Let's Party: My NCAA picks and take on Minnesota's chances

By Miles McQuinn

The end of March into April has to be my favorite time of year. The daily grind of college courses start winding down, mother nature is in a happier mood (for most parts of the nation anyway) and hockey takes center stage across the nation.

This time of year signals playoff and tourney time. tourney time. With the NCAA hockey tournament kicking off today, I say let the real "March Madness" begin.

Like basketball, filling out a bracket is a must. Last year my bracket wasn't too pretty with the exception of my Big Ten picks which were spot on (covering them throughout the season educated me well).

This year we only have one B1G team making the big dance. Will the Gophers represent well? There's potential but getting past Jack Eichel and the BU crew will be a true test.

So without further adieu, here is who I have hanging a banner in 2015.

Wrapping Up The Inaugural Season...Finally

I have to admit, the word 'inaugural' has found itself blacklisted from my vocabulary. The redundancy and overuse of 'the-word-that-shall-not-be-said' this season has taken its toll.

So hang it from the rafters, applaud its retirement, starting next year there will be no more firsts in the Big Ten hockey conference.

That being said, we can now look back on what was accomplished in 'Year One' of Big Ten hockey.

More opinions will of course be decided this weekend. The Big Ten Conference Championship Tournament invades the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., providing one final measuring stick before we find out where our Big Ten teams land on the national stage.

It's tourny time!

Ok, I'll admit. Total homer status on picking Minnesota as this year's tourny champs, but come on, did you really expect anything less? The Gophers and Wisconsin are the only two Big Ten teams in the tourny, with the Gophers taking the No. 1 spot in the west (played in Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Wisconsin coming in with the 4-seed in the Northeast (in New Hampshire).

Both teams play Friday, Gophers at 2 p.m. on ESPNU and Badgers at 4:30 on ESPN3. Will they advance? Who do you have taking it all in Pittsburgh?

A Look Back At The WCHA And CCHA

By Jessi Pierce

Ah that picture brings a bittersweet feeling to my heart. One of my favorite rivalry traditions enters its last season for the Gophers and Fighting Sioux North Dakota as conference rivals, although I am sure the bad blood will be maintained between the two teams beyond this season and for years to come.

As the WCHA and CCHA prepare their final descent with current conference teams before the Big Ten Hockey Conference imposes itself on the Big Ten teams, I wanted to first take a look back at each conference and all they have accomplished.

Western Collegiate Hockey Conference   

Founded: 1951

Former names: Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL), Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (WIHL)

Conference teams beginning 2013-14:  Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Fairbanks, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Mankato and Northern Michigan

Losing: Minnesota, Wisconsin to Big Ten & St. Cloud State, Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, University of Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha to NCHC

It’s one of the most storied conferences in college hockey to date and a conference with a long list of success. Founded under then a conference named the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League in 1951, Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State had previously played together in that same MCHL along with original members Michigan Tech, North Dakota, Colorado College and Denver. The MCHL was later re-named Western Intercollegiate Hockey League in 1953 before owning the now infamous WCHA title it holds today.

Proud home to Minnesota, Wisconsin, St. Cloud State, Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, Bemidji State, Alaska Anchorage, Mankato State, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and Michigan Tech, the WCHA boasts some of college hockey’s most dominant teams with the hardware to prove it.

In 61 years, the WCHA has assembled one of the most impressive national championship records in any collegiate conference of any sport, amassing 37 men’s national championships and another 27 runner-up honors. Atop that, there has been at least one berth in the national championship round (Frozen Four) in 56 of 60 seasons overall and is proud home to 14 Hobey Baker winners and more than 400 NHL players past and present.

Central Collegiate Hockey Association

Founded: 1971

Former names: None

Conference teams beginning in 2013-14: None, conference folds.

Losing: Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State to Big Ten, Lake Superior State, Bowling Green Alaska Fairbanks to WCHA, Miami-Ohio to NCHC & Notre Dame to Hockey East

It's sad to see a conference that seemed to be getting some solid footing under it in the last 31 years disband due to teams fleeing to other conferences, but such is the way realignment goes.

Home to big guns Michigan and Michigan State and promising seasons from Ohio State, Miami-Ohio and Notre Dame, the CCHA has also seen its fair share of success on the ice, accounting for 23 of 80 NCAA Frozen Four participants from 1992-2011. Although the championship trophies are not quite as bountiful as seen in the WCHA or Hockey East, the CCHA has seen the likes of Bowling Green (1984), Michigan State (1986, 2007), Lake Superior State (1988, 1992, 1994), Northern Michigan (1991) and Michigan (1996, 1998) etch their names on an NCAA Championship. Further more, big names like Ryan Miller, Ryan Kesler, Marty Turco, Duncan Keith and Brian Roloston — just to name a few — have developed under teams in the CCHA.

Coming up...A look at the schedule for these two programs last season together and what it will mean.

B1G Tournament Talk

By Jessi Pierce

Another college hockey season is closing in upon us with the ‘real’ March Madness on ice beginning in just a few short weeks. As attention shifts to conference tournament play we of course have to bring the latest in discussion of a Big Ten hockey tournament.

Previously announced as a tournament involving all six teams to be played at the arena of the conference champion, Scott Chipman, the Big Ten assistant commissioner for communications, told the Star Tribune’s Roman Augustovitz earlier this month that those plans had been “scrapped” in favor of a neutral site.

