Seven stories we wish we could have covered last year

1. The Cold War — They could have played in a half-empty stadium, and it still would have been a great story. As it was, MSU and UM out-drew a lot of three-game series in Major League Baseball.

2. Shawn Walsh's passing — Somewhere he's got one foot on the dasher, arguing that he should be No. 1 on this list. Love him or hate him, college hockey misses his passion.

3. NCAA Tournament expands to 16 — Still far from 64, but like basketball, you won't see a 1 vs. 16 upset (unless New Hampshire faces the CHA champ).

4. Coaching legends Ron Mason, Jeff Sauer retire — Something tells me you'll hear more from them both – especially The Dean.

5. Minnesota claims its first NCAA title since 1979 — We promise we wouldn't have made a big deal out of the fact that the Gophers needed a North Dakotan to score the big goal.

6. Five former collegians win Gold with Canada — Sure, the Olympics weren't college hockey – but they were the biggest news the sport saw all year. With Belfour, Blake, Joseph, Kariya and Nieuwendyk, it marked the most former collegians to win gold since the Miracle on Ice.

7. Record crowds attend NCAA Frozen Four — And no one who was there will ever have to spell-check the word "Minnesota".