Puck University

It's almost time for the calendar to turn over, which is a monumentous occasion in college hockey.  It means teams can no longer brush off bad starts as being "early" and surprise teams need to start acting like contenders.  This week on Puck University, Tim Williams and Chris Lynch go over the week's slate and a few of our biggest surprises thus far.

Tim Williams and Chris Lynch are back at it with Puck University!  Attendance issues are the topic of the day, with both hosts taking in games this weekend where the crowd was the only disappointment,  But first, a story about Hockey East's very first introduction to Thunderstix and how Tim was directly involved. 

RPI managed to do something that Tim Williams had no idea actually could happen in a hockey game on Sunday against Massachusetts-Lowell.  The show starts with Tim and Chris Lynch breaking it down, before going into the continued fall of BC and what even BC's biggest detractors aren't happy to think about.

Goaltenders across the country were under siege last weekend as high-scoring hockey dotted the collegiate landscape.  We break it all down on Puck University, from Michigan's lamp-friendly visit to Hockey Valley to Providence's destruction of the Merrimack Warriors.

It's the ultimate hockey achievement for a single player: Getting into Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame.  Martin St. Louis has entered the great museum, and Tim Williams and Chris Lynch celebrate another college hockey product getting enshrined. We also break down a big week for the Minnesota schools as the "state of hockey" takes a stranglehold on the USCHO rankings, and give credit where due to Arizona State on their huge leap forward this year.  Of course, there is also talk about how far the UMass-Amherst Minutemen have come this season.

Last week, after all we talked about, it's hard to believe that Puck University didn't even touch on the unfolding situation at Connecticut, where the Huskies are creating a new arena plan.  Chris Lynch discusses all the difficulties in that after we review a busy weekend in college hockey and preview another big one.

Things just keep getting worse for the hockey teams on Boston's B-Line.  The BU Terriers and BC Eagles remain winless after rough weekends for both teams, and meanwhile it's Northeastern who's making noise, coming off a huge win over St. Cloud State at Matthews Arena.  Tim Williams and Chris Lynch take you through the weekend's action in Boston before going around the country to cover a busy week, and another hectic weekend to come.

The biggest surprise of the early season might be the struggles of the Boston schools.  At Puck University, Tim Williams and Chris Lynch examine the struggles of Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern to see what can be made of the three programs.  The rest of the weekend in college hockey is then reviewed, with an exclamation point split for Massachusetts-Amherst at Ohio State.

Puck University is in full session with the college hockey season giving us full slates every weekend.  Tim Williams and Chris Lynch start by taking a look back at a big hit last weekend that led to a scary moment.  From there, the two discuss last weekend's crazy slate in college hockey, from Notre Dame's wild weekend to Minnesota State re-establishing themselves as a power.  This weekend's preview involves a number of ranked teams looking to prove that they belong.

The season is underway, and it's off to a great start.  Minnesota-Duluth came out with just one point out of a possible four against Minnesota in a thrilling start.  Is their goalie in trouble?  Michigan got upset by Vermont.  How good are the Catamounts?  Tim Williams and Chris Lynch break it all down before previewing this week's matchups starting with Thursday night's big one between Clarkson and Penn State.

It's finally here:  Happy Hockey, everyone!  The college hockey season begins on the men's side this weekend with schools in action across the country.  Just in time, Puck University finishes up our two-part season preview.  The ECAC and Hockey East both look like wide open conferences that could be anybody's game, and Tim Williams discusses both conferences with Chris Lynch of InsideHockey.com. 

We are just days from the 2018-19 College Hockey Season getting underway, and at Puck University we could not be more excited!  Host Tim Williams and correspondant Chris Lynch take a look out west at the defending champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and their NCHC, the resurgent WCHA, and the Big Ten.  Tim and Chris also talk about Air Force as the class of the Atlantic and maybe, just maybe, the best college hockey squad in the state of Colorado.

As any of our listeners know, we love the Beanpot here at Puck University.  We love it so much, in fact, that we believe every college sports fan should have something comparable.   Chris Lynch and Tim Williams look into each of the current midseason tournaments, then start to think up a few more that should exist.  Old rivalries could be renewed yearly.  Smaller schools could have a yearly opportunity to get one over on a regional rival.   While we're at it, why not give some Beanpot-like tournaments to the other college sports?  Tim discusses a few ideas he's had for college football, basketball, and even baseball before we wrap up.  Full season previews coming soon!

One of the reasons this podcast launched in the first place was the support of reddit.com/r/collegehockey and we at Puck University can't say enough about what that support means to us.  In recognition, it's our second Reddit Special!  But first, a quick look at college hockey's growing relationship with the NHL, some thoughts on the NHL playoffs, and a Northeastern-Tampa Bay Lightning comparison.

