Finally.
It’s been entirely too long, but we’re thrilled to see college hockey back. The UMD women have a jump start on the men, with two wins and 12 goals already notched over the weekend, and a huge home series against rival Minnesota on tap (we have the Saturday game on KDAL).
But the men kick things off next week, part of the NCHC pod in Omaha (some have dubbed it the #SiloSeries, others the “OmaPod”). Baxter Arena will house 40 NCHC games, including ten for each team, from Dec. 1-20. UMD will play seven games from Dec. 2-13, starting with a date against Denver a week from Wednesday at 7:30. We will carry all the games on KDAL, but I will not be traveling to Omaha, instead calling games from the sanctity of our studio.
Either way, these are exciting times, and it’s awesome to finally have some games to prepare for.
The NCHC is marking the occasion with the annual release of a preseason media poll (28 total voters took part), and a preseason All-NCHC team. The preseason media poll came out on Monday, with all-conference honors being released on Tuesday, likely at a point when I’m in a vehicle screaming down I-35 towards a different state than this one, eventually landing about a 15-minute drive from Baxter Arena for a few days with family.
(Before anyone jumps to send an angry e-mail or tweet, my family has been recently infected with COVID-19, and we made the decision to make our way to Nebraska to see some folks we haven’t seen, in one case, in more than two years. We will continue to practice the masks/distancing guidelines in place, and our plan is to not venture far from the house we’ll be staying in.)
Anyway, the standard practice around here is that I lay out how I voted in these polls, as a means of both full disclosure and also to spark discussion about the upcoming season.
One thing is certain: Nothing is certain in a season like this. Expect a few weird results along the way, but it’s great to have this sport we love back. Hopefully, all the athletes and staffs are able to stay safe and healthy, and we can avoid too many of the pitfalls we’re seeing around the country, including in college hockey so far (just on Monday, Minnesota State vs Bemidji State was shelved when an MSU player tested positive, and keep in mind the teams played Sunday night).
Here’s how I voted on the order of finish in the NCHC, working in reverse order.
8. Miami RedHawks
I do expect the RedHawks to be improved in Chris Bergeron’s second year on the job. Actually, it appeared they were making strides as the second half went on last year. But the results weren’t coming. Miami had a nine-game run where it was competitive in nearly every game, including a couple of excruciatingly close losses and a tie with North Dakota. No wins, however, and Miami finished by getting blown out in four of its last six games, conceding 27 goals in those losses (with a pair of home shutouts of Omaha in between them).
Talented senior Casey Gilling and underrated junior defenseman Derek Daschke lead the way for Miami, but Bergeron needs to continue developing depth, and Miami has to replace four-year starting goalie Ryan Larkin, who never really turned the corner for the RedHawks but also kept them afloat for large chunks of his career when things were not going well around him.
7. Colorado College Tigers
The Tigers will be quite young again. Gone are dynamic scorer Chris Wilkie and Nick Halloran, who was able to post good numbers in his last season for CC. Mike Haviland welcomes 12 freshmen, including two goalies to compete with sophomore Matt Vernon. The son of former NHLer Mike Vernon, Matt is a competitive goalie who will only be more consistent over time.
Colorado College, which is moving out of the Broadmoor World Arena and into a new on-campus facility after this season, must find a way to fix a defense that conceded 35 shots per game last season. It was too much pressure for Vernon and the graduated Ryan Ruck, who had .900 save percentages but struggled to consistently hold teams off the board under the near-constant heat.
6. Omaha Mavericks
This, to me, is where the prediction business becomes dangerous.
The Mavericks return good pieces at all positions, starting in goal, where Vegas draft pick Isaiah Saville showed flashes as a freshman against — at times — a pretty high volume of shots. Defensively, Mike Gabinet loses Dean Stewart and Ryan Jones, but he returns promising sophomore Brandon Scanlin, gains North Dakota transfer Jonny Tychonick, and adds former Duluth Marshall standout Nolan Krenzen, who spent the last two years in the USHL.
Up front, Omaha has captain Kevin Conley leading the way, with the likes of Taylor Ward, Tyler Weiss, and Joey Abate all returning. If Omaha can play enough defense, I believe the Mavericks will score goals at a clip that has them threatening a top four spot. This part of the league is definitely wide-open enough that it’s feasible.
