild fans should be happy that the Wild are active and seem to be trying to address some of what they need. But in the end, I fear that the Wild are still 2-4 years away from making any sort of noise. And how much noise that may be is still very much uncertain.

Related articles

• Wild sign defenceman and Minnesota native Mike Lundin to a one-year contract (thehockeynews.com)
• Wild sign former Lightning defenseman Mike Lundin to one-year, $1M deal (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)

SCSU won't join hockey super league

This just in... Honestly I haven't seen a scenario where they were included in the new conference plans but It doesn't make sense to shoot themselves in the foot if they "were" asked.

SC Times ---- St. Cloud State University won’t join a rumored “Super Conference” in college hockey that could include up to five WCHA teams, but will stay in the WCHA and try to secure the conference’s long-term future.

President Earl H. Potter III said today that Gino Gasparini, who has been hired as a special adviser to Potter for athletics, will attend a meeting next week of representatives of the remaining WCHA schools to continue discussions about the conference’s future. Published news reports have said that meeting will be sometime next week in Minnesota.

The Anchorage Daily News today quoted University of Alaska-Anchorage athletic director Steve Cobb as saying the meeting was called because there was enough certainty about the formation of the “Super Conference” that the WCHA appears to be breaking up.

Previous published news reports have said that the five teams leaving the WCHA would be North Dakota, Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha. Miami (Ohio) would join them from the CCHA.

That exodus would follow the news earlier this year that Minnesota and Wisconsin are leaving the WCHA after the 2012-13 season to join a newly formed Big Ten hockey conference.

“We expected to be in conversations about being in a new league,” Potter said today “But as we looked at it ... we intended to say ‘no.’ ”

Related articles

• Another WCHA breakup imminent blog post :) (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• SCSU won't join hockey super league (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• UMD: Also in the Super League mix... (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

Don't blame the B1G?

Just like everyone else my head is spinning with the announcement of the College Hockey Super League, for now we will just call it the CHSL until they come up with a name for it, someone over on USCHO gave it the Super 8 Hotel Logo. Why are we nervous about the changes coming in college hockey? I think it’s because most of us are afraid of the unknown, no one knows how this is going to play out. I think we all might want to take a deep breath, exhale and see how the dominos fall.

It's all UND's Fault...

When the B1G Mistake was first announced last September, I was on record as saying that his will drastically change college hockey, I don’t think any of us thought the B1G would effect college hockey this much, one could say that this is Tsunami that might be barreling out of control… There were many that said this would have no effect on college hockey and that the WCHA would still be a strong conference even without the Gophers and the Badgers…. Fast forward to the present, there is a huge fire storm swarming over college hockey. Many college hockey fans are now blaming UND for blowing up the WCHA, it's all their fault, I guess the other 5 teams in the WCHA don't hold any responsibility what-so-ever… Also, the BTHC some how holds no responsibility either? As usual “college hockey guru” Ryan Cardinal of GPL is the voice of reason with this post…

So it's okay for the Gophers and Badgers to chase the money because they "had no choice," but for UND and others to do it is wrong and that makes them punks? Please. They are doing the same thing the Big 10 teams did, and that is following the lead of their school's administration. Guarantee you Lucia and Eaves would have rather stayed in the WCHA, and same goes for Hakstol, Gwoz, etc. They just don't have the convenient cover of the Big 10.

All of these programs are positioning themselves better financially, no more, no less.

Nice to see a solid Gopher fan like Ryan Cardinal calling out others for blaming UND for all of this, Goon's World tap of the stick to Ryan Cardinal. Of course over on Twitter Hammy is less than charitable, I guess he see it differently.

First off let me say that I have nothing personally against Hammy, I don’t know the guy personally and that I have never met him, seems like a nice guy to sit down and drink a beer with; none-the-less it's seems odd for Hammy to sit there and criticize others schools for wanting to do what’s best for their school when his school is doing the same thing. Why shouldn’t the 5 WCHA schools in question be able to do what best for their schools? Were these schools just supposed to sit there and wait for Bruce McLeod to come up with a solution that works for their institutions? I hardly think so since Bruce McLeod didn’t have a plan “B” and not a very good plan “A” either…

“I’m not sure why or whatever; I’m not privy to those conversations. I’ve never had a conversation with North Dakota or Denver about their plans that they’re pushing,” McLeod said. “At this point, I haven’t thought about Plan B at all. I’m still working on the assumption that we’re together as 10 [teams after Minnesota and Wisconsin leave for the Big Ten] and, as unanimously directed by the group in Florida [at league meetings in April], can consider extending an invitation to anybody that could strengthen the league. And that’s our plan.”

Are we to believe that Bruce McLeod didn’t hear about the Super Six 6/8 conference rumors that floated around all spring? I have a hard time believing that Bruce McLeod couldn’t have picked up the phone and called any of the member schools that were rumored to be in this deal.

Do Gopher fans have the Moral High Ground?

Hammy and other like minded Gopher fans think they hold the moral high ground because they can say that their school had no choice in this matter and that they had to go BTHC. While Minnesota AD Joel Maturi might have been against the BTHC, I didn’t see him really objecting to it very hard. I am sure someone showed Maturi the financial statements and he saluted like a good soldier and marched on. Now one of the revelations to come out all of this is according to UMD beat writer Kevin Pates is that; "The Versus network is said to be a possible Super League media outlet." If that revelation comes to fruition this could end up being a lucrative deal for the CHSL.

Hey don’t blame us even though our AD was driving the bus of the BTHC

Also, another interesting piece came out today as well; Wisconsin Badgers beat writer Andy Baggot gives the media side of the argument from the Wisconsin Badgers perspective, Baggot is saying, 'don't blame the B1G on this matter.' I am sorry but I think the BTHC does share some of the blame in this matter. Not being a hater, just giving you the facts as I see them. If anything Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez was one of the major driving forces behind this mess. I also hold Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany responsible as well...No matter how is to blame there are going to be some hurt feelings in this realignment debate.

