BLOG: Single-Elimination, Stanley Cup Series & The Stories Told

If the Stanley Cup semifinals were single-elimination, neither of the two teams playing tonight would be playing tonight.

Both the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning lost Game 1 of their respective semifinals to Vegas and New York Islanders, respectively. The Golden Knights, in losing its third series, advanced that far after losing both Game 1s of the series Vegas won.

In fact, teams winning Game 1 in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs have only gone on to win eight of the 14 best-of-seven series.

The stat jumps out for someone who covers college hockey and its annual tradition making vast generalizations from a single postseason game. Single-elimination can tell a different story compared to the best-of-seven series. More games allow a fuller picture to be painted. Anything can happen in a single game, which makes the NCAA postseason its own unique beast.

Neither is better or worse. They're just different.

Still, it's fun to compare how Stanley Cup contenders look in the single-elimination context. In one game, Washington was able to come from behind and upset Boston in overtime. Over five games, the Bruins pulled off a pair of overtime wins en route to a dominating series win. 

Colorado, one of the teams who looked as dominant in its round 1 series win as it did in Game 1, wishes it could skate by on Game 1 of its series with the Golden Knights. The Avalanche would bask in Game 1 perception. Instead, Vegas, who previously would've been the victim of a 1-0 upset loss to Minnesota in a single-elimination world, flipped the script after being dominated 7-1 in Game 1, winning in six games. 

Single-elimination misses out on the unfolding and changing, the comeback, the greater resiliency with the story within the story. Best-of-seven series miss out on the importance of preparing for a single, unknown opponent, the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, all compressed into a single evening - Game 7 notwithstanding.

Comparing the two is the difference between a single strike and a battle of attrition.  

The story changes with Montreal winning Game 1 against Toronto after John Taveres gets injured versus Montreal winning in seven games, overcoming a 3-1 deficit and multiple blown third-period leads to winning in overtime.

Single-elimination means the added stakes of four straight playoff OT games between two teams, such as what happened in the Nashville-Carolina series, never happens. Then again, the best-of-seven series miss out on the all-important, all out five OT classic, which Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota know the stakes all too well.

Both have their moments. However, like the games and series themselves, it's foolish to make comparisons or hold one in higher regard as much as the list of top college hockey teams who ran into a hot goalie or had an off night continues to grow.

I wonder how top college hockey teams would fare playing best-of-seven series, whether it would be similar to single-elimination or new dynasties would arise. I wonder how NHL teams would look playing single-elimination - the last champion to win all four Game 1s was Chicago in 2013. Tampa lost two Game 1s in 2020, including the Stanley Cup Final. So did St. Louis in 2019. Washington lost three of its four Game 1s while winning the 2018 Stanley Cup.

Just as the best regular-season teams end up not always being the best postseason teams, the best series teams end up not being the best single-elimination teams. 

(Then again, Tampa goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy having four straight elimination shutouts is some Hunter Shepard or Filip Lindberg-style feat.)

At the end of the day, single-elimination hockey adds to the unpredictability and entertainment. Any of the teams can win and it's difficult to make vast generalizations off 60 minutes. Heck, it's difficult making vast generalizations off a best-of-seven game series too. Not that it will stop us from doing either.

It would be one thing if Montreal and Tampa faced off in a single, championship game like UMass and St. Cloud State. Instead, I will enjoy watching tonight and seeing where it leaves us and whether the team that loses can go on to win. 

With the end result of the best-of-seven series leaving us with a final that features the No. 3 seed from the Central Division versus the No. 4 seed from the North Division that was the last team to make the postseason, this year's NHL championship would fit perfectly well with college hockey's postseason stories.

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On Robert Morris Discontinuing Hockey & Erasing Existence

Seven months after it came to an end, the only three remains were in two forgotten corners and a trophy case.

All I found in two treks around Ralph Engelstad Arena, a building showcased to celebrate North Dakota's hockey history, were three mentions of the women's hockey program shut down that previous March. 

One was in a trophy case highlighting UND players going to the Olympics and representing their country. Another featured the Lamoureux twins wearing the program's previous sweaters. A third, looking like it was missed, was a photo of former head coach Brian Idalski on the bench leading the Fighting Hawks.

Every banner, every mention of WCHA opponents, everything else had been taken down. Erased. I saw more North Dakota women's hockey sweaters on the concourse than reminders of its past. A place that spent decades fighting for a nickname did nothing to fight for a top-tier hockey team. Seven months after the university dropped the program so suddenly a recruit was on campus, it was treated like it never existed.

This trek came to mind yesterday (May 26, 2021) when Robert Morris brazenly discontinued its men's and women's hockey programs. 

Players and staff were given no warning, according to multiple reports. A 10-minute zoom call with an hour's notice and no subject was it before a coldly written press release under the subject "An update on men's and women's hockey."

The college world is no stranger to universities dropping Division 1 hockey. (It's my second straight column written about the subject.) Robert Morris, unfortunately, likely will not be the last. However, the Colonials' end differs from the Alabama Huntsvilles of the world. The signs usually show up before a program might meet its end.

In the case of Alabama Huntsville, UAH could not find a home. RMU simply did not want theirs.

Robert Morris got rid of two successful programs because they did not fit the new, purported image of the school. The university dropped a women's hockey team which made the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It dropped a men's hockey team, built from scratch 18 years ago, which has been Atlantic Hockey's most consistent program over the past 7-8 seasons.

It did so near Memorial Day at the expense of coaching staff and athletes now forced to find new teams after most programs are set for next season. Immediately eligible does not help RMU players when no one needs to sit out and everyone gets an extra year of eligibility.

