Nittany Lions to Appear Twice on NBCSN

Penn State and Michigan State will battle on NBC Sports Network January 18, 2014

NBC Sports Network, the channel best known as home base for NHL coverage in the U.S., will pick up college hockey games for a second season in 2013-2014 - helping Penn State add a pair of nationally-televised games in the process.

The first, somewhat surprisingly: the Nittany Lions' trip to Michigan State on Saturday, January 18th, 2014, the back half of a series that will see Friday's game televised by Big Ten Network. The second is a bit more expected, the March 1st, 2014 matchup at Minnesota that accidentally leaked last month when the Big Ten announced the bulk of its TV schedule, including (at the time) ten national appearances for Guy Gadowsky's squad.

Puck drop for the January 18th telecast has been set at 6:30 p.m. ET, while March 1st is still listed as "TBA."

In all, NBCSN will televise five games involving Big Ten teams, with a December 13th contest between Colorado College and Wisconsin leading things off.

Here's PSU's full TV schedule as known right now, in light of today's news:

Date	Time (ET)	Opponent	Television
Fri. Oct. 11	8:00 p.m.	Army	Big Ten Network
Fri. Oct. 18	9:05 p.m.	at Air Force
Sat. Oct. 19	9:05 p.m.	at Air Force
Fri. Oct. 25	7:00 p.m.	RIT
Sat. Oct. 26	5:00 p.m.	vs. Vermont (at Philadelphia, PA)	Comcast Network (PA) Comcast SportsNet (NE)
Fri. Nov. 1	7:05 p.m.	at Robert Morris
Fri. Nov. 8	7:00 p.m.	Sacred Heart
Thu. Nov. 14	7:00 p.m.	UMass-Lowell
Fri. Nov. 15	7:00 p.m.	UMass-Lowell
Sat. Nov. 30	7:00 p.m.	Union
Sun. Dec. 1	7:00 p.m.	Union
Fri. Dec. 6	8:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin*
Sat. Dec. 7	9:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin*
Fri. Dec. 27	7:35 p.m.	vs. Robert Morris (at Pittsburgh, PA)
Sat. Dec. 28	4:35 or 7:35 p.m.	vs. BC/BG (at Pittsburgh, PA)
Sun. Jan. 12	7:00 p.m.	Minnesota*
Mon. Jan. 13	TBD	Minnesota*	Big Ten Network
Fri. Jan. 17	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan State*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Jan. 18	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan State*	NBC Sports Network
Sat. Jan. 25	7:00 p.m.	Boston College
Fri. Jan. 31	7:05 p.m.	at Ohio State*
Sat. Feb. 1	2:00 p.m.	at Ohio State*	ESPNews
Fri. Feb. 7	7:00 p.m.	Michigan*
Sat. Feb. 8	5:00 p.m.	Michigan*	ESPNU
Fri. Feb. 14	6:30 p.m.	Michigan State*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Feb. 15	3:30 p.m.	Michigan State*	ESPNews
Fri. Feb. 21	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Feb. 22	7:00 p.m.	at Michigan*	FSN Detroit +
Fri. Feb. 28	9:00 p.m.	at Minnesota*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Mar. 1	TBD	at Minnesota*	NBC Sports Network
Fri. Mar. 7	7:00 p.m.	Wisconsin*
Sat. Mar. 8	7:00 p.m.	Wisconsin*
Fri. Mar. 14	7:00 p.m.	Ohio State*
Sat. Mar. 15	3:00 p.m.	Ohio State*
Thu. Mar. 20	3:00 or 8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Quarterfinals (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network
Fri. Mar. 21	3:00 or 8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Semifinals (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network
Sat. Mar. 22	8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Championship (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network

PSU on National TV Ten Times in 2013-14

Penn State will attempt to keep its spotless BTN record intact in 2013-2014

The Big Ten's long-awaited BTN television schedule was released Monday afternoon, and Penn State received a nice bounty of exposure: six regular-season games at at least one from the league tournament will air nationally on Big Ten Network (of the 27 total on BTN's schedule), beginning with the Pegula Ice Arena lidlifter October 11th against Army.

The network looks to deliver what it calls "unprecedented coverage" for hockey...

...including eight straight weeks of “Frozen Friday” doubleheaders in January and February and the 2014 Hockey City Classic at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. BTN also will televise the entire Big Ten Hockey Tournament, set for March 20-22, 2014, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.

At 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, prior to the season opener between Penn State and Army, BTN will air a 30-minute Big Ten Hockey Preview Show to highlight the season’s key storylines, players and matchups. Beginning Jan. 10, “Frozen Fridays” also will include pregame, intermission and postgame reports.

Rick Pizzo will host the BTN hockey studio, with game announcers including Dan Kelly (play-by-play), Rob Andringa (analyst), Ben Clymer (analyst), Matt Shepard (play-by-play), Fred Pletsch (reporter), along with others to be announced.

Penn State, of course, made its Big Ten Network debut last season with a 2-0 record in a pair of appearances. January 26th was the first, with PSU taking a 3-2 decision at Michigan State. The second was even more memorable: the season-closing 3-2 overtime win at Wisconsin on February 25th.

Great, right? Hold on, there's more.

Beyond the BTN schedule, the Big Ten has also reached agreements with ESPN (seven total games) and regional Fox Sports outlets (36 total games) that will produce another four television games for the Nittany Lions, with contests against Michigan State and Ohio State airing on ESPNU, another matchup with the Buckeyes on ESPNews, and the February 22nd trip to Michigan broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Detroit Plus.

As a result of the television arrangement, nearly all of PSU's conference games were also assigned start times, after being listed as "TBD" while TV was being worked out.

