Hockey updates

The Badgers have released their 2006-7 schedule, and it looks like there will be no rest for the defending national champions. They kick off the season with a pair of games against Northern Michigan at Green Bay, then play a couple of tough WCHA foes before hosting the team they beat for the national championship, Boston College, at the Kohl Center in the last weekend of October. Then they take off for Alaska, play series against Denver and at Minnesota, and host NCAA tournament teams Michigan and Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase. All in all, it should be a good season for Badger Hockey enthusiasts, as long as the team is able to play at the high level it achieved last year.

Not that this should temper any of that, but it looks like the hockey boosters organization, the Blue Line Club, is going to be losing its watering hole at the Kohl Center. While that does suck, the success of the university's student-athletes should be the primary concern, and it's great that UW is taking that to heart.

Finally, the Journal-Sentinel has a feature article on women's hockey, which is timely since the Badgers won the women's hockey title as well last year. Maybe this will become Wisconsin's niche sport, like women's soccer at UNC or basketball at Tennessee and UConn.

For all the Wisconsin hockey information you crave, be sure to check out Wisconsin Hockey and Hockey in Wisconsin.