Three Stars: March 25-31

3. East Shore athlete of the week: Hershey's Luk Devorski
(pennlive.com)

A rare bit of Commonwealth Campus recruiting news: Luk Devorski, who just captained Hershey High to the Bears Cup title, plans to play hockey at PSU-Altoona next year. Devorski is the son of NHL referee Paul Devorski, which means that between Luk Devorski and Steph Walkom on the NCAA women's team, Penn State has clearly tapped the abundant "kids of NHL referees" pipeline.

2. PSU Hockey lands '14 James Robinson
(Lions 247)

James Robinson, our newest NCAA commit, gets the Dzurita - and apparently, he decided to go to Penn State without ever visiting campus. Here's Robinson on how that's possible:

“When I met with both [Coach Gadowsky and Coach Fisher] in person, they really stressed the academics of the school and how good it was. A combination of that and Coach Gadowsky’s track record making weaker teams into stronger teams helped out. His resume really did it for me.”

Score another for people over buildings. Just saying.

1. Coach Josh Brandwene returns to alma mater for historic season
(Daily Collegian)

Great subject matter meets great writing in this extended feature. Read and enjoy.

Best of the Rest

@Rob_Gsinger25
(Twitter)

While I have yet to be invited on a Pegula Ice Arena tour - I'm not exactly well-liked by administration if you haven't heard - I have no problem acknowledging when a guy like Rob Greissinger does a good job documenting things, as he did on Friday. And yes, for the 85th time, seats.

College hockey is enjoying a renaissance on eve of conference shuffle
(triblive.com)

Guy Gadowsky is quoted in this article, and although I wouldn't exactly file it under "breaking news," it's still a nice look at what has been a surge in popularity for college puck ahead of the Pittsburgh-hosted Frozen Four next weekend. Whatever you think of the imminent changes, there's very little doubt that as of April 1, 2013, the game is as healthy as it's ever been - and that's really exciting.

But then, this:

Jennifer Heppel, Big Ten associate commissioner for governance, said that unlike realignment in football and basketball, money was not the motivation.

Hahahahahahahahaha.... okay.

Reliving the 'Miracle on Ice' with 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team Captain Mike Eruzione
(statecollege.com)

Here's Joe Battista on the Miracle on Ice, since Mike Eruzione is speaking at Penn State on April 10th... hockey players talk about "living the dream" a lot, but Eruzione has to be the final word on it. Have one good game, make a living talking about it 33 years after the fact. No disrespect meant of course, he's earned it obviously... although it has to be said that Mark Johnson chose a slightly different route.

@CornellWAFT
(Twitter)

Far more of a powerhouse than the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament this year and a Frozen Four participant? Coming from the guy who picked Wisconsin (which lost 6-1 in their opening game) to win the national championship? Eh... I'll still take it.

Michigan Hockey's Unprecedented NCAA Streak Ends. What's Next?
(Maize 'n Brew)

I don't hate Michigan as much as most Penn Staters - the lifelong Ohioan thing probably as something to do with it - so seeing their side... well... kind of okay about seeing their 22-year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances end this year doesn't bother me. I suppose we have to start knowing the other Big Ten teams almost as well as we know our own, and this look at the program heading into the offseason is as good of a place as any to start with the Wolverines.

Chase Berger: Captain, Leader, Legend

Berger sticks around to captain Challenge Cup title team
(stltoday.com)

PSU commit Chase Berger was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's All-Metro Player of the Year after leading Saint Louis University High School to the Challenge Cup, the Mid-States Club Hockey Association's championship trophy. It was the first title in SLUH history, won after Berger delayed his entry to the USHL with the Tri-City Storm (who drafted him in the 2011 USHL Entry Draft) to take one last shot at it.

Hawkeyes Hockey Begins Women’s Hockey Team
(hawkeyeshockey.net)

Iowa is starting a non-varsity women's hockey team with plans to join the ACHA by the 2014-2015 season... and elected to illustrate the news with a photo of Hannah Hoenshell against Lindenwood at the Ice Pavilion.

Spartan hockey: Rebuilding takes 4-5 years, coach says
(Lansing State Journal)

Michigan State coach Tom Anastos lays out his rebuilding plan for the Spartans, notable from a Penn State perspective because the Big Ten is apparently terrible (a good MSU would help fix that) and also because Anastos says that next year's league schedule is "not yet finalized," as the slates for non-Big Ten teams have begun to trickle out.

As a reminder, until we have a full schedule, I'm trying to assemble as much of it as I can here.

