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2014 Frozen Four: Introducing our ESPN Frozen Four Drinking Game

Hashtag FFDrink

Jonathan Daniel

A couple months back we unveiled the BTN Frozen Fridays Drinking Game. Not that we shouldn't have underestimated y'all, but it was surprising at how popular the response was.

So by popular demand the Frozen Four is getting the same treatment.

You're watching anyways. The Frozen Four, and NCAA Hockey Tournament in general, is the one time a year when all of college hockey comes together starting at 4 p.m. ET Thursday and ending with the championship Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET

Fans of Union, Boston College, North Dakota and Minnesota may have stakes yet that isn't stopping 55 other fanbases (and casual hockey fans) from turning on ESPN2 and ESPN to watch the game on the brightest stage.

The games are even being shown in Canada!

John Buccigross and Barry Melrose have the call for all three games with Quint Kessinch at Wells Fargo Center handling interviews. Michigan State head coach Tom Anastos and college hockey analyst Dave Starman are in the studio. (It should also be said we do this in love. No one has done more to promote college hockey than Bucci and he has grown as a play-by-play guy. While the writer in me cringes seeing "cawlidge" written a lot, the effect of having someone who doesn't care what they are calling has been seen one too many times.)

Why not have fun with your friends and folks on the internet? Because you're watching anyways and it's not weird if others are joining in.

Now the disclaimer: This is for entertainment purposes. Be smart and be safe. Above all, the drinking game does not have to involve alcohol.

Frozen Four Drinking Game

1. Union junior Shayne Gostisbehere is, in addition to being one of the best defensemen in college hockey a Philadelphia Flyers draft pick. That might come up a lot since the Frozen Four is in Philadelphia. If it does, take a sip.

1a. North Dakota's Michael Parks is also a Flyers draft pick. Same goes here.

2. For some reason Union has been brought up as an underdog in spite of the fact the Dutchmen are the hottest team in the tourney and were ranked #1 in both college polls entering the NCAA Tournament. If that gets brought up against either BC or Minnesota-North Dakota, drink.

3. Take a sip if Barry gets into specific analysis about a player instead of generalities.

4. With four teams and three games it's bound to come up, but drink if anyone - Barry, Bucci, whoever the ESPN Sportscenter anchor that gets placed with Anastos and Starman - mispronounces a player's name, or worse a coach (see: Don Loo-sia, Hunter Fasching).

5. A sip for the studio guys discussing players and conferences they cover and coach. That means Starman, who is moonlighting from covering the NCHC and college hockey for CBS Sports Net, saying NCHC stuff and Anastos saying Big Ten stuff.

This might make the Minnesota-North Dakota game interesting.

6. If the Fighting Sioux name gets brought up, 1 drink. If the logo shows on a chyron (not a sweater or something), finish your drink.

7. Take a sip if the Hobey Baker hat trick gets brought up. Take a sip if Masters highlights get brought up. Basically you're taking two sips every intermission.

8. Drink if Bucci says something locker room style (i.e. "lettuce," "flow," "beauty," etc.) in a broadcast.

9. Drink every time the nickname "Johnny Hockey" for Boston College superstar John Gaudreau comes up.

10. Take a drink if Jerry York being the all-time winningest coach in college hockey gets mentioned.

11. A large sip if North Dakota forward Rocco Grimaldi's skills and size are mentioned.

12. Minnesota's Mike Reilly was the Big Ten Defenseman of the Year, but also the younger brother of Connor and Ryan, who also play for Minnesota. Take one drink for every Reilly brother brought up during the broadcast.

13. If the ESPN cameras catch Dave Hakstol or Don Lucia making a face, drink.

13a. Drink if any explanation of the North Dakota/Minnesota rivalry comes up in some light.

14. Bucci says "hashtag thin mints" to describe a goal then go eat a sleeve of thin mints if there's one lying around the house. Honestly at this point in the evening you might need food.

Any other suggestions? Leave them in the comments and use the hashtag #FFDrink.

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Nathan Wells is a college hockey columnist for SB Nation. You can also follow him on Twitter --