T1B

Growing unrest in the most dominant organization in men’s college hockey paved the way for the creation of a brand new league.

Five members of the once-formidable Western Collegiate Hockey Association made it official Wednesday when their representatives gathered in a Colorado Springs, Colo., landmark and outlined plans for a new league scheduled to be up and running in 2013-14.

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference includes Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota from the WCHA and Central Collegiate Hockey Association power Miami (Ohio).

Their exodus was mapped out less than four months after it was announced Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin will leave the WCHA to join the new Big Ten Conference, also debuting in 2013-14.

The two developments have triggered massive change that’s still ongoing and hard feelings that will make it a challenge for many to cross the bridge that spans the next two years.

“It’s going to be tenuous,” said Sean Frazier, the UW deputy athletic director who oversees the men’s and women’s programs. “We all need calmer heads.”

While the UW men’s program will close out an affiliation with the WCHA that began in 1969, the women’s program will continue to operate indefinitely in the league because the Big Ten only has four women’s teams — including Penn State, which debuts in 2012-13 — and needs six for conference sponsorship.

Walter Dickey, the UW Athletic Board chair, lamented the fact that many failed to heed the warning that the Big Ten would eventually sponsor men’s hockey.

“When we said these things three years ago, it was (with) an eye toward trying to solidify and consider all the options because there are an awful lot of forces at work here that are not helpful to college hockey,” he said.

“This has been a lot of change,” said Jennifer Heppel, the associate commissioner for Big Ten governance who will oversee the new men’s hockey product. “Change makes people nervous.

“But we’re all professionals and we’re working for the good of our schools, our conferences and the game.”

Three months after expressions of unity were heard during the annual American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida, it was learned that some of the long-running acts in the WCHA were looking to leave. CC, Denver and North Dakota were original members of the league in 1959, while Duluth joined in 1965, but the advent of the Big Ten and its big-school lineup seemingly pushed them to try and find a way to keep pace.

“None of us saw this happening while we were at the meetings down in (Marco Island),” said Frazier, chair of the NCAA ice hockey committee. “There was a lot of talk. Now the talk is backed up with action.

“A lot of people thought they had some of what I would call honest dialogue that was going across that really wasn’t honest dialogue. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff.”

During a press conference at the historic Penrose House, North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison said there was no one tipping point for the schools striking out on their own.

“It’s been a very measured, involved process,” he said.

But two developments at the AHCA meeting may be straws that broke the camel’s back.

There was sentiment from multiple schools that WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod needed to step down, but a college hockey source speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the volatile nature of the discussions said that while “people inched up to that line, no one crossed it.”

When the discussion turned to schools possibly pulling out of the WCHA, one of the small-school athletic directors made a motion that called for a six-figure fine to be imposed on all defectors, a point confirmed Wednesday by Faison. The sanction idea was supported by another small-school AD but subsequently withdrawn.

McLeod, the commissioner since 1994, issued a melancholy statement Wednesday, saying “it’s a tough day for the WCHA and a sad day for me personally.”

The six schools committed to the NCHC have won 17 national titles, including seven apiece from Denver and North Dakota. Duluth claimed its first NCAA crown in April.

Notre Dame out of the CCHA is being wooed by the new league. Western Michigan, another CCHA member, is lobbying to be a member as well.

The WCHA and CCHA are wobbling, as the defections will leave the WCHA as presently constructed with five members — one short of the number required for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament — and an additional two losses would also leave the CCHA at five schools.

Denver coach George Gwozdecky said the NCHC is an “important” and “necessary” addition to the college hockey landscape.

IndyFrisco wrote:Now why would Nebraska join some other conference and not get an invite to their own Big 10 conference? Makes no sense.

Mike Eaves has lost enough underclassmen to the pros over the years that the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey coach knows not to get his offseason hopes too high.

But Eaves admits he got lulled into a false sense of security with Craig Smith, the junior center from Madison who announced Thursday he will bypass his final two years of eligibility to sign an NHL contract with Nashville.