Additional television games may be announced at a later date. Last year's Three Rivers Classic was broadcast on a tape-delayed basis by Root Sports Pittsburgh while the inaugural Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff in January was live on The Comcast Network in southeastern Pennsylvania. This year's versions of those events would seem to be likely television candidates as the games approach.

Perhaps most intriguing of all: the idea that the Nittany Lions may appear on NBC Sports Network, a channel best known in hockey circles for its national NHL contract, although it entered the college hockey landscape last season through 20 games, most due to a deal with Hockey East. Prior to the Big Ten's announcement, the schedule on Minnesota's official website leaked NBCSN airing the March 1, 2014 Penn State trip to Minneapolis.

Minnesota quickly deleted that note after the Big Ten TV schedule was revealed, but a couple things are worth mentioning. First of all, the announcement was delayed by a couple hours, from 3:00 p.m. to roughly 5:00 p.m. Second of all, the time of that March 1st game is still listed as "TBA" by Penn State, one of just three remaining games without set times. Put it all together, and it's not completely off the map to conclude that NBCSN will be part of the Big Ten broadcast package, with things hitting a (probably minor) snag on Monday, resulting in those games being announced at a later date. Credible sites like Gopher Puck Live continue to insist that the Penn State at Minnesota game will be carried by NBCSN at 7:00 eastern.

In any case here's PSU's full schedule as we know it, with television noted and puck drop times updated:

Date	Time (ET)	Opponent	Television
Fri. Oct. 11	8:00 p.m.	Army	Big Ten Network
Fri. Oct. 18	9:05 p.m.	at Air Force
Sat. Oct. 19	9:05 p.m.	at Air Force
Fri. Oct. 25	7:00 p.m.	RIT
Sat. Oct. 26	5:00 p.m.	vs. Vermont (at Philadelphia, PA)
Fri. Nov. 1	7:05 p.m.	at Robert Morris
Fri. Nov. 8	7:00 p.m.	Sacred Heart
Thu. Nov. 14	7:00 p.m.	UMass-Lowell
Fri. Nov. 15	7:00 p.m.	UMass-Lowell
Sat. Nov. 30	7:00 p.m.	Union
Sun. Dec. 1	7:00 p.m.	Union
Fri. Dec. 6	8:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin*
Sat. Dec. 7	9:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin*
Fri. Dec. 27	7:35 p.m.	vs. Robert Morris (at Pittsburgh, PA)
Sat. Dec. 28	4:35 or 7:35 p.m.	vs. BC/BG (at Pittsburgh, PA)
Sun. Jan. 12	7:00 p.m.	Minnesota*
Mon. Jan. 13	TBD	Minnesota*	Big Ten Network
Fri. Jan. 17	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan State*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Jan. 18	TBD	at Michigan State*
Sat. Jan. 25	7:00 p.m.	Boston College
Fri. Jan. 31	7:05 p.m.	at Ohio State*
Sat. Feb. 1	2:00 p.m.	at Ohio State*	ESPNews
Fri. Feb. 7	7:00 p.m.	Michigan*
Sat. Feb. 8	5:00 p.m.	Michigan*	ESPNU
Fri. Feb. 14	6:30 p.m.	Michigan State*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Feb. 15	3:30 p.m.	Michigan State*	ESPNews
Fri. Feb. 21	6:30 p.m.	at Michigan*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Feb. 22	7:00 p.m.	at Michigan*	FSN Detroit +
Fri. Feb. 28	9:00 p.m.	at Minnesota*	Big Ten Network
Sat. Mar. 1	TBD	at Minnesota*
Fri. Mar. 7	7:00 p.m.	Wisconsin*
Sat. Mar. 8	7:00 p.m.	Wisconsin*
Fri. Mar. 14	7:00 p.m.	Ohio State*
Sat. Mar. 15	3:00 p.m.	Ohio State*
Thu. Mar. 20	3:00 or 8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Quarterfinals (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network
Fri. Mar. 21	3:00 or 8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Semifinals (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network
Sat. Mar. 22	8:00 p.m.	Big Ten Championship (St. Paul, MN)	Big Ten Network

TCN to Broadcast PSU-Vermont

UVM sophomore defenseman Nick Luukko, here working against Maine's Joey Diamond in a game last season, has friends in high places at Comcast.

According to a television schedule given on the website of Lehigh Valley newspaper The Morning Call, January 19th's Penn State-Vermont clash at the Wells Fargo Center, now being called the Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff, will air on The Comcast Network.

TCN - formerly known as CN8 and not to be confused with usual Flyers carrier Comcast SportsNet - is broadcast across Comcast cable systems in four states and 20 television markets (as with many things like this, the best bet is to check your local listings for availability). Most of the channel's lineup is aimed at a senior demographic, although it carries its share of sports programming as well, including indoor soccer, minor league baseball, and some collegiate events. TCN also serves as an overflow channel when two of the major Philadelphia teams carried on local channels are playing simultaneously.

As for the game itself, it should be a good one. Vermont, as I've been saying for a while, represents the best chance for the Nittany Lions to take down a major-conference program in this first year. Recruiting losses, coach defections and pro signings all gashed what wasn't a great team to begin with (UVM was 3-23-1 in 2011-2012) during the offseason, and the Catamounts (0-1-2, 0-1-2 HEA) are projected to once again be the dregs of Hockey East. At the very least, they should be a more attainable target than Union, Michigan State or Wisconsin. Penn State, on the other hand, has exceeded most reasonable expectations so far and has started 4-1-0 against NCAA Division I competition. While all five of those games have come against teams in Atlantic Hockey, DI's only mid-major conference, a bad major-conference program hardly seems out of reach for the Nittany Lions at this juncture.

