Welcome to the Badger Herald live blog. I'm Brett Sommers, Statistics Editor at the Badger Herald, alongside Associate Sports Editor Kelly Erickson and Badger Herald alum and former men's hockey beat writer Adam Holt. We will be bringing you all of tonight's Game 2 action between Wisconsin and No.1 Minnesota-Duluth from the Kohl Center.

Friday night Wisconsin (7-8-2, 4-7-2 WCHA) rushed out to an 2-0 lead in the first period against No.1 Duluth (11-3-3, 9-2-2 WCHA), now unbeaten in 13 straight games since starting the season 1-3, before settling for a 3-3 tie. The Badgers never trailed to the number one team in the country, but they couldn't shake the Bulldogs either. After allowing UMD to tie the game at 2-2, the Badgers took an early 3-2 third period lead only to give allow the Bulldogs back in just three minutes later.

Wisconsin junior defenseman Justin Schultz scored two goals in the tie and sophomore forward Mark Zengerle extended his point streak to 16 games. Duluth is led by Jack Connolly who has 26 points on the season after an assist in Friday's contest.

A Badgers win tonight would also give Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves the 200th victory of his Badger coaching career and a total of three points in the WCHA standings over the weekend.

Stay tuned for all of tonight's action and see if the Badgers can end the nations longest active unbeaten streak.

Welcome to the Badger Herald live blog. I'm Brett Sommers, Statistics Editor at the Badger Herald, alongside Associate Sports Editor Kelly Erickson and Badger Herald alum and former men's hockey beat writer Adam Holt. We will be bringing you all of tonight's action between Wisconsin and No.1 Minnesota-Duluth from the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin (7-8-1, 4-7-1 WCHA) enters play with a chance to get back to .500, not an easy task against No.1 Duluth (11-3-2, 9-2-1 WCHA) which is on a 12 game unbeaten streak since starting the season 1-3. The Badgers' last series over Thanksgiving weekend was a sweep of Mercyhurst, and the Bulldogs swept Michigan Tech on the road last weekend. We will keep an eye on Wisconsin sophomore forward Mark Zengerle as he looks to extend his 15 game point streak. Duluth is led by Jack Connolly who has 25 points so far this season.

A Badgers win tonight would also give Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves the 200th victory of his Badger coaching career,

Stay tuned for all of tonight's action and see if the Badgers can take down another No.1 opponent.

Welcome to the live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, associate sports editor, coming to you live from the Kohl Center as Wisconsin closes out its second nonconference series of the season, against Mercyhurst.

Last night the Badger won in dominating fashion 7-2 with a five point performance from sophomore forward Mark Zengerle and a four point performance from junior defenseman Justin Schultz.

Keep it here all night long for all the action as the Badgers try to sweep the Lakers.

Need a quick Badger athletic fix? Well, welcome to the Badger Herald live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, associate sports editor here at the Herald and I'm coming to you live from the Kohl Center where the Wisconsin men's hockey team faces off with Mercyhurst. Stay tuned all night long as I'll be bringing you all the action.

Wisconsin (5-8-1) returns home this Thanksgiving weekend after a rough road trip to Colorado College where the Badgers dropped their third straight game and were swept by the then-No.5 Tigers. The sweep only added to the Badgers road issues as the team has yet to win a game on the road. But the Kohl Center is a comfortable place for the Badgers as they've upset not only No. 1 Minnesota, but swept then-No. 5 North Dakota at home.

Mercyhurst is Wisconsin's second non-conference opponent this season as it jumped into WCHA play early. Mercyhurst currently sits in first place in the Atlantic Hockey Conference with a 6-5-1 record. UW is 1-1-0 in conference play so far this year -- the other series coming at home also against Northern Michigan to open the season.

Keep it here as I bring you all the action live from Madison!

Welcome to the Badger Herald live blog! I'm Brett Sommers, Statistics Editor at the Badger Herald, and I'm coming to you live from the Kohl Center. I'll be bringing you all the action as UW hosts the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. Stay tuned all night as I'll be posting live from the drop of the first puck until the final horn.

Last weekend the Badgers traveled to St. Could State, and lost game one 7-2 and made an epic comeback in the final five minutes of game two to leave with a 3-3 tie. Minnesota (9-1-0, 6-0-0) enters this series on a four-game winning streak and ranked No. 1 in the country, and Wisconsin (4-5-1, 3-4-1) is looking for its first win since October 29, against Nebraska-Omaha.

Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves has made one significant change to his typical lineup tonight. Joel Rumpel will start tonight's game in place of Landon Peterson, who has started each Friday night opener this season.

I like the idea of giving little updates about how formers Badgers are doing in the NHL but instead of rattling off some updates about how some of our former athletes...err...student-athletes are doing in the big-boy league, I thought I'd touch on something that I didn't think of until now...or at least since I last had to put something into words for you guys.

Have you all noticed the new profiles displayed on the jumbo-screen at the Kohl Center before men's hockey games? If my memory serves me correctly, the screen was littered with some local advertisements, some news, maybe some scores from other events from around the county, and whatever the gameday operations the team wanted to throw up on the screen. This year, though, there seems to be an idea that I think is quite the Badgerly attraction.

Before games, there is a rolling feed of Badgers who have moved onto professional hockey, along with where each player is and any helpful stats and updates. At first, I just passed it off as giving people in attendance a casual update of players who once roamed the ice (Fan in the stands: "Oh, yeah? That's how Bourque is doing lately over in Calgary? I loved watching him play in the early 2000s. Good to see he's doing well"), but then I started to think that it might have another purpose entirely than just providing news to the fans.

What about potential Badgers that may be visiting the Kohl Center for a recruit visit? This is the perfect opportunity for the Badger hosts to make sure a visiting recruit is able to spot the roll of Badgers enjoying a professional hockey career. I'm sure the recruit does not mind seeing where playing at a big time hockey program can take him. Most players envision playing in the higher ranks and want to be placed where there will be ample opportunity to move up to the play-for-pay status. Think that other DI hockey programs don't use this tactic for potential student-athletes (there are those words again) to join the program? I would be very surprised if every recruit everywhere in every potential program does not receive a recruit packet stuffed with former student-athletes who are now lacing it up for dollar bills. Can't hurt, right?

Just like what was mentioned this past week during the Badger football game - offensive lineman want to come to programs where they're going to have the best chance to move onto the NFL. If a recruit comes to UW, he's going to have running backs behind him picking up yards and he's going to have other big-uglies around him to share the blocking load. Again, I'm sure all 6'4" 270-pound high school linemen in the state are contacted and provided the names of Mark Tauscher, Joe Thomas, and Gabe Carimi along with all the great academic opportunities and clubs around campus. Or, as one of the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history put it, "everyone knows our degree in college was 'eligibility.' You need the grades to play before you can get paid to play."

Back to hockey....the NHL kind. I never thought I would see it after the 2010 Winter Olympics, but Ryan Miller is looking rather ordinary as of late. Just last week, he got yanked from the game in less than four minutes after "giving up" three goals. I say "giving up" because the pucks just seemed to find the slightest creases to sneak by him and he did give up one fat rebound for a goal. It was still rather odd to turn to the backup goalie so soon. Who is the backup goalie in Buffalo? Jhonas Enroth? Yup, that Jhonas.

Don't look now (or do), but Enroth is 4-0 this season with a .952 save percentage coming into Tuesday night. And even looking back at last season for Buffalo, he was an impressive 9-2 with a tad less impressive .907 save percentage. I'm not going to dig too deep into what this could mean for Mr. Miller, but the 23-year old Enroth is starting to gain some ladder rings on the 31-year old Miller. Keep an eye out for how much the playing time is continually split in Buffalo.

Because I did some Christmas shopping this past week, I am debating on what I want to put on my NHL Christmas list, either gifts to me or gifts to NHL fans. Maybe I'll save this idea for a future column, but I will start chiding my siblings and mother about some items I would not mind unwrapping when we do gifts. Maybe there will be a discount on NHL Center Ice by December? Or maybe I will keep thanking the NBA for not showing up so hockey can keep getting its due. We shall see.

Welcome to the Badger Herald Live Blog for tonight's men's hockey action between Wisconsin and Nebraska-Omaha. I am Badger Herald Statistics Editor Brett Sommers alongside Associate Sports Editor Kelly Erickson.

