May 11, 2008
10 for '09: Burning Questions - Part I

We're only a few weeks removed from the 2008 national championship game, but here at Inside College Hockey we can't resist casting our gaze toward the future. A lot can change between now and the drop of the puck in October, but that doesn't stop our 10 For '09 feature.

We already took an early look at the top 10 teams and the top 10 Hobey candidates headed into next season. Now we take an early look at 10 burning questions for the 2008-09 season. We start with the first half of the questions, covering topics ranging from surprise teams to the future of television coverage in college hockey.

Which teams will be the pleasant surprises of the 2008-09 season?

Putting this section together is tantamount to picking three numbers on a 58-space roulette wheel. Still, the odds never prevent us from taking a spin every year.

Trevor Bruess led Minnesota State in scoring with 30 points during his sophomore campaign. He's one of the reasons we think the Mavericks will contend for WCHA honors and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Minnesota State: Do the Mavericks really count as a breakout prospect? After all, they did win 19 games and finish in a tie for fourth in the WCHA last season. It might be a cop-out, but anything less than a top-five league showing, a trip to the WCHA Final Five, and an NCAA tournament berth for Minnesota State this time around would be a disappointment. Mike Zacharias is back in goal for the Mavs, and coach Troy Jutting also welcomes all but three players from last year's team into the fold for 2008-09.

Northeastern: The Huskies broke out in the first half of last season – on Jan. 18, they were 11-5-3 and 8-4-2 in Hockey East play. Then they broke down, losing 13 of their final 18 games. Coach Greg Cronin hopes the second-half slump was a learning experience because everybody – and with all but forward Jimmy Russo coming back, we mean everybody – is along for the ride this time around. Forward Joe Vitale and goalie Brad Thiessen are the centerpieces, and forwards Wade MacLeod and Tyler McNeely hope to build off solid rookie seasons.

Northern Michigan: The Wildcats were the anti-Huskies, starting the season by losing eight of its first nine, but going 19-12-4 thereafter. Part of the slow start was due to unlucky scheduling – the Wildcats’ first three league series were against Michigan, Michigan State, and Miami. Assuming coach Walt Kyle's team doesn't open against the Penguins, Red Wings, and MoDo in 2008-09, NMU should challenge for a top-four finish in the CCHA and an NCAA tournament berth behind junior goalie Brian Stewart and a pair of sophomores – sniper Mark Olver and puck-moving defenseman Erik Gustafsson.

• The artist-formerly-known-as-CSTV was heralded for bringing college hockey to the fore, but reduced its commitment this past season. What is the future of the television situation as it pertains to college hockey?

Regional sports networks will continue to be the best source for college hockey coverage, and the growth of online streaming video can provide access to people all over the world. Entities like B2 Networks provided a valuable resource in the online community allowing fans, families, and alumni to see games involving their teams from the comfort of home. The Fox Sports networks in addition to other regional carriers such as NESN, Altitude, and SportsNet New York provide a traditional resource and are becoming more widely available through satellite packages. Niche networks such as the Big Ten Network focus on an even more highly concentrated market, and those may continue to grow. The WCHA even began discussions on creating its own network during the recent end-of-season meetings in Florida. Other conferences may follow with "game of the week" type packages on regional networks.

• Will we continue to see college players leave for the professional ranks before they exhaust their college eligibility? How about players leaving mid-season as Kyle Okposo did?

Some of the best off-ice news from the recently completed campaign was the beginning of dialogue between the National Hockey League member clubs and the NCAA ice hockey committee in finding ways to maintain college hockey's requirements regarding amateur status and the NHL's utilization of college hockey as a place where drafted players can develop.

Until official changes are written into the collective bargaining agreement pertaining to the NHL draft and the rights of the drafted players and NHL teams, the best that college hockey fans can hope for is a verbal assurance from professional teams that they won't raid college rosters for quick solutions and instant roster help.

The other thing to consider is the player's perspective. Unsatisfactory academic performance, off-ice conduct, or personal financial circumstances could cause players to make the decision to sign professional contracts and strive for goals they've likely held since youth hockey.

• Frozen Four sites have been established through 2012. What do you think of the event and what do you see in store for its future?

Murmurs during the past Frozen Four in Denver indicated that the NCAA was already committed to announcing Frozen Four sites in the near future for the years beginning 2013 and beyond. That turned out to be an incorrect rumor, but it doesn't mean that the future of the Frozen Four is not worthy of discussion.

As a quick refresher, the next four Frozen Four cities and sites are as follows: 2009 – Washington, D.C. – Verizon Center; 2010 – Detroit – Ford Field; 2011 – St. Paul, Minn. – Xcel Energy Center; 2012 – Tampa, Fla. – St. Pete Times Forum.

With the exception of the 2010 event held in Detroit's football stadium, the arenas and markets share the common trait that they are NHL arenas in significantly sized markets. The NCAA has shown that it's not afraid to award its signature event to cities (St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Tampa) and venues that aren't in traditionally strong college hockey markets, and yet, the loyal college hockey fans have traveled in strong numbers and sold out every session of the event for the last nine years.

The game's popularity remains at a high level as die-hard fans continue to show their loyalty. The sell-out streak will likely continue in the nation's capital, but will come to an end in the massive football stadium. The trend is that big cities with professional arenas will continue to land the bids, which will likely be an unfortunate result for past Frozen Four regular stops like Providence, Albany, and Milwaukee.

Which coaches need to see their programs get positive results in the very near future in order to keep their jobs?

Assuming no head coaches get turfed between now and the start of the 2008-09 season, there will have been a total of three vacancies in the last two off-seasons – two of them at Alaska. So that means one of two things: either schools are happy with their current coaching situations, or we're on the verge of spate of changes. Three high-profile possibilities:

Tim Whitehead, Maine: It's hard to argue with Whitehead's success – six trips to the NCAA tournament and four Frozen Four appearances in his seven seasons behind the Black Bears' bench. And even though one would think Whitehead would be safe in spite of last season's 13-18-3 overall record and ninth-place finish in Hockey East play, which marked just the second time Maine failed to qualify for the league postseason tournament, scuttlebutt out of Orono is that the natives are restless. Another subpar showing could heighten the clamor.

Scott Sandelin, Minnesota Duluth: Since guiding the Bulldogs to 28 wins and a berth in the 2004 Frozen Four, Sandelin's teams have won 15, 11, 13, and 13 games, respectively, and in his eight seasons at UMD, the Bulldogs have finished in the top half of the WCHA standings twice. Unless something changes soon, UMD risks becoming a perennial also-ran in the conference behind Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, and Wisconsin, and one could argue that the Michigan Tech and Minnesota State programs currently have more forward momentum.

John Markell, Ohio State: Markell's Buckeyes are only three years removed from the last of three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament and it was four years ago that OSU won the CCHA playoff championship. Given its resources and name appeal, this program should be a perennial top-20 program nationally, not finishing 11th in the 12-team league as OSU did in 2007-08. The Bucks had a solid crop of freshmen last season; this year's group, featuring British Columbia Hockey League standouts Zac Dalpe and Taylor Stefishen, could be even better. But talent has to translate to wins … and soon.