After a summer break, Talking Hockey Sense is back with a big episode previewing the men’s college hockey season. I enlisted the help of Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald to help me preview the season, with a conference-by-conference look at some of the biggest storylines and best teams.
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If you’re an NHL fan interested in getting into college hockey, this is a good podcast to start with just to see what the landscape looks like heading into the season. We talked about some of the best teams, the biggest contenders, the sleepers and so much more. Among the topics covered:
Can UMass build off of its national championship season? They’re the preseason No. 1 in both major men’s college hockey polls.
Michigan has one of the most loaded rosters in terms of high-end NHL prospects of any team in the history of college hockey with four of the first vie picks from the 2021 NHL Draft on their roster and seven first-rounders overall. Will that translate to championship success?
Minnesota could be the best team on paper this year, with great balance and a lot of experience. Are they the national title favorites and will anyone else in the Big Ten keep up with them and Michigan?
North Dakota lost eight players to NHL contracts last season, but could they have college hockey’s best overall player in defenseman Jake Sanderson?
The new CCHA opens play this year, but will it be much different from the now dissolved WCHA? Can anyone hope to contend with Minnesota State?
Hockey East is up for grabs this year with UMass, BU and Northeastern looking like they may have the best chance to take the conference, but don’t sleep on the rest of the teams. This is going to be a tight race.
Atlantic Hockey weathers the storm of losing Robert Morris for this season and saw an influx of transfers throughout the league.
A look at top college UFAs heading into this season led by Minnesota’s Ben Meyers.
Brad explains why Denver is his sleeper team to be a legit contender this season.
What should we make of perennial contender Minnesota Duluth this season?
Will the introduction of new programs spur another round of realignment in men’s college hockey?
Lastly, Brad offers his unique insight into new Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol who brad covered for years in Grand Forks.
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I will have a written men’s college hockey preview out later this week, revealing my personal top 10 teams for the season, top 10 NHL prospects in college hockey, Hobey Baker Watch List and stray thoughts on the season ahead. So sign up for a subscription today if you haven’t already!
****Limited time offer: If you have a valid email address from an academic institution, you can qualify for a deeply discounted annual subscription to Hockey Sense with Chris Peters. You must sign up with your school email address, but I wanted to make sure that students, faculty and staff interested in following college hockey coverage this year would have easier access to the content. Details and sign up link here: https://hockeysense.substack.com/collegediscount202122
Talking Hockey Sense Ep. 21: Men's College Hockey Preview with Brad Schlossman