Tuesday news and notes

That early bye week has thrown the blog for a loop. Time to get back on track ...

* Minnesota State remained ranked at No. 16 in this week's USCHO poll following its idle weekend and continued to receive votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine top 15. The Mavericks return to play this weekend when they open their WCHA schedule at Bemidji State.

* Four teams began WCHA play last weekend, including the Beavers. Bemidji State swept Alabama-Huntsville on the road, 6-1 and 1-0, and Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan split their home-and-home series with each winning in front of its home crowd. NMU won Friday 2-0, and Michigan Tech won Saturday 4-1.

* Did a quick count to see how the new WCHA teams have fared so far in nonconference play. By my quick count, the league is 3-4-3 against the NCHC, 1-4-0 against the Big Ten, 0-6-0 against Hockey East, 6-4-2 against the ECAC and 8-0-1 against Atlantic Hockey. There's some good and bad mixed in there.

* Tyler Pitlick made his NHL debut a week ago and has since scored his first NHL goal. The Oilers were scheduled to play late Tuesday night. Former Mavericks standout Travis Morin was called up by the Dallas Stars over the weekend but was a scratch in both of the Stars' games since, including Tuesday.

* An update on the other former Mavs in the NHL, you say? OK. Going into Tuesday's games, David Backes has 6 goals and 5 assists and 30 PIMs in nine games for the Blues; Ryan Carter has no points and a lone penalty in eight games for the Devils; and Tim Jackman has no points and 19 PIMs in four games for the Flames.

* Spent some time at the Gustavus Adolphus rink on Tuesday to do some season previews on their men's and women's teams (see Thursday's Free Press for those). Always a nice time there in St. Peter. I'll be checking back on the Mavericks on Wednesday.