The game's being televised, or even existing in the first place, is only partly due to Penn State. Comcast Spectacor and Flyers president Peter Luukko's son Nick is a sophomore defenseman on the Catamounts and (surprise!) was a sixth-round pick of the Flyers in the 2010 draft. Comcast Spectacor, of course, owns both Philadelphia's NHL team and, more significantly here, the arena they play in.

Other UVM players to watch Brett Bruneteau, a center who transferred from North Dakota and is a Washington draft selection, and brother Nick, a junior defenseman. The Bruneteaus have quite a hockey lineage, perhaps rivaled only on the Penn State side by the Patrick family - Brett and Nick's great uncle was Mud Bruneteau, who scored for the Detroit Red Wings at 16:30 of the sixth overtime period on March 24, 1936 to end the longest game in NHL history. Junior forward Connor Brickley, still another NHL pick (Florida, 2nd round, 2010), is a former National Team Development Program product and competed for Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championships.

The clash with Vermont is the third PSU game to make it to a traditional television outlet viewable by a large number of Penn State fans. Previously, the January 26th game with Michigan State and the February 25th matchup at Wisconsin were announced for Big Ten Network. Some games, including the October 20th win over RIT and the other games of the MSU and UW series, have been or will be broadcast in areas local to the home teams.

Of course, if TV isn't good enough for you, tickets for the clash go on sale this Friday, through ComcastTIX.

Men Announce Broadcast Arrangement

Steve Penstone will reprise his role as Voice of Penn State Hockey.

Just about 50 hours ahead of the inaugural NCAA Division I game in program history, Penn State has announced that video of men's home games will be streamed on Penn State's All-Access channel, while audio of all games will be broadcast over the school's radio network as well as the All-Access channel. Here's the relevant part of the release.

---

Thirteen [radio] stations in three states will carry Penn State men's hockey, while streaming will be available through GoPSUsports.com's All-Access channel. Video and audio streams will be produced for all home games and an audio-only feed will be available for road contests.

Penn State fans can purchase a monthly ($9.95) or yearly ($79.95) subscription that allows patrons to watch all Nittany Lion live-streamed and archived events. Subscriptions can be purchased at www.gopsusports.com/allaccess.

Steve Penstone, who served as play-by-play broadcaster for Penn State's club team the last 10 seasons, will return in the same capacity during the 2012-13 campaign. Tim King, who most recently served as a news anchor for KQV-AM in Pittsburgh, will join Penstone as color analyst.

The Nittany Lions will also appear on national television twice during the season. Both Penn State's matchups against Michigan State Jan. 26 and Wisconsin Feb. 25 will air on the Big Ten Network.

---

It's fantastic to finally know how fans not at the rinks (which will include myself some amount of the time) can follow the inaugural men's NCAA season, although it's unfortunate that no traditional television outlets will be involved beyond the two already-known BTN dates. Johnstown's WJAC, more than any other local TV outlet, seems to be in attendance at every major PSU hockey media event - I had actually convinced myself at one point that they were trying to promote the program because they planned to air a couple games. Obviously, the TV partners of the Flyers and Penguins have giant holes in their schedules as well at the moment.

The pay aspect to it is a little disappointing as well, but it should be remembered that we've been spoiled for quite a while with accessible and free Icers broadcasts, thanks to the hard and often thankless work of Steve and Barb Penstone. From a completely selfish standpoint, I do wish there was a pay-per-view option, versus requiring a card on file for an automatically recurring charge.

On a more positive note, it's fantastic to see Penstone back at the mic. He's become synonymous with the team's broadcasts over his decade of work, to the point where not bringing him back would have been a public relations disaster. The hockey radio network, while not quite as robust as it is for other sports, does reach several areas of the commonwealth and also includes out-of-state entries in Youngstown, OH and Olean, NY. In State College, the games will be on WRSC 103.1 FM.

Those interested in video of away games (beyond the two on BTN) will generally have to rely on broadcasts produced by Penn State's opponents, as they own the rights to video originating in their rinks. The alternatives there range from full internet streaming to non-streamed local TV broadcasts to nothing at all. As each away weekend comes up, I'll make every effort to communicate all available broadcast options.

PSU Gets Second BTN Game

Wisconsin's Kohl Center frequently delivers fans in large numbers.

In what qualifies as a surprise, at least to me, the men's team's season-closing game on February 25th (a Monday) at Wisconsin, will air on Big Ten Network. The game will now begin at 8:30 p.m. eastern, a change from the original 8:00 p.m. start.

The UW series, which will be played as a Sunday-Monday set, was moved from Friday-Saturday to accommodate the Wisconsin state high school wrestling tournament, which also takes place at the Badgers' home Kohl Center.

Sunday's game will be carried by Fox Sports Wisconsin at 8:00 p.m., which might also be helpful to know if you have a sports package that offers the regional Fox Sports networks, like those available on DirecTV and Dish Network. The men's schedule page will track broadcast information as is comes out.

This is, of course, the second announced BTN date for the new NCAA program - on Monday, it was learned that PSU's January 26th game at Michigan State would be carried on the network.

Wisconsin presents an interesting challenge, not just as a great program, but as one that may present the largest crowd ever faced by a Penn State hockey team. The Badgers led the nation in attendance last season by drawing 11,773 fans per game in a 15,325-seat venue - a mark only Nebraska-Omaha and Ohio State can even potentially touch, based on rink capacity.

