DU To Play In Great Lakes Invitational In 2013

(above) DU will join Michigan, Michigan State and Michigan Tech in the 2013 Great Lakes Invitational

From: USCHO.com

The University of Denver ice hockey team will take part in the 2013 Great Lakes Invitational Tournament.  The other three schools will be Michigan, Michigan State and Michigan Tech.

The 2013 event will be played in the historic Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.  The games will be played between Christmas and New Years.

The GLI was first played in 1965 after the idea for the tournament was conceived and implemented by Michigan Tech coach John MacInnes, Olympia Stadium GM Lincoln Cavalieri and Detroit Red Wings’ scout Jack Paterson. The tournament, which has been played in late December every year, has had more than 1.3 million fans in attendance since its inception.

Michigan Tech has won the GLI nine times in 47 appearances. Michigan has competed in 42 GLIs and has claimed 15 titles. Michigan State owns 12 GLI crowns in 38 tries.

Ferris State Leads CCHA Surge Into NCAA Tourney

From: Detroit News

by Eric Lacy

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association may be disbanding in 2013, but this year, five of the 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament are eager to showcase the league's relevancy.

Ferris State, Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, and Miami (Ohio) all punched tickets to an NCAA Tournament that could generate lots of drama.

Ferris State, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, faces No.3 seed Denver at 3:30 PM MT Friday in Green Bay. The Bulldogs definitely have something to prove.

Ferris State climbed to the No. 1 ranking in the nation this season, won the CCHA regular season title and were a No. 1 seed in the CCHA tournament before losing in the quarterfinals.

News of the CCHA's postseason rise — four teams earned bids last season — comes a year before the Big Ten launches its six-member conference in 2013-14.

"I can't tell you I'm cheering for the teams in the CCHA," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "But I respect the fact that we're a good conference and that we belong in the Tournament."

Berenson said the CCHA's representation in the Tournament, which announced its bracket Sunday, is bittersweet because the 41-year-old conference appears at its best as the end nears.

"It's too bad," said Berenson, in his 28th season at Michigan. "The conference is as strong as it's ever been, and it's going to disappear after one more season."

The five CCHA teams in the NCAAs is the most since 2004.

Big 10: Minnesota & Wisconsin To Leave WCHA

From: Big Ten Website

The directors of athletics of Big Ten institutions which sponsor men's ice hockey unanimously announced intention today to recommend to the Big Ten Council of Presidents in June the establishment of men's ice hockey as an official conference sport for the 2013-14 academic year with participation by Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

The recommendation includes both the establishment of the inaugural Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in March of 2014, with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, and a 20-game conference schedule with each team playing the other five schools four times (two home games and two away games). In addition, the Big Ten's men's ice hockey programs will continue to proactively work to maintain a strong schedule of non-conference competition with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

In September of 2010, Penn State announced the establishment of men's and women's ice hockey programs set to begin competition in the 2012-13 academic year, giving the Big Ten six institutions sponsoring men's ice hockey. Big Ten rules allow for a conference championship when six institutions sponsor a program in any given sport.

Since Penn State's announcement, the conference has researched and investigated the establishment of men's ice hockey as a conference sport. The conference has sought input and communicated both internally with conference chancellors, presidents, administrators and coaches, and externally with members of the hockey community, including the CCHA and WCHA.

Gwozdecky Not Interested In Michigan State

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

George Gwozdecky wants to be known as the coach who beat Colorado College this weekend, not the likely next coach at Michigan State.

Gwozdecky, who is four victories shy of producing his 10th consecutive 20-win season at the University of Denver, said he doesn't want to be considered a candidate to replace retiring Spartans coach Rick Comley [read rest of article].

Gwozdecky Possible Michigan State Candidate

(above) The Lansing State Journal mentioned that DU coach George Gwozdecky might be on Michigan State's "Wish List" as a possible candidate for their now vacant head coaching job

From: Lansing State Journal
by Neil Koepke

Four seasons after guiding Michigan State to the 2007 NCAA Championship, Rick Comley is leaving his job as Spartan hockey coach. Comley, 64, announced Tuesday that he's stepping down as MSU coach after this season and retiring from coaching after 38 years.