The 2017-18 season has come to a close, with the Bulldogs of Minnesota-Duluth taking home the hardware.  Puck University looks at the Frozen Four, the Hobey Baker and Mike Richter Awards, and takes one look back at the season before heading off for the summer.

A full season of college hockey is almost in the books as Notre Dame, Michigan, Minnesota-Duluth, and Ohio State meet up in St. Paul for the Frozen Four.  Chris Lynch is at the Xcel Center with practices in the background.  We discuss the four entrants, their journeys to the Frozen Four and how each of them can win.  We then go on to talk about the Hobey Baker and Mike Richter Awards.  Crowded fields like every year, but this time around we both have similar opinions on who should take home the hardware.  Best of luck to the schools involved this weekend and the fanbases who follow them.

Since October, we’ve been building to an inevitable and thrilling end to college hockey season.  Here it comes, with the NCAA Regionals getting underway on Friday and taking us through the weekend.  It’s a wide-open field, even compared to other years, and with so many teams capable of making a run it’s really anyone’s game at this point.  Chris Lynch of Insidehockey.com joins the show to break down last week’s conference finals, this year’s bracket, and whether one of the Hockey East teams in the northeast region will advance. This year’s bracket, courtesy of USCHO

It's conference championship weekend, and a lot is at stake for several bubble teams.  Chris Lynch of insidehockey.com joins the show once again as we break down the conference tournaments, who needs to win at least once to get into the tournament, and who we like to win each of the conferences. Chris and I also break down some potential NCAA matchups that could happen, and handicap the ten Hobey Baker nominees.

Puck University celebrates the best time on the hockey calendar:  Three whole months (and change) of playoff hockey.  Before we can have the NHL Playoffs and the Stanley Cup Finals, the college tournaments are taking center stage.  Chris Lynch of Insidehockey.com joins the show to discuss the regular season, the Hobey Baker race, and the first round of the conference playoffs.

College hockey season can be long, but it moves quickly.  It's hard to believe, then, that the regular season is coming to a close (for everybody but the NCHC) this weekend.  This has myself and Chris Lynch of Insidehockey.com thinking about the playoffs, the Hobey Baker race, and the thrilling finish of three conferences that do not yet have a Regular Season Champion.  There is still a lot of seeding that needs to be decided over the weekend, and a couple upsets here and there could tip the balance a bit in the coming postseason.

After thirty long years, the Northeastern Huskies have won the Beanpot.  The celebration continues on Puck University, where we break down the game, Tim's reaction, and the tournament's impact on the national picture.  Is Adam Gaudette a Hobey Baker frontrunner?  Are the Northeastern Huskies--yes, those Northeastern Huskies--national championship contenders?   For Jack.

The Beanpot Semifinals brought as much excitement as expected, as Northeastern handled a fiesty BC team in the early game and BU outlasted Harvard in the nightcap.  Now it's down to Northeastern and BU, which makes for an interesting podcast between Northeastern grad Tim Williams and BU grad Chris Lynch.  We discuss the week in college hockey before getting deep in the Beanpot related weeds.  We make fun of an article in BU's Daily Free Press, recount our best Beanpot stories, break down the game, and the Northeastern fan finally stops reserving judgment on the Huskies.   The Daily Free Press - Burn the Boats:  Why BU Must Win the Beanpot

It's February, and that means it's finally Beanpot time!  The big tournament starts on Monday, and Chris Lynch from Insidehockey.com is back on the show to discuss the event.  Can Northeastern actually be the favorite?  Has BU come around enough that they can sieze the opportunity?  We talk about it from an analytical perspective, and then from a fan perspective. We also take a harder look at the Atlantic, which is wide open and worth watching in what is an increasingly weird year elsewhere.

Chris Lynch of InsideHockey.com is back to discuss big weekends for Minnesota State and Cornell, as well as more Hockey East weirdness.

On Puck University, we love to talk about the unique landscape of college hockey and the hockey-exclusive rivalries that come along with it.  This week, those rivalries take center stage as Minnesota State takes on a couple of in-state rivals in St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth.  One of the biggest eastern rivalries comes back as well, with Maine and New Hampshire going at it in Orono.  InsideHockey.com college hockey guru Chris Lynch is back again to break down the coming weekend.

