Category: The Collegian
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Growing TV presence signals bolder, brighter future
The days of televising only the major college hockey events (the Beanpot, the conference championships, the national tournament) are long behind. That goes for the women’s game as well as the men’s. The sport’s TV presence has gone from specialized to season-long, and in some ways from regional to national. Look no further than the regular-season…
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10 NCAA arenas that should host NHL preseason
The Chicago Blackhawks devoted four days of preseason practice at the University of Notre Dame this past week. It was their third time in four years spending a portion of training camp in Indiana. On Sept. 17, the Colorado Avalanche kept up an established custom with their intramural exhibition at Denver’s Magness Arena. And the…
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UND should do more to remember its bygone team
Six months later, the University of North Dakota’s decision to eliminate its women’s hockey program is fully sinking in. The first weekend of the calendar autumn is the first weekend of widespread NCAA game action. Between regular-season openers and extramural exhibitions, five former Fighting Hawks will debut their new college crests Friday, Saturday or Sunday.…
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Alumni award should be next step beyond “This is Hockey”
Every year, NCAA hockey selects candidates for a Hockey Humanitarian Award, which recognizes excellence on the ice and in the community. Last year, Danny Divis and Justin McKenzie of Division III St. Michael’s received the award for their roles in a mental health initiative. In pro football, the same concept sits in the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year…
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C.J. Suess illustrates the merit of names on the back
This weekend, Major League Baseball is testing out a “Players’ Weekend.” The new observance gives players the chance to wear alternate jerseys inspired by the Little League, and they can even customize that jersey with their nickname or another means of personal expression. In one designated section on the sleeve, they will be encouraged to inscribe the…
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Limited men’s Olympic buildup a loss for NCAA
On May 5, a good three months ago, USA Hockey announced the 23 players who will compete for a final women’s roster spot at the 2018 Olympics. Five of those aspirants have at least one year of remaining NCAA eligibility: Minnesota-Duluth goaltender Maddie Rooney, Wisconsin forward Annie Pankowski, Minnesota forward Kelly Pannek and Boston College blueliners Kali…
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In WCHA-RallyMe campaign, aspiration outplays alarm
Upon studious review of the women’s WCHA-RallyMe press release, The Simpsons’ Chief Wiggum’s philosophy comes to mind. In a Season 10 episode, as the fictitious Springfield police force cracks down on supposedly rowdy youngsters, Wiggum splurges on a PSA billboard. When one of his officers expresses misgivings about the cost, the chief responds, “Well, you…
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Peril to purity with arena name change
The college hockey world was shocked two weeks ago when the Minnesota Gophers announced they had sold the naming rights to Mariucci Arena. Given that this is one of the most well-known NCAA arenas, most thought such a move was not even a possibility, as most college rinks did not have a name reflecting a corporate sponsor. To…
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Still waiting for a women’s Ice Breaker
The Mercyhurst Lakers, a program with established name recognition trying to replenish its competitiveness, starts its 2017-18 campaign in Wisconsin Sept. 28 and 29. The team that beat the Badgers for the 2017 national title, Clarkson, kicks off its defense against the time-honored Northeastern program that same opening weekend. If only there were a way…
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Bertagna, hockey’s role in stemming societal venom
Who better than Joe Bertagna, college hockey’s quintessential establishment figure, to diligently articulate a call for perspective? Anything his sport can do for positive real-world outreach cannot sink in soon enough. As the current chair of his sport’s rules committee, Bertagna offered one nugget to that effect in a June 20 statement on rule changes. A…