The "haves" of hockey for some reason always have tried to keep the game
for themselves.  For instance, the NHL kept their tidy little group of 6
teams the major league of hockey for years until the clamor for big
league hockey in the rest of North America caused it to expand.  Even
then, the keepers of the game (which were located in Montreal) were very
reluctant to "let go" of their control of the game.  College hockey as
well has been for years the "property" of the "elite schools" in the Ivy
League and elsewhere.  When schools want to develop Division I programs,
the members of the club seem reluctant to allow the expansion.  There
are all sorts of petty jealousies apparent among many of the established
teams as the infighting begins and the self styled "giants" among the
coaches and AD's struggle to keep the D-1 ranks from expanding so that
they have less competition for the available pool of recruits.
 
It is time that hockey makes opportunities available to all schools and
players who dream of playing at the highest levels of the game.  Sure,
Michigan and similar schools may not be able to keep a stable of
walk-ons who would otherwise have gotten scholarships at other D-1
schools but those players will get a chance to play and develop their
skills as they participate regularly at the D-1 level.
 
Those of us who love the game and want it to become the major North
American and world class sport that it should be must insist that those
in charge allow expansion and reorganization so that hockey can spread
to the Northwestern and  Southwestern colleges and take its rightful
place as one of the premier college sports in the country.
 
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