Big Ten Media Day Roundup

Big Ten head coaches Steve Rohlik (Ohio State), Guy Gadowsky (Penn State), Tom Anastos (Michigan State), Red Berenson (Michigan), Don Lucia (Minnesota) and Mike Eaves (Wisconsin)

On Thursday morning, coaches, players, staff and journalists from the Big Ten converged on St. Paul, MN's Xcel Energy Center for the conference's first-ever hockey media day.

The festivities began at about 9:00 a.m. eastern, with the release of the Big Ten's preseason coaches poll and players to watch list (covered separately here). From 10:00, each of the six bench bosses engaged in a ten-minute press conference with the assembled media that was streamed worldwide by Big Ten Network. Guy Gadowsky was up fifth, following Don Lucia (Minnesota), Mike Eaves (Wisconsin), Steve Rohlik (Ohio State) and Tom Anastos (Michigan State) and preceding Red Berenson (Michigan). Rather unsurprisingly, he was peppered with questions about laying the foundation for Division I's newest program, Pegula Ice Arena and the local reception to the program so far - and not about his projected lineup on October 11th.

One of the built-in flaws of the event was its relatively isolated location. Few journalists from Michigan, Ohio or Pennsylvania were willing to make the long and costly trek up to St. Paul for a payoff of, essentially, three hours on a Thursday morning. That left personnel from BTN and Minnesota/Wisconsin outlets to ask a vast majority of the questions. The result, as mentioned, was Gadowsky saying a lot of things we've already heard him say several times.

In any case, the Big Ten published transcripts of Gadowsky's Q-and-A (PDF link) as well as those of the five other coaches, along with a photo gallery and a quick highlight video. BTN also produced video of each session (here's Gadowsky's, with the others easy to locate from the link) and put together an interesting video mashup of comments from the coaches.

Following the press conferences, the representatives of each school (Nate Jensen and Tommy Olczyk were the student-athletes present on behalf of Penn State), as well as league officials coordinator Steve Piotrowski, were available for one-on-one interviews.

Tommy Olczyk (left) and Nate Jensen (right) field questions during the one-on-one session

Here's the best of what came out of media day with an emphasis on the PSU perspective (analysis of how Lucia will replace his pro departures need not apply), as of the end of the day Thursday. The pool of candidates for inclusion was actually much more shallow than expected, so I'll leave the door open for an update to this post should a flood of content present itself on Friday or through the weekend.

Big Ten Hockey Preview
(PSU ComRadio)

Ross Insana produced what, quite simply, is the most comprehensive preview of Penn State's Big Ten opposition out there so far, helped along by things the coaches said at media day.

Big Ten Media Day notes
(The Daily Collegian)

Darian Somers did a good job breaking down what was really a pretty light occasion for PSU-specific news by honing in on the exposure BTN will give Big Ten hockey and also touching on the preseason coaches poll, watch list and trophies.

Gadowsky shares newness at Penn State with Big Ten
(The Daily Collegian)

The Collegian also noted how Gadowsky was left to answer a bunch of "we don't know anything about your team yet so talk about the arena" questions, although the coach admitted to not really knowing what he has in his team either.

Gadowsky looking forward to first Big Ten season
(PennLive)

Greg Pickel is another consistently excellent writer covering Penn State hockey, and his contribution to media day was another article that focused intently on Gadowsky's press conference comments and surrounded them with context.

Big Ten hockey off to a high-profile start
(Wisconsin State Journal)

The notable Andy Baggot from the WSJ (no, the other WSJ) delivered some thoughts on how the Big Ten's event - contrasted with his experience covering the WCHA - indicates that the conference is well on its way to elevating the credibility of college hockey as a whole.

Big Ten Coaches Excited for New Beginning
(College Hockey News)

Many observers noted that "excited" was among the most frequently-used word at media day. CHN's Nate Wells dug into that angle here, showing how the Big Ten has given new purpose to the six conference coaches, from first-year head man Rohlik to occasionally-crusty legend Berenson.

Big Ten hockey begins as sport enters new era
(Associated Press)

So... other than the BTN video interviews that we probably won't see until the first intermission of the PSU-Army broadcast on October 11th, did anyone bother with Olczyk or Jensen during the breakout session? The AP's Dave Campbell did manage to grab a quote from Olczyk for his overview/"spririt of the thing" write-up.

Polls, Players To Watch, What The Coaches Are Saying
(B1G Ice Hockey)

Much like the Collegian, the B1G Ice Hockey Blog presented a nice overview of key stories. One interesting insight from Jessi Pierce: her interpretation of one of Gadowsky's comments as a reaction to Penn State's omission from the preseason players to watch list issued early Thursday morning.

Spartans picked fourth in Big Ten
(Lansing State Journal)

The most significant non-manufactured news to come from media day? Michigan State's announcement that forward Matt Berry and defenseman John Draeger would each miss the next 8-10 weeks for surgery on "lower body injuries." PSU doesn't play the Spartans until January 17th, so it's probably a non-factor in terms of the Nittany Lions, but the absences - particularly leading scorer Berry - certainly won't help MSU rebound from a disappointing 2012-2013.

Three Stars: September 2-8

3. Club plays crucial role in success of Penn State hockey
(The Daily Collegian)

As a Hockey Management Association alumnus - that's how I got involved with Penn State hockey in the first place, for those who don't know - I'm absolutely thrilled to see that the organization survived the NCAA transition and continues to thrive, including a robust turnout at the year's first meeting last week.

I'm a little less thrilled with current president Eric Bress, who apparently feels that now "the club will have a lot more hands-on jobs compared to other years." Bress is a junior and probably isn't fully aware of the state of things before the athletic department became involved, the quote in question was paraphrased and he didn't elaborate on what was meant, so I won't lay into him as originally planned. I'm maturing, I guess.

2. Joe Battista’s Dream Will Soon Become Reality
(Onward State)

In what was an unusually competitive fight for the top three slots this week, particularly with a new Pegula Ice Arena story seemingly out every day, Jessica Tully and Onward State win the coveted honor. Why? Because Tully went above and beyond "wow, the arena's nice" to truly understand the subject matter, offering the historical backdrop that framed one man's 30-plus year journey to October 11th.

