MNHockeyShowcase11-1-08

2008 WCHA College Hockey Showcase Gallery

Xcel Energy Center and officials of the Western Collegiate Hockey

Association (WCHA), along with representatives of Minnesota State

University and the University of Minnesota Duluth, jointly announced

plans for the inaugural WCHA Minnesota College Hockey Showcase.

This event was held on November 1, 2008, and featured all four

WCHA Men's member hockey teams from Minnesota - "The State of

Hockey".

The teams competed in a doubleheader format on Saturday,

November 1st, with the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

hosting St. Cloud State University Huskies in a 4:07 p.m. match-up. Following the UMD vs. SCSU game, the Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks- designated as the home team at 7:37 p.m.- faced-off versus the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The games counted as regular season WCHA games.

However, an event that was publicized heavily in the "State of Hockey" it drew "marginal crowds" by players and coaches' standpoints. An announced crowd of 10,495 was in attendance, much of which showed up during the Minnesota/Minnesota State-Mankato nightcap. That meant there were many open green seats and not a lot of red and black for SCSU's game with Minnesota Duluth. "It's an atmosphere where not a lot of people fill up a big building so you kind of have to create your own environment a little bit," said Huskies' forward Nick Oslund. Huskies head coach Bob Motzko would like to see the venue fill up with more fans, especially if the Showcase was meant to be a long-term idea. "If it's a concept

you would want to continue, then it's something you want to grow,"

Motzko said.

For those in attendance and the players involved, Oslund sees the

Showcase as another feather in the hat for the "State of Hockey, it's

good to get all of the Minnesota schools in there," Oslund said. "There's

a lot of pride in Minnesota hockey. It's definitely a good thing." (We

couldn't have agreed more) The future of the “showcase” beyond this

first year remains uncertain at this time. League officials are optimistic

that the 2010-11 schedules can be re-arranged to accommodate the

event during that season, but it may not work out for the 2009-10 league

campaign, according to WCHA Commissioner, Bruce M. McLeod.

Success, or failure? It all depends on how you look at the Showcase.