George Gwozdecky to Leave DU Hockey Bench
(denverpioneers.com)

And finally: after 19 years, 443 wins and two national championships, George Gwozdecky - once given the Head Coach Candidate treatment on this blog back in 2010 - is done at Denver.

The Penn Stater's Guide to the NCAA Tournament III

Welcome to TYT's third annual "I'm a Penn State fan. Who should I root for in the NCAA Tournament?" post. To reiterate the rules: this post is not about prediction, serious analysis, or even personal preference (although that does creep into play on occasion). It's simply an attempt to rank the four schools in each of the four NCAA Tournament regions in terms of their relationship to PSU. Sometimes it involves past events, sometimes it involves future implications. Sometimes there's not a ton to go on, and I'll usually drop those schools somewhere in the middle. But if Penn State is your only concern, this is how I think your rooting interests should play out.

Until Penn State has a direct reason (ie. participation) to care about the NCAA Tournament, I'll defer to others for the hardcore stuff. Western College Hockey Blog, for example, has fantastic previews of each region (East, Northeast, Midwest, West), and I encourage you to go over there for further reading.

The winners of each region, of course, will congregate at the Frozen Four, hosted this year by Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center and Robert Morris University on April 11th (semifinals) and 13th (championship game). It's actually the first of consecutive Frozen Fours to be held in the Keystone State, as 2014's edition will head across the commonwealth to Philadelphia.

Finally, before we get started, here are the tournament brackets (interactive and PDF) from NCAA.com.

East Region (Providence, RI)

1. Quinnipiac vs. 4. Canisius, Saturday 5:30 p.m., ESPN3
2. Boston College vs. 3. Union, Saturday 9:00 p.m., ESPNU
Regional Final, Sunday 6:30 p.m., ESPNU


1. Union. It seems almost crazy now, given what happened subsequently, but I was absolutely pumped by PSU's competitive losses in Schenectady back in November (2-0 and 4-1, with empty-netters in both games). That was at a time when I didn't honestly see a major-conference win coming in NCAA Year One, and suffice it to say, I think Penn State would have a shot at being more than "competitive" today. In last year's version of this post, while discussing the Dutchmen, I said: "It would be pretty cool if the Dutchmen carried something like a Frozen Four appearance from this season into next season's games with the Nittany Lions." And yes, it was. With Union rumored to be making a trip to Pegula Ice Arena next season, I'm saying it again.

2. Canisius. The two Atlantic Hockey teams in the tournament this year both get a bump due to the fact that Penn State was an honorary member of the conference in 2012-2013, going 5-8-0 against AIC, RIT, Air Force, Sacred Heart, Army, Holy Cross, Robert Morris and Connecticut - there's nothing at all wrong with wanting to see the champion of the AHA tournament do well under those circumstances, even if they are up against it with an opening game against top overall seed Quinnipiac. The Golden Griffins also get points for a previous series with the Icers, back when the school played in NCAA Division III. PSU went 2-6-0 in those games, spanning from 1981 until 1995.

3. Quinnipiac. In a weaker region for Penn State interests (see: Midwest), the Bobcats may very well have been number one, due to my new blood bias (hey, we're new blood too, after all). For the little it may be worth now, QU's home TD Bank Sports Center was part of the legendary "get ideas for the PIA" arena tour taken by Penn State leadership, and is generally credited with influencing the "steep as code allows" (finish your drink!) nature of our nearly-complete student section.

4. Boston College. Eef. If you really want to see Boston College win anything (again), go away. If you're still here, it does need to be said that BC's one saving grace is the Eagles' three Pittsburgh natives: starting goalie Parker Milner, stud defenseman Patrick Wey, and freshman blueliner Travis Jeke. Diminutive superstar Johnny Gaudreau, the leading scorer both for BC and for Team USA's gold medal winning entry at this year's World Junior Championships, gets an honorable mention as a Philadelphia-area New Jersey native who played for Team Comcast. The three PA natives are tied with UMass-Lowell's batch as a tournament high.

Northeast Region (Manchester, NH)

1. UMass-Lowell vs. 4. Wisconsin, Friday 4:30 p.m., ESPN3
2. New Hampshire vs. 3. Denver, Friday 8:00 p.m., ESPNU
Regional Final, Saturday 6:30 p.m., ESPNU


1. Wisconsin. Do I really need to explain this one?

In its first NCAA season, Penn State beat a team that is participating in the NCAA Tournament. The fact that the Badgers are also a Big Ten school, and yeah, "rah-rah, go conference," almost seems like an afterthought next to that. Feel free to extrapolate and call UW the overall top seed - I'll be rooting for them against anyone in the field. Could you imagine if Penn State ended up beating the eventual national champions?