1. @BattistaJoseph
(Twitter)

As has been mentioned in a couple posts already, the official move to PIA began early Friday morning and is expected to be complete on Monday afternoon. It turns out that moving isn't very photogenic, but given the significance of the story, Joe Battista's shot entering the reception area for the last first time should do the trick.

Best of the Rest

@PSUA_IceHockey
(Twitter)

Penn State football legend Derrick Williams held his first weight room session with the Altoona campus' team last Tuesday. Here's some evidence.

Toontown's season gets underway against IUP on September 28th at 3:50 p.m. in Galactic Ice Arena.

WJAC-TV Exclusive: Tour of Pegula Ice Arena
(WJAC)

The exclusive "tour of Pegula Ice Arena" was really more like a Battista interview with a few establishing shots mixed in, but nevertheless, it's good watching. Battista, by the way, indicated to WJAC that talks about holding a game in Beaver Stadium are "ongoing."

The Pegula Ice Arena will be ready to rock during its Homecoming Weekend debut
(State College Magazine)

So what does this PIA article offer that the other 87 don't? Admittedly not much, although it does have a couple photos, some discussion of the facility's amenities, and - if you haven't heard it yet - the story of how the men's team's THON child will have his or her own stall in the locker room.

Rinkside Update: Patrick Koudys 8/19/13
(Monumental Network)

A video interview with Patrick Koudys from (I think) July's Capitals Development Camp that apparently wasn't posted until August and didn't hit my radar until September. Well done all around on that one. Nevertheless, it's an interesting look as the RPI transfer discusses his developmental goals and his expected role at Penn State this season.

Things Always Happen in Threes
(statecollege.com)

JoeBa used his column last week to reflect on the recent passing of three friends, most notably (for our purposes) including former club sports czar Vance McCullough. And as Battista tends to do, there's also a bit of news buried in there:

The director of the documentary we are producing on Pegula Ice Arena, (former Icer Mike Messner), asked me what I was thinking about just before I took the first step onto the new ice surface in the arena. I said it was a dream come true, that I was so grateful to Terry and Kim Pegula and that I wanted to dedicate that first step to the memory of my friend and mentor, Vance McCullough.

Documentary, eh? Messner's involvement more or less ensures that it will be fantastic - you may remember his work from this now-incredibly dated video (warning: watching it now will give you some sort of negative feeling, but not because of the production). Can't wait for that.

@MarkHorgas
(Twitter)

PIA photos? Sure, why not?

Other than the Community Rink photo above, the Horgas Collection also includes that rink's lobby, the student section, a 45-pound plate from the weight room (not as boring as it sounds, trust me), an overview of said room, and an exterior view from the staff parking lot.

Big 10: Ranking the Offenses by Returning Players
(Western College Hockey Blog)

In what can be classified as your typical Jeff Cox McPost (working definition: quick filler posts that probably didn't need to be anything more than a tweet), it's observed that Penn State returns more of its scoring production than any other team in the Big Ten. And immediately after, Cox argues that it's pointless to look at PSU's returning scoring due to the team's schedule last year. Okay. Thanks for that.

If you couldn't tell, I'm not really a fan of the post. Just doing my job and sharing it.

Students Invent Bag to Get Around Stadium Security
(Onward State)

While Beaver Stadium has been the focus of Penn State's new policy prohibiting bags other than ones that are clear, plastic and one gallon or less in volume, it's important to remember that the rules apply to all athletic events - including those at Pegula Ice Arena. Fortunately, enterprising individuals, including a group of current PSU students and recent alumni, are already at work helping people cope with the new reality through an innovative new product.

Single-Game Tickets on Sale Tuesday
(ohiostatebuckeyes.com)

Ohio State's men's single-game tickets are on sale now, which obviously includes Penn State's trip to Columbus on the January 31-February 1, 2014 weekend. Go forth and conquer.

PS. The women are also at OSU this year, on January 3rd and 4th of next year, but those are free admission.

So. Much. Weed.
(Deadly Nuts)

Sticking with the Buckeyes, here's an amazing review of the men's team's new alternate jerseys from a blog that makes me think OSU people aren't all that bad, provided they're not big American-style football fans.

Not looking any better for Michigan State
(Big Ten Ice Hockey Blog)

After calling for a last-place Big Ten finish for the Nittany Lions, the Big Ten Ice Hockey Blog has pegged Michigan State for fifth. I just don't see it. If anything, I have a bias in favor of Sparty - I sincerely like the school and the program, and MSU is certainly one of the most storied programs in the sport. But PSU is a better hockey team right now.

2014 Hockey City Classic: Outdoor College Hockey Doubleheader Announced For Minneapolis
(Western College Hockey Blog)

On January 17, 2014, Minnesota will host an outdoor doubleheader at TCF Bank Stadium. The Gopher women open up against Minnesota State at 5:30 p.m. eastern, followed by the men's team versus Ohio State. So if you're one of those people who still gets excited for open-air hockey not involving your favorite team (I'd place myself in the "heightened interest" category, but "excitement" is too far), enjoy.

@GopherPuckLive
(Twitter)

It looks like Mariucci Arena is ready for the Big Ten:

Three Stars: August 26-September 1

3. Women’s Hockey: Freshmen excited to begin
(The Daily Collegian)

A sure sign that the season is almost upon us: the Collegian is back at it on a regular basis. This article, which takes an overview of women's team freshmen Laura Bowman, Kelly Seward, Amy Petersen and Sarah Nielsen, is a great way to get the fall semester going.

2. Steinour reflects on his career in "Hockey Valley"
(Stack The Pads)

On the other end of the career curve, of course, is recently-graduated men's forward Eric Steinour. What's Big Stein up to now? Something that sounds a little more difficult than writing a hockey blog:

I am working for Affiliated Engineers in Chapel Hill, NC as a Mechanical Systems Designer. Affiliated Engineers is a multi-discipline technical consulting firm. The team I am a part of is specifically involved in designing steam and chilled water plants and distribution systems. We design new systems as well as redesign existing systems to be more efficient. Many of our clients are universities and medical facilities.