The most likely candidates would appear to be three coaches with MSU backgrounds - Danton Cole, who's in his first season coaching the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 team in Ann Abor; George Gwozdecky, in his 17th season at the University of Denver, and Newell Brown, a longtime NHL assistant coach now with the Vancouver Canucks.

Both Cole (1985-89) and Brown (1980-84) played at MSU for coach Ron Mason, who hired Comley in 2002 when Mason stepped down to become athletic director. Brown also served as an assistant coach at MSU under Mason.

Gwozdecky, who won NCAA titles with Denver in 2004 and 2005, was an assistant coach under Mason from 1984-1989.

"I expect hockey at Michigan State to be competing for national championships year in and year out,'' Hollis said.

"You're not going to win it every year, but you want to be in a position in which you're competing for that every year.''

Michigan State Hockey & Football Players Fight

(left) Michigan State defenseman AJ Sturgis was sent to the hospital after some football players showed up without party invitations

From: WLNS Channel 6

A fight lands an MSU hockey player in a local hospital. But this fight didn't happen on the rink, it happened at a home in East Lansing and may have involved several other student athletes.

Just hours after the Spartan football got their ass kicked by the Buckeyes, it looks like some members of the team found themselves in a more personal battle.

Lt. Kevin Daley, East Lansing Police Department: "It would be safe to say that the altercation involved as many as 7 or 8 individuals that came back to the house party."

Police say it all unfolded just outside this home on the 100 block of Center Street in East Lansing where a number of Michigan State Hockey players live. Several witnesses say they saw several cars pulled up on the lawn this residence (the MSU Hockey House) at about 1 o'clock in the morning on Sunday. A number of MSU students jumped out and, we're told by sources, some of them were MSU football players. Now just after that, a big fight broke out, and when it was all over, an MSU hockey player who lives inside the home was sent to the hospital.

Lt. Kevin Daley: "I believe he was struck, fell backwards and probably when he landed, is when he received the greatest amount of injury to the head."

Six news has confirmed that the victim is AJ Sturges, a sophomore on the MSU hockey team. He remains at Sparrow Hospital where officials say he's in fair condition.

Meantime police are piecing together their case.

Lt. Kevin Daley: "We have identified who we feel are the main instigators, or those that have caused the greatest amount of damage or assaultive behavior to other individuals."

Lt. Daley says a decision on criminal charges won't come until the end of the week.

The State News Comments Board has a more colorful version of what went down.

One of the hockey players was really drunk, and (stupidly) talking trash about MSU football. Saying “the football team sucks, blah blah, the hockey team can beat OSU hockey, why do they get all the respect, etc.”

A football player (no one knows his name cause he is like 4th string LB) took exception and started talking back. 4 other hockey players came to the first hockey players aid. So at that point is was 5 hockey players vs. 1 football player.

The Fball player bounced, and unknown to the hockey players, went to get his buddies.

He came back with 8-10 (it all happened so fast, who can count) football players, and then it was on.

They rushed INTO the house and started throwing haymakers without saying anything.

I will not tell you my friends name as he doesn’t want to be implicated more then he has to be.

College Hockey Well-Represented In The Snoopy Tournament

Editor's Note: DJ Powers of Hockey's Future was in California last week covering the Snoopy Senior World Hockey Tournament. For the second straight year she agreed to write a series of articles for LetsGoDU about the DU Pioneers, an alumni team made up of former DU players from the Murray Armstrong era. We can't thank DJ enough for her outstanding coverage of the event.

The Tournament was founded by Peanuts creator Charles Schultz in 1975 and brings together hockey players between the ages of 40-75. (Video Link about Tournament)

Special to LetsGoDU

By DJ Powers

If it hasn’t been said already, it could be said here. “Old college hockey players never die. They just end up playing in the Snoopy’s Senior World Hockey Tournament.”

With teams spanning across North America, it is not surprising to see so many former collegians at this tournament each year. The University of Denver and the University of Michigan are the two teams that have brought along their respective programs’ names to the tournament, along with many of their former players. Many more college hockey programs have also been represented in the tournament over the years.