2. UMass-Lowell. Things significantly drop off from a Penn State standpoint after the obvious Wisconsin call, but the aforementioned three Pennsylvanians (defenseman Joe Houk of Richboro, goaltender Brian Robbins of Scotrun, forward Terrance Wallin of Yardley) and the new blood factor give the River Hawks the edge over UNH. Lowell, a former Division II superpower that elevated to DI in 1984, has been thoroughly average since then, but has now made consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and won its first Hockey East tournament title on Saturday by ending Jack Parker's legendary career at Boston University. New blood is fun until it gets annoying (see Union, with Quinnipiac setting a land speed record on the way there), and Lowell isn't annoying yet.

3. New Hampshire. If the Wildcats were to take the whole thing, I wouldn't complain. The school, quite accurately dubbed the University of No Hardware by detractors, is always there - UNH has been to 18 of the last 22 NCAA Tournaments and a streak of ten consecutive was snapped last year - but never wins, and is quite possibly the most storied program in college hockey without a national championship. There's not much on either side of the ledger from a Penn State/Pennsylvania perspective though, other than gigantic (6'6", 225 pounds) defenseman Eric Knodel, a West Chester native and a Toronto draft pick. He was selected when Brian Burke was still the Leafs' GM, although that probably goes without saying.

4. Denver. The Pios have always been sort of a nothing team to me. There's no disrespect intended in that statement, DU's obviously one of the most successful programs in college hockey, I just have literally no feelings positively or negatively about them. What drops them to the bottom of the region, then? They're joining the NCHC next year. I get the feeling that Big Ten-NCHC in hockey is going to be like Big Ten-SEC in football for years to come, or at least until the entire conference structure gets reshuffled again. Except hopefully, the Big Ten will be the better conference at hockey.

Midwest Region (Toledo, OH)

1. Notre Dame vs. 4. St. Cloud, Saturday 1:30 p.m., ESPN3
2. Miami vs. 3. Minnesota State, Saturday 5:00 p.m., ESPN3
Regional Final, Sunday 4:00 p.m., ESPNU


1. Notre Dame. It's not an easy call in a region that's absolutely brutal for Penn State interests, but I've always been fond of the fact that once upon a time, the Icers played Notre Dame. The Irish temporarily removed varsity status from its hockey program for a single season, 1983-1984, and scheduled a series in Johnstown against eventual club national champion PSU, with ND taking three points from the weekend. The next season, with Lefty Smith's gang back in the NCAA, the Icers went to South Bend and were swept. Notably, Notre Dame was Joe Battista's second choice of college - try that alternate history on for size, you won't like it - and PSU brass has a good relationship with the school, so you can probably count on the teams meeting at some point. ND's Compton Family Ice Arena was a key influence on the Pegula Ice Arena design as well.

No shame in having the second-nicest arena in college hockey

2. Minnesota State. The Screaming Eagles Mavericks could be considered one of the victims of Penn State's entry into NCAA hockey, as next season they'll be going from the WCHA, the toughest conference in college hockey, to... the WCHA, the fifth-toughest conference in college hockey. Normally, I'd point out that under the new setup, teams like Minnesota State, Lake Superior State and Bowling Green might actually have a better shot at an NCAA bid since one of the WCHA "leftover" teams are guaranteed to go via the autobid, but MSU obviously didn't need that to get in this year, so... uhhh... sorry?

3. Miami. I've generally been fond of the RedHawks, as a relative newcomer to NCAA Division I hockey that is now firmly established in the "club" of national powers (in other words, saying Miami is going to be good or is going to win something no longer receives a sneer in response, as it has for PSU, although the Nittany Lions' 2012-2013 results certainly shut a few people up). Eight straight tournament appearances with two Frozen Fours and one almost-championship will tend to do that. From a 1978 start date, the then-Redskins first made NCAAs in 1993, before things really took off once head coach Enrico Blasi's tenure began in 1999. MU does receive some credit for participation in the Three Rivers Classic this season, although they managed to duck PSU, but... there's that NCHC thing rearing its ugly head again. Without it, Miami is first or second in the region. With it, they're third.

4. St. Cloud State. In the recent past, and in consideration of the fact that former Icers coach Morris Kurtz was a 27-year athletic director at SCSU, the Huskies would almost certainly be somewhere other than last. However, Kurtz retired last June, and... NCHC. Ew.