Last night's game one featured extremely physical play from both teams, including an ejection of UNO's Zahn Raubenheimer after laying a massive back check on Wisconsin's Ryan Little. The Badgers got off to a quick start, highlighted by Derek Lee's goal just 41 seconds into the game. Wisconsin extended its lead to 3-0 in the first period before a late first period goal for the Mavericks. Through the final two periods UNO battled back before eventually scoring the game-winning goal on a last minute power play, taking game one by a score of 5-4.

Tonight Joel Rumpel (2-1-0) will be the starting goalie for Wisconsin and assistant captain John Faulkner (3-2-0) will be in goal for Nebraska-Omaha.

Kelly and I will be here all night detailing the play-by-play from the opening faceoff until the final horn. We are glad for all of you that can join us tonight and enjoy the game.

Welcome to the Badger Herald live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, associate sports editor at the Herald, and I'm coming to you live from the Kohl Center. I'm joined by statistics editor Bret Sommers and we'll be bringing you all the action as UW hosts UNO. Stay tuned all night as we'll be live to the very end of the game.

Right off the heels of my update last week (about always keeping an eyes on Wisconsin products and former Badgers) there was quite the happening with two former Badgers last Thursday night. Dany Heatley and Ryan McDonagh both put pucks in right before the horns to force overtime and to win in overtime. Heatley's Minnesota Wild squad ended up winning in overtime. Just another two Badgers coming up huge. I recommend catching those highlights. Shoot, I may have to celebrate Heatley's put-in by downing a nice weissbier someday soon...I too should probably freshen up on my German beer styles and regions so I can feel my German blood...or something....

And how about Brian Elliott! Man, I feel like Puckstradamus or something. I dropped him last week, and he's playing huge for the St. Louis Blues right now. I watched last week's game when he played against the Philadelphia Flyers and I was pleased with what I saw.

I, like most Badger fans, remember Elliott mining the pipes in the Frozen Four a handful of years ago, and it's nice to see him resurrect his career a bit. He's bounced around, and looks like he may have recently played himself into a starting role in St. Louis. He's 3-0 right now in four games with a save percentage of 93.5%. So, make sure to keep an eye on Mr. Elliott in the 'Lou. I hope to see him there in early December when I plan on taking a trip to St. Louis.

After mentioning Toronto last week, I just wanted to touch on the Maple Leafs again. In the last five seasons they have not surpassed 40 wins. With five wins in their last eight games, this may be the year they crack the barrier and head into the playoffs. And as a hockey fan, I think it would be great to see the Maple Leafs make some noise this year because of their storied history as a franchise.

Watching their game last night, one of the announcers had quite the affection for former Badger Jake Gardiner. Gardiner was complimented about his style of play and what types of things the rookie can bring to the ice. It was good to hear, but it was not good to see the minor gaffe Gardiner made on defense. With a handful of minutes remaining and trailing by a goal, Mr. Jagr snuck past for a lengthy pass and scored on a breakaway goal to put the Philadelphia Flyers up by two goals late in the third period. I guess that's how the puck crumbles sometimes...

As for other surprises around the league after these first few weeks, it's easy to see that some clubs are in trouble early. The Montreal Canadiens have one win, the Columbus Blue Jackets have none to their name and both the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are atop their respective divisions.

No one is really surprised about Columbus struggling, but it's hard to grasp that they haven't posted a win. They do have one loss in overtime though! So there's a point in the standings! And even in last year's playoffs, there wasn't much confidence in them advancing because it seemed they were struggling to get wins. Yes, they took the eventual champions, the Boston Bruins, to a game seven, but it should not have gone that far. Preseason expert opinions really didn't think the Canadiens had the squad to keep up with their conference and division.

As for Dallas and Colorado, I cannot help but think of the late 1990's and early 2000's when these squads were playing well. Those were great battles back in the day and I really owe those years and teams to founding my love of watching hockey.

And who can forget some of those playoff thrillers the Dallas Stars were part of, taking games into three or four overtimes. My mom wasn't too pleased about those battles being on school nights, but a boy has got to do what he has got to do. Thanks for your support, mom.

As I finish up writing this, I look at the clock and realize that the Blackhawks are playing in less than five hours. Sure, that would be enough time to go for a run, read a book or cook dinner, but I am thinking it may be enough time to grab a sandwich and hop the train to downtown Chicago for tonight's game. Why? It's Corey Crawford bobblehead night.

Welcome to the Badger Herald Live Blog! I am Badger Herald Statistics Editor Brett Sommers. Tonight I will be bringing you live men's hockey action of an always anticipated match up between the Wisconsin Badgers and North Dakota Fighting Sioux at the Kohl Center.

Thus far on the season Wisconsin is 1-3-0, all three losses coming in heartbreak fashion in overtime, including both games at Michigan Tech last Friday and Saturday. Tonight's contest will be the first conference series for North Dakota, who has started the season off 2-1-1.

The Badgers are expected to once again use a two man rotation in front of the net with Landon Peterson playing tonight and Joel Rumpel picking up game two tomorrow night, but if any changes are made the Badger Herald Live Blog will be right here to update you on everything from lineups to the final score.

Saturday!...Saturday!...Saturday!...Saturday! Saturday night's alright...

Now, I'm not one to condone only one night of the week for fighting to be accepted, but I am one to deem it acceptable in certain situations. The situation I find most reasonable is, keeping all the brutal Nic Cage jokes under wraps, in the defense or protection of your woman or family member. Well...I must say that I might just muster up the fists one day just so that I could meet John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, or Dave Chappelle. Hell, I would love to have "How Do I Live" playing in the background for most of my day...

First there's a difference between fighting and sports. I must state that I don't pay any attention to the UFC stuff that gains a lot of media attention over the last few years, or boxing for that matter, but I suppose I can accept UFC as a sport...even though I have no interest in it.

We have all seen fighting in sports. What do we blame it on? Egos? Cultural upbringing? Tempers? The list is endless when it comes to actual "fights" in sports.

I'll toss your way the instances I think about when fighting and sports come together. A bit of a history from mainstream sports...

Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes spent over 30 years of his life coaching football, most notably at Ohio State University where he led the Buckeyes for many years against Bo Schembechler. What most people, including myself, remember Hayes for is the punch (or punches) he threw at an opposing player in the 1978 Gator Bowl, in addition to some outrageous acts aimed at officials in that game and previous ones. Simply, after 28 years of being the head coach, he was let go after his temper and anger got a hold of his hands.

Another event in days past is the Rudy Tomjanovich and Kermit Washington affair in 1977. I'm sure if I were to ask most people who these two men are, some might be able to point out that Tomjanovich coached the Houston Rockets in the NBA Championship years and that he enjoyed a solid Big Ten and professional basketball career. Kermit Washington is known, mostly, for only one event - an on-court tussle between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, with Tomjanovich being on Houston's active roster. After whistles blew because of Kareem Abul-Jabar and others shoving and elbowing, Washington threw a punch that fractured Tomjanovich's skull and face, resulting in leaking spinal fluid amongst other things. He was knocked out cold.

Tomjanovich endured, came back, and is associated with the association. Washington has bounced around a bit, and he feels it's because of the one punch he tossed. Details...

Why is hockey the only sports where "fighting" is allowed? It's obviously not allowed as it is just tolerated (to a degree) as being part of the game. The only other sport that offers an analogy is baseball. Their "sweet chin music" or bean ball is almost like throwing a jab or two, right?

The bean ball is to protect your players, protect your stars, and to inform the opposing team you're not going to put up with certain things. Player X pimps his homerun a little too much in the second inning? You hit our playmaker? Things happen. Hell, Nolan Ryan putting Robin Ventura in a headlock happened.

It's hard to retaliate in football because there's such a watchful eye on everything that happens now, and basketball does allow some payback action. Mostly coaches just grabbing ankles...JVG...

Anyone that watches hockey understands why the fighting exists. And if you've ever watched HBO's excellent "24/7" series leading up to the NHL Winter Classic, you'll hear guys on the ice and in interviews talking about fighting. It's kind of laughable, but it almost seems like a gun duel out of the Wild West. Players just don't start fighting (for the most part) as it's almost an agreement they each have to make before dropping gloves. You'll hear "wanna go?", "let's do this", and "you wanna drop 'em?" before guys engage.