5. St. Cloud State Huskies
Old friend Brett Larson returns leading scorer Easton Brodzinski, but loses the Poehling twins and Jack Ahcan. He gets David Hrenak back in goal, but loses quality depth guys like Jake Wahlin and Clark Kuster. The Huskies didn’t lose a ton, but what they lost won’t necessarily be easy to replace. That’s where graduate transfers Seamus Donohue (Michigan Tech) and Jared Cockrell (Colgate) could really come in handy.
SCSU didn’t generate consistent offense last year, in part because the power play struggled for much of the year. The penalty kill also wasn’t great, which led to the occasional problems in the back end. I have no doubt Larson will find a way to improve both of those units, and that alone should put the Huskies in contention for a top four spot.
4. Western Michigan Broncos
Even in moments where the Broncos were playing well last season, scoring wasn’t coming easy. Western Michigan had a solid, experienced team, and while it averaged nearly 3.5 goals per game, WMU went long stretches of the season where goals simply weren’t coming. They had seven goals over a six-game stretch around the holidays. They scored exactly one goal each in three straight losses after a 5-3 win over UMD Feb. 22.
Now, Andy Murray has to replace five of his top six scorers from 2019-20, including junior Austin Rueschhoff, who went to the New York Rangers on a free-agent contract. But there are players to like here. Defenseman Ronnie Attard could be a star in the making, and he’ll be a top guy with the departures on the blue line. Guys like Paul Washe, Ethen Frank, and Josh Passolt (from Hayward) will be asked to take on some of the scoring load. And Brandon Bussi will be asked to take a step in goal after a strong freshman campaign.
3. UMD Bulldogs
The cupboard is far from bare. 18 players are back from last season’s strong three-peat bid, including All-American forwards Noah Cates and Cole Koepke. Nick Swaney is back for his senior season. Jackson Cates returns after missing the final couple weeks of last season with an injury. Kobe Roth can play on any line and with virtually anyone.
Of course, lots of focus is on the losses. All-American goalie Hunter Shepard leaves after re-writing the UMD record book, and his replacement — either Ryan Fanti, Zack Stejskal, or Ben Patt — will be playing in college hockey for the first time. Hobey Baker winner Scott Perunovich, future Winnipeg Jet Dylan Samberg, and heart-and-soul defenseman Nick Wolff all depart, and they leave huge holes on the blue line.
Yet, Scott Sandelin and staff have done such a tremendous job over the years cultivating talent that no one is batting an eye. Despite the star power gone, expectations remain high, and the Bulldogs absolutely have the talent to meet them.
2. Denver Pioneers
Late-offseason departures of Emilio Pettersen and Devin Cooley might have people thinking twice about picking DU this high. But David Carle returns plenty of talent, and sophomore Magnus Chrona is on his way to becoming one of the best goalies in the nation. Look for big seasons from junior forwards Cole Guttman and Brett Stapley, as well as sophomore Bobby Brink, a first-round pick who has just started tapping into his potential. Stapley is a pest of a player who has a good skill level.
On defense, big freshman Antti Tuomisto is a second-round pick of the Red Wings who should make an immediate impact. Denver will continue to be good, but it will be interesting to see how the Pioneers adjust the power play with Pettersen’s absence. He was a huge part of a power play that hit at 23 percent last year.
1. North Dakota Fighting Hawks
Not many teams get to return a national Player of the Year candidate and Hobey Baker finalist. Enter North Dakota.
Jordan Kawaguchi had a well-executed Hobey campaign behind him, and he was a strong candidate for the award that went to Perunovich. He returns to build off a 45-point junior season that doubled his career point total to 90. Seniors Collin Adams and Matt Kiersted return, as does sophomore Shane Pinto, who could have signed with the Ottawa Senators but did not.
Brad Berry’s team is loaded. Goalies Adam Scheel and Peter Thome are both back, and the freshman class includes defenseman Jake Sanderson, a high first-round pick by Ottawa. With Pinto and Sanderson both at UND, along with Jacob Bernard-Docker and Tyler Kleven, perhaps Ottawa’s player development staff should have someone take up residence in Grand Forks come January.
Preseason All-NCHC Team
I will be traveling on Tuesday and unable to write separately about my choices for a preseason All-NCHC team. Here is how I voted (if I’m able to before leaving town, I will post the results from the league):
FORWARDS
Noah Cates, UMD
Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota
Cole Koepke, UMD
DEFENSEMEN
Jacob Bernard-Docker, North Dakota
Ronnie Attard, Western Michigan
GOALIE
Magnus Chrona, Denver
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