Sifting through emotions, it's difficult realizing how open Robert Morris can be about not wanting to be a "hockey school." The university statement makes it clear that this decision was about "image," not money. (It discusses surpassing a $100 million fundraising campaign plus also goes into a discussion about a CEO Lecture series, which WTF?) Getting a national profile by making national tournaments means nothing when the school thinks it's an embarrassment.

Mostly, the news comes as a mixture of sadness and shock six weeks after RMU finished hosting the men's Frozen Four. At a time when NHL teams are teaming up with NCAA hockey nationally, the Colonials voluntarily leave Pittsburgh without a program. It leaves the CHA, now at five teams, in a precarious state.

I'm sad for Derek Schooley, who built the Colonials into a program that punched above its weight and earned its reputation among the hockey world. I'm sad for Paul Colontino, who made RMU a regular atop the CHA standings and championship game, all while producing a number of heralded players. I'm sad for the alums who no longer have a program to go back. I'm extremely sad for the approximately 55 current players who were done worse than anyone can imagine.

Robert Morris's "strategic course" wants to follow the North Dakota path by treating the programs like they never existed and leaving its student-athletes out in the cold. No one ever takes a breakup lightly, but it stings differently when the reason given is that the sport makes the school look bad in "positioning RMU for future growth and success."

Of course, the North Dakota women's hockey program - poised to be a top-five team the year it ended - lives on despite the lack of acknowledgment at Ralph Engelstad Arena thanks to the number of teams that used former Fighting Hawks players and recruits to further its own success. The same will happen with the Colonials.

Still, it's a sad day. Instead of the women's hockey team seeing a CHA conference tournament banner raised this fall, there will be no celebration. They'll hopefully be representing Robert Morris across a number of schools. 

All while the accomplishment gets tossed by RMU into some forgotten corner, never to be spoken of again by the university.

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BLOG: The "Growing the Game" Paradox

Three pieces of news happened in the past week. All involve college hockey programs in the southern United States.

One was about Tennessee State reportedly conducting a feasibility study to determine how viable it is to start a Division 1 men's hockey program. TSU, based in Nashville, would be the first team from the country's Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Another, from College Hockey News, features Lindenwood's quest to be the next Division 1 men's hockey team. The Lions, who already have a Division 1 women's hockey team, would play out of the St. Louis Blues' practice facility. According to the article, LU hopes to "secure a few lead gifts" in time to announce publicly its intentions this summer.

The third comes from Alabama Huntsville, the only D1 men's hockey team currently in the southern United States. For the third time in a decade and second in as many years, the Chargers will be suspending operations.

This news arrives as Alabama Huntsville is unable to find a conference to call home. The CCHA, where seven of the 10 WCHA schools are departing to form next season, denied the Chargers. Another potential fit, Atlantic Hockey, is doing the business version of ghosting someone.

It's very college hockey to see pure excitement of two possible potential programs contrast with an existing program needing to shut down due to no one wanting them. 

As much as the words "grow the game" get thrown around time after time, it comes with a NIMBY-sized asterisk. It is a platitude. Everyone wants to see more teams and more players get opportunities...at least it until it affects them.

No program understands this better than Alabama Huntsville. 

In the past 12 months, the Chargers have been the subject of a successful GoFundMe to keep the program alive. Fans, alums, and the college hockey world as a whole came together to raise enough money to keep the program going. It's not the lack of support and financial help that doomed Alabama Huntsville. Given the choice, the University decided to shut down and wait for a conference home rather than go as an independent.

(Coincidentally, another bit of news from last week was GoFundMe highlighting the Chargers' success.)

Sadly, this isn't new. Go back further and time repeats itself. In two separate iterations, for two similar yet separate reasons, over a decade apart, the CCHA denying UAH's application is the catalyst to the program shutting down. 

Right now schools find it easier to undertake feasibility studies and find ways to start men's hockey programs that even 3-4 years ago were missing. Look at the names who are starting and looking into joining during this time. This is not just a run of Power 5 schools as feared.

The sport comes out of a pandemic healthy with several new teams (and several more rumored) and yet remains as tough for those new and far-away teams to find a spot as it was 15-20 years ago when Atlantic Hockey, CCHA, and WCHA in various ways all danced around the issue of the former CHA teams. Even Bemidji State took some prodding.

Atlantic Hockey had a scheduling agreement with LIU this season, but the Sharks remain independent of the 11 team conference. The same goes with Arizona State and the Big Ten. After taking off last season, Alaska is hanging about as an independent while UAA is in the same situation as UAH. There are a few other programs on the horizon as no one looks to expand a decade after realignment gave conferences room to do exactly that after being stuffed to the 12-team brim with nowhere to add.

When all is said and done, nearly 10% of the sport - and all the geographic outliers - is on the outside.

Unfortunately for Alabama Huntsville, and any future southern teams, growing the game finds itself in a paradox. The most like-minded conferences for them are those who want to be regionally based. However, there aren't enough nearby teams to create regionally based conferences. 

The paradox gives advantages to bigger schools that can withlast being independent and those in the regional footprint, which makes it makes it more necessary for these schools to be regionally based and further drives the cycle. 

In this case, the CCHA denied UAH because it is eight teams of similar size joining together for geographic reasons that don't fit outliers. AHA is in a similar spot (and there are nearby like-minded teams).

College hockey needs more western/southern teams. It needs more teams, in general, to cut down on extreme geography. Outside of several joining at once, or enough teams lasting as independents where it makes sense to split into further conferences, it will be tough to achieve despite the interest last week showed from Tennessee State and Lindenwood. 

If the two take advantage of the growing number of high-end players and join, where would they play? Even Lindenwood acknowledged it likely would start as an independent in the CHN article.

In a more perfect world, there would be enough teams to space the gap and make it easier for geographic outliers, to fully turn a regional sport national. College hockey vastly outgrew the big school/small school regional alliance of the 2000s. Still, teams and conferences do not know what to do when it comes to further growth just as much now. It remains a sport of 60+ fiefdoms.