And some players realize they're in the NHL to be the team's enforcer. In last year's "24/7", a player talked about how, according to friends and folks he trusted, the best change for him to stay in the NHL is to be the teammate who will drop the mitts to protect his squad. And because of that, all his teammates respect him and have his back. While on the interview camera, his face was actually quite swollen with a blackened and bloody eye...

I'll never forget the Steve Moore - Tood Bertuzzi fracas that ended in Bertuzzi sucker punching Moore from behind, breaking vertebrae, driving him to the ice to cause a concussion, and ending Moore's career. It was one of the more brutal images I've seen in sports, but why did Bertuzzi do it?

He did it to protect one of his guys. Moore gave an elbow to the head of the then-captain of Bertuzzi's team earlier on, and Moore had to know that wasn't going to go without some payback. There's more to it, mind you, but Bertuzzi is still viewed as a jerk. A couple weeks ago online there was a video of Bertuzzi with a comment section to make a remark about his moves with the puck, and I wasn't surprised to see that many of the comments referenced the Moore incident. People don't forget things like that. And I'm sure Bertuzzi wishes he would have confronted Moore on the ice differently...like a man of the sport.

I also remember Patrick Roy meeting opposing goalies at center ice in a team-wide brawl and seeing videos of a scuffle in Madison Square Garden in 1971 between the Maple Leafs and New York Rangers that resulted in a goalie losing his mask into the stands so that the backup, Jacques Plante, had to move between the pipes.

I'm not even going to talk about fighting and "head injuries and traumatizing blows to the head" as I am tired of that being thrown around so much in sports these days.

I'll be back in seven days.

We had a good opening weekend in the NHL, even though the championship banner presentation in Boston seemed to happen without any regard to getting the game started on time. Opening week saw the return of Jaromir Jagr, Friday and Saturday games in Helsinki and Stockholm (made for a great matinee watching on Saturday since college football was not too appealing to me), the return of hockey to Winnipeg, and, as a somewhat ode to my mention last week, the first career goal of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Speaking of filling in the goal column in the box score for the first time, I'm hoping some of you caught what happened for former Badgers, most notably ones in Nashville and San Jose. Craig Smith, who went pro early, had two goals and two assists in his first two NHL games for the Predators, and Joe Pavelski netted two goals in the season opener for the Sharks. Up and, somewhat, over in Toronto, Jake Gardiner logged some ice time for the Leafs but did leave the game with a -2 rating.

Something else in Toronto always draws my attention too - Phil Kessel. Even though the Madison native decided to head west (like a young man) and attend the University of Minnesota for his personal reason of, if I remember correctly, wanting to play with guys he knew, Kessel did have a hat trick and an assist that night to go along with some comments about his new physique. But, being the Wisconsin boy that I am, it is difficult not to cheer for one of our own. So I always take a peek at the box score to see how Kessel fares. It's the same thing with Drew Stafford in Buffalo (Milwaukee native), Jake Dowell in Dallas (Eau Claire native), and Jack Skille in Florida (Madison native and former Badger).

Anyway, back to banners in sports...

Does the "raising the banner" ceremony seem like a tradition that is only emphasized in hockey? It does to me. Yes, it's hard to raise a banner in a football or baseball stadium, but, since hockey and basketball arenas always have roofs, I always link "banner raising" with hockey. I think basketball franchises (and other sports) more or less do a "banner revealing" where the cloth is dropped to show it up in the rafters.

In Colorado over the weekend, a banner retiring Peter Forsberg jersey was lifted to the heights. It was a good little ceremony, along with a speech that can be expected from a number retiring...and a Swede giving a public speech in English. He's still one of my all-time favorite players.

While at the UW men's hockey game Friday night, a friend of 17 years texted me saying he was seated in the front row of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Notre Dame game. Sweet. Those are two great teams, with UM-D being the defending NCAA D-I champ. He sent me a picture of the raising of the champion banner (oddly enough, I have been to that arena when I was in Duluth last for Grandma's Marathon. Not what I was expecting after being to the Kohl Center so many times).

Shoot, just a few weeks ago, the UW women's hockey team had their banner raising ceremony when they opened the season.

Another happening that I associate with hockey and being a champion is Lord Stanley's Cup. Yes, the Stanley Cup is my favorite trophy in sports, along with the Lombardi Trophy (for obvious reasons), but I really like hearing about the travels the Stanley Cup makes in the summer months with the players and staff of the winning team. I have read and watched clips of players who took the Cup back to their schools, to children's hospitals, to youth teams, or to an auction to forfeit one of their days with the Cup to have a non-athlete spend time cherishing it, with the funds going to a selected charity.

There is much more uniqueness that comes along with the Stanley Cup in that only one exists and that every member of the winning team has his name etched onto it. One name I love is Jean Béliveau, of the Montreal Canadians. His name appears 17 times - 10 as a player and 7 as a club executive - on the Cup that is continually increasing in both weight and size to make room over the years for all the names that are added.

Welcome to The Badger Herald live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, Associate Sports Editor at the Herald, coming to you live from the Kohl Center. I'm joined by our statistics editor, Brett Sommers, as we'll be here live all night, bringing you all the action from game two of the Men's Hockey opening weekend.

Last night in their season opener, the Badgers lost on a heartbreaking overtime goal. With about three seconds left in overtime Northern Michigan's Reed Seckel scored on a wrap around goal, giving Wisconsin a 0-1 record to start the season.

The Wildcats led most of the night, scoring the first goal of the game in the first minute of the second period. Before the period was over, NMU would score one more time, sending UW into the locker room down 2-0 with 20 minutes left to play. With about eight minutes left in the game the Badgers finally got on the board and scored in the final minutes to send the game into overtime.

We'll bring you all the action live, as the Badgers try to split their opening series of the season.

Welcome to the Herald Sports live blog! I'm Kelly Erickson, Associate Sports Editor at The Badger Herald and I'm joined by Brett Sommers, Statistics Editor, at the Kohl Center. We'll be live all evening, bringing you all the action as the Badgers drop the first puck of the season against Northern Michigan.

When I was 18 and 19 years old, I was finishing up my senior year in high school and preparing for my first year of college. I wrapped up my high school sports career with some nice accolades in football, and I spent about two weeks on my university's football team before I realized that it was not at all what I wanted for a variety of reasons. I was almost 19 years of age and ready to focus on my degree, meeting new people, and paving my way. I'm thinking of all of this because of what several players that age are going through this week around the league.

Because hockey has such a unique system of where players are pulled from, there are some decisions that have to be made. Signing a player to an entry-level deal or not, if the player is to be on the NHL squad, a minor league squad, or is able to return (I say "return" because a majority of the top draft picks are selected from the Canadian junior leagues) to the club team. If a team feels like a player can contribute to the NHL club, he must be signed to a deal and is to remain on the roster for the season. If he's not signed to a deal he can return to his club team after a maximum of nine games in the NHL. There's more lingo and underlying terms I could throw in here, but let's just say that if a player doesn't play more than nine games in the NHL, it will not count towards his entry-level deal. I'll leave it at that. It's not that important.

What are important are the decisions these youngsters are making. I'd like to be able to say I am not jealous of teenagers getting to suit up to play in the NHL, but I have not decided to dedicate my life to a career of hockey like these lads have. I was recently talking to my best friend's sister and how, at age 21, she has no idea what she wants to do with her potential degree. I have a hard time imaging a career in front of me at 18 years old, but some of these guys are making career decisions even before they're 17 in deciding to attend junior leagues in Canada or to play collegiate hockey somewhere.

I'm not going to babble about these guys "being ready" to play in the NHL with regard to their body size, "maturity level", and their surround support groups. We have all seen in a variety of sports that players can simply play the game and will succeed. But, there are, as I'm watching Josh Hamilton roam centerfield in the MLB playoffs, guys who are not fully prepared to be on their own.

What I will do is introduce you to a few guys who have been making news the last couple weeks about whether or not they're going to stick around with the big club. My goal is not to bore you with the different scenarios about the squad the player is attempting to make - injuries to others or to excite the fans with the newest draft pick.

Top overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 18 years old, will start the season with the Edmonton Oilers. He will start the season in Edmonton, but there is still the chance he will head back to his club team after a handful of games. Keep an eye on this smaller-framed guy sticking around Edmonton.