Andy Baggot; Madison.com --- But hasn’t the idea of a Big Ten affiliation been floating out there for years? All that was needed was a sixth member, which came to life last fall when a billionaire donor decided to bankroll the sport at Penn State. When that gave way to an announcement in March that the new league was a go, it was as though thousands of heads simultaneously popped out of the sand.

Those insisting that the Big Ten doesn’t care about the greater good of college hockey are many of the same folks who stood mute in the summer of 2009 when the WCHA, needing a 12th team, yanked Nebraska-Omaha out of the CCHA and the CCHA, despite needing a replacement, told Alabama-Huntsville to swim by itself as an independent.

Word that a renegade faction is now trying to start its own eight-team league sends many messages, but one is deafening. The idea that Denver, Colorado College, North Dakota and defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth would prefer to start their own brand instead of sticking with one that’s been around since 1959 — claiming 37 national titles in the process — is a clear indictment of the WCHA and the suspect management style of its commissioner, Bruce McLeod.

It also suggests that if you must assign blame in this summer of volcanic activity in men’s college hockey, you best keep your options open.

Something to consider on the changing landscape of college hockey

Here is something to consider; maybe we're looking at this all wrong. I did actually have this conversation with a few of my friends as well in the past week. With the powers that be leaving the CCHA and the WCHA, there is going to be more opportunities for other college hockey teams that haven’t won a conference tourney and or made the NCAA tourney for a very long time. Minus those teams; all of a sudden you have teams that will get a chance to compete for a conference tourney and or an at large bid to go to the NCAA tourney.

Think about this; all of a sudden other teams that haven't had a sniff are going to finally get a chance for an at large bid and a chance to compete for a conference title without having to go through traditional power house teams like UND, DU, C.C., Miami, UW, UMN, MSU and UMICH. I think you could take a positive out of a negative. I am not a negative person by nature and I am not trying to sugar coat hell but this is one positive out of a plethora of negatives.

Brad Schlossman; Grand Forks Herald --- The shifting will leave five squads behind in each the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and Central Collegiate Hockey Association, some of which hit the panic button Thursday afternoon.

St. Cloud State posted on its official Twitter account: “Dark clouds, indeed, over college hockey.”

Instead of seeing this as a catastrophe, the schools left behind should be looking at the opportunity.

No, they won’t be getting a weekend boon in attendance when traditional powers such as UND, Minnesota and Wisconsin come into their buildings annually.

But the door is opening for these teams to annually compete for league championships and NCAA tournament berths.

Since moving to Division I, Alaska Anchorage, St. Cloud State and Minnesota State-Mankato have combined for zero conference titles and one NCAA tournament victory. Michigan Tech hasn’t won a conference title since 1976 and hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 1981.

The teams left back in the CCHA have traditionally been bottom-feeders, too.

Northern Michigan’s last conference title came in 1991. Lake Superior State’s last conference title and NCAA appearance came in 1996. Ferris State has one conference title since it joined Division I in 1979. Bowling Green hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament in 21 years and Alaska (Fairbanks) has one NCAA trip in program history.

Excitement for fans of these squads has been reduced to hoping for an upset over a college hockey powerhouse — and watching future NHL players up close on those teams.

If these “leftover” schools get together, somebody is going to start winning conference titles. Someone is going to start getting bids to the NCAA tournament annually.

WMU head coach Blashill Resigns For Red Wings Position

WMU head hocky coach Jeff Blashill is leaving Western Michigan and joining the coaching staff of the Detroit Redwings.

WMU Athletics ---- position with Western Michigan University on Friday morning, effective immediately, to take an assistant coaching position with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL.

“We really want to thank coach Blashill for his dedicated and passionate leadership with our student-athletes and his coaching staff. We wish him nothing but the best as he moves on to a new chapter in his professional career,” said director of athletics Kathy Beauregard. “The success we experienced and his multiple National Coach of the Year honors speaks volumes to his talent as a coach and it also speaks volumes to the hockey program we have here at Western Michigan University. We are positioned perfectly for a high profile coaching search. There has never been a better time to become our next new Bronco hockey coach.”

“We believe we have one of the top ten programs in the country and we made a decision as an institution to make our head coaching position one of the ten highest paid in college hockey,” continued Beauregard. “The hockey community is well aware of our investment in our program and we know we’re going to attract the absolute best coaching candidates throughout North America. As a director of athletics you’re always building a bench of potential coaching candidates to prepare for days like this when a head coach departs. I am already receiving inquiries, have assembled a small advisory committee and a comprehensive national search will begin immediately.”

More from McLeod...

Image via Wikipedia

s/t to USCHO's Todd Milewski as he interviewed WCHA Commissoner Bruce McLeod on Tuesday, it's kind of becoming more clear isn't it? Seriously, look at some of the stuff he is saying...  I think it's time for Bruce McLeod to go.

Todd D. Milewski USCHO ; --- But in the course of a phone interview with WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod on Tuesday, one in which he said he hoped to be able to keep the league at 10 teams after the departure of Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2013, I asked whether there would need to be some fence mending done for that to even be possible.

As it turns out, it’s a moot point, but McLeod’s response might give some more insight into the behind-the-scenes climate of college hockey today.

“I’ve always believed that we were going to end up staying together as 10 and building from there,” McLeod said. “My tack was to keep the erosion of what we have to a minimum. We’ve had a couple of [athletic director] calls where the calls have been to some degree contentious, and I’ve always tried to mitigate that tension that’s going on with the hope that in the long run that erosion of what’s taken so long to build would be kept to a minimum.

“As time goes on and circumstances like this arise and it’s clear that the impetus is coming from a couple of schools in the WCHA — they seem to be driving this train and pushing it down the track — the erosion of what we’ve had, the erosion of the relationships that we’ve had and the erosion in the trust that we’ve had in one another gets to be more apparent. That is one of the concerns in the long run, even if we don’t stay together.