1. A Look Inside The Pegula Ice Arena
(Onward State)

Not a particularly tough call this week, as the fruit of Onward State's all-access look inside the arena is the most extensive peek we've received since the ice was installed.

Best of the Rest

@kingston1990
(Twitter)

Amazing? Horrifying? I suspect that there's very little middle ground on this one, as tends to be the case with tattoos.

Also, apropos of nothing, Runnin' With The Dogs is both the worst college hockey blog out there and written by the biggest tool out there.

University Park Alumni Athlete Letter
(ps4rs.org)

Alumni activist group Penn Staters For Responsible Stewardship - an organization drawing even fewer middle-ground opinions than most tattoos - has assembled a list of former PSU student-athletes who support the lawsuit brought by the Paterno family (as well as several faculty and Board of Trustees members) against the NCAA over... well, you know. Hockey's sole representative is former Icers captain Ryan Wick, a 2000 graduate.

Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center to Host 40 2014 NHL Draft-Eligible Players
(USA Hockey)

Last Monday, USA Hockey unveiled the players who will participate in the second annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, which will take place on the 26th in Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center. Freshman goalie Eamon McAdam participated in last year's inaugural edition of the draft showcase in Buffalo as part of his push to the 70th overall pick. However, there will be no repeat participation by a Penn State commit, as well-regarded defenseman Kevin Kerr was surprisingly snubbed.

On a related note, if anyone needs a hotel room in Pittsburgh on September 26th, let me know in the comments.

Penn State hockey gets new voice
(The Daily Collegian)

In other "yay, the Collegian's back" news, new men's beat writer Darian Somers - you'll like him, trust me - takes a run at Brian Tripp, the team's new radio voice. Tripp replaces Steve Penstone who, contrary to the verbiage used in the article, was let go this offseason.

The Old NHL, Penn State Hockey, and Your FGSB Mailbag
(The 700 Level)

In response to someone asking how badly Penn State is going to get spanked this year:

Penn State’s move to The Big Ten is quite a big deal, especially for their hockey team, which I’m sure everyone knows went D1 last year. Their first year in D1 they were independent and actually didn’t do too badly for a really young team. On the official roster there were 14 freshman, 6 sophomores, and 7 juniors. Hey, you when go from club team to the big leagues that transition is going to take some time. With this young team they took down some big clubs in Wisconsin, Vermont, and Michigan State. The realignment has everyone saying they’re going to get whooped up on. On paper it looks like it, but I’m not so sure.

Penn State’s new conference is made up of them, obviously, and Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Those are some perennial power houses in the college hockey world, but Penn State is looking to be better than last year. They have their first ever NHL draft picks joining the program this season, and as you can see above have already done surprisingly decent with the guys that are ALL coming back this year (they went 13-14 last season).

Well done, guy.

UC Men's Hockey Dawes Exits Program For Position With Penn State's Women's Team
(uticaod.com)

It seems as if new women's team director of operations Alex Dawes will be missed in the neighborhood of Utica College, his previous employer. Seriously, I probably won't even get a write up this flattering when I die.

Onward State Cribs: Campus Towers
(Onward State)

Ever wonder what the apartment of women's forwards Katie Murphy and Shannon Yoxheimer (and their roommates) looks like? Onward State's new Cribs series has you covered. Since it's way nicer than my place, I would've been okay not finding out about it.

Condon, Rau Named Gopher Hockey Captains
(gophersports.com)

Leading off the opponent news section of Three Stars this week are the new captains of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, senior forward Nate Condon and junior forward Kyle Rau. Both are NHL draft picks, in 2008 by Colorado and in 2011 by Florida, respectively. Of course, you can't swing a dead cat at Minnesota's roster without hitting three or four draftees, so I'm not sure of that fact's newsworthiness.

Gophers hockey player Guertler suspended
(Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Incoming Gophers freshman Gabe Guertler, on the other hand, is not off to a good start if he wants to be a captain someday. Guertler received a DWI while operating a moped Friday night/Saturday morning and has been suspended by the team until at least November.

Judge throws out Milo’s case against Vermont, Sneddon
(USCHO)

Score one for common sense as former Vermont Catamount Justin Milo's "waaaah they cut me... no fair!" lawsuit against UVM and coach Kevin Sneddon has been thrown out.

RITMHKY
(Ow.ly)

RIT's men unveiled a new jersey last week. It's a throwback to the school's inaugural 1968 design, but with modern logos. Solid concept and well executed.

Former Laker Jones Picked 3rd Overall in CWHL Draft
(hurstathletics.com)

Brian Selected in Second Round of CWHL Draft
(rmuathletics.com)

Two Former Orange Selected by Toronto Furies
(suathletics.syr.edu)

Last week's Canadian Women's Hockey League draft was pretty good for College Hockey America, led by former Mercyhurst star Jess Jones, who was chosen third overall by the Brampton Thunder. Robert Morris goalie Delayne Brian (formerly of Wayne State as well, leaving there when WSU's program folded) was the first pick of the second round by the Alberta Honeybadgers, and a pair of Toronto Furies-drafted Syracuse alumnae, Holly Carrie-Mattimoe (second round) and Lisa Mullan (eighth round) closed things out for the conference.

Jones and Mullan both graduated from their schools in 2012 and never faced Penn State. Carrie-Mattimoe, however, had two goals and two assists in four games against PSU as a senior last year. Brian backstopped the Colonials' 4-1 win at the Ice Pavilion on November 11, 2012 with 19 saves and backed up Kristen DiCiocco in the other three PSU-RMU meetings.

Eight Hockey East teams to compete in Frozen Fenway
(New England Hockey Journal)

If you're the type of person who still gets excited by outdoor hockey not involving your favorite team, good news: the annual Frozen Fenway series is returning in January. Penn State opponents Boston College and UMass-Lowell are both among the eight Hockey East teams involved in the event hosted by the famous home of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox.

