Time stamps for the podcast, find my written preview below:
0:00 - Predictions, Rankings, Tiers
3:52 - Notre Dame
5:28 - Wisconsin
12:48 - Ohio State
15:38 - Penn State
19:12 - Michigan
23:18 - Minnesota
28:42 - Michigan State
Note: While there is a paid side of this site focusing on prospects (see more here) and recruiting, the majority (if not all) of my general writings on Big Ten hockey will be free for the public. My college hockey coverage is a labor of love and I enjoy talking about it when I have the time to do it right. If you have any Big Ten hockey-related questions or topics you’d like to see me talk about, let me know.
With tonight’s Halloween matchup consisting of Wisconsin at Penn State, the seventh season of Big Ten hockey is here. Before I get into my power rankings, I’d like to talk about the number seven. It has been a significant number for millennia — the Wonders of the Ancient World when listed, often came in sevens, and included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. It is often mentioned in the Bible (Joshua 6:4 for example) and plays a conspicuous role in nearly every major religion. Accordingly, it is often associated with luck or divinity.
“Tutorming.com” has a very interesting article about the number seven and its significance in Chinese culture, where it is inferred that some Chinese people consider the number to have both positive and negative connotations. Seven is said to be seen as a lucky number for relationships. Isn’t the Big Ten hockey conference just one big relationship of seven high-level hockey programs, all of which could use some luck? Further, the number seven is said to sound like both 起 and 气, Chinese words meaning “start/rise” and “vital energy”. Big Ten hockey fans can only hope.
However, Tutorming.com has more in store. Be careful before reading on, because it’s scarily fitting for this year’s October 31 start: seven can also be considered unlucky, as ghosts are said to rise from hell (the old WCHA?) in the 7th month. Seven also happens to sound like the Chinese word 欺, meaning “cheat”. Only time will tell which aspects, if any, are relevant for this season.
The number seven happens to play out on the ice as well. Not only are there now seven teams in the conference but seven first-round caliber talents are using the Big Ten as a finishing school for the National Hockey League: Wisconsin’s Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Dylan Holloway and K’Andre Miller, Michigan’s Cam York and Johnny Beecher as well as Minnesota’s Ryan Johnson.
All this synchronicity seems to indicate that this should be a very entertaining season for a conference that has already flirted with massive post-season success, but has yet to achieve a national title. Let’s get into my power rankings and find out which teams are most likely to change that this year. Note: I go into more depth on most of the teams and their recent results in my podcast. For this I’ve just done a few comments for each team.
#1. Notre Dame
Last four: 4-0
Who wears #7? No one. Not a good sign.
Outscoring opponents 21 to 10
Freshman goaltender Ryan Bischel (of Benilde-St. Margaret’s - MN) has started three of four games, 2.00 GAA with a .929 SV%
Senior forwards Cal Burke (of Nobles prep) and Mike O’Leary (of Salisbury prep) have combined for 22 points with identical 4-7-11 lines.
#2. Wisconsin
Last four: 3-1
Who wears #7? ‘00 D Mike Vorlicky
Freshman Cole Caufield (of Stevens Point HS - WI) leads the nation in goals: 7-2-9 line through 6 games
But he’s tied with sophomore Roman Ahcan (of Burnsville HS - MN) for the team scoring lead, Ahcan has the inverted line: 2-7-9. Ahcan also leads the team with +11.
NHL draft picks K’Andre Miller (NYR 1st, 2018) and Jack Gorniak (MTL 4th, 2018) have a combined -10 rating. Miller’s 3 goals in 6 games, a line most defensemen would be happy to have, pales in comparison to his red-hot start last year.
#3. Ohio State
Last four: 3-1
Who wears #7? ‘95 D Wyatt Ege (3-3-6)
Sophomore forward Gustaf Westlund (of Gunnery prep) leads the offense: 4-4-8
Wyatt Ege (of Elk River MN HS) and Tanner Laczynski (Chicago Mission product) are hot for the Buckeyes offense, too. Ege scored a hat trick against Mercyhurst and Laczynski has 6 assists.
Power play is at nearly 30% over their last four games
Junior goaltender Tommy Nappier has been a rock for every minute in the blue paint after winning ‘18-19 Big Ten goaltender of the year splitting time in net: 1.66 GAA, .940 save percentage. St. Louis AAA Blues product was critical to winning the season-opening Icebreaker Tournament.
#4. Penn State
Last four: 3-1
Who wears #7? ‘97 D Evan Bell
Outscoring opponents 22 to 11
Nate Sucese (of Gunnery prep) and Brandon Biro (of Sherwood Park, Alberta) have a combined 20 points to lead a Nittany Lions offense that was tops in the NCAA last year.
Preseason Hobey Baker favorite Evan Barratt (of Team Comcast, The Hun School - NJ Prep) is without a goal through five games to start the year with just four assists through four blow-outs. He’s not the only one under-whelming: Alex Limoges (of Little Caps, Selects Academy), one of the nation’s top goal scorers in ‘18-19 has one goal to the year.
Freshman Connor MacEachern (out of Ontario junior) has looked great early.
As has senior goaltender Peyton Jones (of Team Comcast, Holy Ghost - PA Prep), who boasts a 1.75 GAA with a .942 SV%.
#5. Michigan
Last four: 3-1
Who wears #7? ‘98 D Nick Blankenburg (3 pts)
They need secondary scoring and they’re getting it — only three skaters haven’t registered a point this year.
On the other hand, their most reliable weapons.. aren’t. Captain Will Lockwood (3-0-0), alternate Jake Slaker (0-2-2) and the Pastujov brothers (Mike and Nick) combine for ten points through six games in non-conference play.
Freshman first-round pick (BOS) Johnny Beecher (of Salisbury prep) is tied with line mate Jack Becker (of Mahtomedi HS - MN) for the team lead in scoring — both have four points.
Freshman first-round pick (PHI) Cam York (of Shattuck-St. Mary’s - MN) has three assists in three games and a team-leading +3 — he’s missed three games due to injury.
Goaltender Strauss Mann (of Brunswick prep) has a 1.83 GAA and a .939 SV%.
#6. Minnesota
Last four: 2-2
Who wears #7? ‘99 F Brannon McManus (4 pts)
Like Michigan, the scoring has already spread around: only two skaters have yet to register a point.
Sammy Walker (of Edina HS - MN) has carried the load generally as well as from a big goals stand-point. The sophomore captain’s 4-3-7 line nearly doubles the next best producers on this team. His twenty-three penalty minutes is more than double the next highest — linemate Blake McLaughlin (of Grand Rapids HS - MN), who has 10 of his own.
Freshman Ben Meyers (of Delano HS - MN) is tied for second on the team in scoring with 1-3-4.
Powerplay is firing at 25% through their last four games
#7. Michigan State
Last four: 2-2
Who wears #7? ‘96 D Damian Chrcek
John Lethemon (of Farmington HS - MI) has a 2.00 GAA and a .940 SV%, having played two of four games.
The “LKM” (Mitchell Lewandowski - Patrick Khodorenko - Nicolas Müller) experiment seems to have ended with Khodorenko and Lewandowski splitting up on Saturday — the offense exploded in a 5-1 W. Müller, a 20-year-old freshman from Switzerland by way of MODO (Sweden) scored his first goal in the win — Khodorenko had three assists.
Sophomore defenseman Cole Krygier (FLA 7th round 2018) has two goals.
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