West Region (St. Paul, MN)

1. Minnesota vs. 4. Yale, Friday 2:00 p.m., ESPNU
2. North Dakota vs. 3. Niagara, Friday 5:30 p.m., ESPNU
Regional Final, Saturday 4:00 p.m., ESPNU


1. Minnesota. With the end of Michigan's 22-year tournament streak this year and the low seed given to Wisconsin (although many are pegging the Badgers as a dark horse, given the 10 wins in 12 tear that got them into this thing), stacked Minnesota has to be considered the favorite to represent the Big Ten deep into NCAAs, and Penn Staters should act accordingly. Since the announcement of the conference's formation, haters have had loads of ammo, thanks to frequently-underperforming programs, as judged by their traditional standards. In 2011, Michigan was the only Big Ten school to qualify for the tournament, although their run to overtime of the national championship game helped alleviate the issue. Last year, Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota all made it, but only the Gophers managed to win an NCAA Tournament game, two actually, before falling to eventual national champion Boston College in the Frozen Four semifinals. Until the Badgers' late run this season, things once again looked pretty bad for the Big Ten, particularly with usual powers Michigan and Michigan State slumping - but a Gophers national championship leading into Big Ten play next year would help the league's credibility immeasurably.

Bonus reason: Gophers forward Tom Serratore and PSU captain Tommy Olczyk are close friends

2. Niagara. Niagara is a team from mid-major league Atlantic Hockey and received an at-large bid. Not supporting that is un-American, or something. As mentioned under the Canisius entry, AHA teams get extra credit this season due to PSU's 13 games against the conference - it would be nice if the Nittany Lions' competition, or at least the teams that beat that competition to win the AHA regular season (Niagara) and playoff (Canisius) titles, ends up looking good.

3. Yale. The Bulldogs, along with New Hampshire and arguably UMass-Lowell and Minnesota State, stand out as a more or less completely neutral team from a Penn State standpoint. Don't root for them against Minnesota of course, but should Yale stun the Gophs, feel free to pull for them against North Dakota. You could even support them against Niagara, given the lack of truly compelling reasons to support the Purps, if you're a huge fan of junior forward Jesse Root, a Pittsburgh native who is fifth on the team in scoring with 20 points this year.

4. North Dakota. ...and in what's become an annual tradition, the Sioux bring up the rear due to what I'm calling the Eric Burton rule. I'm not sure that I have to elaborate at this point, but if I'm wrong, get at me in the comments. Because it will never stop being funny, here's what happens when the Sioux get eliminated (for those unfamiliar with the context, Michigan's Scooter Vaughan just scored an empty-netter to clinch victory for the Wolverines in the 2011 Frozen Four semifinals):

The Penn Stater's Guide to the NCAA Tournament II

Welcome to TYT's second annual "I'm a Penn State fan. Who should I root for in the NCAA tournament?" post (here's last year's version). To reiterate the rules, since I don't really expect you to click the link: this post is not about prediction, serious analysis, or even personal preference. It's simply an attempt to rank the four schools in each region in terms of their relationship to PSU. Sometimes it involves past events, sometimes it involves future implications. Sometimes there's not a ton to go on, and I'll usually drop those schools somewhere in the middle. But if Penn State is your only concern, this is how I think your rooting interests should play out.

Until Penn State has a direct reason (ie. participation) to care about the NCAA tournament, I'll defer to others for the hardcore stuff. Chris Peters, through his blog The United States of Hockey, is doing fantastic in-depth previews of each region (East, Northeast, Midwest - the West is coming tomorrow), and I encourage you to go over there for further reading.

Finally, before we get started, here are the tournament brackets (interactive and PDF) from NCAA.com.

East Region (Bridgeport, CT)

Union vs. Michigan State, Friday 3:00 p.m., ESPNU
Miami vs. UMass-Lowell, Friday 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Regional Final, Saturday 6:30 p.m., ESPNU


1. Michigan State. I tend to be conflicted when it comes to the whole "root for your conference" thing. On one hand, it's nice to have a positive public perception of your team's league. On the other, you have to recruit against these guys. The good news is that we're not talking about college football. Part of the genius of the PairWise Rankings used in our sport of choice is the tangible benefit of your opponents' success, something that goes well beyond getting some nice words from a talking head on ESPN. It doesn't start benefiting Penn State now (it will as early as next season, when PSU plays the Spartans), but we might as well get in the habit now.