The likely record going into the UW series will come from the expected sellout for the October 20th game against RIT at Rochester's Blue Cross Arena, capacity 11,200. The games at the Penguins' (the Steel City Classic, December 28th and 29th) and Flyers' (Vermont, January 19th) arenas could also set the bar, should they sell well. The Icers' (unofficial) record was 7,200 for a game at Arizona on January 8, 1994. Factor in the national television audience on a night with little sports competition, and it might now be fair to definitively call February 25th the largest stage of the season.

That's not meant to take away from the opponent, which will be a typically formidable Badgers team. The 2006 national champs, who went an atypical 17-18-2 last season, recharge with a class placed into a three-way tie for second in the WCHA by recruiting expert Jasper Kozak-Miller.

Wisconsin brings in a small but respectable class led by Nic Kerdiles, taken in the second round by his hometown Anaheim Ducks, and forward Morgan Zulinick. Kerdiles is an athletic forward whose natural agility and stride excite scouts, and although his offensive ceiling might not be astronomical, it certainly will surprise opposing defensemen in Madison.

While the team lost stalwart D-man Justin Schultz to the pros, it does return the other nine of the top ten scorers from last season, including Mark Zengerle and Michael Mersch. Mersch was a fourth-round pick of the Kings in 2011 and he and Kerdiles are just two of eight NHL-drafted players on the roster. Long story short, PSU might have saved its biggest challenge of the inaugural season for last.

It's difficult to make sweeping statements before Penn State and the BTN release their full broadcast schedules, but the guess here is that we'll have to settle for these two national games plus the expected hodgepodge of streaming arrangements and inaccessible local broadcasts. While BTN does carry games involving non-Big Ten opponents, the broadcasts always originate from a Big Ten venue for rights reasons. Beyond the MSU and Wisconsin series, the Nittany Lions' only games on the campus of a league school will be played at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion, which has a television setup somewhere south of optimal for a number of reasons. NBC Sports and CBS Sports, the other major national carriers of college hockey, have already released PSU-free schedules.

BTN to Carry January 26th PSU-MSU Game

Penn State hockey will likely make its first-ever national television appearance on January 26th when the Nittany Lions travel to future Big Ten rival Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena. The game will be aired on Big Ten Network at 6:05 p.m., a shift from the game's original 7:00 start time.

The full BTN schedule has not been released yet, so there's at least a chance that PSU's series at Wisconsin on February 24th and 25th will make it to the network, although this news almost certainly reduces the likelihood of that possibility. It's improbable that any other games make it to the big stage, although several are likely to be carried by the local outlets of opponents.

Regardless, Michigan State represents an exciting opponent for a first BTN go, one that made it to the NCAA Tournament last season under then first-year coach Tom Anastos. The Spartans are a historical giant of college hockey, a legacy that includes three national championships, nine Frozen Four appearances and 25 conference regular season or tournament titles. For 2012-2013, MSU loses three NHL draft picks and superstar defenseman Torey Krug, who signed with the Boston Bruins. However, goalie Will Yanakeff is good enough to get a young team through some early growing pains. A talented recruiting class, including Shattuck-St. Mary's product John Draeger on defense, should find its legs by the time PSU rolls into East Lansing.

Contrary to what might be popular belief, this won't be Penn State hockey's first time on any sort of television. The Icers made a smattering of local TV appearances, including as far back as the 1973-1974 season.

Response from national broadcasters to the new NCAA program has been somewhat tepid so far, as both NBC Sports and CBS Sports passed on the Nittany Lions when releasing their schedules. It's unfortunate but somewhat understandable, as the novelty of a "new" team and Penn State's brand name has been outweighed by the unknown quality of the team and the "let's wait until next year when the arena's done" factor.

Speaking of next year, the Big Ten Network is expected to be a much larger presence for PSU hockey at that point, since it marks the inaugural season of the conference sponsoring hockey. One has to imagine that a majority of Nittany Lion games will be either on television or on the BTN's digital platform from that point.

Beyond the Saturday at Michigan State and for this season, PSU fans (and bloggers) will probably have to rely heavily on a not-yet-announced online streaming arrangement (better get on that guys, season starts in 11 days) as well as the streaming arrangements made by opponents for away games.

Three Stars: October 31-November 6

3. Trip to Morrisville already looms large
(fredoniabluedevils.com)

In case you missed this possibly-under-the-radar detail...

The Penn State game is the part of a home-and-home deal which will bring the Nittany Lions to Steele Hall next season as a first-year NCAA Division I program. And while it's the [not the] sexier of the two games this weekend, the Morrisville State trip is much more meaningful.

I haven't been able to confirm a date for the FSU game as of yet, but when I find anything out, I'll let you know via a quick post. Bonus points to Fredonia State for the use of "sexier" in a rote pregame write-up.

2. Transfer happy to play in Hockey Valley
(Daily Collegian)

Katie Montgomery checks in with a great look at Taylor Holstrom, the middleman of the Icers' top line. Holstrom's always been an interesting case to me as a guy who had a lot of success at Mercyhurst, yet still transferred for the great unknown of what will transpire at PSU. Surely, he agonized over the possible outcomes, weighed the situation from every angle...

"It's Penn State, who wouldn't want to come here? I heard they were starting the [Division I] program and I had the opportunity, so I took it."

...or not.

1. Icers Recap: A Couple of Rare Treats For the Home Crowd
(Black Shoe Diaries)

Congrats IcersGuy, who I can now say I know in real life (kinda), you're first star.

If you're not in the mood to read my update-every-30-seconds live blog from when I was at the Fredonia State game or the live blog from when I watched the Pitt game late Sunday night and realized that Tosh.0 is less funny without sound, go here. Actually go here anyway, because he has thoughts on the NCAA-worthiness of a couple of Icers, something that will become more of a topic as the season goes on, especially if the vast majority of games continue to be not all that competitive.

