I tend to think the difference from top to bottom in Div. 1 is not as great this year as in years past. I don't know if the top is lower (certainly Michigan does not appear lower) or the bottom is higher. Being from Cornell I have spent a lot of time the last two seasons studying the bottom and I think the bottom may have improved. Earlier this season I watched bottom 10 rated Cornell play current poll listed #2 BU and #3 Harvard and they were close games. Harvard did impress me more than BU with better team speed, shooting and more physical play although BU's stick skills in passing, controlling and getting the puck were impressive. I can imagine how Harvard's speed and hitting could disrupt BU's excellent although somewhat deliberate passing game. Enough about the top. Back to my real love the bottom. I think several weak teams from last year are considerably improved (you can make up your own list) and they may have landed some players that in other years would be Harvard's or BU's 3rd or 4th lines or defense pairings. I think the same could be said for mediocre teams since the bottom teams do not seem to be moving up in the standing very far or very fast. Perhaps more dispersion? Perhaps the talent pool is actually bigger so that there are enough good players for even the bottom teams? Perhaps there is no significant difference? I can not recall any season with more than 3 or 4 really elite teams. Off the top of my head I can remember one years where there were only two. I bet there has been some other year where there has been only one elite team. Yet another possibility is that Harvard or some other team will emerge as a lot better than we now think. Generally elite teams have some really eye popping players (like apparently Michigan has) but you can assemble a great team without a super star--sort of imagine a team where none of the players could be on Michigan's 1st line or will make the NHL but all the players are better than Michigan 2nd line. Steven Rockey Mathematics Librarian 115 White Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-7901 E-Mail: [log in to unmask] Office: (607)255-5268 FAX: (607)255-7149 Home: (607)272-8925