Conference Update

In the midst of watching the Maple Leafs keeping their playoff chances alive by beating Boston, the Avalanche and Oilers playing a meaningless game in Alberta, keeping up to date with the NCAA conference finals via Twitter, and watching some of the ACHA All Star game from Adrian comes another source reporting that there could be big news about the Big Ten, perhaps as early as Monday.

Sources tell Inside College Hockey that on Monday the Big Ten will formally announce a six-team hockey conference, set to begin play in the 2013-14 season.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod would not confirm knowledge of the announcement, but said he anticipates the Big Ten will make it official early next week.

McLeod added that in preparation for a Big Ten conference, the WCHA has already spoken with athletic department officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin about some kind of schedule-sharing arrangement which would allow some of the league’s traditional rivalries with the Gophers and Badgers to continue. Nothing has been formally agreed upon yet.

“We’ve been proactive about it for quite a while now,” McLeod said, adding that he had a meeting with Gophers coach Don Lucia and Badgers coach Mike Eaves last September about an interlocking non-conference schedule between the Big Ten and WCHA.

A six-team Big Ten conference, made up of Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, would mean 20 conference games, leaving plenty of room for non-conference scheduling. At least one former college player INCH spoke to on Saturday was exceedingly positive on the idea.

“I’m excited. I’ve heard about it for some time now through the alumni at Michigan and I’m really, really excited about it,” said Minnesota Wild forward John Madden, who played for the Wolverines. “It’s going to be fun to see Michigan play Minnesota a lot, and Wisconsin, the teams up this way. It’s going to be really fun.”

John Madden is not the only former college hockey player that thinks the BTHC is a good idea - with some reservations.