“There’s going to be some awful, awful hard feelings, and that will be reflected in scheduling prerogatives for all of the institutions involved, et cetera. So it’s not going to be an easy road here for the next couple of years, that’s for sure.”

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

The day the WCHA died... UND to join "Super League"

Image via Wikipedia

Well it happened the Super League that everyone has talking about since the NCAA Frozen Four has finally come to fruition as Brad Schlossman and Kevin Pates are both reporting that five teams (UNO, UND UMD, DU, C.C.) are going to break away from the WCHA and Miami is going to break away from the CCHA to form a new "super league" it has been rumored in the past that Notre Dame and Western Michigan might also join the CHSL at a later date.

Brad Schlossman; Grand Forks Herald --- UND will soon announce it is leaving the men’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association for a new, startup conference in 2013-14, the Herald has learned from multiple sources.

An official announcement is expected Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colo.At least five other teams will join UND in this league: Denver, Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth and Miami (Ohio).Notre Dame and an eighth school -- possibly Western Michigan -- also could be added to this group by the end of the summer.When reached today, UND athletic director Brian Faison declined comment.

Related articles

• Report: University of Denver, Colorado College hockey leaving WCHA in 2013 (denverpost.com)

Another WCHA breakup imminent blog post :)

WCHA

Roman Augustoviz beat writer for the Star Trib (Formerly Goal Gophers) has a blog post that talks about the possible impending doom facing the WCHA/CCHA, there has been about a 100 of them as of late... Looking at this blog post does anyone see anything that sticks out or makes them scratch their head?

When the Big Ten Conference announced it was going to form its own hockey league last March, rumblings started about what the aftershocks might be.

The BTC will start play in 2013-14, with the Gophers and Wisconsin leaving the WCHA and Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State leaving the CCHA to join newcomer Penn State in a six-team league.

At the time, WCHA commission Bruce McLeod said his 10-team league would be fine if everybody stuck together. He is probably looking for some super glue right about now.

North Dakota, UMD and Nebraska Omaha are all hinting they are looking for what is best for them. Notre Dame and Miami (Ohio) of the CCHA also could be looking for a stronger league to be part of when the Big Ten Conference starts up.

Those five schools, plus maybe Denver and Colorado College of the WCHA, and maybe Western Michigan of the CCHA, are the teams most often mentioned for a new "super conference".

This could be a summer of big changes in college hockey if it happens.

Doh! Or is it Duh?!? Wow!!! Looking at some of the puzzling comments that have come out of Bruce McLeod’s mouth as of late; make me want to scratch my head and wonder what the hell is going on in this guy’s mind right now? I have to ask other college hockey fans if McLeod’s comments as of late give you a any reason to believe that maybe the is the wrong person to be sitting in the WCHA Commissioner’s chair? I do! It's time to strike while the iron it hot and get rid of this clown.

Why WCHA fans should be concerned...

Image via WikipediaUSCHO has an excellent article today on the proposed CHSL {click to read article)... According to the blog post this new league could be announced in the next two weeks. What should concern my fellow WCHA fans is the comments made by WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said his league has studied different scenarios that have been floated in an offseason full of speculation about college hockey’s future. But he said this proposal seems to have more momentum.

“I’m not sure why or whatever; I’m not privy to those conversations. I’ve never had a conversation with North Dakota or Denver about their plans that they’re pushing,” McLeod said. “At this point, I haven’t thought about Plan B at all. I’m still working on the assumption that we’re together as 10 [teams after Minnesota and Wisconsin leave for the Big Ten] and, as unanimously directed by the group in Florida [at league meetings in April], can consider extending an invitation to anybody that could strengthen the league. And that’s our plan.”

Athletic directors at Denver and North Dakota could not be reached for comment

Wow! Those comments by McLeod doesn't give me a lot of confidence in his leadership, a good commissioner would have been more forward thinking and would have been in contact with their member schools, trying to gauge what the other remaining schools were thinking. It's time for McLeod to go

UMD: Also in the Super League mix…

Image via WikipediaIt would seem that the plot is thickening. UMD beat writer Kevin Pates from the Duluth News Tribune has informed us that the defending national champions the UMD Bulldogs are also in the mix for the Super Conference as well. We could say that UMD is also being proactive; they are trying to do what is best for their University going forward.

Rink and Run --- Minnesota Duluth has been asked to join a discussion of a proposed seven- or eight-team Division I men’s conference, which would likely start in 2013-14, sources indicate.

The conference: UMD, North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College and Nebraska-Omaha of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and Miami University of Oxford, Ohio and Notre Dame of South Bend, Ind., and possibly Western Michigan of Kalamazoo, Mich., all of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

There’s talk that a resolution on a new Super League could come in July or by Labor Day. The current 12-team WCHA already has schedules for the next two seasons.

The restructuring of Division I conferences is being investigated by a number of schools in reaction to the formation of the Big Ten Conference, announced in March. Starting in 2013-14, Wisconsin and Minnesota will leave the WCHA, while Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will leave the CCHA, and join Penn State in the six-team Big Ten Conference.

While it’s unknown who is leading the charge to form an eight-team Super Conference, Denver and North Dakota are likely candidates. While UMD athletic director Bob Nielson wouldn’t talk specifically Tuesday about a Super Conference, he said his school isn’t standing still.

If you read between the lines there seems to be a lot of stuff being said here and I wonder if any of this is being received by the league office of the WCHA. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s going to be hard to put the genie back in the bottle once all of these things have been said and done as well. There seems to be a schism developing here.

Here is what I also think is key and driving this realignment chatter and one of the major reasons for the proposed talk about a move to a “Super Conference.” There are schools like UND, UMD, UNO, DU, and C.C. that see the writing on the wall or they probably don't like the direction the WCHA and college hockey is currently going but also more likely than not have questions about the WCHA leadership and direction of where they think the league is going. I think many fans do as well.

Since the announcement of the Big Ten Hockey Conference all we have heard from the Commissioner's office is that he wants to have a scheduling agreement with the schools that are leaving for the Big Ten, that’s about it.

