Aug. 15, 2008

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

MADISON, Wisc. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, owning a record 36 NCAA Frozen Four titles since it's founding in 1951 and coming off a season that saw the league earn a conference record six berths in the national tournament and have seven of it's 10 member teams ranked among the nation's best in the final national polls, today released it's 2008-09 men's composite schedule, highlighted by the appearance of the annual Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., next March 19-21.

"We are looking forward to continuing a streak of tremendous competitiveness in the WCHA in 2008-09," said Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, "and we expect the overall strength of the league to again be of national significance.

"Our conference championship was decided by just four points (Colorado College won the MacNaughton Cup over runner-up North Dakota) last season and just six points separated a total of six teams in the final standings," added McLeod. "The first round (best-of-three) of WCHA Playoffs featured six overtimes and eight games that were decided by one goal, and our Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five, witnessed in person by 86,855 at Xcel Energy Center, featured wins by the lower seeded team in the first three games of the tournament, three games decided by just one goal and two decided by two goals. Nationally, we were especially proud of securing a record six team berths into the national tournament, that our teams went 49-22-10 in non-conference play (.667), that we earned both the men's and women's HCA Commissioners' Cup trophies for inter-league success, and nine of our ten men's member teams won at least 13 games."

"The WCHA also continues to benefit from ever-increasing levels of exposure through increased television and multi-media initiatives," said McLeod, "and our home attendance has now topped the 1.5 million mark a record six straight seasons and over the one million mark for 15 straight years. We launched WCHA.TV (accessible via WCHA.CSTV.com) last winter, complete with weekly men's and women's video highlights and historical pieces, and we are tremendously pleased with the response so far. Our league web site set a record with nearly 2.8 million page impressions for the 2007-08 campaign and we have added a host of new features in the way of automated standings, schedules, results and statistics.

"We continue to work at constantly improving and upgrading our flagship event - the Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five - which has become one of the most successful collegiate tournaments in the country." The 2009 Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five will be held at Xcel Energy Center for the eighth consecutive season next March (March 19, 20 and 21).

"We are extremely fortunate to have forged such a successful working relationship with the Xcel Energy Center, the Minnesota Wild and the communities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and to have Red Baron® continuing as our Final Five title sponsor," said McLeod. "And coming off a 2008 Red Baron^TM Final Five that featured our third highest tournament attendance ever (86,855), we anticipate that success to continue and encourage fans to get their tickets early.

"The WCHA is also proud to have the University of Denver hosting Notre Dame in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in October at Magness Arena, to showcase a WCHA doubleheader Nov. 1 at Xcel Energy Center with Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Minnesota and St. Cloud State, to have Alaska Anchorage, Denver, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, and Wisconsin all hosting in-season tournaments, and to have the University of Minnesota hosting the NCAA West Regional at Mariucci Arena. These will all be exciting opportunities for the league."

The initial on-ice action of 2008-09 will consist of eight exhibition contests involving seven WCHA teams between Sept. 25-Oct. 6.

The first regular season action of 2008-09 will occur the weekend of Oct. 10-11 in non-conference matchups, highlighted by Alaska Anchorage hosting Alaska Fairbanks, Connecticut and Northeastern in the Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena and Denver hosting Notre Dame in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at Magness Arena. 2008 NCAA Frozen Four participant North Dakota will join Michigan State, UMass and host Boston University at the Ice Breaker Tournament at Agganis Arena, Michigan Tech and Minnesota Duluth will take turns playing at Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State in the Superior Showcase, Wisconsin will play at defending national champion Boston College and New Hampshire, St. Cloud State will entertain Mercyhurst, Minnesota State will host Bemidji State and Colorado College will host Alabama-Huntsville.

The race for the 2009 WCHA regular season championship, a 140-game conference season which again consists of 28 games per team, will get underway the weekend of Oct. 17-18. Colorado College will began defense of the MacNaughton Cup against Michigan Tech at Colorado Springs World Arena, Minnesota and St. Cloud State will play a home-and-home series, Minnesota State hosts North Dakota, and Denver entertains Wisconsin. Alaska Anchorage and Minnesota Duluth will launch their league slates against each other on Oct. 24-25 in Anchorage.