Best of the Rest

Ice Lions Third in Southeast
(psuicelions.com)

The first D2 ranking of the season came out last week, and the Ice Lions were positioned well - third in the Southeast Region to be specific, behind only perennial powers Florida Gulf Coast and Maryland-Baltimore County.

PSU solidified its new found ranking with a pair of home wins over No. 4 Virginia Tech (4-1 behind Chris Lewis' pair of goals and 3-1 thanks to two more points from Lewis, as well as a goal-assist night from Patrick Kinch) and a Sunday shutout of Temple in Philly. At Southeast No. 3, 12-2-0 and coming off a three-game weekend, guess what the team was up to on Monday.

The Ice Lions' next game is Saturday at 8:00 p.m. at Drexel, with a live feed available on UStream. If Penn State loses, it certainly won't be from a lack of commitment.

Q&A: Schacker on goaltending, transferring
(State Press)

If Penn State had anything resembling a goaltending issue, I suppose we could lament Mark Schacker, a PSU-to-Arizona State transfer, as one that got away. But instead, he's just a good goalie who might be trying to win an important game against the Icers in March.

Cycling the Puck with Dave Sottile
(Pennsylvania Puck)

We hit Holstrom earlier, so why not a check-in with another DI transfer, Justin Kirchhevel?

@josh24weiner
(Twitter)

Penn State plays Delaware in just under two weeks (November 18 and 19) in what could prove to be the biggest regular-season games in the entire ACHA this year. So how have the Blue Hens, particularly sophomore forward Collin Going and senior defenseman Josh Weiner, been preparing?

Why do they make the Forever Lazy in Delaware blue, but not PSU blue?

American Prospect Update: World Junior A Challenge Preview
(The United States of Hockey)

Sorry Chris, I'm all about the (western version of the) maple leaf in this one, thanks to the two involved PSU commits, Mr. Loik and Mr. Juha. Ooooooo Can-a-da, someone else's home and na-tive land....in all seriousness though, it will take a lot to top Team USA in this tournament.

WJAC Team Previews
(Hockey Now)

Here are a few quick blurbs on the rest of the WJAC field. The event begins today for most teams, although Canada West's first game is not until Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. against Sweden.

What Do New NCAA Reforms Mean for College Hockey?
(Western College Hockey Blog)

I considered a post about the hockey applications of the new NCAA reforms, which most notably include a stipend of up to $2000 per athlete on a full scholarship. Then I read WCHB's post, threw up my hands, and said "I can't write it better."

NBC Sports Announces National College Hockey TV Package
(College Hockey News)

Obviously, this is very significant news for college hockey, as the network soon to be known as NBC Sports has unveiled their initial package of games to be broadcast this season. There will surely be more on the way in subsequent years, especially if Notre Dame and Hockey East are involved.

I held this link until last simply because I'll have more thoughts on it later this week. A quick teaser: I'm concerned that the Big Ten, and by extension Penn State, has already fallen behind in the arms race.

Three Stars: October 3-9

3. Women's game a perfect fit for PSU's Brandwene
(Pennsylvania Puck)

I think one key thing that distinguishes a good women's coach from a great one is this: the great ones consider themselves of the women's game, even though all (of the male ones) started in the men's game. They're not simply men's coaches who need a paycheck and are doing time until something "better" opens up - coaching women is who they are and what they do. Guess which one Josh Brandwene is.

“As my coaching style changed and evolved over what’s now 20 years as a head coach, I discovered (the women’s game) was an exact match for who I am as a person and a coach now. It was just a great fit.

“It was natural as far as who I am as a person and as a communicator. It just worked. It’s a hard thing to quantify, but it was absolutely the right fit for me and that has sort of helped serve as a springboard to where I am and why I’m such a really good fit for the institution here and for coaching the women’s program here.”

2. Design committee looking into designs for Pegula Ice Arena
(The Daily Collegian)

The brass visited the shiny new Compton Family Ice Arena at Notre Dame to get some inspiration for possible tweaks to the Pegula Ice Arena design. But one interesting story here: someone finally asked a very obvious question, concerning the fate of the Ice Pavilion.

“There’s lots of different ideas about turning [the Ice Pavilion] into everything from a high-performance training area that would be kind of a joint venture between athletics and kinesiology and making it into recreational space,” [Joe] Battista said. “There is always the option of keeping it as an indoor roller hockey, indoor soccer facility.”

The decision on what to do with the Ice Pavilion will be up to Penn State Director of Athletics Tim Curley and Mark Bodenschatz, the associate athletic director for facilities and operations, Battista said.

Do the second one, the roller hockey, indoor soccer thing. Please.

1. Sneak Peek: Pegula Ice Arena
(Onward State)

Eric Weiss from Onward State has ambitiously put together all of the known renderings of Pegula Ice Arena. While there's nothing there unseen to devoted TYT readers (note his source), it has the added advantage of analysis by someone who actually knows something about architecture - like, say, an architecture major from PSU's outstanding program.

Best of the Rest

M2: Penn State 5, Lindenwood (M1) 7
(Thank You Terry)

Yes, I just linked myself.

But more importantly, I linked the Ice Lions who, at 5-2-0, really seem to have a new spirit about them under Josh Hand's direction. New website, new effort at media relations, new UStream channel with game broadcasts, and hey, the product on the ice isn't too shabby either - as mighty Lindenwood can now attest.

Sandwiching that effort at the D2 showcase this past weekend was a 3-2 overtime win over DePaul on Friday and a disappointing 6-5 loss to SIU-Edwardsville on Sunday in a possible letdown situation. Still, this has the look of a program ready to take the next step after barely missing nationals last year. They'll keep after that goal next weekend with engagements at Monmouth (October 21), at Rider (October 22) and at St. Joseph's (October 23).