Reaction to the three pieces of news - excitement for TSU and Lindenwood possibly joining mixed with the reality of UAH's situation possibly ending...again - perfectly sums it up.

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BLOG: Where does Sampo Ranta's season stack up among recent forward greats?

If you've been following me on Twitter (@gopherstate), you probably noticed how each time Minnesota junior forward Sampo Ranta scores I point out his consistency. Of the Gophers' 13 regular-season series, Ranta scored in 11. This week he has goals in both of Minnesota's Big Ten conference tournament OT wins, including the GWG against Michigan State. 

At this point, Minnesota has the luxury of going into a weekend believing Ranta, who has 18 goals in 28 games this season, will score at least one goal. It speaks to the Finn's growth and development to reach the point where he has a season-long consistency. Throughout his first two seasons, there were moments mixed with stretches where Ranta's goal-scoring disappeared.

Among men's hockey players appearing in at least 20 games, only Wisconsin's Cole Caufield (.93) and Army's Colin Bilek (.86) have higher goals per game played outputs this season than Ranta's .64 goals per game. Caufield's total is beyond impressive - in the last 20 years, the Badger sophomore is tied with former Gopher Ryan Potulny (2005-06) for the highest goals per game played in one season.

Note: I am using goals per game played because, 1) No team is playing a full season, and 2) Each team plays a different amount of games. 

But where does Ranta's season rank among Minnesota players and the Big Ten? Pretty high.

Using Potulny's benchmark season as a baseline for Minnesota players, only Ryan Stoa (24 goals in 36 games) in 2008-09 has higher goals per game played numbers than Ranta, whose season is the highest by a Gopher in the Big Ten era. 

Highest goals per game played (since 2006-07)

• Ryan Stoa (.66 in 2008-09)
• Sampo Ranta (.64 in 2020-21)
• Nick Bjugstad (.625 in 2011-12)
• Travis Boyd (.59 in 2014-15)
• Rem Pitlick (.55 in 2018-19)
• Leon Bristedt (.55 in 2015-16)
• Hudson Fasching (.54 in 2015-16)
• Tyler Sheehy (.526 in 2016-17)
• Kyle Rau (.512 in 2014-15)
• Vinni Lettieri (.5 in 2016-17)

As for the Big Ten? Since the Big Ten began sponsoring men's hockey in 2013-14, only four players have more goals per game played, including Caufield. Two were on the CCM Line.

Highest goals per game played among Big Ten players:

Cole Caufield, Wisconsin (.93 in 2020-21)

Kyle Connor, Michigan (.89 in 2015-16)

Tyler Motte, Michigan (.84 in 2015-16)

Nick Schilkey, Ohio State (.77 in 2016-17)

Sampo Ranta, Minnesota (.64 in 2020-21)

Luke Kunin, Wisconsin (.63 in 2016-17)

Tony Calderone, Michigan (.62 in 2017-18)

Ranta and Caufield face off for the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship tonight (Tuesday, March 16, 2021) at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT on BTN.

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Bracketology: Why Conference Spots Versus Teams Being NCAA Tournament Locks?

One bracketology question I've been asked repeatedly is why am I adamant about pointing out conference spots as locks rather than teams. So I thought it might be easier to write a quick explainer.

The short answer is that it's easier this season to understand selecting the NCAA Tournament field in terms of conference spots. This year's selections feature two levels of subjective. Teams are being ranked against one another inside their own conference. Conferences are being ranked against one another for bids. Put those together and conference spots become more important, the first level of subjectivity before deciding which team fields the spot. 

The longer answer, well...

1) Unprecedented Selection

In a normal year, math, not people, decide the 16 teams. Using math allows for an easier committee decision, as only the locations need to be agreed upon. In a normal year, teams become important to track as locks since teams know mathematically which results put them ahead of other teams.

This is no normal year. Math does not work across the nation when few play true non-conference games. There needs to be a human element to decide the 10 NCAA Tournament at-large bids.

And that leads to #2...

2) Political Process

For the first time in a generation, a political process exists. No one is quite sure how teams will be decided, which means coaches and programs are using postgame press conferences to stump for their teams. David Carle of Denver (using examples to discredit Omaha), Mike Gabinet of Omaha (using examples to discredit Denver), and Jeff Jackson of Notre Dame (using examples to discredit both Denver and Omaha in an effort to get a fourth Big Ten team over a fourth NCHC team). 

Even Guy Gadowsky took his "you miss 100% of the shots you miss" Wayne Gretzky opportunity by saying Penn State, with 6 regulation wins, is deserving of an NCAA Tournament spot after turning the ship around from an 0-5 start.

I will not miss subjective decisions. I will miss every coach on the bubble making their case to be in the NCAA Tournament like it's an episode of "Survivor." The last few spots will be political decisions that will leave others furious and on the outside looking in, so why not take your shot?

Still, the battle between programs to get in will be more against one another in the conference than against others.

3) Not all conferences are the same

It's easier to rank between teams in the same conference given the number of games against common opponents. The math works inside conferences. With few exceptions, the Big Ten played a round-robin schedule where each team played all six other conference teams twice at home and twice on the road, plus four home games against Arizona State. This one is easy, remembering to add the games against ASU aside.

On the other hand, some conferences played unbalanced schedules, or teams played whoever was available. While the math exists to compare between the two, each conference comparison is unique. What works towards one does not towards another - and the selection committee can take different criteria to compare between each - which is another reason why teams are first arguing to be ahead of their conference mates.

4) External Factors

Sorry if I repeated this too much, but it bears repeating. No one, besides the committee itself, knows what the committee will be doing. Criteria exist yet remain vague enough to justify any decision. (See: This explanation why Minnesota was left out of the NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament despite the consensus saying otherwise.) External factors exist. 

