2008-09 Regular Season Opens Friday as Nine WCHA Teams Engage in Non-Conference Play
Josh Lunden and the Seawolves host the Kendall Hockey Classic Oct. 10-11. |
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Oct. 6, 2008
MADISON, Wisc. - Nine of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's 10 member teams will open their regular seasons this coming weekend of Oct. 10-11 in a series of non-conference games and tournaments that will feature some of the country's top teams going head-to-head.
The league officially launches it's 57th season of competition on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11 as Alaska Anchorage hosts Alaska Fairbanks, Connecticut and Northeastern in the two-day Kendall Hockey Classic at Sullivan Arena, Colorado College entertains Alabama-Huntsville at Colorado Springs World Arena (7,343), Michigan Tech plays at Northern Michigan Friday and at Lake Superior State on Saturday in the Superior Showcase, Minnesota Duluth travels to Lake Superior State Friday and Northern Michigan Saturday in the Superior Showcase, Minnesota State entertains Bemidji State at Alltel Center (4,832), North Dakota travels east to join Michigan State, UMass and host Boston University at the two-day Ice Breaker Tournament at Agganis Arena in Boston, Mass., St. Cloud State welcomes Mercyhurst to the National Hockey Center (5,371), and Wisconsin ventures eastward to take on Hockey East Association powers Boston College on Friday and New Hampshire on Saturday. In three exhibition matchups this week, CC was hosting University of Alberta on Monday, SCSU hosts University of British Columbia on Wednesday (Oct. 8), and Minnesota hosts University of British Columbia on Friday (Oct. 10) at Mariucci Arena (10,000).
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, the league will conduct its annual pre-season media teleconference with Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod and the ten men's head coaches at 10:30 am CT. Each head coach will give some brief comments on his team, followed by questions from attending media. The 10 men's head coaches have tabbed defending WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup champion Colorado College as the pre-season WCHA and MacNaughton Cup favorite in the 38th Annual Grand Forks Herald WCHA Coaches' Poll (see complete poll results on page 3).
All Association-member home games in 2008-09 will again faceoff at either :07 or :37 after the hour. The WCHA has won five of the past seven national championships and a record 36 NCAA titles overall since its founding in 1951. Minnesota won the Frozen Four in 2002 and 2003, Denver won in 2004 and 2005, and Wisconsin won in 2006.
The race for the 2008-09 WCHA regular season championship and MacNaughton Cup, again consisting of 28 conference games per team, will get underway in two weeks - Oct. 17-18 - when defending conference champion and pre-season WCHA favorite Colorado College hosts Michigan Tech, North Dakota travels to Minnesota State, Minnesota and St. Cloud State play a home-and-home set, and Denver entertains Wisconsin. Other conference openers, by team, are: Alaska Anchorage (Oct. 24-25 vs UMD), and Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 24-25 @ UAA).
The 2008-09 regular season will conclude on Saturday, March 7, followed by the first round of the WCHA Playoffs, a best-of-three series format set for Friday, March 13 thru Sunday, March 15. The five top-ranked teams at the end of the regular season will host the bottom five, with No. 1 hosting No. 10, No. 2 hosting No. 9, No. 3 hosting No. 8, No. 4 hosting No. 7, and No. 5 hosting No. 6.
The 2009 Red BaronTM WCHA Final Five, the league's annual playoff championship tournament, will be held March 19-21 at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. Denver is the defending Final Five and Broadmoor Trophy champion.
The University of Minnesota will serve as host of the 2009 NCAA West Regional, set for March 27-28 at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. Other NCAA Regionals for 2009 are as follows: March 27-28 NCAA East Regional at Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Ct.; March 28-29 NCAA Midwest Regional at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.; and March 28-29 NCAA Northeast Regional at Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, N.H.
The 2009 NCAA Men's Frozen Four will then be contested April 9-11 at MCI Center in Washington, D.C.
A Division 1 men's conference high six Western Collegiate Hockey Association-member teams have been ranked in the pre-season USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's Division 1 Poll, issued on Sept. 22. North Dakota is No. 4, Colorado College is No. 5, Denver is No. 6, Minnesota is No. 9, Wisconsin is No. 13 and St. Cloud State is No. 15. Also receiving votes in the pre-season poll was Minnesota State.
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. On team's 2008-09 rosters alone, there are 67 NHL draftees listed. 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.
This Week in the WCHA
Games for Monday, Oct. 6: Univ. of Alberta at Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT (x).
Games for Wednesday, Oct. 8: Univ. of British Columbia at St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT (x).
Games for Friday, October 10: Wisconsin at Boston College, 7:00 pm ET (nc); *Minnesota Duluth at Lake Superior State, 7:05 pm CT (nc); Mercyhurst at St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT (nc); Univ. of British Columbia at Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT (x); # North Dakota at Boston University, 7:30 pm ET (nc); * Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, 7:35 pm ET (nc); Bemidji State at Minnesota State, 7:37 pm CT (nc); Alabama-Huntsville at Colorado College, 7:37 pm MT (nc); & Connecticut at Alaska Anchorage, 8:07 pm AT (nc). * Superior Cup; # Icebreaker (Boston, MA); & Kendall Hockey Classic (Anchorage, AK).
Games for Saturday, Oct. 11: * North Dakota vs Massachusetts, 4:30 pm ET (nc); Wisconsin at New Hampshire, 7:00 pm ET (nc); # Michigan Tech at Lake Superior State, 7:05 pm ET (nc); & Northeastern at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 pm AT (nc); Mercyhurst at St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT (nc); Bemidji State at Minnesota State, 7:07 pm CT (nc); Alabama-Huntsville at Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT (nc); % Notre Dame at Denver, 7:07 pm MT (nc); # Minnesota Duluth at Northern Michigan, 7:35 pm ET (nc).
• Icebreaker (Boston, MA); # Superior Cup; & Kendall Hockey Classic (Anchorage, AK); % U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game
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