2. Union. Hey, speaking of teams (most likely) on our schedule! Sure, like I just said, there's no direct benefit of Union's success here to Penn State. Still, it would be pretty cool if the Dutchmen carried something like a Frozen Four appearance from this season into next season's games with the Nittany Lions. Even more cool, naturally, would be if PSU could beat a team like that.

3. UMass-Lowell. The River Hawks get the third-place nod based on their pair of Pennsylvania natives, backup goalie Brian Robbins (Scotrun) and freshman forward Terrence Wallin (Yardley), a solid contributor. UML is one of three tournament teams with multiple Keystone Staters on the roster, and each gets a boost since what's good for PA hockey will generally be good for PSU. Also, Lowell went from 5-25-4 last season to the NCAA tournament this season, so not enjoying their success makes you un-American. Or something like that.

4. Miami. It was a tough decision to stick the RedHawks on the bottom, but since the Pegula Ice Arena is now under construction, those rink visits taken by PSU administration over a year ago seem a little less important. Besides, from what we know (or have inferred, anyway), Steve Cady wasn't as influential on Joe Battista and crew as, say, Notre Dame's new barn.

Northeast Region (Worcester, MA)

Boston College vs. Air Force, Saturday 4:00 p.m., ESPNU
MN-Duluth vs. Maine, Saturday 7:30 p.m., FSN North+
Regional Final, Sunday 8:00 p.m., ESPNU


1. Air Force. There are numerous reasons to go with the Falcons. For starters, they join Union and Michigan State as the only teams in the tournament known to be on PSU's schedule next year. Once upon a time, former Icers Bobby Pate and Mike Carrano transferred from Air Force. And, of course, who doesn't love an underdog? From a practical standpoint, it seems like rattling the existing college hockey power structure would be beneficial to a new program in some way that I can't articulate.

2. Maine. The Black Bears are not an obvious choice on the surface, but they might be worth Penn State's support for the simple reason that they, too, were once new in town. Maine hockey began in 1977 (extremely recent by some programs' standards), and in their 16th season they were 42-1-2 and national champions. Consider, too, that the 1992-1993 season came in their ninth season of Hockey East play after starting out with a stretch of independent seasons - in other words, PSU's timeline might be a little accelerated compared to theirs. Maine is also one of the three teams with two Pennsylvanians - York's Dan Sullivan, their starting goalie, and sophomore forward Jon Swavely from Reading. If nothing else, hope they do it for Joe Wunderler, who has had a rough go of things since running into Chris Hansen.

I hate that I can't reference To Catch A Predator without it being a little awkward now. Damn you, Jerry Sandusky.

3. Minnesota-Duluth. As mentioned, I've devalued the fabled arena visits - which were highly influential last year, look how far we've come! - somewhat, but in a tight race for the third spot, things like that prove important, as does the fact that senior goalie Kenny Reiter, a Pittsburgh native, could be the single most important Pennsylvanian in the tournament. Finally, of course, UMD gets a little bump as a thank you to Scott Sandelin for staying put (I've made no secret of the fact that I would have been extremely disappointed with his hiring at Penn State).

PS. I won't hold it against you if you drop UMD below Boston College, in light of this.

4. Boston College. The Eagles are the final team with two Pennsylvanians, one of which is starting goalie Parker Milner - like Reiter, a Pittsburgh native. PA, especially the western part, certainly puts out a ton of goalies, doesn't it? However, they don't really have anything on either side of the ledger beyond that. Plus, it's Boston College. Gross. I'm glad they got stuck in a stacked region for PSU interests.

Midwest Region (Green Bay, WI)

Ferris State vs. Denver, Friday 5:30 p.m., Altitude
Michigan vs. Cornell, Friday 9:00 p.m., ESPNU
Regional Final, Saturday 9:00 p.m., ESPNU


1. Michigan. After the not-yet-existing Big Ten took shots from all corners last year for only getting Michigan into the show, the Wolverines represented their future conference quite well by advancing all the way to overtime of the national championship game. On the way, they beat current WCHAers/future NCHCers Nebraska-Omaha, Colorado College and North Dakota before falling to another, Minnesota-Duluth, in that final. Another run like that would be just dandy from a Penn State perspective. And who knows, maybe it will lead to more hilariousness like this:

2. Cornell. Trivia time: Name the only three still-active, still-varsity programs the 1939-1947 Penn State varsity played. Answer: Army, Colgate and Cornell. An 8-1 loss at Ithaca on February 5, 1944 was the result against the Big Red back in those days. In the present day, PSU and CU have at least held discussions aimed at giving the Nittany Lions a shot at correcting that losing series history. Those two things are good enough for the second slot in a region significantly thinner than the Northeast.