@Billy_Downey
(TwitPic)

Did the Icers have to shower after the Lebanon Valley College game before heading up to Paternoville?

Mercyhurst 'looking to start again' after offseason losses
(USCHO)

I shouldn't enjoy Rick Gotkin's continued shock over losing Taylor Holstrom and Nate Jensen to Penn State as much as I do. But it probably means that we got a couple pretty good players.

2013 regional sites announced
(ncaa.com)

East: Providence, RI; Northeast: Manchester, NH; Midwest: Toledo, OH; West: Grand Rapids, MI. Book your hotels now. Actually, don't, we won't be playing there (unless you want to go and represent PSU regardless, of course). But we could play in the NCAA tournament - in theoretical land, anyway - and that's pretty exciting in and of itself.

The Frozen Four for the first PSU varsity season was previously announced in favor of Pittsburgh, PA and the Consol Energy Center.

10 Questions: Hockey Coach Guy Gadowsky
(Onward State)

It's a little frustrating when those who cover hockey on a part-time basis score a big interview...then ask the same questions everyone else asks. I swear I've read each of those answers about 30 times from different outlets. Granted, I'm not typical in that department. And please don't take this as me complaining about attention. There ain't no bad publicity.

@ShawneyJ
(Twitter)

Part of my routine involves searching for "Penn State hockey" on Twitter (thanks to the legendary Teddy Hume for that advice). Most of the time, I learn nothing except what's going on with the PSU field hockey team. But sometimes, I see Icers getting shouted out by Olympic gold medal gymnasts. Well done boys.

@MattBHeck
(Twitter)

Then again, once in a while, I find something like this. Not unexpectedly, Mr. Heck is a North Dakota loyalist - more or less the one school that hasn't been all "hey, welcome to the club" and seems to hate us for some unexplained reason.

BGSU Hockey To Join WCHA Beginning In 2013-14

(bgsufalcons.com)

Notre Dame Hockey Program To Join Hockey East Beginning In 2013-14

(und.com)

Are we finally close to the end of all of this? Bowling Green dropped the idea of starting their own conference with some Atlantic Hockey schools and Buffalo and has accepted their standing WCHA invitation. Notre Dame has officially announced for Hockey East. So, in 2013, we have...

Big Ten (6): Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin.

NCHC (8): Colorado College, Denver, Miami, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Western Michigan.

Hockey East (11): Boston College, Boston University, Maine, Massachusetts, Massachusetts-Lowell, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Providence, Vermont.

WCHA (9): Alaska, Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Northern Michigan.

ECAC (12): Brown, Clarkson, Colgate, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Quinnipiac, RPI, St. Lawrence, Union, Yale.

Atlantic Hockey (12): Air Force, American International, Army, Bentley, Canisius, Connecticut, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Niagara, Robert Morris, RIT, Sacred Heart.

Still completely screwed (1): Alabama-Huntsville.

X-Factors (2): Buffalo, Minnesota State-Moorhead

There's a pretty logical conclusion to all of this (which of course means it will play out some other way). Hockey East poaches from the ECAC (many think RPI) to get to 12. The ECAC then hits Atlantic Hockey (many think RIT) to get back to 12 themselves. Atlantic Hockey and the WCHA get stuck with odd numbers as the two weakest conferences. But that's not entirely a bad thing, because it leaves the door open for the two x-factors to grab an open slot in those conferences. Unless UAH gets an invite to one, which unfortunately doesn't seem all that likely.

What's Next for College Hockey?
(College Hockey News)

At the risk of linking something redundant with what I just said, this one had to go in for its mention of...wait for it...Rhode Island (!) as a potential Hockey East team (they admit it's not a realistic scenario, but still).

How Notre Dame Won Realignment
(The United States of Hockey)

Of course, Notre Dame joining Hockey East ended up as almost secondary news at its own press conference to this: NBC Sports will be broadcasting ND home games starting in 2013. That's how the Irish are declared winners here, a conclusion with which I don't fully agree, in part because I think the Big Ten Network's digital platform (which, if it's anything like basketball, will include all member teams' games not on TV...even the away ones) is being sold short. NBC Sports will undoubtedly develop that end of things in time, but they haven't as of yet. Notre Dame won big without a doubt. But I think the Big Ten schools won just as big.

Really though, I think we need to go a couple years deep before we can accurately identify winners and losers. The NCHC looks pretty bad at the moment, but they may come off as geniuses if Notre Dame's better-than-everyone-else-in-the-conference deal ends up being a giant wedge, a la Texas and the Big 12 in those other college sports. The luster will come off of the golden dome pretty quickly if nobody watches (a legitimate question to ask: is Notre Dame or Notre Dame football the true "national brand?"). However, until the NCHC produces their own major TV deal, they'll have to answer the following question: what, exactly, was the point of your conference?

CHA moves forward despite step back
(USCHO)

Speaking of conference realignment, here's a nice look at our women's conference - including where it's been, where it is now, and where it might be going in the future.

Coming to America One

Amidst all of the recent discussion of men's college hockey television rights, one deal has been reached that will allow for unprecedented access to Penn State's women's program - including the ability to watch all home games and conference away games.

---

College Hockey America and America One have announced a three-year partnership to show every game of the league’s regular and post season on the revolutionary broadband broadcasting network. All College Hockey America home games will be seen starting with the 2011-12 regular season and throughout the playoffs.

“This is a great opportunity for College Hockey America and its members,” states Bob DeGregorio, Commissioner of College Hockey America. “We are excited to show fans, family, alumni and current students at our member institutions the game of women’s ice hockey. It is a great game and if fans, family and alumni cannot be in the arena, this gives them another avenue to be a part of their institutions program.”