In this year’s tournament, among the schools represented by their former players include (aside from Denver and Michigan) the following:

Colorado College
Cornell University
Michigan State University
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota-Duluth
University of North Dakota
Northeastern University
Princeton University
University of Wisconsin

by DJ Powers Staff Writer - NCAA
Hockey's Future (http://www.hockeysfuture,com/)
Future Considerations (http://www.futureconsiderations.ca/)
[And your humble DU Snoopy Tournament correspondent]

Colborne Is One Of Four College Players Drafted

(above) Joe Colborne (center) poses with the Boston Bruins management team after being drafted last night in Ottawa

From: USCHO.com
by Jim Connelly

OTTAWA (June 21) — After enjoying success in the early rounds of the NHL Entry Draft for the past two seasons, U.S. college hockey was dealt a dose of reality on Friday as just four players with college ties were selected in the opening round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place. It was a stark reduction from last year’s 11 first-rounders with collegiate ties.

The Boston Bruins selected Denver freshman-to-be Joe Colborne with the 16th overall selection. It’s likely that Colborne will spend some time — possibly as much as three years, according to Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli — developing at Denver, something that suits both Colborne and the Bruins just fine.

“I decided to go to college because of the fact that you play less games [than Major Junior] and you spend more time practicing and in the weight room,” said Colborne.

Currently listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Colborne said he added as much as 35 pounds to his frame in recent years. And according to Chiarelli, his growth and development aren’t anywhere close to complete.

“He may get to 235 pounds,” said Chiarelli. “He’s a good skater, fast and rangy. He’s tall and he’s going to get thicker on top.

“He played almost 100 games last year and he was tired at the end. He would do what we want him to do but I’m not averse to him going to Denver and getting stronger physically and getting more mature mentally. It’s a good environment for him.”

The other college players drafted in the first round include Boston University's Collin Wilson, Wisconsin bound Jake Gardiner and Michigan State bound Daultan Leveille. (read entire article)

LetsGoDU Visitor's Guide For Springs Regional

(above) Don't let the large number of banners in World Arena intimidate you, most of them are participation ribbons

This weekend fans of New Hampshire, Michigan State and Notre Dame will descend on Colorado Springs for the NCAA Hockey Regionals. While "The Springs" as the locals refer to it, is situated in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, the natives that inhabit the city aren't like you and me. In other words they aren't law abiding, intelligent or have all their teeth.

When you arrive, consider playing a round of golf. At 6,000 feet above sea level the ball literally explodes off the tee and you can impress your golfing buddies back home with stories of 400 yard drives. Don't be alarmed if the local hockey players are playing in "blackface." They claim its not a racist act, just a sunscreen that prevents damaging UV rays at high altitude.

Perhaps you're looking for a little "alternative" nightlife activities. The local preachers like to drive up to Denver and party with gay prostitutes. While we neither condone nor condemn this type of behavior, if you want big city "conveniences" you'll have to leave town.

On the off-chance that you and your wife/girlfriend are invited to one of Mr. & Mrs. Lampl's "Swinger Parties," by all means accept, but be forewarned that the hockey-player-to-women-ratio will be uncomfortably high. Please drink responsibly, because the Lampl's will be signing affidavits if you get a little tipsy (No ID required).

If you're running a few minutes late to the Michigan State-Colorado College game, don't worry about it. CC will be unfurling their "4th Place" participation banner from last weekend's WCHA Final 5 Tournament.

Don't bother looking for Colorado College's trophy case in World Arena. Its back on campus, next to the janitor's supply closet and it contains two dusty 1950's era trophies that long ago lost their luster. There are only a few Colorado Springs residents still alive that remember the last championship in 1957, so if you want to hear the stories, by-pass the local watering holes and head straight for the nursing homes.

Finally, have fun and remain alert for "shoulder charging" CC fans between periods. Don't forget to chant "Fifty Seven" when CC falls behind in the game.

Go Michigan State, Notre Dame & New Hampshire