Josh Fenton Named New NCHC Commissioner

The NCHC announced today that Miami administrator Josh Fenton will become the conference's second ever commissioner when he takes over full duties on July 15th. Fenton replaces former commissioner Jim Scherr, who left his position earlier this summer to take a job administrating the inaugural European Games in Azerbaijan.

Fenton comes to the position having already been very actively involved in the creation of the new conference that will begin play next fall. According to the press release:

Fenton played an integral role in the formation and development of the NCHC, involved with athletics director meetings and assisting legal counsel in drafting documents creating the conference. Fenton also helped secure CBS Sports Network as the conference’s national broadcast partner, created the operating financial models, secured the Target Center in Minneapolis as the tournament championship site and served as the conference’s liaison on legal and financial matters.

Hiring someone that already has such intimate knowledge of the league already seems a smart choice, given that conference play begins in such a relatively short time. The league still has some business to settle before their first season, including whether the league will shootouts as part of their overtime format.

Fenton was quoted in the press release as saying:

I am excited, honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead eight great institutions and their hockey programs into the inaugural season. I am appreciative of the support of each institution’s president or chancellor, athletics director, hockey coach and faculty athletic representative as we develop the best conference in college hockey. I want to thank Jim Scherr for laying the foundation for the conference’s early development, and to Brian Faison for having the vision to lead the board of directors through the conference’s early evolution. We will work tirelessly to create a conference which will engage our passionate fans and provide our student-athletes with life enriching experiences. My wife, Lindsay, and our two sons are excited to immerse ourselves into the collegiate communities this great conference represents, including our new home in Colorado Springs.