W. Mich., St. Cloud State join new hockey league
September 22, 2011
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)—Western Michigan University and St. CloudUniversity have accepted invitations to join the National Collegiate HockeyConference.
They are the seventh and eighth schools to join the NCAA Division I leaguethat begins play in 2013-14.
For the subsequent two years, St. Cloud State will play in the Western CollegiateHockey Association and Western Michigan in the Central Collegiate HockeyAssociation.
Then, they’ll join founding members Colorado College, University of Denver,Miami University, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota in the NCHC.The league was produced in response to the Large Ten’s fledgling hockey leaguetaking Minnesota and Wisconsin from the WCHA.
New league invites St. Cloud St, Western Michigan
September 21, 2011
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)—The National Collegiate Hockey Conference hasinvited St. Cloud State and Western Michigan to join the new Division I men’shockey conference when it begins play in 2013-14.
St. Cloud State is a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association andWestern Michigan is in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
They would join founding members Colorado College, University of Denver,Miami University, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota in the NCHC.
The league, which was born in response to the Big Ten’s fledgling hockeyleague taking Minnesota and Wisconsin from the WCHA, is conducting a nationalsearch for its initially commissioner.
WCHA invites fellow leftover CCHA schools to join
August 25, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Conference realignment is hitting college hockey.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association stated Thursday it has invited fivenew teams to join in two years—once changes settle in for the Huge Ten and theCentral Collegiate Hockey Association.
Existing CCHA members Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State are joiningWCHA programs Minnesota and Wisconsin and Penn State in the Huge Ten in 2013-14.
The new National Collegiate Hockey Conference will also start that year withMiami (Ohio) of the CCHA and five WCHA members: North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha,Colorado College, Denver and Minnesota-Duluth.
That will leave the WCHA with Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, MichiganTech, Minnesota State (Mankato), Northern Michigan and St. Cloud State. It hasinvited the rest of the CCHA teams—Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green, FerrisState, Lake Superior State and Western Michigan—to join.
WCHA and CCHA leaders met in Chicago this week. Presidents of the sixremaining WCHA member universities gave the CCHA schools 30 days to determine.
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NCAA, North Dakota leaders discuss school nickname
August 12, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—University of North Dakota president Robert Kelley andfour state leaders have arrived at the NCAA headquarters to make their case forkeeping the Fighting Sioux nickname.
The group will meet with NCAA President Mark Emmert on Friday afternoon inIndianapolis.
In 2006, the NCAA placed North Dakota on a list of 18 schools with AmericanIndian nicknames, logos and mascots considered “hostile and abusive.” InOctober 2007, a court-imposed settlement of the school’s lawsuit required schoolofficials to retire the nickname on Aug. 15, 2011, unless the state’s twonamesake tribes approved of its use.
One has, the other has not.
Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a law requiring the schoolto use its current nickname and logo.
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Cleveland Indians announce outdoor hockey game between Michigan and Ohio State at Progressive Field (CBS Interactive U-WIRE)
August 11, 2011
An outdoor game between the Ohio State and Michigan hockey programs was imminent in May, nearly a done deal in June, and dead in July.
But now it’s official.
The Cleveland Indians held a press conference Thursday to announce the finalized plans to host their first outdoor hockey game, dubbed The Frozen Diamond Faceoff, at Progressive Field on Jan. 15, 2012.
It will be the Buckeyes’ second appearance in an outdoor game, but the Wolverines’ fourth — and their third outdoor match in the past three seasons. Ohio State is 0-1 in outdoor tilts, while Michigan is 1-1-1.
Michigan was a part of the first-ever NCAA outdoor game, the Cold War against Michigan State, in Oct. 2001.But most fans will recall The Big Chill at the Big House between the Spartans and Wolverines last December at Michigan Stadium. The event drew a world-record crowd of 113,411.
By measurement, The Frozen Diamond Faceoffa aims to be the Big Chill’s infant brother. Progressive Fiedd has a seating capacity of roughly 45,200 during the baseball season. Although additional seating may well be installed for a hockey game, it won’t be setting any records.
