College hockey

[mikecgrimes]

The college hockey season is just over a week away with exhibition games this weekend.  As much as I hate them the Gophers seem to be a pretty clear preseason #1 with North Dakota St Cloud State Michigan and Wisconsin also in the top 10.  If you have a full cable sports package and haven't noticed there is a lot of college hockey on TV especially once football winds down at the end of November, beyond that full season packages for both the NCHC and WCHA are available.  Put it in other words if you like college hockey it's as available as any other sport at this point. 

 

My St Cloud State Huskies come in at #7 in the preseason polls although I think thats a little to high.  They are lead by a junior class who has been key to winning the final WCHA title and the first NCHC title including preseason Hobey Baker candidate Johnny Brodzinski (brother of Gopher defenseman Michael Brodzinski).  Key losses include Hobey finalist Nic Dowd, defenseman Kevin Gravel and goaltender Ryan Faragher, not to mention top freshman scorer Ryan Papa will miss at least the first half of the season.  Sophomore goalie Charlie Lindgren looks ready to step in and more then replace Farangher, but until we see it you never know.  I've heard good things about the freshman class and if the last few years are any indication that should mean at least a great player or two.  The Huskies play a crazy non conference schedule including #1 Minnesota #5 Union #6 Colgate #15 Quinnipiec with the only break a road series at Bemidji State so they should be ready for a tough conference schedule.  Given the schedule I could just as easily see a  below .500 record as another Frozen 4 run the difference between the two will be fairly slim.  My feeling is Kalle Kossila will be the key, if he's under 35 points we're in trouble, if he's over 45 we should be great.

[biggentleben]

Not liking the Gophers = sacrilege