College Hockey on TV: #WouldWatch Games December 1-4

Welcome to #wouldwatch, a weekly-ish feature whenever I remember or have time chronicling this week’s college hockey TV games and the best one non-televised AKA the one I would watch.

First week in and I already owe an apology to Michigan and Penn State for putting this out a day late. (Maybe not so much Wolverines given the final score.) The two opened Big Ten play on national television Thursday and unfortunately Friday’s game is not televised.

Then again, Chris covered it. Thanks Chris!

So with this being the first feature you may be asking, what’s the point? Are you an East Coast Elite who hates my team? (That last one is only a half truth.) These games aren’t on TV.

Well the answer is simple. While television has expanded nationally for college hockey in recent years, it remains difficult to see every team from the couch. There are always games with national implications that don’t get the attention it deserves outside of the rink the game gets played. Those are the games I would watch if I could.

Anyways, here’s the list of games that ARE on television. Great options if you end up staying at home Friday and Saturday.

College Hockey on TV (all times local):

Friday:

6:00 p.m. ET Notre Dame at UMass (ASN/NESN)

7:00 p.m. CT Alaska at Minnesota State (Charter locally)

7:30 p.m. CT Nebraska-Omaha at Wisconsin (ASN)

8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET Ohio State at Minnesota (BTN)

Saturday:

7:00 p.m. ET Union at Quinnipiac (SNY)

7:30 p.m. ET Boston College vs North Dakota in New York City (CBS Sports Net)

7:30 p.m. ET New Hampshire at Maine (Fox College Sports)

7:00 p.m. CT Alaska at Minnesota State (Charter locally)

7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET Ohio State at Minnesota (FSN+)

8:00 p.m. CT Nebraska-Omaha at Wisconsin (Wisconsin Channel locally)

Sunday:

2:00 p.m. Minnesota at Wisconsin (Fox Sports North/Fox Sports Wisconsin)

#WouldWatch Games this weekend:

HM: Minnesota at Wisconsin (Sat-Sun)

The top two teams in the nation rarely play one another, unless Minnesota and Wisconsin play one another. The last 12 games in women’s hockey between the USCHO #1 and #2 teams have been between the two schools and this weekend is no different. Although 1 and 2 playing each other is easily enough to warrant “would watch” status, it can be watched. Sunday’s game is televised.

#4 Providence vs Boston University (Fri-Sat)

The 2015 national championship finalists play a home-and-home series with two exciting teams and players who were not in said game. Plus it’s kind of nuts entering December that even with a lack of conference games the two teams combine for 3 wins in Hockey East.

#3 St. Cloud State at Western Michigan (Fri-Sat)

There’s an intrigue to Andy Murray’s Broncos team that only can be solved by watching. Is this a team that should be thought more highly? Western Michigan’s only three losses so far this year have been on the road to the two teams at the top of the rankings and the team holds a win over UMD. The Broncos have nearly matched its 2015-16 win total (8) already. I’m not entirely sure if this weekend’s series with St. Cloud State is a case of one team going up and one team going down, but it’s an intriguing option.

#2 Harvard at St. Lawrence (Fri)

Friday’s game is a match-up between two of the top three teams in the ECAC preseason poll. St. Lawrence has been unbeaten in nine straight since losing three consecutive games during a late October stretch. Goaltender Kyle Hayton has been a key during that stretch, giving up two or fewer goals in every game. Harvard, after the late Ivy-mandated start, is 6-2-1 with its only two losses to Quinnipiac and BU. In spite of who wins the game should tell more about both. (Note: St. Lawrence streams its home games for free.)

#1 Denver vs. Colorado College (Fri-Sat)

The Gold Pan brings out the best (and worst) between Denver and Colorado College. Goalie fights, misplaced trophies, hatred in sold out rinks from both schools and more, the rivalry between the Colorado schools goes back more than 300 games. Although the home-and-home series has been slanted in Denver’s direction the past three years (DU has won the last eight games and enters the weekend on a 12 game unbeaten streak), the Pioneers are not the whole show in the Gold Pan.

And yet it’s not on TV. #WouldWatch