“This the first regular season conference-wide broadcasting agreement for women’s ice hockey and America ONE is honored to be the broadcast solution,” said Preston Bornman. “With our ONE Vision Plus player, College Hockey America’s parents, fans and alumni can enjoy all the live and archived games online and in high-quality.”

Fans will be able to watch all College Hockey America home games on their home computer via the new ONE Vision Plus Video Player. This player provides fans the ability to switch from live game to live game, as well have video on demand access to archived games for one price. The pricing for the 2011-12 season is as follows. A day pass, which includes going back and watching games from the previous 24 hours is $8.00. A monthly pass is $30.00, while a full-season’s pass is $120.00. The purchase of a season pass gives the fan an opportunity to go back and watch every College Hockey America conference games and home non-conference games played from the start of the season.

---

Three years, of course, means two years where PSU is a likely CHA member. With no Big Ten women's hockey in the immediate future, Big Ten Network's involvement with the women's game will probably remain pretty minimal, underscoring the importance of this agreement. While pay-per-view webcasts aren't necessarily ideal, they're roughly infinity times better than the Lady Icers' present broadcast arrangement and should be tremendous for fans (not to mention TYT's coverage).

One other quick and unrelated CHA observation, although not one that qualifies as news just yet. Lindenwood has released its 2011-2012 schedule, and it contains ten CHA games - just two fewer than full conference members, and including the full allotment against conference members Robert Morris and Mercyhurst. Numerous scenarios to re-populate the current four-team league have been kicked around, including one where Ohio State moves from the WCHA to CHA with Lindenwood sliding into the empty WCHA slot. But the schedules indicate a slightly different story. Could the Lady Lions be trying out for CHA membership starting in 2013-2014 when full NCAA membership is anticipated following a two-season provisional period?

Three Stars: August 1-7

3. Hey Hockey Valley, Get Ready to 'Roar into the Future!'
(statecollege.com)

Joe Battista gets his pump on with glowing words about Guy Gadowsky, Josh Brandwene, the four assistants on their respective staffs, Bill Downey, the new men's hockey SID and pretty much anyone else he could fit into a column of reasonable length. He's thrilled to get to the future, and why shouldn't he be with the people we have around both programs?

Clearly though, Battista's not an avid reader. If this blog leaves one lasting contribution to Penn State hockey, let it be the torpedoing of the 1946 myth.

One more thing: here's a challenge. Find someone saying something bad about Gadowsky on the internet. I bet you can't, and that says a lot in this day and age. My Google Alert (which sends Google hits to my email and has certainly helped with a post or two) reads "Guy Gadowsky," not "Guy Gadowsky + rad + bodacious" and I have yet to see anything.

My, how things have changed since the early 90s.

The closest thing has been a Twitter argument where the other side believed Mark Johnson would've been a better hire. And it's not like the other side said anything bad about Gadowsky, so...doesn't count.

2. Q&A: Men's hockey coach ready to start // Hockey gift endows goaltender, names coach's office // Former Icer Brandwene picked to lead women's ice hockey
(Nittany Lion Club Newsletter)

Admittedly, I didn't get around to reading the summer issue of the NLC Newsletter until this week, so it came as a little bit of a shock when I found three topical articles contained within. They probably don't include much you haven't read before (particularly the last two, on the John and Karen Davis donation and the Josh Brandwene hire, which borrow heavily from the original press releases), but hey, let me know if you find something that covers tons of new ground in August.

1. 2011 season preview: Looking at the CHA (Part 1 of 2)
(examiner.com)

Part 2 was promised "tomorrow," and "tomorrow" was last Wednesday, so you'll just have to survive on Part 1 for now. Anyway, get to know (half of) our future women's conference a year earlier than you need to. You'll thank me later. And actually, it may come in handy before the 2012-2013 season, since the Lady Icers open this season's ambitious schedule September 23rd at Robert Morris.

Best of the Rest

Well-rounded forward chooses PSU
(Lions 247)

Your money quote, from subject of the article Kenny Brooks:

“At first we’re all going to be young guys, so we all are going to have to work hard. But by the time I leave, I expect us to be competing with all of the top schools in the Big Ten and nationally as well. Hopefully we will be from the start, you can never really tell, and with the great coaching staff in place you never know what they can do.”

Winter Classic week full of possibilities
(Camden Courier-Post)

Fresh non-committal words concerning the in-negotiation outdoor game January 4th against NCAA Division III Neumann University, summarized nicely by:

Flyers president Peter Luukko, the driving force behind Philadelphia's bid for the Winter Classic, confirmed Tuesday night that games featuring the American Hockey League's Adirondack Phantoms and Penn State University men's hockey team are in the works.

"Those are both very good possibilities,' " Luukko said, adding, "There is a cost associated with keeping (the rink) up a couple days."

I'm equally excited for the idea of Holland Oates performing at the Winter Classic. As long as Peter Gabriel is there too (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia reference).

Compton Family Ice Arena
(und.com)

Notre Dame's page containing all things related to their in-progress facility. Including a live look at the construction. Not bad, guys.

Huskies add to coaching staff
(St. Cloud Times)

Another week, another unemployed former Head Coach Candidate finds work. This time, it's former Wayne State women's boss Jim Fetter, who rudely had his program cancelled out from under him in May.

CCHA, WCHA talk merger
(Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune)

Remember that thing everyone assumed wouldn't happen? Yeah, well it might.

