Future scheduling

Holy Crap.. The schedule was released... ( generally speaking. Not 100% specific days )

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/schedule

When I saw the email I thought I had accidentally reversed the chronological order of my inbox!  

I know they put Thurs-Sun down for most conference series to cover their asses, but the think the only home conference series in the first half that may be Thurs-Fri or Fri-Sun is the BADgers series since football plays at home on that Saturday.

For me, at first glance, I'm not a fan of 4 straight home weekends. It is right in the middle of harvest for me and the wife having to ask for 4 straight Fridays off could be an issue. I would rather have had a road series in the middle of that stretch and play at home on the 2nd weekend in December. 

Posted by: @frozen4champs

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Holy Crap.. The schedule was released... ( generally speaking. Not 100% specific days )

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/schedule

so when the Gophers host Wisconsin it’s a Thursday Sunday series I do not like it

Posted by: @gopher6

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Posted by: @frozen4champs

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Holy Crap.. The schedule was released... ( generally speaking. Not 100% specific days )

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/schedule

so when the Gophers host Wisconsin it’s a Thursday Sunday series I do not like it

 

Discussed above. Dates are not fully set; just the weekends. Would be Thu-Sat or Fri-Sun.

Posted by: @gopher6

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Posted by: @frozen4champs

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Holy Crap.. The schedule was released... ( generally speaking. Not 100% specific days )

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/schedule

so when the Gophers host Wisconsin it’s a Thursday Sunday series I do not like it

 

It will either be Thurs-Fri or Fri-Sun. There is a 1% chance it would be a Saturday game, only if football starts at 11 am and hockey at 8pm. The last time they tried that a few years ago, it was a cluster. Let's hope they don't ever do that again.

Color me surprised…

So the end of the regular season they play 3 road series and 1 home series?

Hey, I'll take the new flavor of schedule complaining over "our center depth makes us a MN Class A High school team". 👍 

I’m thrilled! I feel like they listened to a few of us.  

Yeah it would be great to have all the details asap, but at least I can block a few days on my work calendar in case of a road trip and not have to inconvenience too many people by moving appointments around.  Exciting to be able to start making some plans with a little breathing room. 

So kudos to whomever actually got the Big10 to play along.  😁

I'm a bit surprised we don't play Michigan at all until the 2nd half. We always play them much better in the 1st half matchups, which makes sense with how freshman-heavy their rosters tend to be

Posted by: @frozen4champs

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Posted by: @gopher6

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Posted by: @frozen4champs

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Holy Crap.. The schedule was released... ( generally speaking. Not 100% specific days )

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/schedule

so when the Gophers host Wisconsin it’s a Thursday Sunday series I do not like it

 

It will either be Thurs-Fri or Fri-Sun. There is a 1% chance it would be a Saturday game, only if football starts at 11 am and hockey at 8pm. The last time they tried that a few years ago, it was a cluster. Let's hope they don't ever do that again.

 

Are you talking about that disastrous 2023-2024 sweep @ Mariucci? I always forget that weekend ever happened...

Posted by: @cowgirl

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I’m thrilled! I feel like they listened to a few of us.  

Yeah it would be great to have all the details asap, but at least I can block a few days on my work calendar in case of a road trip and not have to inconvenience too many people by moving appointments around.  Exciting to be able to start making some plans with a little breathing room. 

So kudos to whomever actually got the Big10 to play along.  😁

yes this is huge for us out of state alums

Looks like more hunting in December this year instead. 😁🍻

Any chance an exhibition game gets added at the end of the regular season, since the Gophers are off the first weekend in March, last week of the regular season?  The Under 18 team is open that weekend it seems on their online schedule.

I doubt they'd risk injury playing an exhibition game just before the playoffs.

Posted by: @hey_sioux_suck

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Any chance an exhibition game gets added at the end of the regular season, since the Gophers are off the first weekend in March, last week of the regular season?  The Under 18 team is open that weekend it seems on their online schedule.

(1) we'll most likely be playing a B1G quarterfinal game 

(2) I always disagreed with Bob on his hatred of late-season byes. Small sample I know, but every time we had a B1G QF bye under Bob, we reached the Frozen Four. When we didn't... see: the Notre Dame playoff mess two years ago. Guys can say they want to keep playing w/ no breaks- but the season is long, injuries pile up, and our results w/o the late bye are very underwhelming. 

I still remember in Bob's 1st season, we played then-#8 ASU on a bye weekend late in the year and it turned into a complete gongshow. Blew them out both nights (we were low-20s in pairwise) so they started gunning for our guys' heads and knees.

