North Dakota will start their defense of the Penrose title this week in Omaha. Russell Hons/UND Athletics
Denver boards the bus for Omaha Sunday night. Photo from Twitter @DU_Hockey
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) formed in the summer of 2011 and played their first season in the fall of 2013. In seven seasons, no conference has dominated men's hockey more than the NCHC. Winners of the last four NCAA champions (with three schools) and a team ranked number one to finish the season (North Dakota), the league has set a standard by which other associations now measure themselves.
Facing challenges due to the COVID-19 virus, the league took a proactive approach - packing games into a medically safe, pod environment. The NCHC came up with a 38-game session, each team playing at least eight games in 21 days. Imagine a youth hockey tournament on steroids. A lot of games in a short amount of time, staying in a hotel room, and a lot on the line.
Josh Passolt is the lone Minnesota native on the Western Michigan roster. Ashley Huss/WMU Photographer
The league has divided essential personnel into three tiers and give each tier specific access to the University of Nebraska Omaha's Baxter Arena. All of these people will be subject to Covid-19 testing three times per week. Each team is allowed 40 members of their team (players, coaches, support staff that fit into Tier 1 and 2 status).
Tier 1
Consists of participants deemed essential to conduct a competition, such as student-athletes, coaches, team support staff, officials, conference staff, additional medical support and limited venue staff. Tier 1 participants will be expected to severely limit their interaction with any other participant not in tier 1.
Tier 2
Includes participants necessary to provide a supporting role to conduct competition, such as off-ice officials, additional medical support, press box staff, television staff and hotel staff. Tier 2 will be limited to select sections of Baxter Arena, but should not have direct contact with members of Tier 1.
Tier 3
Made up of all other staff working the event, media and NHL scouts (1 per team). Members of Tier 3 will not have any access to the event level at Baxter Arena, are prevented from contact with any members of Tier 1 and will have limited contact with Tier 2.
Each team is supplied their own section in the arena to attend and watch games they are not playing in.
Nate Knoepke (Farmington) enters his senior year with the Mavericks. Photo courtesy of Omaha Athletics
Teams will be sequestered into four hotels blocks away from Baxter Arena in Omaha. Each team will have its own floor that will be highly secured for the team's Tier I participants. Players are only allowed outside of the pod to travel to and from the arena and hotel.
All food will be delivered to the player's rooms or a specific team room at their hotels. Food will be ordered from nearby restaurants and/or catered in. Teams are not allowed to mix with other league teams, people in Tier II or Tier III during their stay. The Director of Hockey Operations for all teams will be busy the next three weeks.
Teams are getting creative to keep the mood light while being together for three weeks. "We plan on doing movies and keeping the boys active during our stay," Nebraska Omaha assistant Dave Noel-Bernier said.
North Dakota Head Coach Brad Berry echoed Noel-Bernier's description of team-based pod activities. "We have something planned each day, some around keeping it light and other stuff focused on team building," Berry said.
All of the pod expenses (travel, lodging, food, testing) are paid by each school. For safety purposes, teams were required to travel via two buses to Omaha.
Colorado College's Connor Mayer recorded four goals and 12 points last season. Casey B. Gibson/CC Athletics
December 1 - Omaha vs. Minnesota Duluth
Note: The first game of the pod will set the tone for all 38. Keep an eye on play, officiating, broadcasts, et al.
December 2 - Minnesota Duluth vs. Denver
Note: Two top-five teams clash on day two. Will the advantage be to Denver with fresh legs, or to UMD having shaken off the rust the day before?
December 4 - Denver vs. North Dakota
Note: You read that correct. Denver opens with UMD and UND, back-to-back. Thanks a lot, scheduling Gods!
December 8 - Colorado College vs. Western Michigan
Note: This will be Colorado College's first game of the season coming into the pod after a mandatory quarantine.
December 19 - North Dakota vs. Minnesota Duluth
Note: Preseason #1 vs. #3 for the second time in the pod. Both teams should be flying and a little ornery by their eighth game in the friendly confines of Baxter Arena.
All games can be seen on NCHC.TV
Grant Mismash is one of seven Minnesota natives that skate for UND. Russell Hons/UND Athletics
Date | Time | Visitor | Home |
---|---|---|---|
Tuesday, Dec. 1 | 3:35 p.m. | Minnesota Duluth | Omaha |
Tuesday, Dec. 1 | 7:35 p.m. | St. Cloud State | Western Michigan |
Wednesday, Dec. 2 | 3:35 p.m | Miami | North Dakota |
Wednesday, Dec. 2 | 7:35 p.m. | Denver | Minnesota Duluth |
Thursday, Dec. 3 | 7:35 p.m. | Omaha | Western Michigan |
Friday, Dec. 4 | 7:35 p.m. | North Dakota | Denver |
Saturday, Dec. 5 | 4:05 p.m. | Miami | Omaha |
Saturday, Dec. 5 | 8:05 p.m. | St. Cloud State | Denver |
Sunday, Dec. 6 | 12:05 p.m. | North Dakota | Western Michigan |
Sunday, Dec. 6 | 4:05 p.m. | Minnesota Duluth | Miami |
Sunday, Dec. 6 | 8:05 p.m. | Omaha | St. Cloud State |
Tuesday, Dec. 8 | 11:35 a.m. | Western Michigan | Colorado College |
Tuesday, Dec. 8 | 3:35 p.m. | Denver | North Dakota |
Tuesday, Dec. 8 | 7:35 p.m. | Miami | Minnesota Duluth |
Wednesday, Dec. 9 | 3:35 p.m. | Western Michigan | St. Cloud State |
Wednesday, Dec. 9 | 7:35 p.m. | Omaha | Colorado College |
Thursday, Dec. 10 | 3:35 p.m. | Denver | Miami |
Thursday, Dec. 10 | 7:35 p.m. | North Dakota | Minnesota Duluth |
Friday, Dec. 11 | 7:35 p.m. | Colorado College | Western Michigan |
Saturday, Dec. 12 | 12:05 p.m. | Minnesota Duluth | Denver |
Saturday, Dec. 12 | 4:05 p.m. | St. Cloud State | North Dakota, |
Saturday, Dec. 12 | 8:05 p.m. | Omaha | Miami |
Sunday, Dec. 13 | 12:05 p.m. | Minnesota Duluth | Colorado College |
Sunday, Dec. 13 | 4:05 p.m. | Western Michigan | North Dakota |
Sunday, Dec. 13 | 8:05 p.m. | St. Cloud State | Omaha |
Tuesday, Dec. 15 | 3:35 p.m. | Denver | Western Michigan |
Tuesday, Dec. 15 | 7:35 p.m. | Miami | Colorado College |
Wednesday, Dec. 16 | 3:35 p.m. | Omaha | Minnesota Duluth |
Wednesday, Dec. 16 | 7:35 p.m. | North Dakota | St. Cloud State |
Thursday, Dec. 17 | 7:35 p.m. | Miami | Denver |
Friday, Dec. 18 | 3:35 p.m. | Western Michigan | Omaha |
Saturday, Dec. 19 | 12:05 p.m | Minnesota Duluth | North Dakota |
Saturday, Dec. 19 | 4:05 p.m. | Western Michigan | Denver |
Saturday, Dec. 19 | 8:05 p.m. | Colorado College | Miami |
Sunday, Dec. 20 | 4:05 p.m. | Denver | St. Cloud State |
Sunday, Dec. 20 | 8:05 p.m. | North Dakota | Miami |
Monday, Dec. 21 | 12:05 p.m. | Colorado College | Omaha |