I agree with Andrew each conference has a number of quality teams that can
each make their case.  I think that the comments made on the BU radio
broadcast were perhaps more directed toward last season, as BU, Maine, and
UNH all held long stints in the top five of the country.  Or perhaps because
two Hockey East teams met in the Championship game last year.
 
I would say that last year Hockey East may have had the best conference,
because what really amounts to is the NCAA tournament.  Granted UNH bowed
out rather quickly, but BU and Maine proved to be very deserving of their
high rankings.
 
However, this is a different year, and I think you need to judge things
differently every year.  One could make a big case for WCHA with Colorado
College and Minnesota having great years, and Minn-Duluth playing strong.
One could make a case for Hockey East with BU, Maine and UNH again.  The
CCHA with Michigan, MSU, and company are always tough.  The ECAC many may
regard as the "last" conference, but they could surprise some people as
well.  I know I was impressed with Union against Maine and UNH.  They were
supposed to be near bottom.
 
Ultimately, I think you have to look at conference strength year by year,
and it's too early to say this year which conference looks to be the strongest.
 
---
Deron [log in to unmask]
 
--> University of Maine Hockey (4-1-0)
--> http://maine.maine.edu/~dtread41/mehockey.html
--> Owner/GM/Coach:  Maine Mariners (EHH Fantasy)
--> http://maine.maine.edu/~dtread41/ehh.html
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.