KSU Levies Lifetime Ban Against Coaching Staff
(hockeyyall.com)

While details of the alcohol-related tomfoolery of Kennesaw State at the ACHA Division 3 national championships back in March have not come to light, it must have been a pretty good time. Last we checked in, KSU had suspended the team for the entire 2012-2013 season. Now, it's banned the coaching staff for life. Even Jerry Sandusky can, theoretically anyway, outlive his sentence. Not so much if you're affiliated with Kennesaw State and get bombed at a hockey tournament, I guess.

Former Cal U. hockey players headed to trial
(Washington Observer-Reporter)

In other #ACHAProblems, former California (PA) hockey playing brothers/marijuana aficionados Steven and Jesse Powell waived their preliminary hearings and will stand trial. As you may recall, the Powells' arrests back in April led to Cal's suspension of the entire Vulcans hockey program, a sanction that was eventually lifted under the condition of required drug testing.

While the incident is obviously tailor made for jokes, I'll pass this time around. Instead, I think it needs to be said that Cal has handled the whole thing flawlessly from day one (in my view, anyway), and the university deserves to be commended for that.

@BattistaJoseph
(Twitter)

Guy Gadowsky ran in the inaugural Mt. Nittany Marathon on Sunday. Which is notable in and of itself, but as an added bonus, it led to another look at Penn State's new white jerseys, via Nate Jensen's Twitter.

Three Stars: August 19-25

3. Beantown Classic – Scouting the Forwards
(Over The Boards)

Forward A.J. Greer, a Nittany Lions commit scheduled for 2015 entry, participated in the highly-regarded Beantown Classic showcase from August 10th through 14th. And did quite well for himself - OTB rated him the number two forward there and had this to say:

Greer started strong here and never let up. Consistently created chances and used his outrageously long reach to score a number of creative goals including a wrap-around and a full-reach fake that got one of the better goalies here to bite just enough for Greer to bury in the ensuing opening. Surprisingly deceptive and will only get better. Would like to see more snarl from the forward but he did show a mean streak here at times. Youngest player in the pro division but finished second in overall scoring.

Just one guy's opinion? Au contraire, mes amis. USHR tabbed Greer the number two forward in the pro division (1996 birth years and older, in case you're wondering).

AJ Greer, late ’96 F, KUA (#11 Bombers) – 6’4”. The youngest player in the pro division, the Penn State recruit is not even draft-eligible until 2015. A power forward in the making.

We got ourselves a pretty good one here, guys.

2. Preseason Previews: PSU Still Too Many Unknowns
(B1G Ice Hockey)

The Big Ten Hockey Blog predicts that PSU will finish last in the conference, largely due to the unknown quantity of conference play for the young program.

I'm not going to say too much about it here, because I'm still contemplating writing a full post in response (I did fire off a few points in the comments over there if you're interested). However, I think relegating the Nittany Lions to the basement out of hand because the other league teams "have been doing it for decades" is a mistake. Banners don't skate, as the saying goes, and I sincerely cannot identify a single reason to say that Penn State is any worse than Ohio State or Michigan State right now. Given the whole 2-1-0 situation against that pair in 2012-2013 with eight pure ACHA players on the roster, there is reason to see it the other way around.

1. Penn State breaks in new Pegula Ice Arena ice sheet
(Western College Hockey Blog)

For the record and on Thursday, Joe Battista, Guy Gadowsky, Josh Brandwene and their families were the first to go for a skate at Pegula Ice Arena. Evidence of the happenings comes from Battista's Twitter, the men's team's Instagram (twice), and the women's team's Instagram (again, twice).

Most coverage of the ice's initiation focused exclusively on Gadowsky, which is understandable to a degree, as the men's team is the one that draws the eyeballs. But also a mistake, because it meant whiffing on a story like this:

(Belated) happy anniversary guys! The next 21 go pretty fast, from what I hear.

Best of the Rest

@Fung_er
(Twitter)

It certainly took a while, but the Women's Ice Hockey Club's Mary Kate Tonetti finally has her ACHA Women's Division 2 Off-Ice MVP award after being named its winner back in March.

York City Ice Arena to Host CHE Playoffs
(psuwihc.com)

Sticking with the ACHA women, some pretty great hockey will be coming to York on February 22nd and 23rd in the form of the College Hockey East playoffs. The four teams that make up this season's inaugural edition of CHE (PSU, West Chester, California (PA) and Delaware) were half of the field at the 2013 ACHA WD2 National Tournament, including both championship game participants.

Charles Vance McCullough
(Centre Daily Times)

Here's the obituary for Vance McCullough, the long-time head of Penn State's club sports who passed away unexpectedly last Monday at age 69.

Vance was a driving force in creating a club sports department supporting many programs that were organizationally on par with NCAA teams. His legacy includes the Men's and Ladies Icers Hockey teams, as well as the nationally recognized men's and women's rugby teams.

Hey wait, that sounds awfully familiar...

McCullough was a driving force in creating a club sports department supporting many programs that were organizationally on par with NCAA teams, but for the recognition and the existence of scholarships. His legacy included not only the Icers and later the Lady Icers, but continues today through the success of the Ice Lions and Women's Ice Hockey Club, as well as Penn State's nationally-recognized men's and women's rugby teams.

Flattered, Koch Funeral Home guy who wrote the obit.

Top 5 Big Ten Off-Season Stories
(Western College Hockey Blog)

PSU doesn't even register in this rundown of the Big Ten's offseason beyond a mention of the school's first NHL draft picks, with stories like the Illinois rumors and Ohio State's post-Osiecki meltdown collecting the attention. The crazy thing? PSU doesn't really deserve to register in a rundown of the Big Ten's offseason beyond the draft picks and maybe Pegula Ice Arena's completion.

Basically, Penn State's program has finally reached sort of an awkward milestone: it's more or less completely normal.

Other than new program-type stuff, making offseason news is bad roughly 92 percent of the time. So here's to never, ever appearing in one of those types of posts again.

@OhioState_MHKY
(Twitter)

Ohio State has new alternate jerseys (above), and suddenly, I want to go get Taco Bell.

