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NCHC heads into an Ice Pod in Omaha

By Tony Scott, 11/30/20, 9:15AM CST

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Top NCAA men's hockey league heads into a Pod for 38 games in 21 days


North Dakota will start their defense of the Penrose title this week in Omaha. Russell Hons/UND Athletics

A Three Week Hockey "Tournament"


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

In the house

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

Room Service!

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

5 Games to Watch

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

Minnesotans in the NCHC


Grant Mismash is one of seven Minnesota natives that skate for UND. Russell Hons/UND Athletics

Pod Schedule

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

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