From the starting lineups:
UMich - Canada 4; Illinois 2; Michigan 0
CC - Canada 2; Minnesota 4; Colorado 0
UND - Canada 4; Minnesota 2; North Dakota 0
BU - Canada 2; Minnesota 0; Illinois 0; Massachusetts 4.  Hmmm...
 
Semi #1:  Can UND skate or what?  CC seemed nervous, with quite a few
defensive miscues.  Just when CC made it interesting, UND took control again.
 Wow.
 
Semi #2:  BU *hurt* Michigan.  Physically.  Pounded 'em.  Morrison got two
strides, max, and got hit.  As the Milwaukee paper put it, if the Michigan
tuba player were closer to the ice, BU would've put a body on him, too.  The
arena was clearly either violently pro-Michigan, or violently anti-Michigan.
 
Day #1:  CC's mascot was there with a cheese wedge taped to his head; both BU
and UND bands schmoozed the crowd; Michigan just won't allow anything
non-blue-and-maize to intrude on their little (OK, big) world.  I noticed
that midway through the 3rd period, one of the UMers sitting in the section
with one of their big cow-bells (OK, ridicule me for not knowing what it is)
tried to start a "Lets go Badgers" chant, only to be nearly killed by his own
kind.  The biggest idiot was the big mouth from BU who screamed "Let's go BU"
during the national anthem.  Classless cretin.
 
Day #2:  Even with BU up 2-0, I still felt that it was UND's day.  BU wasn't
physical at all against UND until late in the game, and that seemed to be
more out of frustration than anything.  What happened to all the Michigan
fans again?  It was a replay of 1993; lose the semi and go home.  Even J
Michael changed from his Mich jersey to his Minnesota one.  I guess I can
understand the students wanting to save hotel and meal money for two days and
heading back early, but the alums?  And why didn't Red have the class (sorry
Wolves) to stay around and be introduced as part of the 50th anniversary
all-time team?  Yah, stay with the team and all, but he's got all the rest of
the quarter/semester to see those guys, and there should be some celebration
held back in Ann Arbor for that team anyway.
 
Number of fans at the tourney:  #1 Wisconsin (duh); #2 Michigan (day 1 only)/
NoDak (day 2 only); #3 BU/Minnesota; #4 NoDak (day 1)/Michigan (day 2)
 
Did anybody else notice that UNO's jersey was hung up in the east foyer?
 Red, white and black with vertical "UNO" forming the head of a steer and
horns coming out of the "U".
 
Thanks you Eric Biever for wearing your hat.  I'd've never found you guys
without it.  Thanks to Dave for organizing the dinner.  The only problem was
that one room wasn't big enough.  For all the problems at Cincy last year,
the place where we held the dinner was perfect.  Can we duplicate that in
Boston next year?
 
Hobey Baker Award:  Right choice.  And Brendan was right:  the best team does
not always win.  If BU were to play Mich 10 times, I don't think BU would win
but 3 or 4.  Fortunately for them, Thursday was one of those.  Classy of
Brendan to mention the trainers and equipment guys.  They do a *lot* of work
to make things run.  Just lose one for a while and watch the coaching staff
scramble instead of coaching.
 
The announcement of next year's Ice Breaker Tournament in Chicago:
 Hmmm...one team from each conference...  The biggest draw in the WCHA?
 Wisconsin (especially if it's held in Chicago); the biggest draw in CCHA?
 Maybe Michigan, maybe State -- but State has more alums (actually, Ohio
State would have more, but they still say their prayers to Woody Hayes at
night and most don't even know they have a hockey team); ECAC?  Clarkson(?)
 HE?  BU(?)   Looks like they picked the schools based solely on revenue.
 Any disagreements?  Anyone surprised?
 
Steve G
Wisconsin '84
Miami (is in Ohio, dammit) '95
 
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