I also believe that the schools in the mix for this Super Conference are trying to be proactive and want to align themselves with other schools that have similar philosophies like their own when it comes to college hockey… Also, it would appear that these schools might be upset with the current leadership in their conferences as well. If you look at what UMD athletic director Bob Nielson said, “His views mirror comments made by North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison…”

While it’s unknown who is leading the charge to form an eight-team Super Conference, Denver and North Dakota are likely candidates. While UMD athletic director Bob Nielson wouldn’t talk specifically Tuesday about a Super Conference, he said his school isn’t standing still.

“We’re concerned about the college hockey landscape. We’re looking at all the options of what could happen,” said Nielson. “Our hockey program is very important to our school and we want to be proactive.

“Our approach is to be active and examine potential opportunities, and have conversations about the future of Division I. Our intent is to be a member of the WCHA, but we’re considering options.”

Speculation about a Super Conference started in April and intensified last week when the Grand Forks Herald reported that North Dakota was weighing options about leaving the WCHA.

Nielson said his views mirror comments made by North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison in the Grand Forks Herald:

This is what UND Athletic Director Brian Faison said as well...

Faison told the Herald that he has concerns with “the administrative side of the WCHA.” So perhaps this is all a big power play.

Finally -> As you can see from the comment above, another question that is starting to emerge as well; is this a big power play? Here is the latest tweet from College Hockey News.

All the new "super conference" talk is likely a power play to get a management change in the WCHA ... CHN has more forthcoming

Edit: Just for the record I would gladly take a WCHA without Bruce McLeod at the helm and with Miami and Notre Dame added to the Mix… All I can say is stay tuned....

Redwing77 DI Conference Commentary

Image via WikipediaThere has been the "Crap storm" as Goon stated earlier regarding realignment, but it isn't UND that's caused it. It was Penn State. Remember, none of this would have come to fruition had the BTHC not been formed.

I know, I'm blaming the BTHC, but what it has or is coming to is the following: The "For the good of college hockey" is no longer the mantra. College Hockey, Inc. might want to believe it. McLeod might want to believe it. But it would be an idealistic lie. What it is coming to is: "Every program must align itself with other programs that will make their programs more attractive and the division they are in more competitive and strong." So, in essence, it is every school for themselves.

The benefactors of this will be HEA and perhaps even the terrible ECACHL. The losers will be the CCHA and the WCHA. The "who cares" will end up being the BTHC and AHA (who are largely irrelevant anyways).

NOBODY wants to see a conference, large or small, with very little power from top to bottom. Case in point? The AHA. Yeah, there are some decent schools there, but nothing that's going to make any real noise... at least for the foreseeable future. The AHA is full of "God bless them they try" teams and Cinderella teams and nobodies (Like Bentley and AIC). Is this what is good for College hockey?

No.

What I fear is that the "bigger" schools will team up and leave the "weaker" or "littler" schools hanging in the breeze.

You bet I'd love to see the "new" WCHA consist of: UND, DU, CC, Notre Dame, Miami, UMD, and perhaps two other teams like WMU and SCSU

But what would that leave? A conference with UAA, UAF, LSSU, NMU, MTU, BGSU, MSUM, BSU, UAH (giving them the benefit of not remaining independent), and UNO. (There's a chance I'm leaving a few schools out).

But look at that conference! Sure, UND's conference would survive admirably. But what competitive advantage would the other conference have? In my opinion, that would basically be another AHA. In fact, we might as well call it the CHA, because its conference power ranking would essentially mimic it.

Look, it's not all that exciting to see a powerhouse team play a weak team (sometimes called a "cupcake"), even if it is conference play. However, it is how it should be because it raises the competition across the board. How else did MTU, LSSU, NMU, RPI, and all win National Championships if they were in conferences at the time that weren't strong?

What's "best" for college hockey is for the teams NOT in the BTHC to find ways to strengthen their schedules and their conference makeup without killing off programs. This is NOT going to be easy.

I'm not sure I see too many reasons for schools like LSSU, BGSU, NMU, and UAH to keep their hockey programs afloat in this economy if they don't have decent competition to bring people out to their home arenas. And I don't see the BTHC providing that other than to offer these schools an opportunity to travel to their locations to play them.

Remaking college hockey, what’s driving the bus?

Image via WikipediaIt would appear that Fighting Sioux hockey beat writer Brad Schlossman with his article written July 1st, 2011 titled; COLLEGE HOCKEY: UND weighing hockey league options, has started the proverbial crap storm… With these potential changes there seems to be a lot of uncertainty and uneasiness surrounding the college hockey world  right now and there are a lot of college hockey fans that are worried about future state of the WCHA and the Division I college hockey as well. I have to admit that I am one of those people that are feeling uneasy about the future as well. 

Lots of finger pointing

That being said, there has been a lot of finger pointing since Brad’s revelations were made public and I don’t think it’s fair for WCHA fans to put all of the blame on the shoulders of the University of North Dakota, the Big Ten also shares some of the blame as well. First we don’t know yet what is driving this bus nor do we know for sure that UND is the sole driving force behind the realignment talk, I think it's still to early to tell. According to Brad's article, there are also seven other Division I college hockey teams involved in this process.

From reading the college hockey message boards like USCHO and reading the various beat writer’s  responses to Brad’s article; it would almost appear this is shaking out to be a battle between "the haves" and "the have nots" of college hockey, just like the other major Division I college sports, the big schools do for the most part drive college hockey… I guess college hockey finally has come full circle like the rest of the college  sports. This is what the Shane Frederick of the Mankato Free Press had to say, I think you’re going to find this interesting.

Other WCHA schools mentioned in the article include Nebraska-Omaha and Colorado College, along with Central Collegiate Hockey Association members Notre Dame, Miami and Western Michigan (the CCHA is losing Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State to the Big Ten, which will also have Penn State).

Denver was not listed in the article but is often mentioned any time a rumor of a new power conference comes up.