Although they include a few striping modifications, they're essentially a white adaptation of the jerseys the Buckeyes wore for the Frozen Diamond Faceoff, a January 15, 2012 outdoor game against Michigan in Cleveland.

Just made you smarter than your friends on a completely useless topic. You're welcome.

In other OSU news, the team named its leadership group last week, headlined by captain Curtis Gedig.

Pittsburgh-born Saad savors his day with Stanley Cup
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Brandon Saad, the brother of former Nittany Icer George who became the first Pittsburgh born and trained player to win the Stanley Cup in June, got his customary time with sport's most iconic trophy on Thursday.

Penn State Athletics Announces National Anthem Performer Auditions for 2013-14 Year
(gopsusports.com)

Karen Newman, Lauren Hart, Jim Cornelison, Jeff Jimerson, Rene Rancourt... anthem singers can become legends to their team's fans in hockey. If you think you're up to it, September 5th is a date you should circle.

Bennett takes his hockey show to the Lone Star State
(Foster's Daily Democrat)

Luke Bennett, a Rochester, NH-native forward who recently signed with Corpus Christi in the NAHL, is interested in Penn State. But not that interested.

Bennett has grown to like the western brand of hockey.

“I like the style,” Bennett said. “It’s a little different. It’s faster with less fights (than East Coast hockey). I’m a skill guy, not a fighter. I’m 165 (pounds). I’m not throwing around too much.”

Bennett plans to use his time in Texas to expand his game and draw D-I college attention. He mentioned schools like Western Michigan, Penn State and UMass-Lowell, but adds that in his heart he wants to stay in the west.

Construction Webcam
(rit.edu)

Last week, structural steel went up on RIT's Gene Polisseni Center. The 4,500-seat arena, which will replace PIA as NCAA Division I's newest hockey venue, is scheduled to open in time for next season. The Nittany Lion women, of course, will play there each year as part of the CHA schedule.

Despite the lost distinction for Penn State, it actually is quite fun watching someone else's dream building materialize. And if you still have the urge to hate, just remember that Polisseni Center broke ground during RIT's homecoming last October - a weekend that was spoiled (for Tigers faithful) by the PSU men and their big win in Rochester.

@GopherHockey
(Twitter)

A quick bit of setup: Minnesota fans have been very vocally opposed to the Big Ten's "intrusion" into the hockey bubble because they'll miss their big games against Bemidji State and Mankato State Minnesota State-Mankato Minnesota State in the WCHA, or something like that. Furthermore, despite his pair of national titles, four Frozen Fours and seven conference regular season or playoff championships, they aren't exactly thrilled with their coach, Don Lucia, either. Because they're the State of Hockey, as they're more than happy to remind you, and if they don't win everything ever, THINGS WILL EXPLODE.

So with all of that out there and from a Penn State perspective, you can understand why the photo above, of Lucia (left) presenting Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany with a Gophers jersey, could be considered quite entertaining.

@TYTBlog
(Twitter)

A quick, shameless self-link to share some news for the Twitter-free among you:

Confirmed: Rodney Martin will return as PA announcer for the inaugural Pegula Ice Arena season. Fantastic news.

Really could not imagine things any other way.

The Show on the Road

Here are three things I know to be true:

1. Tickets for the inaugural season at Pegula Ice Arena are in high demand, with men's season tickets and student sales not leaving too much behind for single-game availability.
2. Penn Staters are everywhere, and sometimes "everywhere" isn't particularly convenient to State College. I, for example, live closer to eleven 2013-2014 Nittany Lions away games than I do to Hockey Valley.
3. Many people like to travel and learn about unfamiliar people, places and things.

With those in mind, I've collected as much information as I could find about tickets to PSU's away games this year. Sure, the secondary market (StubHub and eBay, most notably) is always an option - one you may have to pursue if you want to see that shimmering arena and didn't get season tickets - but why pay the markup for an away game if you can get in on the primary market?

In some ways, this post isn't ripe yet, as several schools have not announced sale dates or prices for single-game tickets. But at the same time, several others are already or about to be on sale (Robert Morris men and women, RIT women, Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff and Big Ten Tournament), so delay would be harmful in those cases. Therefore, the plan is to update this post and re-circulate it as appropriate.

Tickets to see Matt Skoff and the men's team play at Wisconsin will be available September 24th

Men

Air Force When: Oct. 18 and 19 Where: Cadet Ice Arena; Colorado Springs, CO On-sale date: Early Oct. Athletics website: goairforcefalcons.com Ticket office phone: (719) 472-1895 Ticket office email: afa.tickets@airforceathletics.org 2012-13 attendance: 2,220 (2,470)	Vermont When: Oct. 26 Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia On-sale date: Available now Prices: $40, $25, $20, $15, $12, $10 Link to purchase Ticket office phone: (800) 298-4200 Ticket office email: customerservice@neweratickets.com 2012-13 attendance: 19,529 (19,529)
Robert Morris When: Nov. 1 Where: 84 Lumber Arena, Neville Twp. On-sale date: Available now Prices: $12, $10, $5 Link to purchase Athletics website: rmucolonials.com Ticket office phone: (412) 397-4949 Ticket office email: athleticticketing@rmu.edu 2012-13 attendance: 858 (1,100)	Wisconsin When: Dec. 6 and 7 Where: Kohl Center; Madison, WI On-sale date: Sept. 24 Prices: $24, $20 Athletics website: uwbadgers.com Ticket office phone: (800) GO BADGERS Ticket office email: tickets@uwbadgers.com 2012-13 attendance: 9,521 (15,237)
Three Rivers Classic When: Dec. 27 and 28 Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh On-sale date: Not yet announced Prices: $55-$25 (last year) Ticket office phone: (800) 745-3000 2012-13 attendance: 11,230 (18,387)	Michigan State When: Jan. 17 and 18, 2014 Where: Munn Arena; East Lansing, MI On-sale date: Oct. 1 Prices: $22, $20, $10 Athletics website: msuspartans.com Ticket office phone: (800) GO STATE Ticket office email: tickets@msu.edu 2012-13 Attendance: 5,869 (6,470)
Ohio State When: Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2014 Where: Value City Arena; Columbus, OH On-sale date: Not yet announced Prices: $13, $10 (last year) Athletics website: ohiostatebuckeyes.com Ticket office phone: (800) GOBUCKS Ticket office email: AthleticSales@osu.edu 2012-13 attendance: 4,004 (17,500)	Michigan When: Feb. 21 and 22, 2014 Where: Yost Ice Arena; Ann Arbor, MI On-sale date: Not yet announced Athletics website: mgoblue.com Ticket office phone: (866) 296-MTIX Ticket office email: mtickets@umich.edu 2012-13 attendance: 5,357 (6,637)
Minnesota When: Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, 2014 Where: Mariucci Arena; Minneapolis, MN On-sale date: Not yet announced Athletics website: gophersports.com Ticket office phone: (800) 846-7437 Ticket office email: fans@gopherfanrelations.com 2012-13 attendance: 9,950 (10,000)	Big Ten Tournament When: Mar. 20 through 22, 2014 Where: Xcel Energy Center; St. Paul, MN On-sale date: Available now* Prices: $160, $130, $80 (five games) Link to purchase Ticket office phone: (800) 745-3000 * all-session passes are available now, single-game availability is still TBA