Even with this news, it's still pretty easy to see the finish line:

• Notre Dame will pick a conference - most likely the NCHC or Hockey East - by August 15th (reinforced in the article). Western Michigan will beg to be allowed to join, citing the Andy Murray hire and undoubtedly a Powerpoint presentation.
• The CCHA and WCHA schools not locked into the Big Ten, the NCHC or wherever ND and WMU go will merge into one conference.
• Or they won't. The WCHA, which has already poached Northern Michigan from the CCHA and is eyeing Alaska as well, would be good to go with at least six teams, possibly adding potential new program Minnesota State-Moorhead later, should MSUM get paid.
• The CCHA would need to add the Four for 18 club (Mercyhurst, Canisius, Niagara, Robert Morris) from Atlantic Hockey to survive without a merger. Yeah, I just made that up. Fear me.
• In non-merger scenario, AHA would still have eight teams and wouldn't need to do anything.
• Alabama-Huntsville remains completely screwed.

Versus Nears Deal to Televise College Hockey
(College Hockey News)

Apparently, Western Michigan is the only entity waiting on Notre Dame.

The Versus package will not be a national deal, per se. It was not negotiated with College Hockey Inc. or the Hockey Commissioners Association. That is impossible given all of the deals conferences have separate Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) and teams have with other local channels.

But Versus is intending to reach agreement with all five current Division I leagues to air games on Friday or Saturday nights. Some of those deals have already been finalized. Versus is expected to make an announcement of its broadcast package once all of the deals have been completed.

Oh Pegula
(sabrenoise.com)

Yes, someone really wrote a poem about Terry Pegula. I didn't make it very far before I got embarrassed for the guy (the author, not Pegula) and stopped.

Who's the loser in the middle not wearing a cartoon animal costume?

Rescheduling of 'Furry' convention in Pittsburgh points to Penguins hosting 2012 NHL Draft
(The Hockey News)

THN's Ryan Kennedy observed that the rescheduling of an event at Pittsburgh's convention center might mean that the 2012 NHL Entry Draft is coming to the Consol Energy Center. As exciting as the idea of the first Penn State draft pick possibly hearing his name called in Pennsylvania is, for now the more interesting story is what was moved.

The city required the use of its convention center, which had already been booked for June 21 to 24 by Anthrocon, an annual gathering of Furries.

"Furries?"

Anthrocon...is for people who enjoy dressing up in mascot-style costumes, emulating animals.

Oh, okay. Well, at least Anthrocon was bumped up instead of back. So your teddy bear collection is presumably safe from overanxious plushophiles (not that far of a reach, people).

2011 Junior Evaluation Camp Central
(usahockey.com)

I'm not going to go huge on the World Junior Championships until actual Penn Staters are involved. For now, the essential knowledge is that 28 current or committed college players are presently among the 44 total at the USA Hockey Junior Evaluation Camp as they attempt to make the USA U20 team for the 2012 WJC tournament - held December 26, 2011 through January 5, 2012. The Big Ten is represented by Jon Merrill (Michigan), Nick Bjugstad and Justin Holl (Minnesota) and Mike Mersch (Wisconsin). Also of note: PSU coaching finalist Scott Sandelin is an assistant on the WJC team. Follow along with the camp and related exhibition games (all of which runs through the 13th) at the link.

Who are we doing this Versus?

College hockey will never be broadcast on Versus.

That doesn't exactly mean what you think. I'll put it to Michael McCarthy of USA Today to explain.

So much for the Versus name in TV sports.

Comcast's NBC Sports Group will announce Monday that it's jettisoning the Versus moniker and changing the name of the cable channel to NBC Sports Network. The makeover, including a new peacock logo, takes effect Jan. 2.

"This is more than just a name change for Versus," NBC Sports Group boss Mark Lazarus said in a statement. "It's a complete repositioning of the brand."

The national sports channel did a nice job on the NHL. But some hockey viewers complain, rightly or wrongly, they have trouble finding it on their cable box. Plus, Versus never developed into the legitimate, national rival to ESPN that many sports viewers had hoped.

The move was expected. Versus no longer has its own website.

Sports fans are far more familiar with NBC Sports, which televises everything from Super Bowls to Olympics. The move also allows NBC/Comcast (which recently beat back competing bids from ESPN and Fox Sports to retain Olympic rights through 2020) to put almost all of its Olympic coverage under the peacock logo.

The channel, originally launched as Outdoor Life Network in 1995, changed its name to Versus in 2006 in an effort to push into the mainstream sports marketplace. This latest name change, of course, may come with some added programming towards that end. In addition to the Olympics and the NHL, the channel to be known as NBC Sports may find itself in the college hockey business sooner, rather than later. Let's go back to what Ken Schott of the Schenectady Daily Gazette reported on July 22nd.

There could be a national college hockey package coming to Versus this season.

Numerous sources have indicated that Versus is discussing the possibility of televising regular-season college hockey games, beginning in January. What conferences would be involved, or what night the games would be shown (either Friday or Saturday) is unclear right now. Versus, part of the NBC Sports Group, is the cable home of the NHL. A few months ago, the NBC Sports Group signed a 10-year deal to keep the NHL on NBC and Versus.

I've speculated all along that Versus/NBC Sports will get into bed with whichever conference Notre Dame ultimately calls home, and I still believe that to be the case. But it seems as if the possibility at least exists for a deal that is national in scope - obviously a boon for the Big Ten and Penn State if an occasional game of the week appearance on what will be NBC Sports supplements the slate of games on Big Ten Network. And of course, a national deal means that neither the NCHC nor Hockey East gets the entirety of the revenue pie, which would help cement the Big Ten's spot at the top of the conference food chain.

However it ultimately plays out, it's an exciting development as college hockey starts to hopefully move past the stage where you need $7 and a B2 link to watch a game.