“Several institutions have been looking at the college hockey landscape and different possibilities that might be out there,” North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison told the Herald. “At the end of the day we have to do what’s in the best interest of UND hockey, and that’s what we’re going to do. It’s an emotional decision. It’s a business decision.”

Killing the golden goose that is the WCHA sure doesn’t seem to be in the best interest of any school in the league — or of college hockey, for that matter.

Such a move would fragment the fan base of a sport that is still pretty niche, especially compared to Division I football and basketball. And those fans pay the freight.

Puck-crazy Minnesota — the self-proclaimed State of Hockey — would be thrown out of the mix completely, and there’s a reason why the successful, money-making WCHA Final Five has been played in the Twin Cities each year since 1999.

Brad Schlossman also expounds on his July 1st article with another blog post today… Brad’s blog post covers a lot of the same topics as Shane Fredericks said in his newspaper article today…

At this time, most of the answers have been vague, being that this possible new conference is not a done deal. But in searching for answers, I thought back to something that one person — who has an affiliation with the league — told me last summer after the Big 10 became inevitable.

This person said that when business was conducted in the WCHA, often times, there was a distinct divide in the voting. The larger schools wanted to invest and spend money to make improvements and try new things in the league. The smaller schools had budget concerns and wanted to/needed to save money.

However, there were enough big schools in the league that they held the power and, more often than not, got their way with these issues. Without Minnesota and Wisconsin, the dynamics of the league will change. No longer do the large schools hold the power. Now, the small schools will gain control of the voting block.

It’s entirely possible that the CCHA is going through a similar type of process after the losses of Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.

If this is true, the remaining schools that are used to voting to spend, invest and make new improvements have to be concerned about the future of the league. What will it become if schools that are more financially strapped become the decision-makers in the league?

You've probably noticed an emerging and reoccurring theme here, the WCHA has a leadership problem in the commissioner’s office. I think one might ask if it’s time for Bruce McLeod to step down as commissioner of the WCHA? The WCHA is going to need strong leadership going forward with two of the big schools leaving the WCHA (Wisconsin and Minnesota)... Personally I don't have a lot of confidence i McLeod as commissioner and I believe with McLeod the league office is suffering a leadership void, that needs to be filled. This was also from Frederick's article today.

What would remain of the WCHA would essentially be the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference — Minnesota State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth (the defending national champions) and Bemidji State — plus Michigan Tech and Alaska Anchorage.

The leaders of the WCHA, including and especially commissioner Bruce McLeod, can’t allow this — essentially the demise of a great and historic hockey conference — to happen on their watch.

Faison told the Herald that he has concerns with “the administrative side of the WCHA.” So perhaps this is all a big power play.

But this has gone beyond the spring rumors of a “Super Six” conference. The Herald reported that, because of scheduling, all of this might have to play out by late summer or early fall.

Could it be the end of the WCHA as we know it?

If so, it would not feel fine.

More on former Wild Benoit Pouliot

Here is an interesting perspective from the Upper Canadian from Kuklas Korner on former Wild first round bust Benoit Pouliot. In my opinion Benoit Pouliot is the “poster boy” of the failed days of former Wild GM Doug Risebrough. To this very day the Minnesota Wild are still suffering from Risebroughs days when he was the GM of the Wild… I can’t for the life of me figure out why Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, fresh off winning the Stanley Cup would pick up this stiff?

Benny moves on

A small mention here of Benoit Pouliot, who goes to Boston on a one year contract. This is where the businessman inside me goes ballistic. How can a team deal an asset like Guillaume Latendresse, that cost a 2nd round draft pick, not to mention many hours of development on, for one as talented as promising as Pouliot, play him less and less over two years until his value is nil, and then let him go? If he didn’t fit, why not trade him last offseason, or this fall after a good few weeks? Surely they could have dangled him for a draft pick, or as part of a package at the deadline.

It’s not often you see a team take an asset once as valuable as Pouliot and turn it into dust, but the Habs did here, and it’s a real shame. Not only do I suspect he’ll do well in Boston and ply his trade as a solid NHLer, I hope he does. The Canadiens give up on players far too often, and that’s one thing, but acquiring an asset at a reasonably high value and letting it go for absolutely nothing is not only hockey, it’s bad business. Shame on Pierre Gauthier, Jacques Martin, and the Habs for letting this kid go for zilch.

Related articles

• Bruins say goodbye to Michael Ryder (theglobeandmail.com)
• NHL Signing Tracker (theglobeandmail.com)

Wild Trade Martin Havlat for Ex-Badger Dany Heatley

Image via WikipediaWe don't need no stinking Badgers... I have to say that I am still in a state of shock, the Minnesota Wild pull off their second major block buster trade of the offseason in less than two weeks. Just 9 days ago the Minnesota Wild traded defenseman Brent Burns to the Sharks for forward Devin Setoguchi.

The Minnesota Wild have traded for ex-Wisconsin Badgers star and San Jose Shark Dany Heatley in exchange the Sharks get much injured and soft Martin Havlat. This could be a great trade because the Wild get their much need offensive threat after losing Marian Gaborik to the New York Rangers.

Carly Peters - Digital Media Coordinator “We are excited to add Dany Heatley, one of the top goal scorers in the NHL, to our team,” said Fletcher. “He is a quality player who has averaged more than a point a game in his nine-year career.”

Heatley recorded 64 points (26-38=64) in 80 games last season with the Sharks. The 30-year-old native of Freiburg, Germany ranked tied for 12th in the NHL with 11 power-play goals and added five game-winning goals. Heatley added nine points (3-6=9) in 18 playoff games. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound winger ranks first in the NHL in power-play goals (128) and game-winning goals (58), third in goals and fifth in points since he entered the league in 2001. He has has collected 689 points (325-364=689) in 669 career contests in nine seasons with Atlanta, Ottawa and San Jose. He was the winner of the 2002 Calder Memorial Trophy, named to the 2006 NHL Second All-Star Team, the 2007 First All-Star Team and has been named to the NHL All-Star Game four times.

