Big Ten Hockey at the 2015 NHL Draft

By Miles McQuinn 

The 2015 NHL Draft is in the books, and the Big Ten Conference had a solid showing.

Of the 56 college hockey players drafted, 16 are from the Big Ten, second most among all of college hockey's conferences.

Of the 210 draftees, 7.6% are heading to/are in the Big Ten.

Let's break things down by the numbers and I'll add in some thoughts as well.

A "Mich" Needed Defenseman

By Miles McQuinn

While there was mass speculation that the Columbus Blue Jackets would make an attempt to try and move up to the third spot in the 2015 NHL Draft in Sunrise, Fla., the Arizona Coyotes ended up keeping their pick and proceeded to draft Erie Otters forward Dylan Strome.

When the Philadelphia Flyers selected Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman Ivan Provorov with the seventh pick, there was no question that the Blue Jackets would take Michigan's Zach Werenski at spot number eight.

B1G Help Wanted: Write for Big Ten Hockey Blog

Love college hockey? Better yet, love Big Ten college hockey? Ok, so maybe you feel slightly less than thrilled about the latter, but guess what -- that's ok (as long as it's within reason).

Big Ten Hockey Blog is growing and we are looking for young, eager writers to grow with us. Have a topic you want to cover? We'd love to hear it.

If you're interested in writing and adding to your portfolio, contact us, Send your resume and a few samples to jessip224@gmail.com.

Look forward to hearing from you all!

Rutgers Hockey: Could It Be Reality?

By Jessi Pierce

Rutgers University put college sports on the map -- literally. The Scarlet Knights were one of the first universities in the U.S. to compete in intercollegiate athletics. Herolded as the "Birthplace of College Football," there's no doubt that Rutgers is a school with pride in sports. These days the Scarlet Knights are better known for their football and men's and women's basketball squads. While those sports are struggling to make a name for themselves in the Big Ten, the students, athletes and fans at Rutgers have another way to make a mark in their new conference home: add hockey.

Rutgers hockey? How feasible is that? With the current support of 2,674 and growing, I'd say it's not completely out of the question.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?: Players Leaving Early

It happens each and every year; the calling of the NHL gets too great for the 19-22 year olds. It becomes even easier to jump ship after a rough and/or disappointing season. Here's a look at which players have opted out of their remaining collegiate days in hopes of an NHL future.

Michigan

Andrew Copp - Junior Forward, Winnipeg Jets
Copp is another Michigan native took off from Ann Arbor for the bigs. He was a fourth round pick by the Winnipeg Jets in 2013. Going so late in the round, I'd be willing to bet the Jets gave him a pretty good offer to make the leap from Michigan. An up and coming team it'd be no surprise if Copp has the opportunity to break into the lineup at some point next season.

Impact: Copp had a breakout season his junior year. He put up a career-best 31 points and was the team's third leading scorer all while wearing the 'C'. He made a noticeable difference on and off the ice. While his loss will be tough, it's not the end all be all for a Michigan squad on the rise.

2015-16 Big Ten Schedule Released

It's time to gear up for next season -- at least a little bit anyway -- with the release of next year's Big Ten schedule. Fans will be pleased to see most of the games have gone back to the typical Friday/Saturday night series with just two Sunday and Thursday night games a piece.

2015‐16 BIG TEN HOCKEY SCHEDULE  
Friday Dec. 4 Wisconsin at Michigan
Friday Dec. 4 Ohio State at Minnesota
Friday Dec. 4 Michigan State at Penn State

Saturday Dec. 5 Wisconsin at Michigan
Saturday Dec. 5 Ohio State at Minnesota
Saturday Dec. 5 Michigan State at Penn State

Friday Dec. 11 Minnesota at Michigan
Friday Dec. 11 Wisconsin at Michigan State

Saturday Dec. 12 Minnesota at Michigan
Saturday Dec. 12 Wisconsin at Michigan State