Whether it's a bracket that features subjective integrity, or matters more on regional location and creating an even East/West split, the human element creates a chaotic opportunity when comparing teams who did not play one another and played vastly different schedules. 

And that has nothing on the fact that the 2021 NCAA Tournament takes place during a pandemic. No game or team is guaranteed. Going by conference spots makes it easier to replace if necessary.

All in all...

I understand that no roadmap exists for this season. It's easiest to acknowledge that and take a measured approach to the chaos college hockey will be living in Sunday, building a foundation of what should happen with an open concept of what can and could happen. That is why I find it easier to rank the 16 teams by conference spots, rather than teams.

So that said, are there teams who are locks? Yes. some teams can be considered true locks because it's difficult to see them dropping below being considered the X-best team in a conference when the conference at worst should receive X bids. 

For example, let's use Minnesota State. The Mavericks can be considered a lock because it's difficult to see a scenario where Minnesota State is not considered the best WCHA team. Even in the unbelievable chance that the Mavericks are the second-best WCHA team, it comes in a time when the conference gets at least two bids.

Teams besides Minnesota State who fit this admittedly subjective definition include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Boston College, UMass, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State. 

A few more like Michigan, UMD, and Quinnipiac are likely locks, however, sit at a point where if the committee decides to take a conference spot or two away each would be on the outside. It's difficult to see all three (and especially the first two) miss the NCAA Tournament, but it's a strange year.

Related: 

2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Bracket Version 2.5

2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Bracket Version 2.0

2021 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament Bracket Version 1.0

Bracketology 101: Five More Selection Questions + NCAA Tournament Locks & Bubble Teams

Bracketology 101: How Many Teams From Each Conference Make The Men's NCAA Hockey Tournament?

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Who should be the first St. Thomas D1 men's hockey head coach? A name no one has brought up.

Who will be the first D-1 men's hockey head coach for St. Thomas?

A few days ago, The Rink Live's excellent group of writers tackled this question. They came up with a variety of names who should and likely will be considered, including Northern Michigan head coach Grant Potulny, Minnesota State associate coach Todd Knott, former University of Minnesota assistant coach Scott Bell, former UMD associate coach Jason Herter, and Bemidji State assistant Travis Winter. Other names who get brought up usually have a Minnesota tie in one way or another, such as former longtime Minnesota assistant Mike Guentzel.

Reading their answers got me thinking not just who would be a good fit, but who is someone who would be a good fit that no one has brought up yet. I quickly came up with an answer.

Taking the St. Thomas job presents an intriguing challenge as the Tommies enter the D-1 world in 2021-22, joining seven other teams in (re-?)forming the CCHA. Very few coaches get to put their stamp on a program by building from the ground up and pouring the foundation. 

With that in mind, I am going outside the box with someone who understands that all too well in Penn State associate coach Keith Fisher.

Why Fisher? 

The Rink Live writers bring up several fantastic points. St. Thomas can use someone who knows the state of Minnesota, who knows how to recruit, and who knows how to win and compete against some of the top teams in the country by being directly thrown into the CCHA. Names brought up all hit on those points.

The coach also needs to promote a culture and program that is looking to grow, eventually getting a new rink and being competitive as the sixth Minnesota Division 1 school. Whoever does will also have six months before opening puck drop to do so.

Getting someone like Fisher, who as Guy Gadowsky's assistant and recruiter played a major role in creating the Penn State program, from scratch, can be a major help for the Tommies. Unlike others, he has that experience. The Nittany Lions went from a non-entity at the beginning of the 2010s to NCAA Tournament appearances, a Big Ten regular-season and conference tournament title, and a national title contender at the end of the decade. PSU got to that point by building on each recruiting class, getting higher quality players from all over the world, and building a unique culture that works with players buying in.

All of that would be worthy of taking a look on its own, but Fisher also checks off the all-important Minnesota boxes. He is a Minnesota native who graduated from St. Cloud State and served as an undergrad assistant coach for Craig Dahl. Before working with Gadowsky at Princeton, he helped recruit a number of future NHLers to the USHL's Omaha Lancers (then coached by Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings). At Penn State, the Nittany Lions have found its share of Minnesotans between Nate Jensen, Eric Scheid, Vince Pedrie, and currently with Xander Lamppa and former Gopher Clayton Phillips.

A program like St. Thomas, entering a crowded Twin Cities and Minnesota pipeline, will need to both scour the state and look elsewhere for diamonds in the rough. Getting someone like Fisher who can recruit all over, understands the challenges which come from coaching college hockey in the state, and knows how to build a successful program from scratch seems like a home-run hire.

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College Hockey is Back (or) A Sense of Normalcy

At 7:08 pm ET Friday, roughly three hours after Alaska Anchorage announced it would not compete, Notre Dame's Jake Pivonka won the opening faceoff of the 2020-21 season.

College hockey was back after 250 days away.

It's fitting Notre Dame, one of the final teams to play in a pandemic-shortened season, and opponent Wisconsin were first with the puck. Facing the Badgers, Compton Family Ice Arena had two of the rare teams who saw their seasons end on the ice.

Each had some sense of normalcy finishing their season days before the Ivy League decided to cancel the rest of theirs, followed by several others and eventually the NCAA. Both got some afterward.

And for two hours inside a 200x90 feet ice sheet, watching the Fighting Irish and Wisconsin face off on national television actually felt normal. A pair of new starting goalies. The return of Cole Caufield. A talented Badgers team trying to end years of underperforming against a perennially disciplined Notre Dame.

November aside, for two hours the Fighting Irish and Wisconsin were figuring out what works without a preseason. The offenses were not quite up to speed, but the Badgers, wearing a "21" patch to honor the late Rob Andringa, were able to pull off a five forward power play unit. Both goaltenders made some solid saves.