Heatley is familiar with the midwest, having played two seasons (1999-2001) at the University of Wisconsin, where he notched 113 points (52-61=113) in 77 games and was named the 2000 WCHA Rookie of the Year and to the 2001 NCAA West First All-American Team. He was originally selected by the Thrashers with the second overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Havlat tallied 116 points (40-76=116) in 151 games in two seasons with Minnesota. The 30-year-old has recorded 512 points (209-303=512) in 621 career NHL games with Ottawa, Chicago and the Wild.

You have to wonder if the Wild are done making moves? This could turn out being a very exciting summer. The Wild have some exciting young talent waiting in the wings as well in Zucker, Larsson, and Granlund.

Fire breaks out in REA, causing up to $1.5 million in damage

Image via WikipediaWhen I first saw this on Kris Holm's twitter page I thought it was a joke. I will let you know if we get anymore information on the fire.

Brandi Jewett, Grand Forks Herald ---- A fire broke out Sunday in Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, causing significant damage to electronic equipment and arena ice. Smoke damage also occurred throughout the building.

"From a venue perspective, we're assessing the damage and attempting to determine the cause of the fire. Nobody was hurt and the fire was exhausted quickly," said Chris Semrau, director of events and marketing at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Grand Forks Fire Department Bruce Weymier said damage to the sound system and building is estimated to total between $1 million to 1.5 million.

“”This was a significant fire,” he said.

The fire was located in the catwalk area of the building, making putting it out a tricky task.

“”We had to go up stairwell and go through the press box to get to the catwalk,” said Captain Weymier. “We had to stretch a lot of hose.””

About 600 feet of hose was used to reach the fire and 150 gallons of water was used to extinguish it.

Bruce Weymier said the department was dispatched to the call shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Big Mike Signs with the Red Wings (RW77)

OOOOooooooooh YEAH!!!!!!

Big Mike Commodore is back with a winning team! The guy known as "Commy" (probably spelled wrong but I refuse to spell it such that I would be confused with calling him a communist) all 6'5" of him (not counting the 3'6" of red hair) is coming to Motown!

He signed a 1 year, $1 million contract, which is about what I expected him to sign after having two disappointing years in Columbus (of 3.. his first year was pretty good with the Jackets).

Here is a nice perspective by Bill Roose.

Big Mike won a National Championship with UND in 2000 and has won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. He was drafted in the 2nd round by New Jersey. The Wings are his sixth team.

Notable in useless trivia: He was traded to Ottawa for current Wing Patrick Eaves (then to Carolina).

This now gives the Wings a forest of a D line, with 4 of 6 defensemen over 6'4" tall.

What does this mean? I hope it means that the Wings will have a crushing defense. However, what I hope it doesn't mean that the Wings defense will be pylons. Then again, with 41 year old Nicklas Lidstrom still playing effectively (Suck it Chelios) it may not matter. I'm still going to be excited about Kronwall (the best open ice hitting defenseman in the NHL... He reminds me a LOT of Konstantinov but Kronwall is taller), Stuart (meh), Kindl (younger version of meh), and Ericsson (jury's still out) playing with Commodore. Commodore isn't going to score any goals or be as great a puck mover as Stuart, Lidstrom, and perhaps Kindl and Ericsson. Commodore brings grit on the blue line, something I feel Detroit has lacked a bit in recent years.

I hope his career takes off.

Here's Mike Commodore vs. Matt Greene:




Here's Mike Commodore leveling Bruins' forward PJ Axelsson a few years back.

COLLEGE HOCKEY: UND weighing hockey league options

Brad Schlossman the beat writer for the Fighting Sioux hockey team has a very interesting article in today's Grand Forks Herald. It would seem as if the dominos are beginning to fall as the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference approaches… I think a lot of fans are wondering what is going to happen to the college hockey landscape especially in the CCHA and the WCHA minus the B1G teams… Stay tuned.

Brad Schlossman; Grand Forks Herald --- UND is having formal discussions about pulling out of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and joining several other schools in creating a new power hockey league, multiple sources have told the Herald.

The move would blow up two of college hockey’s major conferences and vastly change the landscape of the sport for the 2013-14 season.

That’s when the Big Ten Hockey Conference will form, plucking Minnesota and Wisconsin from the WCHA and Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The possible new conference would combine remaining powers from the WCHA and CCHA.

The new league is not a done deal, but sources say that the talks have progressed beyond preliminary stages.

“Several institutions have been looking at the college hockey landscape and different possibilities that might be out there,” said UND athletic director Brian Faison, who declined to name other institutions. “At the end of the day, we have to do what’s in the best interest of UND hockey and that’s what we’re going to do. It’s an emotional decision. It’s a business decision.”

The reason for the move would be for UND to align itself with schools that have similar philosophies about their hockey programs and are willing to invest in them and create new media opportunities.

It is believed that eight teams are involved in the talks to some degree. Nebraska-Omaha, which recently dropped its football program and will put its focus on hockey, is likely one. Omaha athletic director Trev Alberts didn’t return a phone message.

Colorado College athletic director Ken Ralph said his school is examining its current status.

“It’s pretty clear that the formation of the Big 10 is causing folks to look closer at alignment,” Ralph said. “We’re in the same boat. We’re really being thoughtful at how we’re looking at our league. We’ve done a tremendous amount of researching over the last three months. We’re trying to figure out what that research is telling us.”

CCHA members that fit the bill include Notre Dame, Miami and Western Michigan. League commissioner Fred Pletsch didn’t return a phone call.

Though rumors persist about a Hockey East team also being involved in the talks, league commissioner Joe Bertagna said he has “no reason to believe those reports.”

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said he’s aware of the ongoing discussion about the new conference.