Brandon Saad of the Chicago Blackhawks, who will turn 19 next month, is expected to head back to his club team after being selected in the second round this past year. That predicition was made before he started to play quite well in the preseason. He just signed a new deal that will allow him to stay on the Blackhawks for a few years to come. As a Blackhawks fan, it would be nice to see another young American hockey player make his name on the Blackhawks, much like Patrick Kane and Ben Smith and Nick Leddy are set to do.

Lastly, Mark Scheifele, will turn 19 in March. Scheifele just signed a deal to stick around with the Winnipeg Jets. He played quite well after being the seventh overall pick in the recent draft, and he, with 20-year old Evander Kane, can help form quite a line for the Jets. My pals up in Winnipeg might be in for quite the treat. It's not too long of a drive for me to get there...

There are obviously many other guys who will see time in both the NHL and their junior club teams, but these are the three I've seen the most written about these past couple weeks in the preseason. If there are others I should know about, I'm open to emails from all you readers! I have readers, right?

This will be all for this week as I'm trying to limit myself and not go overboard with my words. I hope everyone enjoys a great opening week for the NHL. And don't forget to go check out the men's hockey squad over at the Kohl Center, opening their season this Friday against Northern Michigan University!

did Torrin leave anyone out? let him know at tthatcher@wisc.edu

as anyone, love cheering for local teams. Being from southern Wisconsin and attending universities here I feel like I keep a good eye on smaller-sized teams, whether it be D-III collegiate sports, minor league baseball, or some of the semi professional teams that are scattered around the state. The Green Bay Chill is another team I'm going to keep an eye (or eyes) on this fall, as there is a new expansion football team up in Packer Country. Check them out.

Speaking of Packer Country, it goes without saying that I keep an eye on many teams across the state. Besides the big boys across the land, I check in regularly on the Whitewater Warhawks (my hometown team and multiple DIII titles), occasionally jump on the wagon of UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay when the Horizon League Tournament rolls around, if not the NCAA tournament, and observe the smattering of other teams. I've made it up to the Resch Center in Green Bay to watch the Phoenix take on the Butler Bulldogs (great battle), and I, naturally, love when Marquette loses. Don't know what it is, but I've never been a fan of the Golden Eagles.

Now we'll move onto the hockey focus. I'm sure not too many people, don't get upset if I'm incorrect, are aware that St. Norbert College has won two NCAA titles in the last four seasons. Sure, their squad isn't necessarily smothered with members from within Wisconsin's borders, but it's always nice to see a Wisconsin DIII team grab multiple titles in any sport. There are several other DIII teams from Wisconsin that finished in the Top 25 polls in both men and women play, so it's known that Wisconsin is a good ground for college hockey.

Moving away from college hockey for a moment, there are other notable teams in the state. There are smaller Junior League teams from Janesville and Onalaska to go along with the more well known like the Green Bay Gamblers. The last three years the Gamblers have posted records of 39-17-4, 45-10-5, and 41-15-4 the past three seasons to show their ability to win, not even mentioning the last fifteen solid years the team has enjoyed. Lastly, there are the Milwaukee Admirals from the AHL who have not endured losing season since 2001-2002. They too keep putting up the wins. (Too bad the other winter sport team that plays in the Bradley Center can't stay consistent...or let alone be sure there is going to be a season soon coming about. That's for another day.)

Putting up victories is the number one priority in sports. There's no doubt in that. The other important number is easily the amount of seats that are warmed throughout the game, unless your team is so awesome (cough) that you can charge people for "standing room only" or "general admittance" seats.

Ultimately, that's what's going to keep a team in a city. Just recently, we know what happened to the Atlanta Thrashers franchise that couldn't survive in what, for whatever reason, seemed to be like a good market for hockey. And from other things I've read about other teams in the Atlanta area, it's hard to believe that many sports teams continue to thrive at all.

On a quick side note (I'm good at these), the College Football Hall of Fame is moving to Atlanta in 2012. I have no idea who decided to put in there. I actually visited it when I was in South Bend for a weekend visiting Notre Dame and football Jesus. It wasn't much, and it's moving because of the low attendance numbers. Ok, back to hockey.

Taking a quick peak into attendances around the state we see some differences. I'm not going to even try to find the attendance for the Janesville and Onalaska games, but I have been to a handful of games in Janesville. With the limited space available the people of Janesville definitely make a good effort to come out, fill the seats, and support their local team. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I walked through the front doors. It helps when you have cute blonde girls selling beer...

The Admirals have seen a change of attendance over the years. From what I found on milwuakeehockey.com, with the most recent update being from the 2008-09 season, the average attendance at the Bradley Center is about 4,000 less than what it was at its peak in the mid-1990s at about 99,00 people per game. It seems to have steadied out over the past few years, and this past season was, according to milwaukeeadmirals.com, the highest attendance since the 2001-02 season. Seems like things are going pretty well at the BC, and I actually may have to go back over there to watch players attempting to make the Nashville Predators NHL squad, most notably a Badger in Craig Smith, assuming Blake Geoffrion stays up in the NHL. I missed out on Blake Geoffrion bobblehead day....

We all know Milwaukee can be a great city for sports, but it seems to become the most apparent when the two other professional teams are doing well. I'm not too sure about the season total for when the Bucks are doing well, but I know that the Brewers have pulled in over 3 millions attendees this year before playing their full home schedule. 3 million people over 81 home games...that's a pretty good average attendance at Miller Park (37,000). The Bradley Center sits just under 18,000 people for hockey games, so I'm thinking Milwaukee might be able to bring in a high number of fans if an NHL team made it's way to "The Good Land".

Even though the sports business is vastly different now, Wisconsin was awarded the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers as relocation teams, not to mention the Milwaukee Braves (even though the team owner decided to move them to Atlanta (Atlanta!) for greener pastures - "greener" meaning more money. (Again, with a side note about the Milwaukee Braves. I'm good friends with the grandchildren of a certain Brave who has been in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame for many years. It's my personal "claim to fame").

What would it be like having an NHL franchise Wisconsin? Right away, it'd have to be between Milwaukee and Madison. An NHL team needs to be put into a market that will give it the best chance to survive. So, right away, we can say that an NHL team would probably displace the Admirals and put up their logo all over the Bradley Center. If the location of an NHL franchise were placed in Madison, I would think that a new stadium would have to be built.

Let's compare an NHL team in Madison to what I think the best comparison we can make right now, the Badger hockey program. Obviously, the teams that play over at the Kohl Center win games and bring in good crowds, always towards the top in NCAA hockey, but it would definitely be different for an NHL franchise.

What would the differences be? Not to get into a huge list of items, but the few I can think of are huge. One would be the way to draw fans. The Kohl Center brings in students, family, friends, locals, alumni, etc. It might be difficult to drop a now-existing NHL franchise into Madison and expect a team to draw fans based solely on their performance (as there is always the ability to draw fans due to the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, etc. coming into town). I too think about an NHL team being "accepted" by Wisconsin folks. My pals in Winnipeg are more than ecstatic about the return of the Jets franchise in Manitoba, but I'm sure a few of them still think of the Jets squad as the Thrashers relocated.

Also, because the team would have to deal with more city laws, leases, and regulations than I care to know about, the team would have to figure out a way for fans to park in the city's parking structures, along with having the proper permits and whatever else comes along with housing an NHL team.

Why is that a big deal? We should all be aware of the troubles the Phoenix Coyotes face financially playing in Glendale, AZ. When people park their vehicles in the city's parking structure for games, the franchise PAYS the city money for every vehicle that sets its tires in the structure. Simply, the franchise was, in a sense, losing money every time a fan parked within a structure the city owned. I remember reading this a few years ago and being amazed. I'm sure there's more problems the Coyotes face every year, and more city ordinances teams would have to follow.

Looking back at my comment about dropping a now-existing NHL franchise into Wisconsin, we have to look at expansion versus relocation. As of now there are 30 teams in the NHL, and this most likely means that a team would have to pick up their gear from elsewhere and drop it here to call Wisconsin home. We could be awarded an NHL expansion franchise, but I don't seem that happening, as there would probably have to be another team created to make an even 32 teams. With all the discussion right now of NHL realignment and struggling teams, I'm sure expansion is off the table even though the NHL is doing fairly well as of late. SportBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily awarded "Sports League of the Year" to the NHL because of the league's good revenue numbers, television ratings, sales, and Internet traffic. It beat out other leagues you think would win due to fantasy sports and pay-per-view numbers.