College hockey season rolls on, and that means another session of Puck University.  Chris Lynch is back with the show to talk about the top schools in the ECAC.  How did Clarkson turn it around so quickly?  We then delve into accepting Penn State is here to stay, talking about the mighty NCHC, and then going into the weirdness that is Hockey East in a year where Northeastern is--dare I say it?--the frontrunner in the conference.  Chris has some interesting insights as well on what is going on at Boston University, where the record does not match the talent

It's the second half of the season now in college hockey.  With midseason tournaments dotting the landscape, 2018 has gotten underway in grand fashion.  Chris Lynch joins Puck University this week to discuss the snow in Massachusetts, the Great Lakes Invitational, why Notre Dame should move all their sports to the Big Ten and more. 

WIth college hockey off for the week to celebrate the Christmas holiday, it's time to get hypothetical.  InsideHockey.com's Chris Lynch joins the show again for the Realignment Special, where we think of creative ways to realign college hockey and add a few teams while we're at it.  What would be the ideal setup for this sport?  For us it requires adding teams, which itself requires suspension of disbelief. Warning:  Content may be unsettling for Big Ten members.

It can't be said enough:  Hockey East is having an odd year.  Insidehockey.com's Chris Lynch joins the show again to talk about an upset-heavy week, the strange year in HEA, a preview of the Great Lakes Invitational, and the fate of the "program coach" in college hockey.

It's finals season, and that means college students and hockey players alike are looking forward to an important break.  The college hockey world is getting ready for their holiday break and the near midway point of the season.  Insidehockey.com's Chris Lynch joins the show again to talk about his busy schedule as a college hockey writer in New England.  That includes last weekend's BU-BC games, as well as Saturday's matchup between Boston College and top ten team Northeastern University.   After a quick preview of the Governor's Cup finals between Alaska and Alaska-Anchorage, Chris and I get into some very preliminary Hobey Baker discussion.  Takeaway of the week:  It's a weird year for Hockey East so far. Click here for your HBO free trial through Amazon Channels.

The WCHA got hit hard by hockey realignment and the emergence of the Big Ten a few years ago.  It hasn't yet recovered, but with Minnesota State currently ranked #5 in the latest USCHO poll, Chris Lynch joins the show to discuss the conference as well as the program in Mankato.   Amazon Prime 30 Day Trial

A month and change into the hockey season, and St. Cloud State is undefeated.  Puck University checks out their early success.  The Big Ten has created another college hockey power conference.  And of course, with Chris Lynch appearing again, Northeastern alum Tim Williams and the proud Terrier have a passive-aggressive back and forth. Amazon Item of the Week Amazon Music Unlimited 30 day trial

Chris Lynch of Insidehockey.com joins me once again to discuss the nation's hockey programs as season two of Puck University gets underway.  We start, as we should, with the high-flying NCHC, then move on to the Big Ten and their good polling.  We discuss the polls themselves, and finally get into a bit of Hockey East back-and-forth between a Northeastern grad and a BU alum.   Amazon Fresh:  $14.99 a month for unlimited grocery delivery HBO on Amazon FREE seven day trial

Expansion is one of college hockey fans' favorite things to talk about, so with the offseason still in full force Puck University is offering up the Expansion Special.  Our three-member panel ended up suggesting 35 schools that we would like to see add hockey, if that weren't so prohibitively expensive.   Kindle Unlimited Up to 90% off used textbooks with Amazon

As it turns out, college hockey has a loyal following on reddit, full of fans who love to talk and tweak each other. Those redditors helped inspire me to launch this podcast in the first place, and as a reward we're taking their questions and comments on the Puck University Reddit Special.  

A little offseason isn't going to stop Puck University.  We're back with one final rumination on the season gone by, with Chris Lynch calling in to discuss the Frozen Four.  The atmosphere in Chicago was excellent, and it has us wondering if maybe the Frozen Four is best in markets that don't see college hockey very often.   We break down each of the three games that ended the season, and how Denver survived a late onslaught by Minnesota-Duluth.  The NCHC proved itself as the best conference in the country.  Chris and I also touch base on our Hobey Baker discussions from the previous episode, and whether there were any issues with Will Butcher winning the award.   Finally, we look ahead to what will be a busy offseason for college hockey, and look back at the tremendous career of Red Berenson as he departs the University of Michigan.

