Not much of a college hockey fan, BUT I check for the Beanpowt scores and follow BC. Couldn't tell you what BC's season is gonna be like, tho.
BC's first championship in sixty years in '01 earned them the right to suck for the next five years, at least.
Why yes I happen to be a big Alaska-Fairbanks fan. I think the NCAA screws them by making them play teams from Michigan and Minnesota making them travel so far. They should be playing other west coast power teams like UCLA and San Diego State those are some outstanding hockey clubs there.
And I hear there's a question with their birth certificates. You can't trust those Alaskans, y'know ...
As a long time season ticket holder. If you really are a UAF fan. I am truly embarrassed. It's not like we have a hard enough time getting respect. Oh well, Go Nooks!
I wish we had an NCAA hockey team in Chicago. Specifically one at Loyola University. For now, though, I'm behind Loyola Academy. Go Ramblers, goddamnit!
College hockey is for the ones who can't hack it in the CHL leagues....or don't want to take hockey very seriously.
Well, true to some point..... but many great players did emerge from the college rank..... Tony Amonte, Paul Kariya, Anson Carter, Chris Druy, Keith Tkachuk, etc. Hockey is not liked football or basketball where most players came from NCAA, but a signflcant number(about 20%) came from college.
Well, bear in mind that there are also some great college hockey programs in the country that don't operate as a regular part of the NCAA - Harvard and Yale come to mind.
Both Harvard and Yale are in the ECAC, which is a real NCAA hockey conference. (Well, at least it used to be. ) In fact, Harvard won the NCAA national title in 1989.
Man, you need to pay more attention to college hockey. Most top-level Americans who have emerged in the last 10 years have played at least some college hockey.
You don't have to be THAT old! FWIW, I have the puck that was on the ice as the final whistle blew during what turned out to be UIC's last ever game at the Pavillion. I was teaching there at the time, and a former student was on the team. He didn't want it because it brought back bad memories... first of the score (a horrific referree-aided 12-0 drubbing by the Wolverines) and second of what happened later that spring when the school dropped the sport to pour the entire budget into the basketball team. An investment that is paying off. Not. So, I still dig college hockey, even though UIC hardly provided the best version of it on a consistent basis.
Harvard occasionally got into the top 10 in NCAA ranking. They played in the Beanpot.... Ted Druy, Chris's big brother, went to Harvard. Chris was known as Ted's kid brother when he played at BU.
and... Brett Hull Bill Guerin Brian Leetch Mike Grier Rob Blake Joe Nieuwendyk Doug Weight Mike York Ed Belfour Joe Juneau Adam Oates John LeClair Chris Chelios Scott Mellanby Gary Suter Curtis Joseph Mike Richter Steve Shields Brendan Morrison Marty Turco John Madden Rod Brind'Amour Brian Smolinski source: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/stats0102/origin.htm
How did I miss this thread? I just sent in my season ticket lottery application (fingers crossed)... The Gophers should be a contender again this year. Losing guys like Leopold hurts, but we have a good freshman class coming in. Another plus is that there are 7 players from the northern part of the state, including one from my hometown and two from a tiny mining town 20 minutes down the road. One of those kids is named Gino Guyer...remember that name. And just so none of you forget who the champion is...