At 9:12 pm ET, the game ended. Any sense of normalcy went away with it. If anything, it only existed inside the boards at Compton Family Ice Arena.

Watching on NBCSN, there was nothing normal seeing Tony Granato and Jeff Jackson wearing masks, or being without a band and thousands of fans in South Bend. Same goes with what players needed to do to get to this point. Months of not skating. Individual workouts. Small practices. 

Paused workouts, as was the case for Wisconsin in September due to COVID-19 issues on campus. 

So it was no surprise the day of college hockey's first game was also college hockey's first postponed game. Long Island University's first in program history was moved after an outbreak at opponent Army. The same day where normalcy was celebrated also saw Alaska Anchorage announce it was joining seven other schools in not playing this season, essentially ending the Seawolves program.

Balancing the two is difficult but needed this season. The story of college hockey in 2020-21 will be the crazy and unpredictable. It's impossible to talk about a game without talking about the games not being played.

(Sometimes the crazy and unpredictable also happens on the ice, such as a day later when Michigan and Arizona State kicked off eight months of rust with a first-year showcase for the Wolverines rookies.)

Eight months and 250+ days later not much has changed from March. COVID cases are going up again.  Most teams continue to figure out their seasons being played, going on wondering how many opportunities will end on the ice. 

Once again, the Ivy League canceled its season before several others joined. RIT and RPI threw in the towel. (As of this writing, the ECAC has five teams playing.) Vermont is pausing winter sports prior to Hockey East opening play, as is the St. Cloud State women's hockey team after a number of positive cases. The third Monday in November canceled the Beanpot.

Games were played this weekend, but seasons were also canceled. That's the sense of normalcy which exists at the moment.

A prevailing thought back in March which sticks with me today is that if it feels like we overreacted to the pandemic, then it's a sign we did things right. 

Eight months later it does not come close. Even worse, the Ivy League making the same decision in November as March cannot be seen in any context as an overreaction. The time for it has long passed. 

As nice as it is to spend two hours feeling normal watching college hockey back, and writing about college hockey, it will be a different season. When the only sense of normalcy happens on a sheet of ice with months of precautions and leadups, that can no longer be considered the normal thing.

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On Long Island University, New Programs & Jumping Off The Cliff

Long Island University, in the longest of long shots, pulled off becoming NCAA Division 1 men's hockey's 61st program.

Any person who had the Sharks adding to its college hockey portfolio prior to Thursday's late afternoon announcement should go play the lottery. (The school, which rebranded in 2019, just finished its first season of D1 women's hockey in where the program won the NEWHA conference tournament.) No one mentioned the school as a contender despite Long Island being home to one of the largest recruiting areas, alongside Chicago and California, without a program. Few, if any, in college hockey circles heard rumblings.

In a world where programs spend decades inching towards starting up, LIU jumped off the cliff.

Quick Bracketology (March 4, 2020)

With the season winding down, I decided I wanted to use my bracketology degree to post a quick NCAA men's hockey bracket on the weeks I don't post a full version on NCAA.com.

Since it's a quick version, some of the details in the selection process might be overlooked. If you need a refresher for how the committee selects the 16 teams, this Bracketology 101 article should answer most of your basic questions.

Any others, I'm happy to answer in the comments.

The Teams (as of March 4, 2020):
1. North Dakota (NCHC)
2. Minnesota State (WCHA)
3. Cornell (ECAC)
T-4. Boston College (Hockey East)
T-4. Minnesota Duluth
T-4. Denver
7. Penn State (Big Ten)
8. Massachusetts
9. Clarkson
T-10. Bemidji State
T-10. Ohio State
12. Arizona State
13. UMass Lowell
14. Quinnipiac
15. Maine
27. American International (Atlantic Hockey)

In: UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac, Maine
Out: Northeastern, Minnesota, Western Michigan

First Four Out: Michigan, Minnesota, Northeastern, Western Michigan

Teams By Conference:
Hockey East: 4
NCHC: 3
ECAC: 3
Big Ten: 2
WCHA: 2
Atlantic Hockey: 1
Independent: 1

Notes:
-AIC bumps out Michigan this week, who moved up 4 spots after taking 5 of 6 points from Minnesota.
-Northeastern being swept by Vermont dropped the Huskies from a 3 seed to out of the bracket. It was good news for Arizona State, who sits waiting at home.
-The number of teams who can still earn at-large bids has dwindled down as postseason gets underway in four of the six conferences. Besides the first four out, Notre Dame, Providence and St. Cloud State are the only ones who technically can still make the NCAA Tournament without winning the automatic bid.

The Bracket:

Albany Region (Albany, NY - Host ECAC)
1. North Dakota vs. 16. AIC
8. Massachusetts vs. 9. Clarkson

Loveland Region (Loveland, CO - Host Denver)
2. Minnesota State vs. 15. Maine
6. Denver vs. 11. Ohio State

Allentown Region (Allentown, PA - Host Penn State)
3. Cornell vs. 13. UMass Lowell
7. Penn State vs. 10. Bemidji State

Worcester Region (Worcester, MA - Host Holy Cross)
4. Boston College vs. 14. Quinnipiac
5. Minnesota Duluth vs. 12. Arizona State

The only moves I made from the straight 1-16, 2-15, etc. bracket were to switch Quinnipiac and UMass Lowell in order to get rid of inter-conference matchups. I also essentially swapped the Penn State and Denver matchups for one another. Both hosts need to be in Allentown and Loveland, respectively. Switching the teams themselves creates an all-Big Ten matchup, which we need to avoid.

It makes more sense to have Cornell, who can drive to the PPL Center, in Allentown instead of Minnesota State. Same with Boston College in Worcester as much as I'd rather not reward the lowest No. 1 seed. It is a conversation for the committee to have, though.