The game will be a part of Cleveland’s Snow Days, which will also feature a week-long youth tournament.
In 2010, the first Snow Days was highlighted by ice skating, sledding hills and snow tubing chutes. According to Crain’s, the event drew 50,000 visitors downtown from Nov. 26 to Jan. 2 last year.
The location of Cleveland is relatively ideal, since it lies equidistant — about 150 miles — from both Columbus and Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines hold an all-time 65-30-11 edge in head-to-head matches against the Buckeyes. Michigan completed the 2010-11 season first in the CCHA, while Ohio State crawled to a ninth-place finish.
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Ohio State-Michigan to play in Indians’ ballpark
August 11, 2011
CLEVELAND (AP)—The bitter Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is about to getreally icy.
The two schools will play an outdoor hockey game at Progressive Field—homeof the Cleveland Indians—on Sunday, Jan. 15. The matchup, dubbed “The FrozenDiamond Faceoff” is part of the Indians’ Snow Days promotion at the ballpark, atwo-month winter-themed event that drew over 50,000 fans in its initial year. TheBuckeyes and Wolverines will play on a regulation-sized rink situated on theIndians’ infield.
The teams will meet in Columbus on Jan. 13 prior to playing the 1st outdoorcollege hockey game in Ohio history.
Last December, the Wolverines hosted Michigan State in “The Massive Chill at theBig Home,” a game that drew over 100,000 fans to Michigan’s mammoth footballstadium.
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Despite shakeup, WCHA shows signs of life as legit conference (CBS Interactive U-WIRE)
July 27, 2011
The landscape has shifted significantly in college hockey, and the U. Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves are appropriate in the center of the chaos.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), a league in which the ‘Wolves have played in because 1993, is now back to six teams after the formal introduction of former WCHA member Northern Michigan. The Wildcats, who at present play in the Central Collegiate Hockey Conference, will rejoin the league they left back in 1997 come the 2013-14 season.
The addition of NMU gives hope to the league after it was dealt a huge curveball just a few weeks ago.
An announcement that 5 WCHA teams would leave the conference and shake the extremely foundations of what numerous contemplate to be the most productive league, each financially and in terms of championships, in all of college hockey.
Joining a new “super-conference” would be North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, and Colorado College. These teams, along with Miami-Ohio from the CCHA, will all be a portion of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The early implications are that maybe even additional teams from either the WCHA or CCHA may be offered a spot in this new league, as it further expands.
The formation of the NCHC was maybe a response to an earlier announcement of the new Large-10 Hockey conference, something that was foreseen and is nothing new to the Seawolves or college hockey planet.
“I do not think (the NCHC) occurs if the Large-10 doesn’t come about,” mentioned Dr. Steve Cobb, UAA’s Athletic Director. “They’re related, but the Large-10 is not the root of the dilemma. I think a couple of schools had been hurt that the Huge-10 didn’t provide them affiliate membership due to the fact over the years they insinuated they may well to a few other programs (in the WCHA).”
This new Massive-10 league will start play in 2013-14 season would take WCHA members Wisconsin and Minnesota, CCHA members Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State from their respective conferences and put them with a newly formed Penn State hockey program to form a six-team conference.
This left the WCHA with only UAA, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, and Michigan Tech to carry on the conference banner.
So with seven teams overall leaving the WCHA, UAA and its remaining conference foes quickly had to set on-ice differences and hatred towards one one more, in order to keep the league afloat.
A meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota beginning on July 15, brought up just about everything the remaining WCHA members would have to address quickly, which includes officials, non-conference scheduling and league reorganization.
“(The meetings) were a small frustrating, a little productive, a little maddening, and a lot of emotion,” Dr. Cobb mentioned. “Overall, it was a great meeting and we’re moving in a suitable direction.”
Nevertheless, the greatest concern going forward would getting finding the league back to six teams to protect its capacity to operate and acquire an automatic bid to the NCAA Postseason for its conference winner.