The clear favorite to host the first conference tournament is the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and sources have told media outlets that the Big Ten is hoping to finalize a deal with the arena by the end of the month. With nothing confirmed as of yet, odds still remain in favor of the Minnesota Wild’s home rink but offers up discussion for other potential sites. So let’s do what we do best and break it down:

Xcel Energy Center

St. Paul, Minn.

Capacity: 18, 064

Opening in 2000 after the return of professional hockey to Minnesota, the X has been host to a slew of notable hockey events. Each March, the coveted Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament resides there just one week prior to the Red Baron WCHA Final Five, both which tend to be host to at least one near (if not an actual) sell-out contest each year. The X also displayed two NCAA Frozen Fours in 2002 and 2011 and boasts the largest crowd to watch an indoor college hockey game with 19,463 witnessing Blake Wheeler’s reach-out goal in overtime to push the Gophers past North Dakota for the 2007 WCHA Championship. There’s no doubt that it’s an arena perfect for a conference tourney.

But according to Augustovitz, the “Big Ten Conference is just one of three conferences looking at the Xcel as a possible site for its postseason tournament.” As just mentioned, the WCHA is still looking to host its conference tournament there, with Commissioner Bruce McLeod telling Augustovitz, “It is still in play for what will be a newly configured WCHA in 2013-14. But we have a plan A and B. There are still some things going on that will effect everybody.”

With Minnesota’s own University of Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State University along with former WCHA member’s Denver, Colorado College and North Dakota used to playing postseason action at the Xcel, the NCHC is the third team eyeing it for its tournament, too.

Despite the options for the rink in the State of Hockey, the Big Ten is first in line for the spot, with McLeod stating, "The way things are lining up, we [the WCHA] are not the first in line," McLeod said, referring to holding a postseason tournament at the X. "Once the Big Ten decides what they would like to do, it will have a domino effect. They might decide to rotate their tournament and not have it exclusively at the Xcel."

 

Joe Louis Arena 

Detroit

Capacity: 20,066

Another great option with both Michigan and Michigan State in its vicinity, the Joe, like the X, has seen its fair share of on-ice action over the years. Home to some of hockey’s elite players with the likes of Gordie Howe and the Detroit Red Wings, it also plays host to the annual Great Lakes Invitational and CCHA tournament.

A bit older than the X, but also providing a wealth of rich hockey tradition I could see the Joe hosting the Big Ten conference tournament after the X if it is decided that a rotating location will work best. An edge that the Joe holds over the X is location, seeing as more of a mid-way point for most teams as opposed to the haul to Minnesota — the furthest west in the conference.

Consol Energy Center

Pittsburgh

Capacity: 18,387

With newly incumbent Penn State, a location out east is definitely an option to take in to consideration. The newest of the three locations mentioned — with just one full season under its belt — and the latest home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Consol Energy Center is no stranger to large fan bases, named the best NHL arena for 2010-11.

The Consol Energy Center was also selected to host the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four which will be a great grade for the allure it can bring to a Big Ten tournament down the road.

Other potential options: Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, The United Center in Chicago and Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

While each venue brings its own character and reasons for hosting, in my opinion, it would be in the best interest of the Big Ten to do a rotating tournament. Why not use the allure of postseason games to draw more fans out in places outside of Minnesota and Michigan. It’s been typical for arenas to maintain location for conference tournaments (WCHA and the X, CCHA and the Joe etc.) but that’s not always best. For example, the hiccup that the Xcel Energy Center poses in being a permanent location is that Minnesota is the westernmost Big Ten team, making travel difficult for plenty of Penn State and even Ohio State fans.

B1G Player in the Big Leagues: Jack Skille

By Jessi Pierce

There’s no sweeter story than going to play college hockey for your hometown team. It’s the team you grew up cheering for and the team who’s posters and banners most likely hung on your bedroom wall. That’s exactly the sentiments that Jack Skille echoed when I had a chance to chat with the Madison, Wis., native last year.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a Badger,” said Skille, who now suits up for the NHL’s Florida Panthers. “My dad was a Badger and I used to fall asleep at the games when I was a little kid. It was a dream come true the day they offered me that full scholarship and I jumped on it.

"Being able to go home and play in front of my family friends was something truly great."

Making an immediate impact in his freshman campaign, Skille's most noteable impression was seen in the NCAA tournament when his triple-overtime game-winner pushed Wisconsin into the Frozen Four and the enivitable 2006 NCAA Championships.


"That was surreal," Skille said on winning the NCAA title. "I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys. It was a fun team to be a part of and the way [the tournament] was laid out, Green Bay and Milwaukee [for Regionals], if we were going to win a championship, that was going to be our year."

Injury sidelined the dominant forward for the 2006-07 season and following his sophomore year he turned his attention to the pros.

Drafted with the Blackhawks first pick in 2005 among an elite draft class including Sidney Crosby, Bobby Ryan and Jack Johnson, Skille saw ups and downs, jumping between Chicago and its affiliate in Rockford, Ill.

While it looked like Skille may have found his groove with the Blackhawks, even earning a spot on a line between Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews before rostering a permanent spot on the 4th line, a trade sent him away from the Midwest and down to Miami with the Florida Panthers where he currently has registered just six points (2G, 3A) in 31 games.

Check out my previous story and video interview with Jack Skille in USA Hockey Magazine.