Another issue popping up is attendance. This isn't the easiest bracket to move and fix attendance. The only two eastern teams in the No. 2 and No. 3 seeding bands are the 8th and 9th overall seeds. There might be some empty seats in Worcester for that UMD-Arizona State game, but there's not much we can do.

There are some fantastic matchups between another Denver-Ohio State rematch, Penn State's offense versus Bemidji State's defense, BC facing the last team it played in the NCAA Tournament, and the UMass-Clarkson matchup I wanted to see last year come to fruition.

Thoughts?
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Introducing the 2019-20 All-How Do They Still Have Eligibilty Team

"How do they still have eligibility? I thought they graduated two years ago!"

Every college hockey player receives four years of eligibility. Not all cases of eligibility are created equal, however. From time to time, a player ends up being on the Van Wilder plan.

While most players complete their four years and graduate, the names on the 2019-20 All-"How Do They Still Have Eligibility" Team are those who stand out for spending what seems like an eternity in college hockey.

What makes a player fit for the honor? Every player has their own reason. Sometimes it's due to transferring schools, like Michigan Tech goaltender Matt Jurusik, who played at Wisconsin for Mike Eaves. Other times, they get lumped in with a relative, such as St. Cloud State's Nick and Jack Poehling, or Robert Morris' Luke Lynch.

On the women's side, an Olympian can stand out for having a redshirt year or two. There are also players with outstanding rookie seasons who have dominated for three or four years, making it seem like they have been around longer than they actually were.

Finally, there's a group of players who are well known before college. Maybe it's because they committed early and took their time to get there. For example, Quinnipiac's William Fallstrom committed to Minnesota in June 2014. He's currently a sophomore in the year 2020. For years, Seth Ambroz was the go-to example. If Oliver Wahlstrom stayed at Boston College, he'd be the rare underclassman to have made the list.

For whatever reason, the select names on the 2019-20 All-"How Do They Still Have Eligibility" Teams - which for the first time include several suggestions from readers like you -

Without further adieu, let's get to the teams and individual awards.

BLOG: Why The First Half Pairwise Predicts The NCAA Tournament Field

There's an old saying to not look at the Pairwise rankings until the holiday break. By then, the rankings settle down. Teams do not move around.

However, that does not feel like the case this year. It seems like 2020 has been one where several high-profile teams have made giant leaps into the bracket.

Each week a new school hops into contention making the jump on the heels of a hot weekend or month. Maine. Minnesota. Bemidji State. New Hampshire. Michigan. All have made noise in the last six weeks.

Still, for all the noise being made, is this year vastly different? Turns out, not as much as one would think.

Quick Bracketology (February 18, 2020)

With the season winding down, I decided I wanted to use my bracketology degree to post a quick NCAA men's hockey bracket on the weeks I don't post a full version on NCAA.com.

Since it's a quick version, some of the details in the selection process might be overlooked. If you need a refresher for how the committee selects the 16 teams, this Bracketology 101 article should answer everything.

Bracketology (as of February 18, 2020):
1. North Dakota (NCHC)
2. Minnesota State (WCHA)
3. Cornell (ECAC)
4. Minnesota Duluth
5. Denver
6. Boston College (Hockey East)
7. Clarkson
8. Massachusetts
9. Northeastern
10. Penn State
11. Arizona State
T-12. Bemidji State
T-12. Ohio State
14. Maine
T-15. Minnesota (Big Ten)
30. American International College (Atlantic Hockey)

In: Bemidji State, Ohio State, Minnesota
Out: UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac, Michigan State

BLOG: 3 Lessons Minnesotans Can Learn From Connecticut Ice (And Vice Versa)

"We should run this tournament every year for the next 30-40-50 years," said Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold, discussing last weekend's Connecticut Ice festival.

Minnesotans know those words all too well. Six years and 1100 miles separate the same excitement at Xcel Energy Center following what was considered a successful first edition of the North Star College Cup.

Of course, the North Star College Cup no longer exists. An event meant to showcase the bonds of Minnesota's college hockey programs instead showed the cracks in its relationships. After four iterations, the schools decided to go their separate ways.

The situation's origins repeat itself in Connecticut, where the four in-state schools came together for an in-season tournament. Year 2 is guaranteed but after that, no deals have currently been made.

In a different state, the names changed with both sharing similar situations are character archetypes.
There's the longtime blue blood in Minnesota Yale. The younger program making national headway in St. Cloud State Quinnipiac. The smaller school trying to compete with others in Bemidji State Sacred Heart. The school moving into a big conference on the cusp of taking the next step yet unable in Minnesota State UConn.

Okay, that last comparison works only pre-Hastings, but you get the point.

As the only person who attended both tournaments, it's hard not to live in the similarities. There are some lessons Minnesotans can take from Connecticut's first in-state tournament and ones Connecticut can learn from the North Star College Cup's failures (RIP).

Here are three for each:

What to know about Michigan (Ann Arbor)

There are plenty of places to get a series preview. Not too many places, however, preview where the series will be held.

I've been fortunate enough to travel to all seven Big Ten rinks. Why not lend my expertise on the subject to discuss what are the must-sees, places to eat, visit, and how the rink sets up for anyone traveling? I'm happy to perform a public service. For each subsequent Minnesota road trip, I am going to try and discuss the opposing locale as your friendly neighborhood hockey travel writer.

And if you want to know about Minnesota's opponent? Well, I did write a profile about the Wolverines back in August. So, read that too and pay some attention to Strauss Mann. He's continuing his second-half run. Also, read the latest stock report.

Monday Morning Gophers: Minnesota Sweeps Niagara, St. Cloud State

Don't take a Battle Hymn for granted.

Each weekend leaves several lessons to take away, but if there's one to sit and chew upon, it's the above sentence. Sweeps are not a gimme.