There's an old clip from that series of some ASU thug flying in at full speed trying to decapitate Ranta.

EDIT: Found it. Refs gave the guy a game DQ and he was later suspended for the entire regional (ASU lost in 1st round of NCAAs). 

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1102025600326402048?s=46&t=Eng8voSPBd8fS83D7FvpsQ

2 meaningless buy games doesn't warrant this kind of risk. I also think a bit of late-season rest is much more valuable than coaches (and players) will admit 

Still scratching my head at that pass from McManus to Ranta. 

Posted by: @rau4skiumah2-0

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Still scratching my head at that pass from McManus to Ranta. 

McManus getting it right back to score anyways on the same rush makes the whole sequence look pretty comical, esp. knowing Ranta was OK after that hit

Has a final schedule been released as of yet to anyones knowledge?  Trying to book a trip to Ohio State, will games be thursday-friday or friday-saturday??

Quote: ndgopher

Has a final schedule been released as of yet to anyones knowledge?  Trying to book a trip to Ohio State, will games be thursday-friday or friday-saturday??

 

No definitive B1G schedule yet.  I'm also planning to go to OSU this year.  At least getting tickets won't be hard.

Michigan Tech single game tickets go on sale Sept 2.

Quote: ndgopher

Has a final schedule been released as of yet to anyones knowledge?  Trying to book a trip to Ohio State, will games be thursday-friday or friday-saturday??

 

You should know better, it's not October 1st yet

@rowshkex 

Wow, the camaraderie here never ceases to amaze me.  I didn't know October 1st was the release date of final series dates. 

Quote: ndgopher

@rowshkex 

 

Wow, the camaraderie here never ceases to amaze me.  I didn't know October 1st was the release date of final series dates. 

Sorry if you missed the sarcasm/dig--I was just making lighthearted commentary about how the U notoriously releases the final schedules as late as humanly possible to make it nearly impossible to plan anything.  Nothing toward you.

Gophers and Whioux will keep the rivalry going for the next number of years.

Quote: frozen 4 champs

Gophers and Whioux will keep the rivalry going for the next number of years.

Per Brad Schlossman

Minnesota and UND will continue to play each other There will be 1 year off coming up

2026-27: in Minneapolis

2027-28: in Grand Forks

2028-29: in Minneapolis

2029-30: none

2030-31: in Grand Forks

2031-32: in Minneapolis

2032-33: in Grand Forks

2033-34: in Minneapolis

I realize this borders on heresy and I've made similar comments before. But I could take or leave the UND matchups at this point.

Doesn't get my blood pumping or anything, just another weekend with a little more seemingly media-driven hype. Their mostly illiterate fanbase is super obnoxious, plus they clearly think and care about us far more than our (younger) fans care about them nowadays.

On-ice product and national media buzz is alright I guess. But there's plenty of other similar-quality opponents that could give us more fresh/interesting matchups, with less risk of Fhawk thuggery. I'd love to smack around the top Hockey East teams, like it'd be great to see us go belt-to-UMass and take some revenge for that 2025 screwjob in Fargo. Maybe other NCHC teams, like Western especially, or Miami now that Miami is clawing their way back up to competitiveness again.

It just kinda strikes me as both schools (mainly the Whioux side) trying to keep an idealized past version of the old rivalry going on life support forever and ever. Or like an ex who you had the most fun years of your life with, but eventually it's time to move on.

That is just my personal opinion and likely arrogance of youth. I think a lot of my same-age peers would feel the same, but obviously we all inhabit our own little bubbles to varying degrees.

Quote: Walker? I Barely Know Her

Quote: frozen 4 champs

Gophers and Whioux will keep the rivalry going for the next number of years.

Per Brad Schlossman

Minnesota and UND will continue to play each other There will be 1 year off coming up

2026-27: in Minneapolis

2027-28: in Grand Forks

2028-29: in Minneapolis

2029-30: none

2030-31: in Grand Forks

2031-32: in Minneapolis

2032-33: in Grand Forks

2033-34: in Minneapolis

I realize this borders on heresy- but I could take or leave the UND matchups at this point. Doesn't get my blood pumping or anything, just another weekend with a little more seemingly media-driven hype. Their mostly illiterate fanbase is super obnoxious, plus they clearly think and care about us far more than our (younger) fans care about them nowadays.

On-ice product and national media buzz is alright I guess. But there's plenty of other similar-quality opponents that could give us more fresh/interesting matchups, with less risk of Fhawk thuggery. 

Kinda strikes me as both schools (mainly the Whioux side) trying to keep an idealized past version of the old rivalry going on life support, forever and ever. Or like an ex who you had the most fun years of your life with, but eventually it's time to move on.