An NHL team located right here in the Midwest makes good geographic sense. Looking around the NHL landscape, it is difficult sometimes to understand why teams are located where they are around the USA. If a team were to set its roots in Wisconsin, there'd be the Minnesota Wild, Blackhawks, Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and even the Winnipeg Jets all nestled in a geographic group to construct what could become a division if realignment does occur.

Lastly, an event I'd be sure to go see if an NHL team came to Wisconsin would be the Winter Classic game that would have to be played at Lambeau Field. That would be enough of a sell to bring a team to Wisconsin, right? Our NFL team shouldn't have to play there until mid-January anyways...

I recently took a trip to Chicago, a trip to Chicago that checked an item off my never-see-the-end-of sports list. I've been to an NFL training camp, MLB spring training, and now I have been to a NHL training camp...of sorts. Since I opened here by saying I made it down to Chicago, it should be obvious that I went to the United Center to visit the Chicago Blackhawks, the NHL team that myself and many others cheer for.

Allow me to provide a prelude about the day and what my expectations were. Excluding the trip to Arizona for Cactus League baseball, places here in Madison, and the minor league ballparks I've visited, I have been to Lambeau Field, Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, and Fenway Park for sporting events...and a fantastic U2 concert. These different venues have given me a good feel for what makes a great sports venue special. It's not just attending the game that matters, the experience includes the trek to the destination, the atmosphere, the venue itself, and everything else that comes along with a game day.

Between classes last week, I saw on a website that I could text a company to enter a contest to win two tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks Training Camp Festival. Since I looked into going to this event before it was sold out, I sort of knew what to expect- street hockey, a 5k race, tons of people. I received a phone call on Thursday evening from the company whose contest I entered, and I actually won two tickets to Saturday's festivities! I almost scared my younger sister because I was so ecstatic on the phone while she and I were making our way through the grocery store. I was also excited about her cooking dinner for me too...

Now my Saturday was fully stacked. I was going to the United Center, Solder Field to catch Northern Illinois University, and then meet up with a pal at DePaul Law School. I checked the schedule to find out what time the train was leaving from Harvard so I'd be able to get to the United Center in time to check everything out.

Yikes. I had to leave my house at 5:30 am to get to the United Center by 9:00 am for the start of the festivities. Not a problem. I set the alarm, set the timer on the coffee machine, and checked out the bananas and apples that would supply my game day fuel.

I guess I should soon get to the whole hockey part...

As mentioned above, I thought I knew what to expect from the day because of prior experience to professional locales, but this ended up being much more.

The train station is just about two miles away from the United Center, so my blonde co-pilot and I just hoofed it down Madison Avenue. Traffic wasn't too heavy at all, even though the low volume could have been due to construction (we all know what that's like around here, right?)

My eyes started to light up. A great thing about hitting up a major city is not only seeing how everyone wears their fan gear, but the ways that other places support the team. People were on foot wearing their Blackhawks gear, people were eating breakfast in the surrounding restaurants wearing their gear, and both bars and restaurants all over were more than ready for hockey season by having their Blackhawks banners and flags flying, hanging, or waving. Right off the bat, I thought "Wow, this is just what it was like walking up to Fenway Park for the first time". The community loves its professional team, and I witnessed that from the first practice of the season. I witnessed that love in Boston a day before the Boston Marathon a couple years ago (that is a slight plug for my mother who is running the Boston Marathon again this year - entries were finalized just recently).

When we arrive to the United Center, we made it just before the event started. Runners were piling up behind the start line to begin the 5k race, a band was playing on stage, young people were playing street hockey, food and coffee vendors were tending to lines, merchandise booths were happy with the open wallets, and people were taking pictures. We went over to will call to grab my contest tickets (my Patrick Sharp bobbleheads are being mailed to my house), and were off to explore. I snapped a photo of the Michael Jordan statue, the Blackhawks statue, one with the Blackhawks Team President John McDonough, and I attempted to get a photo with the Blackhawks ice crew. Sadly, the attempt never yielded result.

On a quick side note with Mr. McDonough: Since I decided to wear my white Wisconsin hockey jersey, he asked me who Wisconsin was playing today. I pointed over to the blonde with me and told him that she and I were planning on heading over to Solder Field to watch NIU. He looked puzzled. I told him Wisconsin was playing today against the Huskies. He had no idea there was a game. Also, many people of Chicago had no idea the Badgers and Huskies were playing. I had several people ask me if it Northwestern or Illinois was playing the Badgers. It seemed most people lacked awareness of football in the area.

After snapping plenty of photos, we finally made our way into the arena. And that's where the fun began.

We made our way up to our seats (I say "up" because the seats sent us in that direction). We sat down, snapped more photos, and patiently waited for practice to get underway.

We saw a group of eight guys making their way behind us. I soon heard rumblings about "the people wearing Detroit Red Wings jerseys." I realized the two Wisconsin jerseys we were wearing looked awfully similar to Detroit jerseys if one was unable to read the front. I soon turned my torso to look back at them, and a few of them started chuckling because it was a Wisconsin sweater. One guy soon told me the story of how they had seen my co-pilot walking up the street while they were eating breakfast, and one guy joked he was going to run us down because we were supposedly wearing Detroit jerseys to the United Center. That could have been fun.

We quickly became friends with the group. They were eight friends who split the cost of Blackhawks season tickets. There was constant bickering, beer drinking, story telling, ridiculing, and all were in agreement that the only smart guy in the group is the one who had never been married. They provided us with laughter, and it was good to talk hockey and sports with them. Talking hockey with them helped me pick up some things I had not yet known about the Blackhawks.

As it the time approached for the team to hit the ice, the place was filling up quickly as the arena began to audibly buzz.

Soon, the lights darkened and, much like the introductions over at the Kohl Center, the Metallica blasted over the sound system as we were treated to the new highlight collection. My blood started pumping, my feet got a little lighter, and I knew I was ready to get the hockey season underway.

Keeping every other detail out of this space, I figured I can finally get to the day's highlights and why I enjoyed it so much.

During the practice, a microphone was clipped on head coach Joel Quenneville. Everyone could hear what he was saying in team huddles: directing practice, encouraging players, and telling players to pick up the pace. It was amazing to hear the coach's voice throughout the whole arena while practicing. To go along with this, the team really made it known they were trying to amuse the fans throughout the day. There were players interviews on the house mic during practice breaks, and, just before the first team scrimmage was to start, team captain Jonathan Toews grabbed the microphone to thank everyone for coming. He said to be excited about the upcoming season, and "to boo the hell out of the red team whenever they touch the puck". Toews was wearing white that day.

A few of us were pleasantly surprised when "Chelsea Dagger" came over the sound system when the first goal was netted in the scrimmage. This song is played whenever the Blackhawks score at home. It has piled up the play counts on my music player over the last year and hearing it just makes me envision the important goals scored when it hits my ears. Something about auditory emotional stimuli...

Speaking of songs, if you have yet to catch it on television, make sure to open your ears up sometime to Jim Cornelison's National Anthem. He sings it for every home Blackhawks game. I've heard it many times on television, but after hearing it live in the United Center the television version no longer does the artist justice for how powerful his voice truly is.

After leaving the United Center, my co-pilot and I discussed the negatives from the day. The only bad things we could come up with were the scrimmage contained very light hitting. There are guys trying to earn roster spots, and I'm sure one could make himself stick out by sticking a foe. The other negative were the prices of items in the merchandise booths. We were really hoping to walk away with a few things, but we could not part with that much green in our pocket. Maybe next time I will have picked up a fourth job to pay for Blackhawks gear.

The rest of the day included eating at the Billy Goat Tavern & Grill, heading over to Soldier Field to see what was basically a home game for Wisconsin, visiting Millennium Park, seeing my pal at the library (apparently he just likes to hang out there), paying $14.50 for two Goose Island brews, and walking about 11 miles before heading back to the train station to made our trip back to my favorite state.

Torrin Thatcher is a graduate student here at UW studying bacteriology. Apart from being an avid hockey fan, Torrin also is a hockey statistician for UW hockey.