Minnesota went nearly the entire season in 2018-19 without sweeping a team at home. The Gophers needed exactly two games in 2019-20 to match the total after a 3-2 overtime win on Friday and 4-2 victory Saturday.

On paper, it's easy to write, "It was just Niagara. Of course, the Gophers should win. Why didn't they win by more?" That would be further from the truth for Minnesota.

No matter what from a name perspective, Niagara was set up to be a tricky team for the Gophers. In a way, the Purple Eagles are at the point Minnesota would like to be.

A season ago, NU added 11 freshmen and one transfer to a team that was in need of a makeover. The Purple Eagles come into the season with the top sophomore class from a scoring perspective and one who played its best hockey towards the end of the season. Niagara came within an overtime goal of making the NCAA Tournament.

Niagara also plays a very constricting defense, which makes it difficult for a team finding its chemistry in October to find success. It's a good lesson for Minnesota, with its 11 freshmen and one transfer, given the team faces the two-time defending champions next weekend in Minnesota Duluth, who do not give many opportunities.

All of these things are those which challenge Minnesota. By sweeping, the Gophers passed its next test. Enjoy the Battle Hymn that comes with a home sweep on Saturday night.

Truth is, it's not easy to sweep any team.

Five Quick Thoughts:

1. It wasn't the prettiest pair of wins, but the pair of wins didn't need to be pretty. There was a difference between coming through Friday after turnovers and a mishmash of failed plays with Saturday's much cleaner win.

However, in both games, it was nice to see a trailing Minnesota keep their foot on the pedal after scoring. The Gophers scored back-to-back goals in under 75 seconds in both games, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 game. Add in a pair of goals in back-to-back shifts in the win against Colorado College and that makes three in a row.

2. It's early in the season. Sometimes that means time to get used to new players and new numbers. In this case, I'm getting used to
Brannon McManus being the upperclassman on a line with freshmen Jonny Sorenson and Ben Meyers. In a very college hockey way, it's less about age and more about experience. McManus is younger than Meyers and two months older than Sorenson.

3. Once again both goaltenders played this weekend with veteran Jack LaFontaine starting Friday and rookie Jared Moe getting the nod Saturday. Both kept Minnesota in the game when needed. It'll be interesting whether the rotation continues. Friday's game is in Minneapolis while Duluth hosts Saturday.

4. Tyler Nanne left Saturday's game following being checked into the boards and did not return.

5. Friday marked Charlie Beattie's debut as the Gopher hockey play-by-play announcer on Fox Sports North. Based on my timeline, it seemed like he got positive reviews. I really enjoyed his call of Sammy Walker's OT game-winner. Beattie had a perfect combination of making Walker's winner seem like a big deal mixed with letting it breathe and allowing the crowd and band noise at Mariucci to take over. There was nearly 20 seconds between the winning call and when Ben Clymer next spoke.

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN! Sammy gets his second of the year at the perfect time and wins this one for the #Gophers in OT. pic.twitter.com/FdwJnrzUop

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) October 19, 2019

Gopher Women Sweep St. Cloud State to move to 8-0-0

Minnesota ends its opening month with a perfect record after sweeping St. Cloud State at home. Sydney Scobee finished with a 21 save shutout on Saturday before the Gophers won 4-2 on Sunday. (The game was further apart than the score indicated. Minnesota outshot SCSU 40-15 and the second goal came with 10 seconds left.)

This was a weekend where the Alex Woken-Taylor Heise-Grace Zumwinkle line shined, led by Woken scoring on Saturday's first shift. After the Potomaks and Wente line made the most of the trip to Pittsburgh, the group was only on the ice for a single goal, scored by defender Emily Brown. Alex Gulstene remained out, as Scobee started both games.

On paper, the next month gets difficult for No. 2 Minnesota, who received two of 15 first-place votes in the USCHO poll. The Gophers face Ohio State and Wisconsin in the next two weeks. Still, as much as the opening month was supposed to build to this stretch, here's something to keep an eye on: Minnesota's opponents are playing well. Colgate has not lost since facing the Gophers, Minnesota State just tied the Buckeyes twice, and Robert Morris, who gave Minnesota its biggest scare, tied and lost by a goal to another perennial winner in Clarkson.

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Monday Morning Gophers: Minnesota's Opening Weekend Ends Up Like CC's Sweaters

Minnesota's opening weekend ended up like the new sweaters Friday of its opponent. There was a bit of everything to take away. Put together, I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

Photo Credit: @CC_Hockey1

The Gophers began 2019-20 by splitting with Colorado College, falling 3-2 Friday before coming back to win 4-3 Saturday. Neither game featured a complete performance, which can be expected in early October for a team with 12 freshmen and two completely new goaltenders starting.

What does St. Thomas going D1 mean for college hockey?

Hello, Division 1 hockey, it's us the University of St. Thomas?

Those are unexpected words to open a story. St. Thomas reportedly received an invitation to join the Summit League, which would make the St. Paul school the second Division 1 school in the state of Minnesota. If it happens, the Tommies would require a waiver by the NCAA to move directly from D3 to D1 beginning in the fall of 2021. Normal protocol sees schools moving up one division at a time.

The move has major ramifications for the Summit League as the Tommies, after earlier this year being kicked out of Division 3 MIAC, would give the conference the minimum six teams needed to play football. Fans of teams in the Summit League seem open and happy to UST joining compared to some of the other options.

Sadly, the move would also bring to an end one of the great Catholic rivals between St. Thomas and St. John's/St. Benedict's.

Since this is a place for college hockey discussion, you didn't come here for football takes. You came to answer the big question a splash like this brings to a growing realignment landscape. The one I wrote about earlier this summer. The Tommies currently sponsor 20 sports, including both men's and women's hockey.

Assuming that stays the same, what does St. Thomas going D1 mean for college hockey? Short answer: It's complicated.

