Finally ... practice!

My column in today's Free Press takes a look at the oddity of the college hockey schedule, one in which many teams play games (exhibitions and real ones, conference games even) before they go through an official regular-season practice. Check out the column here.

The Mavericks on Monday began preparing for their first real and WCHA games of the season, which will take place Friday and Saturday when Michigan Tech comes to Mankato. The games in Houghton last January were some of the most entertaining league games of the season (although I still remember the 27 inches of lake-effect snow that fell upon the UP that weekend), and the two teams went on to share the MacNaughton Cup as regular-season conference champs.

Meanwhile, USCHO has put out its WCHA preview and team-by-team capsules for the season.