Here are some additional quotes from Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves and junior-to-be Justin Schultz.

Justin Schultz, junior defenseman (Anaheim Ducks, 2008 second round)

On having planned on staying three years

"I kind of knew around halfway through the season I wanted to stay another year. Talking to my family and Coach Eaves and people like that, I made up my mind that I wanted to come back another year, get a little bit bigger and stronger; get myself more ready for that next level."

On the impact of playing in a title game as a freshman

"I think going to that game my freshman year and losing it, really put a dagger in a bunch of the guys' hearts. Ever since then, we want to make it back there. I think that's one of the big reasons I want to come back: I want to win a national championship."

On trying to win a championship

"I think we've got guys in place on this team to do so. I know everyone's really eager to go, and it's a long time away, but we're going to work hard this summer and hopefully be ready to go come gametime this October."

On talking with the Ducks

"I talked to both the Ducks just kind of said where they were at and what they felt. We talked and they understand my decision. My adviser, he's there to help me and he wants what's best for me and understands my decision too. It was a pretty easy decision to make with the Ducks and my adviser."

Mike Eaves, head coach (UW 1974-78, Minnesota North Stars, Calgary Flames 1978-1986)

On the four-year cycle he likes to shoot for

"When we came in, we first got here, we were trying to establish a culture and it took us four years to get to the championship game and we were fortunate enough to win. We lost 10 guys and you're starting at a lower level again, trying to build that up. We gave ourselves a chance and four years later, got in the final game."

On when guys stay

"That makes us pleased in the fact that maybe they're listening to what's being said. I know they're talking to guys like (Blake) Geoffrion, guys that have left and they're coming back. The fact is, they committed to come to college, to be a student athlete. They don't necessarily have to graduate. But if they were going to stay for two years, why wouldn't you go to major junior?"

On Schultz

"A lot of his awards that he won this year are simply based on the fact that he's a very talented young hockey player with the puck. Great shot, vision, is able to read things. But there's the other side of the game, the strength - if he's going to go play against men, can he get bigger and stronger and get that fact in his game so when he goes, he's closer to being able to be successful? Absolutely he can. He sees that, he's being honest."

On what Craig Smith can improve on

"Consistency. We've talked about it and he knows that. Because he can be so dominant and then the next night, you're not sure, he didn't play at the same level. Of all the things he can improve on, that consistency is the key goal for him."

On player-coach meetings

"And a lot of times with young people, you've heard us talk about being a dutch uncle, you've got to tell the truth in a good way. But even the expectations of some young people. This is where you're going to come in next year, you're going to be our seventh, eighth guy on defense. You're going to be our 13th, 14th, 15th forward maybe next year coming back.

"That takes some guys back, but that's the reality of it. They have to go into the summer knowing that. That's either going to inspire them, to say, 'You know what, coach, I'm glad you told me that, because I'm going to show you different. I'm going to do x, y, z.' Or they say, 'Coach, I appreciate you being honest, maybe it's time that I look at doing something else.'"

On the benefits of players speaking with former Badgers during the summer

"But when they talk to a peer or an alumni, they might not even know them that well, but to say they'll sit down and talk about your path and what did you learn, it carries way more weight even, sometimes than even coming from us.

"But when it's like an alumni or a guy that's played that isn't that far removed from you, it's almost like your big brother. You're going to tend to listen to them more than your parents because they're closer to being on the same page as you."

On former Badger and current New York Ranger Derek Stepan

"(Rangers head coach John) Tortorella has done a really good job of not overloading him with too much responsibility. He kind of bases it on how is he playing game to game? How much can we give him? We're going to give him some games where we don't give him as much because he looks a little tired. He's done a good job of managing the ice time that he's given and the responsibilities he's given to Derek.

"Plus, Derek, as far as being a 20-year-old, he's pretty mature in terms of his mental and emotional stuff he brings to the rink every day."

On former Badger and current New York Ranger Ryan McDonagh

"He looks like he belongs. As soon as he got the opportunity [he was ready]. He is physically gifted. He's a man-child when he was here. We talked about the way he skated, when he'd come by the bench, he was like shot from a cannon.

"He looks comfortable. The pro game is made for Ryan in terms of his physical strengths and his ability to move from point A to point B. But the way he plays, it's simple, it's clean, it's effective. He's not going to rush it up and down the ice, but you don't need guys like that all the time. You need guys that are going to stay home, be physical and make that good outlet pass to the forwards.

"That's why he's getting the ice time that he has, because he's very effective in those areas."

On why the UW women's team can have consistent success

"It's interesting, I was told about an article that was in the paper, it asked the question, why can't the men win like the women? Well, it's a different playing field. When your ladies are staying for four years and they're good players, it makes you a good team. But when you're losing your top-end guys, you're trying to reload mid-stream and it makes it a lot more difficult."

On the realities of recruiting

"You're always adapting. Quite honestly, you'll take a look for us at the University of Wisconsin, or Minnesota, or North Dakota, there are 15-year-olds, because of major junior are taking a look at that route.

"So you take a look at those kids and you say - first of all, you've got to go against the other schools to get those kids. But they're talented young guys, and what you have to try to do, how many of those do you go after and how many do you get, if you can get them? What [are they] going to be like when they're 18, 19 and come to school with you? So you're trying to project all those things."

"But at the same time, you know you're not going to get all of them. At the same time, you know some of those guys are going to leave, so we've got a couple here right now that are committed, let's take a look at some of the other boys that we think might be around for four years, and what are the strengths that they have.

"And then you've got some other kids that are maybe aren't even as talented as those kids, but they're good character kids. Maybe they're tall, lanky kids that haven't grown into their bodies yet. Or maybe they're a small kid that nobody gave a break to, but they have great determination and perseverance."

 

Here are additional quotes from Derek Stepan and Blake Geoffrion. Stepan left after his sophomore year and made the Rangers out of training camp, the only one of four Badgers to leave early in 2010 to do so. Geoffrion stayed all four years, playing about two-thirds of the season in the AHL before getting called up to the Predators. Both rookies have scored hat tricks this season.

Derek Stepan, F, New York Rangers (UW 2008-2010)

On making the NHL out of training camp

"It wasn't so much that I got surprised by it or blown away by it, because I knew that I was playing some pretty good hockey and I was working real hard. I think it was something that I was kind of shocked by the fact that as a kid, you dream of playing in the NHL and now I was going to do that."

On his first NHL game

"It was an exciting game, obviously I had some jitters, it was my first NHL game. I had a good amount of puck luck too, I seemed to find the puck coming to me a lot, which was something that I never expected."

On making the decision

"The decision was very difficult because I have a lot of respect for Coach Eaves and the University of Wisconsin, and what they've done for me. I think, looking back, it was a very hard decision because I had buddies going back to school... it didn't make the decision any easier."

On the toughest part about adapting to the pros

"I definitely have to say the scheduling. You play 82 games versus 40. You have to keep your body in good shape and you have to be mentally sharp at all times. Throughout the season, when it gets difficult from 40 to 60, those games are tough to do, you have to stay mentally sharp."

On changing the policy for when college players can leave

"They'll definitely find a solution or some way to make both ends happy, but like I said, it's such a hard rule to apply, or debate to have over the situation.

It's hard to pick a side, even as a player who's gone through it. My decision, I left early two years after I came in. I still can't pick one side or the other, because I'm not sure what is best."

On maturity (Stepan went to Shattuck-St. Mary's, a boarding school in Fairbault, Minn. that has a nationally-renowned hockey program for his final two years of high school.)

"I had to live on my own when I was 16. Then I move onto college and I have to make bigger decisions on my own.

All the way through this process, at Shattuck I had great people helping me along the way, teaching me how to be not only a good hockey player, but a good off-ice person.

Not only in hockey, but in life, making sure you're successful as a nice human being, an honest person.

Even at the university of Wisconsin, they strive to make sure you're growing up, you're doing things the right way, you're not going through the process and not maturing.

So I give a lot of credit to the people I've worked with in the years past."


Blake Geoffrion, F, Nashville Predators (UW 2006-2010)

On talking with former Badger Adam Burish's (From March, 2010 interview)

"Burish always gives me - I used to talk to Adam a lot, all the time about different things and he used to always tell me as a joke, 'If you want to fill my shoes, you've got to at least get to a national championship.' That was in the back of my mind, I've always wanted that. Being an athlete and a competitor, I think you always want a championship."

