Take this as a musing from an uniformed Northeasterner displaced to
Hockey Hell in Maryland.
 
As the discussion about which league Alaska-Fairbanks will enter has
raged on, I came to thinking of the whole league organization.  Think
about this:
 
Currently ECAC and Hockey East both take teams from the Northeast
with some overlap in geographic area (Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth).
In general this is not a problem since the distances throughout the
Northeast are relatively small.  The ECAC has 12 teams that
play each other twice creating 22 league games for each team.  Hockey
East has 8 teams and will have 9 next year (UMASS).  Each team will
play each other team 3 times for 24 league games.
 
Out west (relatively from my east coast home) the distances are much
greater (especially in the WCHA).  Also, the CCHA and the WCHA do not
overlap the geographic area (possible exceptions are Alaska and the
UP).  The CCHA has 10 members (?) (not counting Alaska-F)
and they will each play each other 3 times next year for 27 leage games.
The WCHA has 10 members and must do something to schedule for next year
or they will have 36 league games since they play each other 4
times.
 
There are also a few remaining independents:  Air Force, Army and Alaka-F
(kind of).
 
While it would seem reasonable to absorb Alaska-F in the WCHA, this
is causing all kinds of scheduling problems.  It does not seem to make
sense to have one conference with subdivisions while none of the others
have such a layout.  Granted, Hockey East had a similar set up this year
but they did not have separate divisional playoffs and standings.
 
Is it possible that it is time to think seriously about a fifth
conference?  A possible conference could be formed by Alaska-Fairbanks,
Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado College, Denver, and Air Force.  I realize
that this is a small conference and also has the worst travel schedule,
but the ideas does alleviate some of the major problems.
 
The conference would initially be hurt by the lack of schools out on the
west coast.  Perhaps adding North Dakota and North Dakota State (if
it goes to Div I) would help.  Also note that this would take care
of two of three of the independents who are or will be suffereing from a
lack of opponents in the coming years.  Army is a special case since they
seem less interested in maintaining their program (just my observation!!).
 
Another thing that would help the light western schedule might be
scheduling a lot of out of conference games.  You will note that the
ECAC only has 22 league games.  While this leaves only 6 games for the
Ivies, the rest of the schools have 14 games left under NC$$ rules
(I am not sure about ECAC rules).  Likewise Hockey East has 10 games
and CCHA has 7 games.  The WCHA would have 10 games (if they still played
4 against each team and if North Dakota stayed in the WCHA.
 
I just put this out for consideration.  Comments please!
 
Eric
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Eric Maiwald                             maiwald at dockmaster.ncsc.mil
Citicorp                              Go, Go, Go, You, Red, Red, Red!!!
Reston, VA                                                      RPI '87
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