BLOG: Why do we enjoy discussing new college hockey programs yet hate change?

Illinois. Penn. St. Thomas.

These are all schools who, at one point or another, over the summer, came up in the conversation of beginning a Division 1 men's hockey program. The group ranges widely from "in the red zone" to "an endowment with an eye towards varsity hockey" to "got kicked out of the MIAC so let the speculation begin."

For all the speculation, there's no guarantee all, or even any, join the Division 1 ranks in the coming years. (The same can be said on the women's side with Northern Michigan and a plethora of other schools on fan wish lists.) That doesn't stop discussing new programs.

Any time one gets brought up, discussing what's next becomes rampant among college hockey fans. Twitter accounts have made a cottage industry of RTs and likes out of "which school should or will be the one to add hockey?"

When it does happen, an uplift of support normally accompanies a new program on the horizon.

At the same time, the fact expansion discussion is one of the few things in college hockey to break through to casual fans ends up being something I find odd because few things in the sport bring out vitriol like a massive change.

Everyone is happy to see Arizona State join 59 other men's hockey teams in the NCAA yet no one quite wants Arizona State in their conference. Penn State, in an era where attendance is down nationally, each night sells out a 6,000 seat arena. That doesn't stop both from being scapegoats for what's wrong with the sport.

Still, I'm not exactly sure why there's a disconnect between a new program possibly existing and actually existing. Why do we enjoy discussing schools starting up hockey and hate the change the new schools bring? It would make sense to hold some consistency.

My guess, however, is that the consistency comes from the enjoyment of college hockey, one of the few sports where small and big schools alike are on even footing.

On one side, there's a ton to like about the sport. It should be shared. It should grow. In fact, hockey continues to grow as the number of spots for players continues to be limited. Only three programs have added D1 men's hockey this century. Much of the talk of new programs is just that, talk.

(For every school that ends up in the end zone and scoring a shiny new program, there's a long list of failed rumors ranging from Navy to Minnesota State, Moorhead to UNLV to Rhode Island to Iowa and anywhere in between. Illinois has been discussed as a potential addition since before Penn State, itself a longtime rumored school, began its program.)

On the other side, the reality of growing the game, sharing the sport and what change means doesn't come to mind until it becomes a reality. This is a sport where each team and conference looks out for itself first and foremost. Adding new rules, whether it's recruiting or 3-on-3 OT, can be like pulling teeth.

Any new school would mean something different. Penn possibly gives the Ivy League enough schools to make it worthwhile to leave the ECAC. St. Thomas adds a geographical fit for the Upper Midwest. Illinois is in a spot where several schools recruit - the state of Illinois continues one of several hockey-mad areas in the United States without a nearby team.

It's easy to dream of expansion to the West Coast/South/Power 5/more Minnesota schools. When push comes to shove, a growing sport is also one that ends up being a changing sport; something fans know all too well with realignment and proxy battles that continue to be fought nearly a decade later.

However, that remains true regardless of expansion. At its core, the one constant of college is continued change. Players have a limited amount of time before moving on to the next level. Buildings constantly get built. Restaurants change. Go to a college campus after a five-year absence and half the time gets spent recalling memories at long-lost locales.

The entire experience is one of trying to hold onto the past as the world changes around you.

Maybe that's the best way to look at why it's fun to discuss new programs yet hate change. Depending on the year, everyone has their own version of what campus and college hockey was to them. Different rivalries. Different eras. Whether new schools are added or not, there will be change. It's inevitable.

We don't need to go far for that to be true. Something else happening over the summer besides conversations of schools beginning a Division 1 men's hockey program was the start of actual realignment.

There's no speculation. Shots were fired. In late June, seven WCHA schools decided to give notice and depart the conference. The move, which comes after uncertainty over the future of the two Alaska schools and an untenable alliance of teams, opens Pandora's realignment box once more, new schools or not.

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BLOG: Welcome to the Next Chapter of Conference Realignment

Turns out the next chapter of college hockey realignment began, not with a shot across the bow, but with a Friday afternoon news dump.

There was no massive declaration. Instead, it took a six-paragraph press release put out at the latest possible time to watch the whole idea of western conference stability disappear.

Seven like-minded WCHA teams - Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, and Northern Michigan - are exploring forming a new men's hockey conference beginning in 2021-22.

Each would be leaving at the expense of the conference's two Alaska schools and Alabama Huntsville, all of whom were surprised to find out they were not on the Midwest cool list despite years hanging out together. So was longtime parent WCHA. All four have been left with questions of their future.

Honestly, the same can be said about the departing group of 7. With this newest realignment saga, all is new and up in the air. Yet it feels like history has repeated itself. Schools not happy with the direction of the conference leaving the WCHA to form an elite hockey conference, letting the smaller ones fend for themselves.

BLOG: Gophers Have Few Home Overlaps With Wild; Likely Idle For Hockey Day Minnesota

With the release of the NHL schedule today (Tuesday, June 25), a few questions for the University of Minnesota men's hockey schedule I had earlier this month have been answered.

Turns out there is some good, some bad and some ugly.

First, the good. For another season, the number of home games overlapping between the Gophers and Wild seems to be in a reasonable range. Fans who have season tickets to both won't need to choose too often. Only four dates are shared between the two over a 19 game home schedule (plus two exhibitions). None are held over the final two months of Minnesota's regular season.

Those dates are:
-Saturday, November 2nd (Gophers host Notre Dame, Wild host St. Louis)
-Saturday, November 16th (Gophers host Penn State, Wild host Carolina)
-Friday, November 29th (Gophers host North Dakota, Wild host Ottawa)
-Saturday, December 29th (Gophers play either St. Cloud State or Minnesota State in the Mariucci Classic, Wild host New York Islanders)

Depending on timing, the total number of overlaps for fans could be as low as one.