As the Western Collegiate Hockey Association prepares for its 50th anniversary, expectations are high for its member schools and the league as a whole.
This enthusiasm stems from the fact that five teams'North Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado College, St. Cloud State and Wisconsin'all made the NCAA Tournament last season, the first time five schools from the WCHA made the tournament in the same year.
But a tide of change is sweeping the landscape. With many schools having lost underclassmen to the National Hockey League, the MacNaughton Cup may be won with the school that can absorb those blows best.
The preview below ranks the member schools according to their projected finish by the coaches of the WCHA.
Twelve returning forwards and goaltender Jeff Sanger give the Tigers a decided advantage in experience. Forwards Mark Cullen and last year's WCHA Rookie of the Year Peter Sejna give Colorado College a dangerous one-two combination.
Sanger will be the player that Head Coach Scott Owens envisions and will help out the Tigers on a low-scoring night.
If the Tigers have to rely too much on Cullen and Sejna to shoulder the scoring load.
CC will be in the mix for the MacNaughton Cup, and should be a tough test for the rest of the NCAA field. A National Championship is not out of the question.
Despite the loss of forward Erik Westrum and his 61 points last season, forwards John Pohl and Jeff Taffe will give the Golden Gophers a potent offense. All-American defenseman Jordan Leopold anchors a defense that can score with the best from the blue line.
Senior goaltender Adam Hauser will not have to play every series in the regular season, giving him a rest for the playoffs.
If Minnesota's power play struggles, the Gophers could become very stale offensively.
In a short series, such as the WCHA Final Five, momentum is everything. If Minnesota's power play is clicking, they can go far in the postseason.
While the Fighting Sioux lost five players to the NHL, the NCAA runners-up from a year ago are still as talented as ever with junior forward Ryan Bayda leading the way.
Second-year players David Lundbohm, Pat O'Leary, and Tyler Palmiscno help cover for the leadership loss of departed forwards Jeff Panzer and Bryan Lundbohm.
The newcomers for the Sioux do not have the impact that other UND freshman have had.
Still extremely talented and with a new $100 million Ralph Englestead Arena to play in, the Fighting Sioux will be in the mix for their 12th MacNaughton Cup.
With the return of six starters to the nation's best offense from a year ago, including All-WCHA award winner Mark Hartigan, the Huskies should be among the 12 best teams in the NCAA.
The offense continues its stellar play from last year.
Instability at goaltender by virtue of Scott Meyer's departure.
While SCSU's defense remains a question mark, an upper-division finish is likely.
With the return of goaltenders Wade Dubielewicz and Adam Berkhoel, the Pioneers possess the best one-two goaltender combination in the WCHA.
Pioneer defensemen become more offensive-minded.
Denver cannot replace the output of departed forward Bjorn Engstrom.
The series between Denver and Wisconsin should be the difference between the two teams for home-ice advantage in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
Nineteen letterwinners return to a Badgers squad coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance, with seven season-tested forwards having played over a combined 700 games.
Offensive production surfaces from second and third lines to overshadow the loss of forward Dany Heatley.
If the Badgers have not settled on a starter for goaltender by midseason.
Wisconsin will know early if they are good, as they play each of the teams that made it to the NCAA Frozen Four by Thanksgiving.
With 17 returning letterwinners, the Mavericks have a solid blend of youth and experience.
Veteran goaltender Eric Pateman improves his goals against average numbers by half a goal.
The 17 freshman and sophomores on the team cannot match the intensity the upperclassmen possess.
Cracking the upper half of the division may the goal of this year's squad.
With only three conference victories a year ago, Minnesota-Duluth is building toward the future.
The Bulldogs are scoring three goals per contest.
If UMD plays defense like it did last year (3.8 goals allowed per game).
Ten victories is not out of the question for the Bulldogs if goaltender Rob Anderson plays well.
With Head Coach Mike Sertich in place for a full year now, the Huskies have some stability from the top down.
Sophomore forward Brett Engelhardt leads the team in scoring and elevates the play of his teammates.
The defense cannot supply much in the way of offensive output.
While there is much enthusiasm, and improvement should be evident, the Huskies are most likely a year away from challenging for home-ice advantage in the WCHA playoffs.
New Seawolves Head Coach John Hill has brought a new attitude to the program.
Forwards Steve Cygan and Gregg Zaporzan play at an All-American level.
Goaltender Chris King cannot match the play of his freshman campaign.
With a demanding nonconference schedule and thin depth along the blue line, the Seawolves may take a step back before going forward this year.
Whether these teams finish in this order remains to be seen. In any event, the 50th year of the WCHA could prove to be as exciting as any of the past 49.
