I know it seems crazy, but some college hockey teams are going to be playing this weekend. Granted, it's mostly exhibition games against their inferior, non-union, north of the border counterparts, but at least it's something. Here's a listing of the games.
Friday
Alaska takes on the NTDP U18 team in Anchorage. I guess they really wanted to rub in the whole Alaska name change thing to their still-hypenated rivals. Minnesota State fans complained when the the Mavericks played a home game an hour and a half away. Imagine playing a home game 350 miles away like Alaska is doing on Friday. And just think of the stress it will put on their poor sled-dogs. That's a lot of extra mushing. Seriously though, I hope they bring the Governor's Cup along so they can remind Anchorageans what it looks like.
Saturday
The following night, Anchorage gets their shot at the NTDP team. Anchorage gets their chance to prove they deserved those two points they got in the USCHO poll. This is probably one of the NTDP's better chances at knocking off a Division 1 team this year, besides Michigan State, but that's a given.
Denver takes on Calgary in Denver. Calgary's nickname is the Dinos. At first I thought they were named after a Greek guy, but it turns out it's actually short for Dinosaurs. I can't think of any other dinosaur nicknamed teams other than the Toronto Raptors. It must be a Canadian thing. I suppose there's nothing that intimidating about something that died out millions of years ago due to climate change.
Northern Michigan will play the Toronto Varsity Blues. Their mascot is "True Blue," which is quite clever. While most schools choose some sort of person or thing as their mascot, Toronto has chosen to go with an adjective. How abstract. Looking at their website, Toronto doesn't appear to have a team yet. They should probably get one before Saturday.
Sunday
Colorado College will play Calgary. I already used up my Calgary material, so let's move on.
North Dakota will take on Manitoba. This game could go one of two ways. Either both teams will look at their locales and realize "Hey, we're not so different, you and I" and skate off hand in hand like the end of that one Simpson's episode, or North Dakota will mistake Manitoba's bison logo for rival North Dakota State and the Red River will run red with blood.
Ferris State is supposed to take on Western Ontario. Again, it looks like another 50/50 proposition. Either UWO Morley Safer does an investigative report, causing Ferris State's home rink to be condemned, and thus cancelling the game, or Ferris State, enraged over the way Safer, to quote President Lyndon B. Johnson, "shat on the American flag", with his reporting on Vietnam, beat the Mustangs to a bloody pulp.
Friday
Alaska takes on the NTDP U18 team in Anchorage. I guess they really wanted to rub in the whole Alaska name change thing to their still-hypenated rivals. Minnesota State fans complained when the the Mavericks played a home game an hour and a half away. Imagine playing a home game 350 miles away like Alaska is doing on Friday. And just think of the stress it will put on their poor sled-dogs. That's a lot of extra mushing. Seriously though, I hope they bring the Governor's Cup along so they can remind Anchorageans what it looks like.
Saturday
The following night, Anchorage gets their shot at the NTDP team. Anchorage gets their chance to prove they deserved those two points they got in the USCHO poll. This is probably one of the NTDP's better chances at knocking off a Division 1 team this year, besides Michigan State, but that's a given.
Denver takes on Calgary in Denver. Calgary's nickname is the Dinos. At first I thought they were named after a Greek guy, but it turns out it's actually short for Dinosaurs. I can't think of any other dinosaur nicknamed teams other than the Toronto Raptors. It must be a Canadian thing. I suppose there's nothing that intimidating about something that died out millions of years ago due to climate change.
Northern Michigan will play the Toronto Varsity Blues. Their mascot is "True Blue," which is quite clever. While most schools choose some sort of person or thing as their mascot, Toronto has chosen to go with an adjective. How abstract. Looking at their website, Toronto doesn't appear to have a team yet. They should probably get one before Saturday.
Sunday
Colorado College will play Calgary. I already used up my Calgary material, so let's move on.
North Dakota will take on Manitoba. This game could go one of two ways. Either both teams will look at their locales and realize "Hey, we're not so different, you and I" and skate off hand in hand like the end of that one Simpson's episode, or North Dakota will mistake Manitoba's bison logo for rival North Dakota State and the Red River will run red with blood.
Ferris State is supposed to take on Western Ontario. Again, it looks like another 50/50 proposition. Either UWO Morley Safer does an investigative report, causing Ferris State's home rink to be condemned, and thus cancelling the game, or Ferris State, enraged over the way Safer, to quote President Lyndon B. Johnson, "shat on the American flag", with his reporting on Vietnam, beat the Mustangs to a bloody pulp.