On a rainy afternoon in the City of Broad Shoulders, Inside Hockey's Chris Lynch calls the podcast from the United Center to discuss the Frozen Four, the path all four teams took to get there, and the Hobey Baker Award. Hear how Frank Serratore won Chris over at the Providence regional as Air Force proved themselves worthy of the NCAA field, and how Air Force won a coaching matchup for the ages in their regional semifinal against Western Michigan.  We also go over the wild North Dakota-BU game, Denver's dominance of the Midwest, and Notre Dame's amazing nine day turnaround against UMass-Lowell. Chris and I get into a little Hobey Baker talk, and for the second week I'm stumping to nobody in particular for Zach Aston-Reese, the Northeastern senior who would represent the school's first ever Hobey Baker Award winner.  Chris makes a strong case for Will Butcher, and we both discuss how Thursday night's game for Denver could sway the voting.  I've referred to Aston-Reese as the "leader in the clubhouse," but by that analogy Butcher still has a hole to play. Cal Petersen's article that Chris mentions during the podcast can be found through this link to The Players' Tribune and is a true must-read for the college hockey fan.  

Apparently this weekend is all booked up in college sports, so we have to wait another week for the Frozen Four.  In the meanwhile, Puck University remains in session as I sit down with Jim Williams to discuss a topic I've always felt strongly about:  Hockey's superior draft.   As an expert on other college sports, Jim helps try and bring my crazy theory that every sport should have a draft like hockey's back to Earth.  First, we briefly discuss the Hobey Hat Trick, and why my vote would go to Zach Aston-Reese.  Then, after I bring out my crazy theory, we start to break down what other sports might look like with hockey's draft. Okay, fine, we go a bit crazy imagining fixes to problems that other sports don't actually have, such as the chaos that would erupt if football were to have a hockey-style draft, or how John Calipari might use such a draft to continue to out-recruit his basketball competition.  Eventually, after I go off on a tangent or two, we arrive back at hockey and the many things that make the college hockey landscape unique across the NCAA. To wrap up, Jim and I discuss the news that North Dakota is cutting their women's hockey program.  I quote an article from the Grand Forks Herald in my take on the matter, you can find Brad Elliott Schlossman's article here.   Next week's episode will be up a day early.  Since the Frozen Four is on Thursday, we'll be up Thursday morning with a Frozen Four preview.

The hardest thing for a sportswriter to do is treat a game objectively when it's their school playing in the game.  To that end, my guests Dave Dondoneau--a North Dakota guy living in Hawaii--and Chris Lynch--Boston University alumnus--are at odds over one game in the West regional.   Yes folks, it's the NCAA Regionals again in the college hokey world, and we take you through each region and fill out our brackets, so to speak, right there on the podcast.   As it turns out, the three of us agree on a lot of the games this weekend, but we managed to talk ourselves into a little bit of a fun disagreement over a couple of regional matchups.  All of that bracket-filling, of course, is just an undercard for the main event of two fans going at it. Spoiler alert:  The gloves really stay on.  After all, this is college hockey we're talking about; you have to really earn a fight.  We also talk about a game that ended in a fight last weekend at the Hockey East tournament.   Inside Hockey's Chris Lynch will be on site at two different regionals, and when we next hear from him he'll be either in or on his way to the City of Broad Shoulders for the Frozen Four in Chicago.  Dave and I will be watching from our respective living rooms on polar opposite ends of the country--Hawaii and Boston respectively--and wish all of your teams that aren't playing any of ours the absolute best of luck moving forward. At the finish, I say a few words about American Sports Network, who helped me launch this podcast and who got both Dave and myself back in the college hockey game.  Here's wishing everyone involved with the network all the best moving forward, as we're on to what's next here on Puck University.

How is offense like a housecat?  We begin by having Jerry York give us a great analogy to recap a great weekend of hockey here in Boston.  The top four teams in Hockey East made it to the TD Garden for the HEA semifinals and final.  Hockey fans saw an awful lot this weekend. First, you had Notre Dame's final game as a member of Hockey East.  The Fighting Irish are off to the Big Ten after the NCAA Tournament.  Their coach Jeff Jackson explained during a press conference that, while Hockey East had been welcoming to the folks from South Bend, it was never truly home.  Perhaps it just felt that way after UMass-Lowell trounced Notre Dame in their semifinal matchup. Friday night's second game was the always-heated Commonwealth Avenue rivalry, which now has a loud new chapter to their archive.  A controversial finish nearly overshadowed an unforgettable third period.  Hear what one of the central players involved in the ending controversy had to say about that fated final faceoff. It all culminated in Saturday night's final, the fifth in a row for Lowell.  Once in the middle of Hockey East, the University of Massachusetts campus has vaulted itself to a national powerhouse.  We'll be back on Friday to discuss the River Hawks' chances, and everybody else's, in the NCAA Tournament.