On leadership (Following quotes are from April, 2011 phone interview)

"To get that experience of being a captain and a leader. Having that experience to know what to do in different situations - and to have it for two years was huge. To get better at it my second year, I think I did a way better job my senior year than my first year, I think that experience is definitely going to pay off in the end."

On time management

"I think it's more just how pro hockey is. You're by yourself a lot, because guys have their families or they have their children, girlfriends; everyone has their own life. To be able to - I wouldn't say survive - but being able to take care of yourself and to know what to do and how to get properly prepared for games or... whatever. Time management's a huge thing for pro hockey and I think I got that in college. I learned so much more my senior year, not only on the ice, but off it as well."

His advice to guys trying to make the decision

"I think the best way is to talk to all kinds of people: people who have done it, who have stayed four years, have left early, people who have successfully left early or not successfully left early."

On Stepan's success

"I was surprised and very happy for Derek Stepan and the success that he's had this year. A lot of pro teams will lie to kids to get them out of school, but the Rangers held their word to him and he made the team and he's had a great year - he's scored over 20 goals."

On finally making the NHL

"It's been a great, great experience so far. I've been given an opportunity here and I'm just trying to take advantage of it. I just hope that I can continue to play the way I have been and prove to this program that I'm ready to play in the NHL full-time."

On the fact so many Badgers coached by Mike Eaves and his staff are succeeding in the pros

"It speaks volumes about what they do and what they're all about, the people they recruit and the way they teach, teach work ethic and all that. "

Four weeks of reporting and almost 8,800 words worth of quotes culminated in a five-part series looking at the issue of college hockey players leaving early for the pros.

And regrettably, the series started off on the wrong foot with a glaring fact error in the first part.

But aside from that, I hope the series is entertaining and informative. It was certainly hard to pick out what to use and what to omit in terms of quotations. I'll be posting some additional quotes and info throughout the next week as a kind of supplement to the main stories.

Here are some more quotes from Kyle Turris and Jamie McBain

Kyle Turris, F, Phoneix Coyotes (UW 2007-2008)

On the pressures of being drafted

"I think once you've been drafted, that's when the pressure starts. I think going into school, there was a lot of pressure on me to perform and live up to being a No. 3 overall pick."

On why he spent a year in the minors

"I played almost a full year my first year in Phoenix - I think I played like four or five games in the minors that year, and played the rest with the NHL club. Last year, I had back surgery and played the year in the minors.

It was really frustrating because I had the surgery end of April after the end of my first season in Phoneix. I couldn't do anything pretty much until August 1st. I could work out, I couldn't lift, I couldn't skate. It was just a lost summer for training. I was out of shape and overweight for my standards. It was frustrating, I played the whole year in the minors."

On playing college hockey

"Going to the University of Wisconsin, where the atmosphere is better than most NHL arenas. Living the college atmosphere, and getting to meet all the people I did, living in the dorms, there's nothing like it. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I really enjoyed it. I loved the experience."

On telling UW head coach Mike Eaves he was leaving after one season

It went down well. Mike Eaves and I had a really good relationship and we talked about lots of things like this and were open to each other from day one. He was very respectful of the decision and I honestly, can't say enough good things about Mike. I have a lot of respect for him. And how he treated me, how good he was to me. I can't thank him enough.

I was nervous going in, having that conversation, because I know it's tough for a program to lose a good freshman. At the same time, I knew he would be good about it and respect the decision.

On if he would do it any different in retrospect

"It's always easy to look back, but all I can tell you is I'm getting to live my dream right now in the NHL. I loved university and the whole atmosphere at Wisconsin, it was probably one of the funnest years of my life. Either way I couldn't have gone wrong."


Jamie McBain, D, Carolina Hurricanes (UW 2006-2009)

On why he left

"For me, I had kind of accomplished everything I had hoped to accomplish on an individual level while I was at Wisconsin."

On how the process works

"You talk to your agents more than you talk to the organization, because your agent kind of tells you what the organization is feeling and their offers to you.

It's just kind of the process of hearing things through the grapevine and making your decision from what you hear."

On getting drafted and the pressure

"You don't' think about it a whole lot. It's kind of like your senior year of high school, where you're a young kid, but that's almost your most cherished, because that's your draft year and that's where [they're] going to decide where you're going to get picked in the draft.

Obviously that influences your future a little bit from that standpoint, because if you're a higher pick, obviously there's more of a chance of getting more recognition at the college level and furthering your career that way.

Once you get drafted and you get to college, most of the pressure - it's still there obviously, especially if you're a high, first round, second round pick - but at the end of the day, the pressure's kind of relieved once your name is called in the draft, you just focus on playing hockey and going to the school, the program you're committed to."

On what the toughest part of adapting to the pro game is

"It's learning the pro level style of game, and especially more than anything, it's just the grind of the season. It's obviously different than college, we're playing 35, 40 games a year. You get to the pro level and you're playing 82 regular season games with potential of 100 games with a playoff run.

More than anything else, it's getting your body, the right mindset to be able to go through that grind of the 82-game schedule and be effective every night. That's what it was for me last year, kind of learning the ropes."

On telling his teammates he was leaving

"We had a very close class that year and it was tough leaving them behind, especially going into our senior year.

It's something that for me, was a tough, personal decision, to leave them. But I was always watching, and keeping an eye out and talking to them. It's always tough to watch, but at the same time, it's all part of the equation.

Any time you have to tell close friends that you're going to be leaving and not be around for the senior season, it's tough. It was good to be around them for the last couple weeks of the school year. To spend that time with them and keep in contact with them - like I said, they're lifelong friendships, so I'm always talking to them, we're all staying in track with each other.

On the Hurricanes organization

"Carolina was a great organization for me, they never put pressure on me to leave school or anything like that. They put it all in my hands, my progression and when I thought I was ready, good to go."

Join Herald Sports Editor Adam Holt as he covers men's hockey action live from the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin connections run deep for freshman forward Mark Zengerle.

His high school, Northwood Prep in Lake Placid, NY produced a number of Badgers including goaltender Mark Richter and center Tony Granato. Also, current Badgers' goaltender Scott Gudmandson, forward Derek Lee, and Zengerle's tour guide from last year, former Badger forward Ben Street, played in the BCHL for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks where Zengerle skated from 2008-2010.

"It's the only place I visited," Zengrle said of his decision to play for the Badgers. "And when I got here, I watched two games. The coaches knew me and I also knew [Justin] Schultz and Lee. They're good friends of mine and I think that helped so I think everything, the rink, the coaches and the whole school [played into the decision]."

The loss of big name players such as forwards Derek Stepan and Michael Davies led many to question the strength of the Badgers current youthful roster in which 17 of Wisconsin's 26 student-athletes are either freshmen or sophomores. Zengerle's addition has not only produced direct results, but also helped boost the performance of the players around him.

"He slows the play down," sophomore forward and assistant captain Craig Smith noted. "That's what he's best at doing and for a fast guy like me it's really easy to find ice when you back the defenseman off so it's been really easy."

Communication on the ice and camaraderie with the team are also skills that, according to Smith, come naturally to Zengerle, who called him "one of the nicest guys on the team."

Even off the ice Zengerle tabbed his favorite hobby as hanging out with his teammates.

"There's a tone of us all living together. We kind of just hang around. Give each other hard times and stuff like that so that's probably my hobby, just messing with everyone."

With sixteen points, Zengerle leads the Badgers and shares the top spot among all WCHA players this year so far. Head coach Mark Eaves praised his forward for his early season success.

"He is one of those guys, the puck finds him, and good things will happen," Eaves said. "He's going to be on the score sheet more times than not. That's one of his gifts."

Eaves also noted how Zengerle's game continues to develop, and discussed how one of the most difficult transitions for a player coming from the junior hockey leagues into college is learning to skate with the expanded rink, as the collegiate game utilizes a full 200 foot rink similar to that of the NHL.

"What's pleasing is that as we've been teaching [him] about our systems play and what our definition of heart is, he's adapting, he's buying in," Eaves said. "So if he does those things and brings his natural skill that's going to be a nice combination for us."

