Another off season has come and gone, it’s time for the BSU Men’s Hockey team to lace up the skates and kick off the 2012-13 season! First game of the year is Sunday at 5 p.m. in an exhibition game vs Manitoba. While exhibition games are similar to NFL preseason games in the fact they have no bearing on records or statistics, they do provide a first look at some of the new recruits and a sneak peak into the overall look of the team. As is the case every year, there are some key players lost to graduation so who will step up to try to fill the skates of Brad Hunt, Dan Bakkala, Jamie McQueen & company? What second year players may see more ice time and increase their production? The answers to these questions won’t come Sunday but it will remind of us who is still on the team and who the potential new faces are. Face off is at 5 p.m. with pre-game at 4:30.

BSU was picked to finish 11th out of 12 in the last season of the WCHA as we know it. Not surprising in a league stacked with some of the best teams in the country. What would be surprising is if we see a similar ranking in the “new” WCHA as it sure seems to me that BSU has the chance to be one of the top teams after the likes of Minnesota, North Dakota, UMD, etc. leave. Time will tell. I guess the good news about this year is that expectations from around the league are low so BSU has a chance to surprise some teams and exceed the predictions.

The good news is all the teams leaving will have even more non-conference games they need to fill and BSU is geographically located nicely for UND, UMD, St. Cloud, and Minnesota. The best part, unlike the CHA days, the teams need Bemidji as much as Bemidji wants to play them so it won’t be all away games.

I can’t believe this will be the 12th season for me as color commentator for BSU Men’s Hockey! There have been many memories through the years and I’m looking forward to more to come this season both on and off the ice. Of particular note for those who follow the traveling stories of Schultzie and I is our return to Wisconsin in February for what probably will be the last time sadly. If you recall the last visit two years ago, the blizzard that collapsed the Metrodome hit Madison Saturday night so we got stuck overnight there. That led to one of our all time favorite road stories and the night ending in a biker bar. We plan a return visit for old times sake.

Hope to see you Sunday at the Sanford Center or at least have you tune in to the Beaver Radio Network to catch the game. Go Beavers!