Bruins sign Canadians stiff Benoit Pouliot

The Boston Globe is reporting this signing by the Boston Bruins. This is the waste of a one year contract and I do not like this pick up by the Boston Bruins one bit. So in essence the Boston Bruins are trading Michael Ryder's roster spot (who signed a free agent deal with the Dallas Stars) for Benoit Pouliot... This deal is a serious head scratcher and I am disappointed with the Boston Bruins front office. It has pretty much been proven that Benoit Pouliot for the most part has been another Minnesota Wild first round bust from the Doug Risebrough days.

Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff --- Bruins sign Benoit Pouliot The Bruins have signed Benoit Pouliot to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. RDS was among the first to report the signing.

The 24-year-old was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft. Minnesota traded Pouliot to Montreal for Guillaume Latendresse on Nov. 23, 2009.

This past season, Pouliot scored 13 goals and 17 assists in 79 games. Pouliot was a healthy scratch for four games in the first round against the Bruins.

The 2005 draft included Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, Bobby Ryan, Jack Johnson, Marc Staal, Anze Kopitar, Paul Stastny, and Keith Yandle. Framed against those players, Pouliot has been a major disappointment. In 183 games, Pouliot has scored 37 goals and 35 assists. The left-shot forward will be a reclamation project for the Bruins, who like his size (6-foot-3, 199 pounds) and skill.

In Boston, Pouliot is best known for one-punching David Krejci during the regular season. In the playoffs, Pouliot took a run at Johnny Boychuk, which brought Andrew Ference calling.

Minnesota Wild resign goaltender Josh Harding

Image via WikipediaThe Minnesota Wild have resigned Josh Harding to a one year contract. Last season Harding didn't play because of a knee injury.

ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Wild inked backup goaltender Josh Harding to a one-year deal on Friday.

No financial terms were revealed, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune quoted a $750,000 price tag.

Harding was forced to sit out all of the 2010-11 season after tearing his ACL and MCL during an exhibition contest, and the subsequent surgery.

The 27-year-old Saskatchewan native posted a 9-12-0 record with a 3.05 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 2009-10 for Minnesota.

Bruins defensman Tomas Kaberle to test free agent market?

Image via WikipediaI would highly recommend that the Boston Bruins front office not over pay this overrated and soft defenseman. If I was the General Manager for the Boston Bruins I would let Tomas Kaberle shop him self around on the open market to see if he can get a better deal. There is no way that Kaberle is worth 4.5 million a year that he is asking for.

Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun --- Former Leafs D Tomas Kaberle is going to hit the market. He wants a long-term deal in the $4.5-million per-season range and the Bruins aren’t willing to do that. He contributed to a Stanley Cup, but didn’t have a major impact. That doesn’t mean the door is closed on his return to the Bruins. Boston might be willing to do a short-term deal once Kaberle has had a chance to test the market. Keep in mind that 18 teams need to get to the floor.

Related articles

• Bruins 'expected better' from Kaberle (thestar.com)
• Would benching Tomas Kaberle be the right move for Boston to make? (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Could Tomas Kaberle actually return to the Boston Bruins next season? (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)

Threat Of An Open-Door Meeting Reason For NCAA Cancellation, SBHE Member Says.

Here is the latest relevation in regards to the Fighting Sioux nickname fight. Apparently the NCAA didn't want to come to North Dakota because of the open meeting. I also think such a meeting would have fallen under the North Dakota's open records and open meetings laws... Something to think about as the NCAA and the UND delegation goes to the NCAA headquarters in Indiana to discuss the Fighting Sioux logo and nickname with the NCAA officials.

GRAND FORKS, ND – Top NCAA executives did not want to participate in a meeting that would have been open to the public; that’s “plain and simple,” according to State Board of Higher Education member Grant Shaft.

Appearing on the Scott Hennen Show yesterday, Shaft was disappointed that the NCAA cancelled its scheduled April 22nd meeting with state and school officials, but was hopeful that another conference could still be arranged.

“I don’t think they were looking for a situation where the meeting would be either covered by the press – or there would be any kind of testimony, or anything like that – and for that reason, they pretty clearly indicated that they weren’t going to come. I’m still hopeful we’ll have the opportunity to speak with the NCAA on this – I haven’t lost hope -it’s just that particular meeting on the 22nd fell through” Shaft said.

Although an open-door forum has been widely favored by the public (and some North Dakota legislators, including Governor Dalrymple) Shaft understood the uncomfortable position this would have presented the NCAA. In his experience, negotiations are best played out under the discretion of a “closed private setting”:

Former Sioux T.J. Oshie and St Louis Blues agree on contract extension

Image via WikipediaFormer Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie has agreed to a one year deal with the St Louis Blues. T.J. Oshie would have been a restricted free agent if he had not signed a contract extension. Last season Oshie (12g-22a-34pts) missed 31 games with an ankle injury.

St Louis Today --- the Blues have agreed to a one-year contract extension.

The deal will pay Oshie $2.35 million for the 2011-12 season.

"We're excited to have T.J. in the fold for another season," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement. "His energy and versatility make him an integral part of our club."

By agreeing to the deal today, Oshie will not become a restricted free agent tomorrow at 11 a.m., avoiding the possibility of the forward receiving an offer sheet from other teams.

In April, Oshie wrapped up his third season with the Blues, in which he has 44 goals and 121 points in 182 games. Last year, while missing 31 games because of a broken ankle, Oshie totaled 12 goals and 34 points in 49 games and had a plus-minus rating of plus-10.

Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions Montage

This is one of the best Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Champions montage that I have seen out there on the internet... If you're a Boston Bruins fans this video definitely will bring back great memories from a truly a magical season as the Boston Bruins marched through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here is a pretty good game seven montage as well. History was made this season during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ed Schafer: Time For Fighting Sioux Nickname To Go.

Image via WikipediaYou can add former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer to the list of prominent people that are ready to move on and retire the Fighting Sioux nickname. Governor Ed Schafer weighed in on the Fighting Sioux nickname today on Scott Hennen's show.

