3v3 OT: Should the Big Ten Conference Adopt it?

By Jessi Pierce

As fans of the game, we can all agree that we like to take in some "free hockey" during the season. A last-second goal to push the game into overtime injects another level of excitement in the arena. But push it much past the first overtime -- or god-forbid five -- and things can get a bit stale.

Taking a page from the NHL's newly adopted 3-on-3 overtime rule -- approved by the NHL Board of Governor's earlier this summer -- the NCHC announced a 3-on-3 overtime for its league play, too. The team that wins in the 3-on-3 stanza, which takes place after an original 5-minute, 5-on-5 overtime, will receive an extra point in conference standings.

B1G Has Higher Hopes in Hockeytown

By Mike Hinrichs

It's still a little less than two months away, but it's never too early to start looking forward to the second annual B1G tournament, set to take place March 19-21. This year's tourney heads to the heart of Hockeytown, hosted at the infamous Joe Louis Arena.

Last year's inaugural B1G conference tournament called the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul home. Looking at the attendance numbers, you can bet the Big Ten is hoping for a better turnout the second time around.

Why the B1G Bust in 2014-15?

By Jessi Pierce

It's been a rough year two for many Big Ten hockey fans. While Michigan and Penn State and find themselves enjoying the top of conference standings respectively, perennial powerhouses Minnesota and Wisconsin are facing struggles that have shaken their fan bases to the core. Meanwhile Michigan State and Ohio State continue to work for establishment in the middle of the pack.

On a nationwide scale the darkness of the Big Ten is even more noticeable. Take a look at the college polls and you'll be hard pressed to find a Big Ten team in the top 15 -- especially in recent weeks.

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.

Where Will the Big Ten Stack Up in Hockey Conferences?

By Jessi Pierce

So we've looked at the ins and outs and the odds and ends of the Big Ten Conference. Now it's time to see where these teams, and overall this conference, will rate against the more established Hockey East, and equally new National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

This conference has pulled in some of the greats who have showed their prowess in the former Western Collegiate Hockey Conference. Team's that have squared off numerous times throughout the year in the past will now have -- as announced last week -- a 24-game league schedule among its eight members, meaning each team will square off four times against five opponents, leaving just twice for the other opponent.

There's no doubt the NCHC has strength on a variety of levels. With 17 NCAA National Championships among them, many of these teams are no stranger to winning seasons and the big dance on ice at the end of the season. In turn, the NCHC boasts some of the top-recruiters in the nation in North Dakota and Denver with Colorado College and University of Minnesota-Duluth nipping at their heels.

As any WCHA loyal knows, it's a conference that has dominated college hockey for decades and with the meat of that conference now in the NCHC, it as well will be a force to be reckoned with starting in 2013-14.


The Hockey East is one of the top conferences not really affected by the "B1G Shakeup", keeping all of their original members and adding another hockey powerhouse in Notre Dame. Like the NCHC/WCHA, Hockey East has shown tremendous winning power with 10 NCAA National Champsionships and likewise, some of the top college hockey programs in Boston University and Boston College.

Always a power-struggle between Hockey East and WCHA, I can only expect the struggle continue with the NCHC when the 2013-14 season rolls around. Adding Notre Dame will only increase its number of dominant teams.


The conference we've all been waiting for -- and the one that started teams scrambling for a new home. The Big Ten Conference has some of the most well-known and dominant teams in hockey college history. Topping both of the aforementioned conferences with 23 NCAA Championship titles between them, in addition to an up and coming Ohio State program and an ACHA dominant Penn State, I am excited to think that this will be one of the top hockey conference beginning in 2013-14.

Ok, I know it sounds a bit biased, and maybe it is, but breaking it down, there is little reason to doubt that assumption. Even financially, these programs are the most stable, drawing a huge fanbase from each respective school which I anticipate will only continue into the new conference.

It can be argued that its schedule -- formatting only six teams compared to the NCHC's eight and Hockey East's 12 -- is weak, but with only 20 league games for each team, it also allows the team's to get creative with their out of league opponents.

Take Minnesota for example. Not only will the Big Ten format allow the Gophers to maintain the rivals created in the WCHA (Lucia has already announced that the Gophers will play eight games against Minnesota teams each year), it leaves room to not only include famed rival North Dakota, but get creative and draw in opponents from Hockey East -- something that in the past has typically only been left for tournament play.

It's hard to not look at this conference and see the powerhouses. Elite status? maybe, time will tell folks. But a conference with plenty of power to establish themselves as a top conference on the college hockey landscape.

The B1G Shakeup: The Conference Carousel & Its Ups And Downs

By Jessi Pierce

While the college hockey season is well underway, focus for many remains off the ice as the conference carousel continues to swirl round and round.

Since, what I am dubbing the "B1G Announcement" by the Big Ten last March, we have seen new conferences form and others diminish. First, here's the shakedown as it currently stands:

The Butterfly Effect: The Creation of Big Ten Hockey

The Big Ten Butterfly Effect

It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world - Chaos Theory

Congratulations Terry Pegula!  You are the butterfly that caused the typhoon across the college hockey nation, realigning the landscape that has shaped NCAA Division I hockey for decades. For some, the realignment has been devastating, resulting in the destruction of long-time conference rivalries and leaving some in dire straits to find a home.  Others through luck or pluck have found themselves a new conference to call their own as the Big Ten looks to add a hockey program to their legends and leaders board.
Pegula and his wife Kim--owners of the Buffalo Sabres-- first rocked the boat with a generous $88 million gift to the Penn State University hockey program nearly one year ago, boosting the Nittany Lions from the American Collegiate Hockey Association (Club) to Division I status. The addition not only saw the previous 7-time ACHA National Champions move up the competitive ladder, but now gave the football dominent Big Ten a sixth hockey team, necessary by NCAA standards to form a conference.