Zengerle considers his father his greatest influence and discussed how his dad used to make rinks for him and his two older brothers in their backyard when they were growing up in Rochester, NY.

"He comes out to the games, and he did when I was playing in British Columbia and was always watching it," said Zengerle.

Coach Eaves linked his young group of forwards to Zengerle's toughness, something he displayed against Minnesota Saturday night.

"His two brothers are wrestlers, so he's growing up in, that's a tough environment and so he's willing to battle through things and willing to work hard and play hurt," Eaves said. "He got dinged up on Saturday night and he played the whole game and had three assists. He's showing us a lot of different sides to himself."

At 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, Zengerle is not one of the biggest or strongest guys on the team, but his tenacity and natural skating ability have led him to success. Zengerle is off to one of the best starts by a Badger freshman ever, posting five multi-point efforts in his first ten games.

For his play against Minnesota Nov. 5 and 6, he received the WCHA Rookie of the Week Award, the first award for Wisconsin in their 2010-2011 campaign. However, it certainly will not be the last for either the Badgers or Zengerle if the freshman can maintain his current level of production.

DETROIT - Mike Eaves put it best when he said it just wasn't UW's night.

The Wisconsin head coach did most of the talking during the postgame press conference. The Badgers just got thoroughly dominated in their 5-0 loss to Boston College.

I don't know if I've ever seen a group of guys look as hollow as Ben Street, Blake Geoffrion and Ryan McDonagh did up there. Eaves seemed to have taken it well. The guys cleared out of their locker room like it was infested with smallpox, and I can't blame them.

It was just the third time all season UW was shut out. For a team that scored eight goals two nights before against RIT, and that averaged four per game for the season, it was a surprise to see the Badgers struggle so badly on offense.

BC's players seemed to be in front of every puck the Badgers put on net. Most of UW's possessions involved dumping the puck into the BC zone, fighting for 30 seconds on the end boards, then watching BC get it out of the zone, or mount a counterattack in transition.

Michael Davies must hate himself right now. He had probably all of UW's best chances to score in the game. A 1-1 game in the first or second is completely different than going into the third being down 1-0 like UW was. The Badgers finished the season winless when trailing after two periods.

John Mitchell got kind of screwed. He was called for contact to the head penalties a couple times, mainly because with his 6-foot-5 frame, his elbows are right where the tiny BC forwards' heads are.

But man. It really just wasn't the Badgers' night. The defense did a good job of dealing with the Eagles' speedy forwards, but by pressing for offense, turnovers at the blue line really killed UW.

Remember that: it was turnovers at the blue line. Not just speed. UW's defensemen skate just as well or better than anyone in the country.

With all the talk about destiny and similarities to the 2006 team, it just goes to show that storylines and fate don't mean a thing when it comes down to playing the actual game. Just ask the 2007 Patriots.

One way to look at it is UW didn't win the regular season title in the WCHA, the conference title, or a national title.

But loss in the title game aside, it was still a great season.

They're back.

Back to Detroit, the site of their 1977 and 1990 national titles. Back to the Frozen Four, for the first time since 2006. And after two weeks off, back to playing hockey.

The Wisconsin men's hockey team takes on the Rochester Institute of Technology for a berth in the national title game today at 4 p.m. central time. It's David vs. Goliath - RIT has only been a Division I school for five years and as the 15th overall seed in the tournament, upset Denver and New Hampshire to get here. Wisconsin on the other hand, owns six national titles and is one of college hockey's powerhouses.

The Badgers were expected to be here; the Tigers are hoping they've got some more magic in the tank so they can keep on playing come Saturday.

But the Tigers are no slouch, ranked second in the nation in scoring margin, just ahead of the Badgers. RIT has solid goaltending and defensemen that put up lots of points. It might be a surprise that the Tigers made it this far, but this berth in the national semifinal isn't just luck.

Hobey Hat Trick finalist Blake Geoffion hopes to lead the Badgers into the opportunity for a seventh national title, but RIT won't go quietly into the night. Follow Herald Sports Content Editor Adam Holt as he covers the action live from Ford Field in Detroit.

After a close 2-0 loss to St. Cloud State yesterday, the Wisconsin men's hockey team will face Denver in the third place game of the WCHA Final Five.

UW and DU were the top two seeds in the conference, but hours after the Badgers fell, the Pioneers dropped a 4-3 decision to North Dakota. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top, as UW and DU are the only teams in the nation to not have lost consecutive games all season. Denver is 7-0 after a loss and Wisconsin is 7-0-2.

The Badgers just couldn't solve Huskies goaltender Mike Lee yesterday, being shut out for just the second time all season. SCSU got a power play goal in the second period and UW was unable to respond. The Badgers had a plethora of third period chances, including one off the post after pulling goaltender Scott Gudmandson for an extra skater late in the game. St. Cloud got an empty net goal to seal its place in the title game later tonight.

At stake for UW might be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The Badgers looked like a lock for a top seed until the loss yesterday. A win over Denver should lock up a top seed for Wisconsin, while the Pioneers are safely in as a No. 1.

Join Herald Sports Content Editor Adam Holt as he covers the action live from the rink at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul

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While the rest of the country is focused on basketball, all the attention in St. Paul is on hockey. North Dakota won 2-0 over Minnesota-Duluth last night in the opening semi-final game of the WCHA Final Five. Wisconsin will play St. Cloud State today, hoping to earn a spot in tomorrow night's championship game.

UW advanced to the Final Five after a two-game sweep of Alaska Anchorage last weekend, and along with Denver, was the only team to sweep its first-round series, as Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota and St. Cloud State all needed to play a third game to decide their series.

Wisconsin comes to the game with two All-WCHA first teamers in senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion and WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Brendan Smith, while St. Cloud State will counter with their dangerous duo of Garrett Roe and Ryan Lasch.

Expect this to be a high-scoring affair one way or the other - in the four regular season games these teams played, the winning team scored at least four goals. The Badgers and Huskies won two games apiece, so consider this the rubber match.

Join Herald Sports Content Editor Adam Holt as he covers the action live from the rink at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

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The Wisconsin men's hockey team is just one win away from the WCHA Final Five, after defeating Alaska Anchorage 4-1 last night. The Badgers will go for the sweep tonight in this best-of-three game series.

Despite an atrocious 0-for-8 performance on the power play, UW's penalty kill held stout, blanking UAA on all four of its man advantages. Wisconsin even got a shorthanded goal, when senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion led a rush down the wing and fed a trailing Jake Gardiner to put the Badgers up 3-0 in the second period.

UW also got goals from Michael Davies, Craig Smith, and a diving effort by Aaron Bendickson to tip a loose puck in. With the goal, Smith now has three in his last three games.

UW goaltender Scott Gudmandson was solid in goal, playing the puck with his stick much better than he had all season. The only knock was a bad glove - pucks dropped out of Guddy's glove or he simply didn't catch them more than a few times. It finally came back to bite him in the last minute of the game, as a dropped puck led to Craig Parkinson's goal.

Join Herald Sports Content Editor Adam Holt as he covers the action live from the rink at the Kohl Center.

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With the Wisconsin men's basketball team falling to Illinois earlier today, the men's hockey squad will look to find a better start to its postseason.

UW hosts Alaska Anchorage in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, which is a best-of-three series. The Badgers (22-9-4) finished second in the conference, and swept the Seawolves (11-21-2) at the Kohl Center earlier in the season.

Join Herald Sports Content Editor Adam Holt as he covers the game live from the rink.

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After pulling out a win in a strange game Friday night, the Wisconsin men's hockey team will try to close out the regular season with a sweep of Minnesota this afternoon.

The Badgers got a 3-2 win in game one at the Target Center, behind the strength of two Craig Smith goals - including the game-winner with under five minutes to play. Justin Schultz also chipped in his third goal of the season on a beautiful sequence of passing on the power play - a man advantage that lasted all of seven seconds before UW scored.

Wisconsin has already clinched second place in the WCHA with St. Cloud State's loss to Minnesota State Friday night, so this game will be purely for pride and for positioning in the polls. UW probably already has a No. 1 seed locked up in the NCAA tourney and in the WCHA playoffs, will face Alaska Anchorage next weekend at home.

Join Herald Sports editors Adam Holt and Max Henson as they cover the action live from Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

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