“I feel the WCHA will remain powerful and search for members that will preserve that strength,” stated UAA Head Coach Dave Shyiak.
The answer came in the form of UNM, which just happened to be Shyiak’s alma mater and where he began his collegiate coaching career.
Now that the 5 remaining teams had answered the seven-team contraction with a bit of expansion of their own in UNM, the league may have a couple of much more tricks up its sleeve in the coming weeks.
Numerous schools have been thrown about in terms of who the WCHA will look to offer you membership, to get the league to eight teams, even so, there are two that are awfully intriguing to UAA in particular.
“No question, UAF would be our initially choice as it makes sense for us,” Dr. Cobb stated. “Also, I would like the Air Force Academy to join. We’ve had such a excellent relationship with them over the years and it’s a first class operation.”
Other names that have come up consist of other CCHA members, such as Western Michigan, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State.
The WCHA is quite set on obtaining their numbers to eight and representatives from each and every school have agreed to have a conference call each and every week until they reach that aim.
An additional thing that remains to be answered is how the league will operate behind closed doors for the next two seasons. Seeing as how the new conferences do not go into effect until 2013, the elephant in the room will be ever present when representatives from all the existing 12 teams are together in the same room.
“Obviously, there’s going to be tension,” Dr. Cobb mentioned. “There are some people who’ve had awfully lengthy relationships damaged. You try not to take factors personally but we’re all human. Hopefully what’s performed is accomplished and we can set aside emotions and do organization.”
“I do believe that games are going to get a bit much more edgy although.”
At the other end of the spectrum, it is unclear precisely how each of the departing schools will go about their small business in their remaining time. Ken Ralph, the Director of Athletics at Colorado College, thinks that when the puck is dropped, fans will continue to see the top-notch hockey they’re accustomed to.
“I feel you will see the play on the ice and don’t think anyone will notice considerably of a distinction,” said Ralph. “The WCHA will nonetheless be the ideal conference in college hockey for the subsequent two years.”
Interestingly enough, Ralph may be one of the only people today who can see each si
des of this realignment. Although he is the Director of Athletics for CC, he also is a UAA alumnus and even is a member of the Seawolf Athletic Hall of Fame, immediately after winning 5 NCAA Division II All-American awards in swimming as a Seawolf.
“I have a extremely powerful passion for my alma mater, I am a Seawolf,” Ralph said. “The thought of not getting with UAA (in the WCHA) tugged at me personally.
Ralph also believes that in spite of the departure of the classic powers in the WCHA, life will go on for those remaining behind.
“The WCHA is confirmed to be a remarkably resilient conference and organization,” Ralph said. “I believe the WCHA is going to uncover a way to reinvent itself and the teams in the league are really going to get much better.”
One factor that can be guaranteed by each sides: games are going to be injected with a bit additional nastiness to them.
“I believe there will be new incentives and locker room talks will get even much more interesting,” Ralph stated.
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Former NHL coach Andy Murray hired by Western Mich
July 26, 2011
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP)—Former NHL coach Andy Murray has been hired byWestern Michigan.
The school says Murray signed a five-year contract to coach the Broncos. Hewon 333 games in 10 seasons in the NHL—six with the Los Angeles Kings and fourwith the St. Louis Blues.
Murray is the Kings’ career leader in wins with 215. The Blues fired Murrayin January 2010.
Murray’s very best playoff run came in 2001, when the Kings beat Detroit in thefirst round ahead of losing to Colorado in seven games.
Western Michigan reached the NCAA tournament last season for the initially timesince 1996. Coach Jeff Blashill was then hired to be an assistant for theDetroit Red Wings.
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WCHA holdovers support adding Northern Michigan
July 15, 2011
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)—The five teams left in the Western Collegiate HockeyAssociation following a major shake-up are moving to have Northern Michiganrejoin the league in two years.
The WCHA announced Friday that leaders of the holdover schools “aresupportive” of Northern Michigan’s entrance into the conference for the 2013-14season. Officials from Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, MinnesotaState of Mankato and St. Cloud State met Friday in St. Paul to address theirfuture. Formal approval of Northern Michigan’s application for membership willoccur next week, the WCHA said.
Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakotaunveiled this week their program to produce the new National Collegiate HockeyConference in two years, with Miami of Ohio leaving the Central CollegiateHockey Association to join them. Minnesota and Wisconsin also will leave theWCHA then for the Massive Ten’s new hockey league, with Michigan, Michigan State andOhio State coming from the CCHA with the new program at Penn State. Notre Dameis also taking into consideration leaving the CCHA for another league.
Northern Michigan played in the WCHA from 1984-97, prior to rejoining theCCHA. The Wildcats had been both typical-season and postseason champions in the WCHAbefore winning the NCAA championship in 1991. They also won the WCHA tournamentin 1989 and 1992.
The university’s board of trustees endorsed Thursday the administration’srecommendation that the Wildcats pursue membership in the WCHA.
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Powerhouse programs form new college hockey league
July 13, 2011
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)—NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth and five othertop hockey programs will make up the new National Collegiate Hockey Conferenceat the commence of the 2013-14 season, the schools announced Wednesday.
Minnesota Duluth, Colorado College, Denver, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakotaof the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will join current CentralCollegiate Hockey Association member Miami of Ohio in the new league.
The upstart conference hopes to also add Notre Dame, but an agreement withthe Fighting Irish hasn’t been created however.
“Notre Dame is in conversations with us,” North Dakota athletic directorBrian Faison said. “They’re undoubtedly a program that meets our core values ofour conference and we have an interest in them, but we’ll continue to exploreother alternatives.”
The conference laid out its immediate priorities, which contain hiring acommissioner and adding other schools.
“I don’t believe there’s a magic number. It still wants to be discussed,”Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandelin stated of how several teams would eventuallymake up the conference.
“We all feel there are going to be other expressions of interest,”Colorado College athletic director Ken Ralph said. “I don’t believe you’ll see usstay at six. We’ll grow to seven, perhaps eight.”
The landscape of college hockey changed this year when the Massive Ten announceda strategy to form a hockey conference in two seasons.
The new Massive Ten hockey league will take Minnesota and Wisconsin from the50-year-old WCHA to play with Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State of theCCHA and the startup program at Penn State. That shake up led to the formationof the NCHC.
“Talks of Big Ten hockey go back 15 years,” Denver athletic director PegBradley-Doppes mentioned. “When Massive Ten hockey was formed, it developed a tippingpoint. That tipping point designed additional discussions.”
The WCHA will have only five teams remaining when the National CollegiateHockey Conference begins—Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech,Minnesota State in Mankato and St. Cloud State.
“Obviously, it’s a tough day for the WCHA and a sad 1 for me personally,and it’s 1 that is not effortless to put into perspective,” WCHA commissioner BruceMcLeod said in a statement. “We wish everybody well, but make no mistake, theWestern Collegiate Hockey Association is not going away.
“The league will proudly mark its 60th season this fall and we willcontinue to operate as a full-fledged association and continue to do small business.”
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference boasts a strong contingent ofteams. In the past 12 seasons the schools account for 14 Frozen Four appearancesand four national championships. Besides Minnesota Duluth’s title this spring,Denver won back-to-back titles in 2004-05, and North Dakota won the championshipin 2000.
All six teams in the new conference competed in the NCAA tournament thisyear.
“This type of conference, where you have the best playing each other everyweekend starting in October is a daunting job,” Denver coach George Gwozdeckysaid. “We want to play the best. We understand it’s going to be challenging.”
The competitiveness of the teams was a major draw for Nebraska-Omaha.
“We’ve created a massive commitment to hockey,” athletic director Trev Albertssaid. “This is specifically what we envisioned two and a half years ago, aligningwith programs that have definitely competed at the highest level of hockey.”
Keeping rivalries intact was also crucial to Denver and Colorado College,which are located 75 miles apart.
“For our fan bases and college hockey on the front range, it was importantto maintain us together,” Ralph stated. “It’s a happening event and we wanted tomake positive it continued.”
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