On September 23rd, tickets to see Shannon Yoxheimer and the women open at Vermont go on sale

Women

Vermont When: Oct. 4 and 5 Where: Gutterson Fieldhouse; Burlington, VT On-sale date: Sept. 23 Prices: $5, $3, free (2 and under) Athletics website: uvmathletics.com Ticket office phone: (802) 656-4410 Ticket office email: athletic.tickets@uvm.edu 2012-13 attendance: 348 (4,035)	Quinnipiac When: Oct. 11 and 12 Where: TD Bank Center; Hamden, CT On-sale date: Oct. 1 Athletics website: quinnipiacbobcats.com Ticket office phone: (203) 582-3905 Ticket office email: tickets@quinnipiac.edu 2012-13 attendance: 310 (3,084)
RIT When: Nov. 15 and 16 Where: Ritter Arena; Henrietta, NY On-sale date: Aug. 20 Prices: $5, $3, free (5 and under) Link to purchase Athletics website: ritathletics.com Ticket office phone: (585) 475-4121 Ticket office email: jazgfh@rit.edu 2012-13 attendance: 650 (2,100)	Lindenwood When: Nov. 22 and 23 Where: LU Ice Arena; Wentzville, MO Prices: $5, $3 Tickets only available at the door on game day Athletics website: lindenwoodlions.com 2012-13 attendance: 113 (1,000)
Mercyhurst When: Dec. 6 and 7 Where: Mercyhurst Ice Arena, Erie Prices: $5, $3 Tickets only available at the door on game day Athletics website: hurstathletics.com 2012-13 attendance: 574 (1,300)	Ohio State When: Jan. 3 and 4, 2014 Where: OSU Ice Rink; Columbus, OH Free admission Athletics website: ohiostatebuckeyes.com 2012-13 attendance: 326 (1,200)
Syracuse When: Jan. 24 and 25, 2014 Where: Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion; Syracuse, NY Free admission Athletics website: suathletics.com 2012-13 attendance: 164 (350)	Princeton When: Jan. 28th, 2014 Where: Hobey Baker Rink; Princeton, NJ Free admission Athletics website: goprincetontigers.com 2012-13 attendance: 167 (2,100)
Robert Morris When: Feb. 21 and 22, 2014 Where: 84 Lumber Arena, Neville Twp. On-sale date: Available now Prices: $10, $5 Link to purchase Athletics website: rmucolonials.com Ticket office phone: (412) 397-4949 Ticket office email: athleticticketing@rmu.edu 2012-13 attendance: 170 (1,100)

Three Stars: July 8-14

3. Mayers pledge $50,000 to support Smeal Trading Room
(Penn State News)

In addition to the headlining $50,000 for the Smeal College of Business' Rogers Family Trading Room, former Icer Bill Mayer along with his wife Cynthia (both 1985 graduates), recently donated $12,500 to the men's hockey program.

Both Bill and Cynthia were multi-sport athletes at PSU - the former was on the varsity lacrosse team in addition to hockey, while the latter played field hockey and softball.

2. One-on-One with Mike Williamson
(Dustin's Cafe)

Freshman defenseman Mike Williamson dropped by the studios of radio station CJLD in his hometown of Leduc, AB for a great interview primarily discussing the NHL Draft and Canucks Development Camp (which was still ahead of him at the time), but also touching on his future at Penn State and his past in Spruce Grove.

Possibly the only thing wrong with it: after Williamson cited fellow Spruce Grove Saints-to-Nittany Lions Dylan Richard and David Glen as people who will help his transition to college, the interviewer threw in Reed Linaker as another former AJHLer on the roster. Whoops.

1. TAKE A LOOK! An Updated, Inside Look at Pegula Arena
(WTAJ)

First, I'd like to get a quick beef out of the way with Penn State media: I wish they'd be more engaged in hockey. It seems like every story outside of a couple outlets (the Collegian immediately comes to mind as an exception) is either a) something the athletic department handed out or b) an OMG ARENA! hit, which is about the easiest thing in the world to crank out if you need to fill a couple minutes. It would be nice to see someone get a bit proactive, as Onward State recently did when they smoked everyone on the PSU football in Ireland story. Where's that initiative for hockey?

WTAJ is the one local TV station that has been, for the most part, on top of hockey throughout, so they deserve credit for that. And this story with "an updated, inside look" at Pegula Ice Arena is well done, although I expected more behind-the-scenes stuff and not just shots of the seating bowl and main lobby until the last ten seconds.

Also... "As steep as code allows." Finish your drink!

Best of the Rest

Dylan Richard is part of the Spruce Grove-to-Penn State pipeline

Saints hockey program continues to breed success
(Spruce Grove Examiner)

A nice look at the highly-successful and aforementioned Spruce Grove Saints program that has produced current Nittany Lions Williamson, Richard and Glen, and also had two players selected in the NHL Entry Draft last month (Williamson and defense partner Carson Soucy, taken by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round).

