Three Stars: May 16-22

If Terrelle Pryor is allowed to be paid over the table for a change, the biggest impact may be on hockey, its much-romanticized mix of small and large schools at the DI level, and its notable lack of all-sports conferences outside of the Big Ten. 

3. Key transitional period awaits Pletsch in CCHA leadership role
(USCHO)

Technically, this dropped late last week, but since it's not something that's dated this week and since last week's Three Stars was running long...basically, good luck guy.

2. Facelift
(View From the Booth)

I can't believe the black rubber floors at the Ice Pavilion are gone. Insanity.

1. Paying College Athletes And What It Could Mean
(Victory Bell Rings)

Ben Jones nailed this one, which is saying something, because it's a complex issue with a lot of layers, not to mention a story you may have missed, given that it's now the offseason for all but a handful of college sports. If you think the rest of college hockey hates the Big Ten now, just wait and see what happens if this comes to pass. Suddenly the discrepancy in television money or the possibility of a declining gate without Michigan in the conference aren't the only concerns faced by Pletsch and the CCHA leftovers. Anyone think Lake State can afford to tack on an extra $5,000 per scholarship to recruit competitively? Me neither.

Best of the Rest

Talking Hockey
(View From the Booth)

Steve Penstone got in with Bob McKenzie, the penultimate hockey dad (he literally wrote the book on it, one that comes with my personal recommendation) who also happens to be one of the most respected media personalities in the hockey world. The interview certainly didn't disappoint, as it touched on Penn State, the Big Ten, college hockey in general and McKenzie's experiences watching his son Mike play at St. Lawrence.

Recruiting overview: Gadowsky making strides
(Lions 247)

Andrew Dzurita gives us a nice status check on our recruits. I linked the related message board thread instead of the article, because he's also trying to check in with the 2012 and 2013 Princeton commits to see if they're sticking - so far, he's confirmed that 2012 Kyle Rankin is still Princeton-bound.

Hockey East Open to Expansion
(College Hockey News)

Speaking of that whole Big Ten thing, here's a little on the ripple effect, as seen through the eyes of a conference left untouched in the immediate sense, but one that could be a factor in the aftermath.

Big Ten weighs playoff formats
(Wisconsin State Journal)

Given my relative newness to obsessing over NCAA hockey stuff, I'm still not sure what to make of the WSJ's Andy Baggot. Sometimes he seems pretty clutch with good information. Then other times, he acts like Bob Woodward while writing stories about how yes, the Big Ten will have a conference tournament, but no, the format and location have not been decided. Nice hustle, scoop.

Cornell hockey assistant Jones makes jump back to Clarkson
(Ithaca Journal)

Nice to see a former Head Coach Candidate subject get a head gig. Well deserved, even if some USA Hockey honks think Ron Rolston got jobbed (not literally obviously, since he didn't get the job).

Gadowsky to Bring High Octane Offense to Penn State
(American Junior Hockey)

Money quote:

Gadowsky has enough experience to understand how to properly evaluate prospective players. He stresses the importance of seeing players in person as much as possible. Since hockey is such a multi-faceted game, it requires more research than other sports, when deciding who you want to be on your team.

"Hockey is a little bit different," Gadowsky said. "It is difficult to look at a video tape or highlight film and really judge someone. We want an excellent student and an excellent hockey player and we try to see a player play personally so we can evaluate them properly."

Penn State Worthington Scranton Graduates
(The Valley Advantage)

...had a topical commencement speaker. With all due respect to The Namesake, I'd rather see Jodie Foster. I mean, she graduated magna cum laude from Yale, I think she'd be tremendous...



...oh.

I'm going to play hockey for Penn State?
(Yahoo! Answers)

They say there are no dumb questions, but this one comes awfully close. And yeah, because I'm a horrible, horrible person, I kind of enjoyed reading the extremely rude answers (hint: "get a life, bender" is contained within).