3. Ferris State. FSU is more or less the story of the tournament, and a likely favorite team for anyone who doesn't have other allegiances. Mired in mediocrity seemingly since forever (except 2002-2003), relegated to a new-and-diminished WCHA and with zero NHL draft picks on the team, the Bulldogs have emerged with a vengeance this season, to the tune of 23-11-5 and even topping the polls for a couple weeks in February. Still, this is a post purely about Penn State interests, so that's only good for a tiebreaker over...

4. Denver. Last year, I placed the Pioneers at the bottom of their region because I didn't want George Gwozdecky to drive his asking price up. Seriously. This year, I'm just doing it because there's no good reason not to. Once upon a time, when the Icers still ruled the ACHA, DU tried to schedule them (the plan was eventually blown up over the fact that PSU would have counted against their game limit). While I do give them credit for attempting to give out the opportunity, that and 50 cents will get you...I don't know, a newspaper? Who reads newspapers anymore?

West Region (St. Paul, MN)

North Dakota vs. W. Michigan, Saturday 1:30 p.m., FSN North
Minn. vs. Boston U., Saturday 5:05 p.m., FSN North+, NESN
Regional Final, Sunday 5:30 p.m., ESPNU


1. Minnesota. The last of three future Big Ten schools in the tournament already has a direct connection with Penn State through Max Gardiner, the former Gopher who returned to the USHL this season and will join the Nittany Lions next year.

2. Boston University. Battista was on a visit here (receiving a tour of Agganis Arena from none other than Mike Eruzione) on the day he received his text message confirmation of Terry Pegula's donation. The place must be good luck. Or something.

3. Western Michigan. Last year, here's what I wrote about the Broncos:

Don't we kind of owe it to society to wish the best for one of those weaker CCHA schools we're supposedly killing off with the whole Big Ten thing? Plus, like Union and Merrimack, they're a nice story - they haven't been to this show since 1996 and came oh so close to their first conference title of any kind before falling to Miami in the CCHA title game.

This year? Not so much. Since that post, they found a conference home in the Big Ten's archnemesis, the NCHC. After losing coach Jeff Blashill to the Detroit Red Wings, they hired failed NHL coach Andy Murray. And they kept winning. It's a short road from scrappy and beloved underdog to kind of annoying, isn't it? Of course, none of this really has anything to do with Penn State, so they join Ferris State as maybe the only completely neutral teams in the tournament.

4. North Dakota. The Flickertails (one of them anyway) hate Penn State. Fine by me, I hate them too. And just because it annoys someone who supports them, here's the legendary "We Are - Penn State Hockey!" video.

Superbad?

UPDATE 2:01 P.M.: The Superleague is official, and a press conference is coming Wednesday. Here's a joint release from the six (as of now) participating schools:

We are pleased to announce that six top NCAA Division I ice hockey programs will become founding members of a newly formed hockey conference, which will begin competition for the 2013-14 season. The six institutions are Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha and University of North Dakota.

We understand and appreciate the widespread interest in developments relating to the formation of the new hockey conference. More information will be provided about the initiatives that have been undertaken, as well as the next steps involved, at a news conference in Colorado Springs this Wednesday, July 13. Our programs look forward to continued associations with our current leagues, the WCHA and CCHA, for the next two seasons.

Additional information about Wednesday's news conference will be forthcoming in the next few days. There will be no further comment from athletic directors, coaches or other officials from any of the institutions until Wednesday's news conference.

The remainder from this point is the original post, which went up a couple hours before the joint release, so please don't get all judgmental on my dated statements.

........................

One of my most difficult tasks in doing this blog is one that some might think is second nature - deciding when to post. From the beginning, I've tried to clearly define TYT as a Penn State hockey blog. Some people run high-level college hockey blogs and some run Penn State blogs covering all sports. And most of them do a great job of it. But I know myself, and I know I'd end up in a rubber room if I tried to obsess over anything broader than what I'm doing (and I'm pretty close as it is). So generally speaking, I avoid talking about things that aren't directly connected to my purpose for being in one way or another.

That said, and after my initial intent was a quick link in Three Stars on Monday, I decided that this story is big enough to qualify as an exception to the guidelines. And really, it's only a couple degrees removed from Penn State - after all, it wouldn't be happening without our entry into the world of NCAA hockey.

