~2018-19 Big Ten M Ice Hockey~

[ELA]

I mean you also kind of made up the point yourself.  UM and MSU were already with OSU.  So going back to the CCHA means dumping Minnesota and Wisconsin, not OSU.  And likewise, going back to the WCHA for those schools means dumping all of the CCHA schools, not just OSU.  I've never gotten the impression they wanted to be with UM or MSU any more than with OSU.

MSUs drop has nothing to do with the Big Ten.  They made back to back bad coaching hires.  They were bad in the final days of the CCHA too

[MichiFan87]

Apparently Illinois will make a decision on adding hockey this spring. There's an article about it on USCHO that makes it seem more likely than not.

[Brutus Buckeye]

I mean you also kind of made up the point yourself.  UM and MSU were already with OSU.  So going back to the CCHA means dumping Minnesota and Wisconsin, not OSU.  And likewise, going back to the WCHA for those schools means dumping all of the CCHA schools, not just OSU.  I've never gotten the impression they wanted to be with UM or MSU any more than with OSU.

MSUs drop has nothing to do with the Big Ten.  They made back to back bad coaching hires.  They were bad in the final days of the CCHA too

I specifically recall a Gopher fan (draftnik, I believe) declaring that there is NO WAY that Gopher fans can get excited about playing 8 games against OSU and PSU. 
For the record I am well aware of who was in the CCHA and the WCHA, all the way down to how the Alaska twins were divvied up. I am not under the erroneous impression that OSU hockey came up at the same time as Penn St. 

[847badgerfan]

I was excited about the Big Ten because I thought I would get to see a lot of hockey on TV. Not so much. I'd rather UW and Minnie go back to the WCHA for that reason alone.

[847badgerfan]

I was thinking about the coaching comment by dudekd above as it relates to UW. Yeah, just about the same problem. Mike Eaves stayed too long (was allowed to stay too long). It's hard to fire guys like him, but it finally happened. Enter Tony Granato, another former Badger player, for the 2016-17 season.


Recruiting had slipped under Eaves, and that seems to be changing under Tony. The rebuild continues but things are looking better. We'll see in another year or two.

[Brutus Buckeye]

I was excited about the Big Ten because I thought I would get to see a lot of hockey on TV. Not so much. I'd rather UW and Minnie go back to the WCHA for that reason alone.

The gals still play in the Wcha since the state of Michigan apparently doesn't find it proper for women to play the sport. I like to go to one game a year because it's free and because the old ice rink is cool (this year it was OSU knocking off the #1 ranked Badgers  ).

Oddly enough the Michigan rivalry still plays a central role in their game day experience even though they don't have a team. Whenever the PA guy says "There is one minute remaining in the period" the entire crowd responds with "...and Michigan still sucks!" No idea how or when it started, but it has been going on for years.

Technically it's true I suppose, since it would quite literally be like playing against air. But kind of strange, nonetheless.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Week 21

Minnesota swept Ohio St on the road. 
Penn State split with Michigan St on the road. 
Wisconsin split with Notre Dame on the road. 

So Minnesota moves up to second place, but can't overtake the Buckeyes with only two games left. Third place Notre Dame and fourth place Michigan, however, are in Prime Pouncing Position. Particularly the Wolverines, who get OSU twice at home. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

Week 22

Wisconsin split with Penn St on the road
Minnesota split with Notre Dame at home
Ohio St goes 0-1-1-1 vs Michigan on the road, clinching the Big Ten regular season Title.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Week 23

Wisconsin swept Michigan at home.
Michigan St split with Ohio St on the road.
Penn St split with Notre Dame on the road.
Minnesota swept Arizona St at home


final standings

1.	Ohio State	46	24	13	7	4	3	79	52	34	20	9	5	107	76
2.	Notre Dame	37	24	11	11	2	2	63	65	34	18	13	3	101	82
3.	Minnesota	36	24	11	10	3	0	76	75	35	16	15	4	110	103
4.	Penn State	35	24	11	12	1	1	101	96	34	19	13	2	157	126
5.	Wisconsin	34	24	9	10	5	2	69	81	34	13	16	5	104	117
	Michigan	34	24	9	10	5	2	76	75	34	13	14	7	107	107
7.	Michigan State	30	24	8	12	4	2	68	88	34	12	17	5	99	119

Through all games on March 2, 2019
.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Minnesota, Wisconsin and Notre Dame each take game one. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

Minnesota and Notre Dame swept the Michigan schools, while Penn St forced a game three on Sunday vs Wisconsin.

Nevertheless Minnesota and Notre Dame will meet in the semifinals, while Ohio St will get the Penn St-Wisconsin game 3 winner. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

[ELA]

Didn't realize they had made the smart move and went to on campus games.

[Anonymous Coward]

Those last two weekends were rough. Guess it's onto 2019-2020 for Michigan. The incoming recruiting class is a doozie in several ways, but the real eye popper is its size. Obviously the calculus is way different in college hockey, where fractional scholarships are allowed and conventional. Even still, if you were to tell me this is the largest class in M hockey history, I wouldn't flinch.