Over the course of the regular season, WCHA-member teams will be hosting or playing in a number of tournaments. On Oct. 10-11, Alaska Anchorage will host the Kendall Hockey Classic and North Dakota will play in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Boston. On Oct. 17-18, the Seawolves will participate in the Alaska Goal Rush Tournament in Fairbanks. On Saturday, Nov. 1, Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State will co-host Minnesota and St. Cloud State in a unique WCHA doubleheader at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn., with the Bulldogs taking on St. Cloud State at 4:07 pm CT and the Mavericks engaging Minnesota at 7:37 pm CT. Over Thanksgiving weekend, Minnesota and Wisconsin will take turns hosting Michigan and Michigan State in the annual College Hockey Showcase. On Dec. 27-28, St. Cloud State will join Colgate, Cornell and Maine in the Florida College Hockey Classic at TECO Arena in Estero, Fla., Michigan Tech will host North Dakota, Michigan and Michigan State in the annual Great Lakes Invitational at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, and Wisconsin will host Alabama-Huntsville, Harvard and Lake Superior State in the annual Badger Hockey Showdown at the Kohl Center in Madison. Entering the New Year, Minnesota Duluth will hook up with UMass-Lowell, Notre Dame and Union for the Lightning College Hockey Classic on Jan. 2-3 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., Minnesota welcomes Brown, Northeastern and Western Michigan to the annual Dodge Holiday Classic at Mariucci Arena, and Denver hosts Boston University, Holy Cross and Rensselaer in the annual Wells Fargo Denver Cup at Magness Arena.

The second half of the 2008-09 season will be dominated by head-to-head WCHA matchups, with the only non-conference games featuring Northern Michigan at Wisconsin (Jan. 2-3), North Dakota at Bemidji State (Jan. 2-3), Nebraska-Omaha at Minnesota State (Jan. 3), Minnesota State at Nebraska-Omaha on Feb. 24, and Alaska Anchorage at Alaska Fairbanks on Feb. 27-28.

The final weekend of the regular season will be March 6-7 and will feature all 10 league member teams engaged in WCHA play.

The pursuit of the WCHA Playoff Championship and the Broadmoor Trophy will then commence the weekend of March 13-15 with five first round conference playoff series featuring a best-of-three format at the top five ranked teams. The five first-round playoff winners will then advance to the 2009 Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five, set for March 19-21 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Denver is the defending WCHA playoff and Broadmoor Trophy champion.

Following the 2009 Red Baron^TM WCHA Final Five, the four 2009 NCAA Men's Division 1 Regionals will be contested the weekend of March 27-29. Minnesota will host the NCAA West Regional at Mariucci Arena, Yale and Fairfield will co-host the NCAA East Regional at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn., Western Michigan and the CCHA will host the NCAA Midwest Regional at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., and New Hampshire will host the NCAA Northeast Regional at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H.

There will then be a one-week break after the NCAA Regionals, followed by the 2009 NCAA Men's Frozen Four April 9-11 at MCI Center in Washington, DC.

The WCHA has continued to be successful despite the premature loss (with collegiate eligibility remaining) of more than 40 significant member team players over the past three seasons to the professional ranks. After the 2005-06 season, the league lost the likes of David Backes (F, MSU), Matt Carle (D, DU), Ryan Carter (F, MSU), Kris Chucko (F, UM), Robbie Earl (F, UW), Danny Irmen (F, UM), Phil Kessel (F, UM), Jordan Parise (G, UND), Joe Pavelski (F, UW), Kyle Peto (D, MSU - to Europe), Ryan Potulny (F, UM), Brian Salcido (D, CC), Matt Smaby (D, UND), Rastislav Spirko (F, UND - to Europe), Drew Stafford (F, UND), Paul Stastny (F, DU) and Travis Zajac (F, UND). After the 2006-07 season, players leaving early included Jay Beagle (D, UAA), Ryan Dingle (F, DU), Alex Goligoski (D, UM), Andrew Gordon (F, SCSU), Erik Johnson (D, UM), Brian Lee (D, UND), Matt Niskanen (D, UMD), Joe Piskula (D, UW), Mason Raymond (F, UMD), Geoff Paukovich (F, DU), Keith Seabrook (D, DU - to Jr A), Jack Skille (F, UW), Jonathan Toews (F, UND), and Steve Wagner (D, MSU). And after the most recent 2007-08 season, early defections have included the likes of Chris Butler (D, DU), Jeff Frazee (G, UM), Jason Garrison (D, UMD), Jon Kalinski (F, MSU), Andreas Nodl (F, SCSU), Kyle Okposo (F, UM), T.J. Oshie (F, UND), Michael-Lee Teslak (G, MTU), Brock Trotter (F, DU), and Kyle Turris (F, UW).

But despite those losses, the WCHA and it's member teams have been able to maintain a high competitive level and national significance after having 25 players with WCHA ties selected in the 2007 National Hockey League Entry Draft and another 22 selected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, including a total of seven first rounders the past two seasons. And with a significant number of veteran players returning across the board the future for the Association and it's on-ice product continues to be bright.

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