Ice Dogs' Geoff Beauparlant to coach Brown Bears
(juniorhockey.com)

Former Icers goaltender Geoff Beauparlant (a 2002 graduate) has continued his ascension in the coaching world with his hiring as the new head coach of the NAHL's Kenai River Brown Bears in Soldotna, AK. Since 2010, he had been an assistant with the league's Fairbanks franchise.

Beauparlant was 27-2-1 during his college playing career, primarily as a backup to John Sixt, Mark Scally and Scott Graham, and won ACHA National Titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Eagan's Nick Wolff to take physical hockey style overseas
(Minneapolis Star Tribune)

While recruit Kevin Kerr recently missed out on selection for the U.S. Under-18 squad for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament next month, it's at least possible that PSU ends up with someone from the team anyway - bruising Eagan (MN) High School defenseman Nick Wolff.

Wolff hopes to play college hockey sometime down the road and has already taken unofficial visits to Miami (Ohio), Ohio State and Penn State. But his plans for now call for first staying at home and finishing high school with his family and friends.

Some junior hockey after high school seems likely for Wolff. He will be eligible for the 2014 NHL draft next June.

Because of his size, work ethic, rapid development and recent exposure, Taylor believes Wolff will garner 'a ton' of Division I interest this season.

NCAA 2013 draft review
(Hockey's Future)

Here's a densely-packed look at how collegians nationally fared in the NHL Entry Draft, including a paragraph's worth of a nod to the history made at Penn State.

Me getting to drop a Habs jersey on TYT is one positive to Michael McCarron going pro

WMU hockey freshman Michael McCarron will play for London Knights and forgo college career
(mlive.com)

College hockey's draft presence took a big hit when Michigan State Cornell Western Michigan commit Michael McCarron, the only potential NCAA player selected in the first round, decided to pass on school and go pro. The National Team Development Program product signed an entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens and will play for the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights this season.

WMU hockey coach Andy Murray says release of Garrett Haar came after academic problems, 'issues of integrity'
(mlive.com)

Bad news came in twos for WMU, as the day after losing McCarron, the Broncos dumped junior defenseman Garrett Haar from the program. Head coach Andy Murray, who had already placed Haar on suspension for the fall semester due to academics, explained...

“First of all, I want to say we tried real hard with Garrett to help him,” Murray said. “We gave him every bit of academic assistance we could, including having people walk him to class, tutors and everything we could do, but you have to be committed to it and unfortunately he wasn’t.

“There were issues of integrity between the coaches and his teammates that were not at an acceptable level.”

Ouch. Haar claimed, via Twitter and included in the link above, that leaving was his decision. His comment preceded Murray's statement, so I'm guessing that he was taking a chance at saving face while assuming, incorrectly, that the school would remain silent on the story. He's apparently not the brightest guy in the world, so those things will happen.

Incidentally, Haar was a 2011 seventh-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals and was at the team's development camp with PSU's Patrick Koudys while all of this was going down.

List of college hockey players at NHL Development Camps
(Western College Hockey Blog)

We already know about the Penn State Five, but who else represented college hockey in an NHL development camp this summer? Unofficially, Michigan led the Big Ten with 15 players, followed by Minnesota (14), Wisconsin (12), Ohio State (10) and Michigan State (8). Don't panic over the difference between their numbers and ours - the list includes alumni, and PSU's a bit shorthanded in that area for obvious reasons.

Know Your Enemy: Minnesota
(Without a Peer)

I'm not even going to try writing a Minnesota preview this season. Thanks to the FoTYTs at RPI blog Without a Peer, I can just shoot out the link to this one again, since it deftly blends the past into the present as I like to do it, except better.

Kelly Seward: B-lo to the show

Flaunting their skills for Old Glory
(Buffalo News)

Nittany Lion freshman Kelly Seward is merely one player produced by a rapidly expanding women's hockey scene in Western New York, with the charge led in large part by Seward's Buffalo Bisons program.

Pittsburgh Penguins continue to drive local hockey participation upward
(City of Champions)

A bit south of Buffalo, the present growth trend of USA Hockey-registered players in western Pennsylvania - often called The Crosby Effect, after Sidney of course - has continued for an eighth straight year. Impressively, the western half of the commonwealth, despite being at a fairly substantial population disadvantage to the east, accounts for more than 13,000 of the roughly 30,000 Keystone Staters who play hockey.

Pennsylvania, which was frequently beaked as "not a hockey state" back when Penn State announced its NCAA transition plans, has the fifth-most registered players in the nation.

Corbett Named Head Coach
(uahhockey.com)

I'm not sure how Alabama-Huntsville continues to land quality coaches given the program's still-lingering uncertainties, but they've pulled it off once again in the form of now-former Air Force assistant Mike Corbett, a much better Corbett than the one we got stuck with.

"Mike Corbett has spent the last decade recruiting elite young men to the United States Air Force Academy and winning championships," said UAH Director of Athletics Dr. E.J. Brophy. "We are very confident that he is the man to lead Charger Hockey into the prestigious WCHA and back to winning on a consistent basis here at UAH."

Former coach Kurt Kleinendorst, who left the program suddenly and after only one season back in May to return to the professional ranks, can now sleep at night I suppose.

@MarkHorgas
(Twitter)

Let's close this out with a shot of the community rink at Pegula Ice Arena, because it's a vitally important part of the facility that always gets the short end of the stick.

Three Stars: June 24-30

3. Hockey or Football on Homecoming weekend? Penn State question of the day
(PennLive)

The brand-new Pegula Ice Arena will open its doors for the first NCAA hockey contest in its history, featuring the Nittany Lions against Army Friday night, Oct. 11. The next day is State's annual Homecoming game, and it should be a must-see game, as well, with Michigan coming to town for a 5 p.m. kick.

If you could only attend one game that weekend, which would it be? That is the Penn State question of the day.

Yes, I'm biased, but how is this even a question? Penn State football will play Michigan at home again in 2015. Penn State hockey will not be opening the ice arena that the university has needed for 100 years again in 2015.