The story, of course, is that of the so-called Superleague (no, it won't really be called that when the dust settles): a collection of six hockey programs that, depending on your perspective are A) forming a weak imitation of the Big Ten, B) ushering in a brave new era of college hockey, C) hanging a bunch of long-standing programs out to dry and ruining college hockey, D) consolidating power among an elite group of schools that place hockey at the center of their athletic department or E) all of the above. E might be the best answer at this point, because really, it's impossible to say how it will end at this juncture.

All we know right now is that North Dakota, Miami, Colorado College, Denver, Nebraska-Omaha and Minnesota-Duluth reportedly are leaving the WCHA and CCHA to form their own conference, and that it may become official on Wednesday. Notre Dame has a standing invitation but is still considering their options, and Western Michigan's is probably about to be lost in the mail.

Let's start with the story that broke the story and proceed from there, Three Stars-style.

Sources: UND will leave WCHA for new league
(Grand Forks Herald)

While rumors and innuendo had been tossed around, really, since the formation of Big Ten hockey, this is the article that kicked everything into overdrive on Thursday. Read it and catch up with the rest of us.

As with the Big Ten, this is the sort of thing where everyone has an opinion. I've saved you the trouble of reading through and filtering the bad ones (note: there's a difference between "bad" and "I disagree with it").

Best of the Internet Opinions

Out of realignment, an opportunity for growth
Conference changes weaken the sport
(USCHO)

USCHO took the approach of offering columns for and against the Superleague, and both worked - particularly because the authors were the Atlantic Hockey columnist and the Division III/Women's editor, presumably neutral parties.

Don't blame Big Ten for college hockey's upheaval
(Wisconsin State Journal)

Yes. Especially don't blame Penn State.

Would schools like Guy Gadowsky's old Alaska program be better served facing off with mid-majors more often as conference rivals?

College hockey's shifting will create opportunities
(Grand Forks Herald)

I tend to cast a suspicious eye towards those who, knowing their program is safely in a conference, argue the merits of current events (and yes I viewed those from the Big Ten - PSU included - arguing that the Big Ten is good for college hockey the same way). Most obnoxious of all are people from schools who were extremely fortunate to be invited.

However, it's hard to dispute anything said in this article, by the guy who originally broke the Superleague story. The "leftovers," if they're honest with themselves, know (or should know) that they have a better chance of competing, winning, and even being nationally relevant in a mid-major conference, if that's where this all ends up.

In the meantime, everyone in the Big Ten and Superleague - PSU included - did what was best for them. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But for the time being, keep your mouths shut and quit acting like you did those not included a favor.

This is What You Want, This is What you Get
(College Hockey News)

...and your counterpoint. It's also tough to find fault with the view that college hockey is headed down the same road college football and basketball paved years ago. Is that good or bad? Your answer probably depends on the depth of your school's pockets.

Why the super-conference is horrible for NCAA hockey
(Puck Daddy)

The blog to which we all aspire takes the con position as well.

Secondary Six Linkorama
(Western College Hockey Blog)

Chris Dilks took his own crack at what I'm doing right now, and went both barrels at the WCHA's leadership (deservedly so). Of particular entertainment value was his observation of the bombshell's ripple effect on Cincinnati.com, which of course is Miami's market.

One thing that needs to be said: I think these six schools have an extremely inflated view of their value in the mainstream marketplace. There's a line from an old episode of House where a detective investigating Dr. House says to him "I think working around a bunch of nurses has given you a false sense of your ability to intimidate."

It's a line that can probably be applied to this situation as well. Do they run show in our little corner of the sports landscape? Absolutely. But out there in real life, they're a couple of branch campuses, a couple of schools that more often than not are confused for other schools and a couple more that at best inspire vague recognition. In a world where NBC/Versus only televises seven different NHL teams, that's important. So yeah, good luck getting them to trip over themselves to get into the lucrative Colorado Springs market with an amateur version of a sport that, even with recent successes, struggles for viewers on the professional level. Even Cincinnati, one of the bigger markets in the footprint, doesn't seem to care.

Notre Dame, obviously, changes things if they sign up. But Notre Dame's in a position where they can dictate their conference. So why would the Irish choose the Superleague over Hockey East and east coast markets like Boston? More to the point, why would a potential media partner?

Jeff Blashill considered declining the Red Wings' offer, but then Mike Babcock did this.

