Bob Gilreath writes:
 
>     Saturday   MTU 2  UMD 7
>     Sunday     MTU 5  UMD 4
>
>
>       That leaves MTU in 6th place in a very tight finish in the WCHA
>         We will be packing our bags and heading off to a very familiar
>          spot this friday.......The Lakeview arena, home of the Defending
>           National Champion Northern Michigan Wildcats......Well, might as
>            well start off big! ;-)  See all you Northern fans Friday night!
>
Justin, Duke, etc.--how can we arrange something with our HOCKEY-L
friendsfrom up the road during the playoff series this weekend?  Would
be fun!  :-)
 
Steve Christopher, NMU
>
Steve Roth says:
 
> >2)  Given that the western provinces of Canada have provided such
> >a wealth of talent in NC$$ college hockey, why haven't more
> >universities in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (excluding Alaska)
> >developed hockey programs of their own?
>
> As a former westerner, I feel confident about this reply:  hockey
> has simply never caught on in the Pacific Northwest ... in fact,
> not in the west at all.  Yes, there have been a few club or
> varsity teams, and the WHL plays in Seattle and Portland, but
> that's all.  I suspect the major reason is the mild winter
> season.  No natural ice, very few rinks, and for the most part an
> absence of youth hockey groups in the major population centers.
> (The strongest youth hockey organizations in the NW tend to be at
> inland towns -- with relatively small populations.)  Even in
> Alaska, hockey has only been a "major" sport since about the
> mid-1970's.
>
A (perhaps) small correction to Steve's note:  Hockey is at least a
*bit* bigger in the PNW than he implies.  For one thing, the WHL is
not only in Seattle and Portland, but Spokane, the Tri-Cities (i.e.
Pasco/Richland/Kennewick, Washington) and I think one or two other
PNW cities.  Spokane, in particular, has been a hockey hotbed for
years, and does have a number of youth leagues, etc.  However, as
Steve R. notes, the *big* interest is in the relatively small
inland towns of British Columbia, like Nelson, Trail, Kimberly
and Cranbrook.  As far as college hockey goes, Gonzaga University
in Spokane has a club team, and according to a posting some time
ago (by Mike M., perhaps?) had an NC$$ DIV I team earlier.
 
  Thans for the SI alert re Faces in the Crowd to our UMD friend; as for
NMU's "B.C. Connection," I understand it is largely due to assistant
coach (and bronze medal winner in the World Juniors) Walt Kyle, although
I can't shed much light on that.  In fairness, I should also indicate
that a good number of Wildcats are from the Midwest, mostly Michigan.
(One interesting Midwesterner:  Steve Woog, son of UMinn's head coach!)
(BTW, doesn't Michigan win 1st place among the states when counting up
Division I college hockey programs?  I count seven.  (All in the top
half of most all-division rankings, too!  ;-).)
 
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                     *      Steve Christopher, NMU       *
                    *  "Go 'Cats!''Going for two in '92!" *
                     *        [log in to unmask]         *
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