2. A look back at highlights from the 2012-13 Penn State ice hockey season
(Stack the Pads)

Nothing wrong with a peek back before plowing forward, and Derek Meluzio has you covered in that department with photos, videos and memories galore.

1.Gibsonia’s Saad celebrates as Stanley Cup champion
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

As I'm sure you know, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last Monday with a stunningly quick game six rally in Boston to flip the result of a contest that previously looked like it would push the championship series to a seventh game. You probably also know that rookie Hawks forward Brandon Saad, a Pittsburgh-area native, is the younger brother of George Saad, who just completed his senior year with the NCAA Nittany Lions after three with the ACHA Icers. Regardless, it's not every day that a Penn Stater gets to celebrate on the ice with the Cup, so you can stand to hear it again.

Here's hoping the scene is duplicated someday, except with the Penn Stater in the beard and uniform. And involving pretty much any team besides the Blackhawks. The Islanders, Blues, Caps and Canucks would all work under the right circumstances.

Best of the Rest

@BattistaJoseph
(Twitter)

Your weekly PIA photo, combined with some news:

Successful test of the Ice plant at Pegula Ice Arena & raised scoreboard to the rafters! 72 days until we move in!

Seventy-two days from the June 26th tweet is Friday, September 6th. Going to go ahead and guess that not a whole lot of work is getting done on University Drive that afternoon.

Ohio State recruits Tyler Sheehy, Jack Dougherty decommit after Mark Osiecki firing
(Bucky's 5th Quarter)

Have I mentioned lately that I think the Buckeyes' stunning ejection of head coach Mark Osiecki a couple months ago was a huge mistake? Thanks to some great reporting from B5Q's Andy Johnson, we now know that OSU is up to five decommits since the coaching change. Zach Stepan, a teammate of Eamon McAdam with the Waterloo Black Hawks last season and a 2012 Nashville Predators draft pick, was the big blow in my opinion, but based on what I know about Tyler Sheehy, Jack Dougherty, Cliff Watson and Nolan Valleau... well, Osiecki wasn't a terrible recruiter, put it that way.

2013 NHL Mock Draft: NCAA Women’s Hockey Edition
(The Hockey Writers)

Hypothetical funsies: What if NHL teams were only allowed to draft women's NCAA players? The sole CHA player to be "selected" was Mercyhurst forward/conference player of the year Christine Bestland, as she went off the board 19th to Columbus, using the pick acquired from the Rangers as part of the Rick Nash trade. Don't ask me why trades of male players still count in a women-only league.

Arena's ice rink test hits its goal
(Lincoln Journal Star)

Pinnacle Bank Arena, the soon-to-be-open palace for Nebraska men's and women's basketball, is able to maintain a sheet of ice. If you need it. Anyone still want to argue for Illinois being the next Big Ten school to add hockey?

There actually is a counterpoint, though. At a listed capacity of 12,700 with the ice in, it's a little large for college hockey, and as a multi-purpose arena, Huskers hockey wouldn't have it whenever it wants. Wisconsin recently built a pricey ($27.9 million) auxiliary ice facility to combat similar issues with the Kohl Center. Ohio State suffers from that issue as well with Value City Arena, but with a less luxurious back-up, the OSU Ice Rink. In a world where Pegula Ice Arena is the new bar, is it really smart to enter NCAA hockey with a less-than-ideal facilities situation?

Gophers' Condon Talks Big Ten Hockey
(WSAW)

Someone affiliated with the University of Minnesota men's hockey program, senior center Nate Condon, is excited about the Big Ten. I don't really expect him to survive the week up there, but good luck bud.

The Meek Shall Inherit The Ice: Small colleges making it to the NCAA Frozen Four
(USA Hockey Magazine)

A nice look at how the little guys get it done on the game's biggest stage despite the presence of behemoth programs.

It's bound to change at least a little bit in time, but the article is interesting to me in part because Penn State reads more like a small-school program right now. The Lions are still heavy on mid-range prospects and four-year guys and light on the one-and-dones that characterize schools like Michigan and Wisconsin.



Eamon McAdam 2013 NHL Draft Prospect
(YouTube)

Generally, I'm taking a pass on NHL Entry Draft stuff here - most of the pre-gamers are out of date, the aftermath has and will be covered in other posts - but hey, highlights are timeless.

Goalies coach and Lancaster native Darren Hersh celebrates Kelly Cup title with Reading Royals
(lancasteronline.com)

Darren Hersh, the Icers' goaltending coach from 2000 through 2003, has had quite an interesting career - including a recent ECHL championship with the Reading Royals.

"I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of the special team that the Royals had this past season," Hersh said. "I hardly remember hoisting the Cup, because everything was a blur during the on-ice celebration. Honestly, there have been only a few other times in my life that I can remember being as happy as I was at that moment."

Oh, and because you can do things like this in hockey: two degrees of Eamon McAdam. Jay Williams, mentioned in the article and now at Miami University, is a former student at Hersh's goalie academy. McAdam and Williams were Waterloo Black Hawks teammates from 2010 through 2012.

2013-2014 Arizona Wildcat Hockey Schedule
(arizonawildcathockey.org)

The ACHA Division 1 Arizona Wildcats' schedule for the coming campaign includes a home series against York University, a CIS school. That one should be a nice measuring stick for both the rebuilding program and for the ACHA as a whole. The Icers lost to the then-Yeomen (they're called the Lions now, unfortunately) 6-1 on January 3rd, 2001. More recently, the CIS' University of British Columbia beat the ACHA's Arizona State and Oklahoma 8-2 and 4-3 (OT) in a holiday showcase on December 28th and 29th of last season.

Brianne McLaughlin named to 2014 Olympic hockey roster
(City of Champions)

Finally, congratulations to Robert Morris alumna-turned-assistant coach Brianne McLaughlin, who will once again serve as the CHA's only representative on the United States' Olympic entry for women's hockey next year in Sochi, Russia. The goalie was on the silver medal winning squad at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and also has a pair of gold medals from the Women's World Championships (2011 and 2013).