FARGO, ND – A UND alumnus himself, former Governor and US Ag Secretary Ed Schafer has joined the growing ranks of North Dakotans saying today on the Scott Hennen show that the time has come to put an end to the fight to keep UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

During his time as Governor, Schafer said he often pushed to keep the name, pointing out the many benefits the name brought both to the Sioux reservations and to the university itself.

Although he did not sign yesterday’s letter, Schafer, himself a past president of both UND’s Alumni Association and Foundation Board, expressed his weariness of the state’s continuing battle with the NCAA.

“I’ve just come to the conclusion that it’s over,” said Schafer. “As much as I would like to keep the name; it’s not going to happen. We’ve spent too much time, resources and effort to fight it. Let’s get it over with, make the transition and move on. I don’t particularly like that, but that’s where it’s at.”

Governor to lead UND nickname delegation to NCAA July 25

Well everyone in their brother is going to this meeting with the NCAA in Indianapolis, Indiana except representatives from the two North Dakota tribes (Standing Rock and Spirit Lake). This slight doesn’t make any sense to me what-so-ever.

So if you going to the NCAA main office in Indianapolis, Indiana to make the case for the University of North Dakota to retain the Fighting Sioux nickname because you don’t think it’s hostile and abusive, wouldn’t you include a few of the people of Native American decent (just to name a few, Archie D. Fool Bear, Eunice Davidson) that broke their backs trying to get their respective tribes to vote on the Fighting Sioux nickname?

Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald --- Gov. Jack Dalrymple will lead a North Dakota delegation July 25 to Indianapolis to meet with leaders of the NCAA, hoping to persuade the athletics association to alter its stance regarding UND and the Fighting Sioux nickname.

“Everybody is in,” said Grant Shaft, who as president of the State Board of Higher Education will join Dalrymple, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, and others at the long-anticipated face-to-face meeting.

The group also will include Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, UND President Robert Kelley and Athletic Director Brian Faison, North Dakota University System Chancellor William Goetz and Jody Hodgson, general manager of the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

“The governor will be the leader of the contingent,” Shaft said, “and he and Carlson will be the primary players at the table. The rest of us will be a supporting cast, there if we’re needed to answer questions.”

Kelley’s staff had worked with the NCAA in recent weeks to get possible dates for the meeting, which from the association’s side likely will involve President Mark Emmert and Vice President Bernard Franklin.

They told Kelley they’d be available for a sit-down session July 22 or 25. Shaft took those dates to Dalrymple and the others, and the 25th, a Monday, fit their calendars better.

State leaders had tried to arrange a meeting in Bismarck shortly after the legislative session ended, but the NCAA leaders balked, citing the apparent conflict between the Legislature and the State Board, which had directed UND to drop the name and logo.

The Spirit Lake Tribe in Devils Lake approved the use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, the Standing Rock Tribal Council failed to let their members vote on the issues, probably fearing that the vote at Standing Rock would have shaken out the same way. Something doesn’t smell right here… Anyone want to bet on whether the anti-nickname crowd will have their representatives present at this meeting as well?

Big Ten may mean big issues for hockey...

Image via WikipediaTom Oats has a really good article on Madison.com that has been floating around the internet this past week about the issues surrounding the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Farce Conference. It's a must read if you haven't seen it yet.

I think I have brought up some of the same issues about the Big Ten Hockey Conference and that there was a very good possibility that the BTHC formation would have a  negative effect on the other schools left behind in the CCHA and the WCHA.

It almost appears as if no one from the Big Ten thought about these ramifications until after they went to the NCAA meetings last April and heard from the other conference representatives from the CCHA and the WCHA... In my opinion, this has nothing to do about whats good for college hockey going forward, this is a lot to do about maximizing profits for six teams and they could give a rip about the other conferences and teams they've left behind. You can call me a hater, I don't care, I am calling it as I see it.  

Nationally, however, the perception of the conference is a bit different. Many in the tight-knit hockey community believe the Big Ten, led by UW, has trampled on tradition and jeopardized the future of the sport by barging ahead without regard to potential ramifications for the programs at many smaller, hockey-first schools.

The Big Ten’s announcement definitely put college hockey in a state of flux, with schools and conferences trying to position themselves in the new landscape. But no matter how it all washes out, there will be consequences — some unexpected, some potentially serious — both in Madison and across the country.

• Much like in football and basketball, non-conference schedules will get weaker.

Word is the Big Ten will backload the schedule with conference games, which means the league slate — 20 games per team — won’t begin until the football season is over in December. That would leave each team to find 14 non-conference games in the first two months of the season.

It appears the Big Ten will reach a scheduling agreement with the WCHA that will account for perhaps eight of those games. However, the remaining six dates could be difficult to fill with quality opponents since other conferences will already be involved in league play.

Even if the Big Ten and WCHA do hook up for four non-conference series per year, established rivalries will take a hit because UW’s opponents won’t always be North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth.

No one has any idea how the dominos are going to fall after the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference. I don't think it's formation is going to be as good for college hockey as some have suggested, there are probably better ways to add college hockey teams without blowing up an existing structure that has worked for a very long time and has been successful.

Fallout from the Big Ten’s move is being discussed in the back rooms as we speak. Will the WCHA be a 10-team league when UW and Minnesota leave? Will it expand back to 12? Or will it form a six or eight-team “superleague” with its highest-profile teams and maybe two from the outside? All have been discussed.

With Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State leaving the CCHA, word is Notre Dame is quietly looking at a move to the WCHA or Hockey East. Should Notre Dame and, say, Miami (Ohio) join the WCHA, the CCHA would be decimated. Without name schools as lucrative draws, its remaining schools could struggle to field competitive teams and some of them eventually could eliminate hockey. That would be a huge hit for the sport, which is low on numbers as it is.

Here is some good advice for the Big Ten as they go into unchartered waters.

No one knows if the Big Ten will be good or bad for college hockey in the long run, but it is clear so far that the conference is stepping on some toes. It would behoove the leaders of the Big Ten — and especially UW — to tread a little more lightly during this process.