Big weekend in the college hockey world as the six conferences get set to crown a champion.  I review Thursday night's action in the Big Ten, preview the conference semifinals and finals for all the conferences, talk about the ten Hobey Baker finalists and give you who I think will be the field come the NCAA Tournament selection. Our guest this week is USCHO's Candace Horgan, editor and women's hockey expert.  She comes on to preview a familiar Women's Frozen Four, with all four of the same teams as last year.  Despite that, we talk about how the women's field is starting to grow, if not necessarily into national championship contenders.  Candace also gives us some insight into the breaking story between the United States Women's National Team and USA Hockey.  The boycott announced on Wednesday isn't sudden and it isn't just about money, though the money is an issue as well.  Would you be part of a four year committment for only six months of pay?  Back on happier topics, we also discuss the Patty Kazmaier Award and how Ann-Renee Desbiens has been the rare goalie that could take a major honor away from the skaters.  On that note, what are the odds Wisconsin doesn't go home with the hardware? Candace's latest article, also featuring USCHO writer Nicole Haase, can be found here.

This week on Puck University, we take a closer look at a number of teams whose seasons are on the line this weekend.  While some “bubble” teams could lose this weekend and be safe, the ones Dave Dondoneau and I look at have to advance to even get an at-large bid.  In doing so, both of us mention a few teams who just so happen to be playing their best hockey at the right time, as well as one team that needs an immediate turnaround. We also look at a few potential party-crashers; teams that are good enough to win their conference even if they haven’t earned consideration for an at-large NCAA bid.  A couple of teams featured had high hopes coming into the season and seem to be hitting their stride at the right moment, could they have real sleeper potential? After Dave and I preview ASN’s featured Northeastern at Boston University game on Saturday night, I sit down with Northeastern Associate Head Coach Jerry Keefe to discuss the Huskies’ season, as well as their rise from Hockey East afterthoughts to conference competitors.  This week Sydney McKibbon has the hammer.  With the Women’s NCAA Tournament set to begin this weekend, I sit down with frontrunner Wisconsin’s senior captain Sydney McKibbon to discuss her career with the Badgers, the remarkable team she’s been a part of this year, the atmosphere remarkable WCHA Women’s Hockey Conference, and the mindset of a true NCAA Tournament favorite.  

It's the beginning of conference playoff season around the country, as four of the six college hockey conferences begin their postseasons.  Brendan Jones of College Hockey Now, and American Sports Network writer Dave Dondoneau join me this week to break down the playoffs in Hockey East and the ECAC, as well as the end of the regular season for the Big Ten and NCHC conferences. We then preview ASN's featured game on Saturday night:  Wisconsin at Penn State.  Both teams have made gigantic strides this year, with Penn State reaching a new level for their program while Wisconsin makes their way back to prominence.  Dave and Brendan break down what should be a particularly entertaining game and series at Pegula Ice Arena. From there we start to look at the potential NCAA tournament picture.  There are up to ten teams sitting on what you might call the "bubble" right now, and we discuss which teams must win their conference to get in and which ones just need to keep on the path they're on.  The case of North Dakota, the defending champion that has been struggling of recent, is discussed. We also offer up a very early Hobey Baker preview.  With no real "star" of the season, it's an interesting race to consider.  Could a defenseman or a goalie make a serious run at it?  Could it go to a player on a team that won't be seen in the NCAAs?  Brendan and Dave give their thoughts. To finish, I sit down with Hockey East's Brian Smith to discuss the fifteenth year of the Women's Hockey East conference and how far that conference has come.  With the Women's Hockey East Final broadcast Sunday on ASN, we look at the history of the tournament as well as the growing depth the conference has shown.   All on a packed schedule this week on Puck University.

With the college hockey regular season winding down, last night's action set up a frantic finish in both Hockey East and the NCHC conferences.  Now the Hockey East regular season title is up for grabs between four different teams, and Denver and Minnesota-Duluth will battle to the end for the NCHC crown.  That's before we get into all the playoff seeding possibilities.   On this first episode of Puck University I was able to sit down with Minnesota standout Sarah Potomik, last year's women's Frozen Four MOP.  The sophomore is also a member of the Canadian national team, along with her younger sister Amy.  We talk about wide open ice, the difference between national hockey and college hockey, Minnesota's growing rivlary with Wisconsin, and how the Gophers will be preparing for a tough conference tournament. Later, I sit down and talk to Michigan seniors Max Shuart and Nolan DeJong.  The defending Big Ten champions are taking on Ohio State this weekend.  Seems like a good time to ask about that rivalry, the Big Ten's growing atmosphere, and their memories of Yost Ice Arena as well as the great Joe Lewis Arena.   Before this weekend gets started in college hockey, take this primer.  Puck University, where fight songs end in "sieve" chants.