On multiple occasions since the end of last season, Smith insisted he would be back with the Badgers after leading them in goals as a sophomore. He was elected co-captain along with junior defenseman John Ramage and the two went so far as to sign a lease on an apartment for the fall.

Eaves was skeptical, especially after Smith starred for Team USA in the World Championships in May, holding his own playing with and against NHL-caliber talent. After all, Eaves has had 14 underclassmen leave for the pro ranks since 2004, including one on the first day of fall semester classes.

“I thought that until I looked him in the eye when he signed the lease,” Eaves said of Smith. “He came right back, talked to Rammer and they went out and found a spot.”

But things changed after Smith, 21, attended Nashville’s camp for its prospects, which ended Sunday. Smith, a strong skater with an excellent shot, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Predators in 2009.

“Before he went there, he was firmly here with us,” Eaves said.

“I was so comfortable with coming back,” Smith said. “But this opportunity that I have before me — basically (evolving) over the last couple weeks — has grown to the point where I can’t sit back and look past that.

“I had to look down deep into myself to find out what I wanted and what’s right for me.”

Smith said Nashville officials were OK with him returning to school, but their outlook changed when veteran forwards Marcel Goc and Joel Ward signed free-agent contracts elsewhere earlier this month.

Eaves said Smith didn’t get any guarantees of playing time from Nashville — its top minor league team is in Milwaukee — but he has a good chance of reaching the NHL in 2011-12.

“It’s tough to turn away from what I have in front of me for next season,” Smith said.

If Smith gets to the NHL, he’ll have a chance to skate with two former UW standouts: winger Blake Geoffrion and defenseman Ryan Suter, also a Madison native.

Smith is the third underclassman to leave the Badgers since the season ended in March. Junior defenseman Jake Gardiner signed an NHL contract with Toronto, while junior winger Jordy Murray signed to play with Rapperswil-Jona of the Swiss Elite League.

The loss of Smith is significant to UW, which was expecting him to provide a potent one-two scoring punch with junior All-America defenseman Justin Schultz. It would have marked the first time since 2005-06 the Badgers returned their top goal-scorer (Smith had 19) and point-producer (Schultz had 47).

Eaves said he met Thursday with the remaining captains — Ramage, Schultz and junior winger Ryan Little — and came away encouraged by their we’ll-be-OK attitude. Summer conditioning sessions will give way to a new season Oct. 7 when Northern Michigan comes to the Kohl Center.

Despite massive inexperience in goal, the Badgers had the makings of a top-three team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association before Smith left.

“Obviously you lose that production and that leadership, so we come out of the gates a little greener,” Eaves said.

UW has five forwards among its nine freshmen. Eaves said he doesn’t plan to add another winger or center for next season.

Smith said leaving UW is necessary but not easy.

“It’s my hometown,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play here and I got a chance to do that and I was truly grateful for that.”

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Wisconsin = the Kentucky Wildcats of college hockey

Shoalzie wrote:As for Western...Screw, sorry for the Wings stealing your coach away. Babs needed two new assistants after MacLean left for Ottawa and McCrimmon wasn't going to be retained. Blashill looked like a star on the rise but that rebuilding of the Broncos isn't going to last long unless he's got a hot assistant to take over he left off.

Screw_Michigan wrote:WMU to the gax-named hockey conference with Denver, Col College, North Dakota, NE-Omaha, Miami and NOTRE DAME. You watch it.

Goober McTuber wrote:a steady diet of North Dakota, Miami (Ohio), UMD and the Colorado schools should ensure 20-loss seasons for WMU for the foreseeable future.

Goober McTuber wrote:Die in a autoerotic asphyxia experiment gone wrong, gasper.

Screw_Michigan wrote:

Goober McTuber wrote:Die in a autoerotic asphyxia experiment gone wrong, gasper.

Well if Whisky is having problems retaining players, probably time to start recruiting players who are going to stick around for a while, right? Fucking idiot.