Ralph N. Baer posted Drop the Puck 1994-95 College Hockey Yearbook's
league-by-league predictions for the upcoming season (which in no way reflect
his OR my opinion).
>
> Hockey East             WCHA
>
> Boston University       Colorado College
> New Hampshire           Minnesota
> Maine                   Northern Michigan
> Northeastern            St. Cloud State
> Mass-Lowell             Alaska Anchorage
> Providence              Minnesota-Duluth
> Merrimack               Denver
> Boston College          Wisconsin           <---!!!!!
> Massachusetts           Michigan Tech
>                         North Dakota
 
First the disclaimer:  I'm ROTTEN at predicting these things.
Now on to business:  Wisconsin 8th????   We all know they lost a great deal of
talent to graduation and early defections to the pros.  But Wisconsin and
Minnesota are the two WCHA teams you can count on every year that "don't
rebuild, they reload."  In addition, I have sort of thought that Wisconsin
"gains" this year by losing some bad attitudes.  This WAS a team that was only 2
points shy of a share in that MacNaughton Cup last year.  I'd be interested in
an informed opinion on the Badgers' returning talent for this year.  Are they
really THAT decimated?
 
It's been mentioned that Sauer has started to hear some grumbling in "America's
Dairyland".  Does this mean that the fans don't have any faith that he has
younger players who can now step forward and replace Fairchild, Carey, et al?
And even if he can't "reload", how much of this is Sauer's fault and how much of
it can be attributed to St. Cloud's rise and the subsequent increase in
competition for the Minnesota (particularly, Twin-Cities area) talent pool?
 
Pam Sweeney                            Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]      1993 & 1994 WCHA Playoff Champions!!!
                                  1994 NC$$ PHinal PHour!!!
                                        Ski-U-Mah!!!