And what of Western Michigan, mentioned earlier? Increased commitment to their hockey program landed them rising star Jeff Blashill last offseason, and the payoff was their first NCAA tournament bid since 1996. Even one week ago, rumors generally included them in the select group of Superleague schools. Suddenly on Friday, Blashill resigned to become a Detroit Red Wings assistant and (because of it?) they're just as suddenly left to fend for themselves with the other CCHA and WCHA leftovers.

Bad week to be associated with the WMU program? No kidding.

Head Coach Candidate: George Gwozdecky

Second in a series taking uninformed, uneducated guesses at the candidates to become the first head coach of Penn State's NCAA men's team. The first was on current Icers coach Scott Balboni.

Would a national championship-winning coach who has been at one of the premier programs in the country for 17 years actually consider the Penn State job? According to some, yes he would.

George Gwozdecky's a guy that's been kicked around the rumor mill a few times, although not with quite the same intensity as Mark Johnson. But he's certainly been mentioned, going right back to the first day the position existed.

I saw one article stating that PSU had an "impressive list of candidates, including a current college head coach" that they were looking at. Today, I heard a rumor that the current college head coach they may be looking at is Denver head coach George Gwozdecky. That would certainly make sense, given that Gwozdecky was reportedly unhappy with his contract situation at Denver, and his name was weirdly floated as a candidate for the vacant Ohio State job. With Penn State potentially joining college hockey's strongest conference and Denver's situation a little less clear, there's perhaps a possibility that Penn State could steal him.

Even the Denver Post acknowledged it.

DU coach George Gwozdecky has four years remaining on the 12-year contract he signed in 2002. Coincidentally, 2014 could be the year Penn State will be ready to officially join Division I and become founding members of the proposed Big Ten hockey conference, along with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Please excuse my reach while I connect the dots.

Gwozdecky, who is seeking a new deal at DU, is/was a Big Ten guy, and you know Penn State is going to hire a veteran college coach with big-league roots and NCAA championship plaques on his walls. Gwozdecky, 57, could be that man. He won NCAA championships as a player at Wisconsin and an assistant coach at Michigan State.

That contract argument crashes and burns for the simple fact that we're hiring the coach in mid-2011, so a buyout is going to be required. Still, his name's out there.

Actually, Gwozdecky's appeal to me has very little to do with his bevy of accomplishments at Denver. While he did pull that program out of a two-decade funk, I look to the job he held right before moving out west, at Miami from 1989 through 1994. With the then-Redskins (program founded 1978), Gwozdecky took a program with an all-time 161-237-14 record to that point, and had them in their first-ever NCAA tournament in year four. What's more, he coached Enrico Blasi, a protege who would later coach under Gwozdecky at Denver, then take the reins of the Miami program and build on what Gwozdecky started, bringing the RedHawks to five consecutive NCAA tournaments, including a second-place finish in 2009.

Prior to Miami, Gwodecky's abbreviated resume looks something like this:

• 1984-1989 - Michigan State (assistant coach). Won CCHA regular season or tournament championship each season, including both of the above in 1984-1985 and 1988-1989. Won the 1986 national championship.
• 1981-1984 - Wisconsin-River Falls (head coach). 67-30-2 record. Made first NCAA tournament appearance in program history in 1984 (Division III version).
• 1974-1978 - Wisconsin (player). Under legendary coach "Badger Bob" Johnson, won the 1977 national championship.

Basically, the guy's a winner. And has rumors surrounding him. Here's one more:

Prior to actual interviews, One runs a successful program, Big Ten background.

Okay, so a head coach with a Big Ten background. Here's everyone with one of those, including playing and coaching: Chris Luongo (Alabama-Huntsville), Dave Smith (Canisius), Scott Owens (Colorado College), Bob Daniels (Ferris State), Red Berenson (Michigan), Rick Comley (Michigan State), Don Lucia (Minnesota), Dean Blais (Nebraska-Omaha), Jeff Jackson (Notre Dame), Mark Osiecki (Ohio State), Bob Motzko (St. Cloud State), Mike Eaves (Wisconsin) and Gwozdecky.

Take out Luongo, Smith and Daniels for not meeting the "successful" part of that. Lucia's coaching the flagship program in the hockey state. Jackson's program is building their own arena to keep him around. Berenson's obviously not coming. Blais is almost as unlikely. Osiecki won't bail after one year on the job. Owens, Motzko and Eaves are coaching their alma maters - I'm not saying nobody ever leaves their alma mater, but it does make it seem a lot less likely.

So who's left? A guy who hasn't left the state of Michigan in his entire career and a guy with proven career mobility, nothing to prove in his current job and a contract dispute. Hmmm...