 

That is just my personal opinion and likely arrogance of youth. I think a lot of my same-age peers would feel the same, but obviously we all inhabit our own little bubbles to varying degrees.

Was in the stands for 0.6.  Hook that shit to my veins

Quote: Walker? I Barely Know Her

I realize this borders on heresy and I've made similar comments before. But I could take or leave the UND matchups at this point.

I'd like to see them on the schedule regularly.  But it doesn't need to be every year.  Do a two or four year set, the three or four years off, then another two or four year set, and I'm good.

I realize that won't happen, because if it did, we'd have to commit to east coast trips every other year to have a hope of getting a good team coming in to town instead, which the U really doesn't want to do.

I dislike UND more than UW and love having them on the schedule.  It's been a far more competitive rivalry and their fanbase actually cares about it.  Nothing better than shutting up the type that hates "the cities".  

@walker-barely-know-her No it is the most important series of the year.

Quote: Jankwi01

@walker-barely-know-her No it is the most important series of the year.

In your opinion. It can help with PWR and NPI, but that's it. Michigan, MSU, and UW are all more important than a non-con matchup with those thugs.

Quote: MNNavy

Quote: Jankwi01

@walker-barely-know-her No it is the most important series of the year.

In your opinion. It can help with PWR and NPI, but that's it. Michigan, MSU, and UW are all more important than a non-con matchup with those thugs.

I 100% agree with this.  Is it a series that as a fan we love to win?  ABSOLUTELY!  But it borders on preposterous to say it is the most important series of the season. 

It's like me saying that Iowa beating Iowa State in football is the most important game of the season...not even close.  As a fan it is by far and away is the game I put the bulk of my attention on but as a program Iowa has bigger fish to fry throughout their season.

Same with the Gophers...each weekend against those teams @mnnavy referenced affects the Gophers much more over the course of the season than a one off series against a very good team.  Beating NDSU is a good thing but the season doesn't hang in the balance.

That might've been true when the B1G was awful and winning the league didn't guarantee a tourney bid.

Quote: g-manpuck

I 100% agree with this.  Is it a series that as a fan we love to win?  ABSOLUTELY!  But it borders on preposterous to say it is the most important series of the season. 

There are definitely still a lot of people that define success only on whether the Gophers beat ex-WCHA teams, rather that admitting that we're in a new conference now.

Not to say that I wouldn't love to win the series, of course, but, in the end, it's another non-conference series.

@mnnavy 

Outside of Wisconsin none of those games are rivalries. Michigan and Michigan state barely know who we are.

The Michigan series is 100% a true rivalry and far more important than playing UND.  And I say that as a fan that likes having UND on the schedule.  

@steve-mn 

No its not the same you dont have 70 years of beef with any other team other than Wisconsin.

@slap-shot 

No one gives a shit about us on Michigan. We are probably 4th for them just in the conference. 

Michigan definitely is aware of Minnesota lol. 

Sure, if it wasn’t for their current streak of success, I wouldn’t really care that much about Sparty, but the Wolverines and the Gophers have had plenty reason to dislike each other especially so far this decade. 

That being said, that match up doesn’t make UND irrelevant. Still gotta fill the non-con. You ditch UND and now you’ll find yourself playing more against Jan Brady, UST, Kato, and Bemidji in October. I’m good on that, outside of UMD, the whole “in state rivals” thing is overrated to an unfortunate degree by many. 

Quote: Jankwi01

@mnnavy 

 

Outside of Wisconsin none of those games are rivalries. Michigan and Michigan state barely know who we are.

For a guy who isn't afraid to make bold statements, you sure are wrong a lot. 

@boosker14 

Barely aware I guarantee they care about Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame in that order. Heck Penn State might be ahead of us. I would agree UMD is probably our only im state rival at this point. But UND was always bigger than those teams anyway.

Quote: Jankwi01

@mnnavy 

 

Outside of Wisconsin none of those games are rivalries. Michigan and Michigan state barely know who we are.

You need to go back and re-read my post. I NEVER said anything about rivalries. I simply refuted your preposterous statement about UND being the most important series of the year by pointing out that conference games against UW, Michigan, and MSU are more important than a non-con matchup with UND.

Quote: Steve MN

There are definitely still a lot of people that define success only on whether the Gophers beat ex-WCHA teams, rather that admitting that we're in a new conference now.

A lot of those people are probably unaware that both Michigan and MSU were in the WCHA at one time...

Quote: Jankwi01

@slap-shot 

 

 

No one gives a shit about us on Michigan.

If you say so.  

Quote: Jankwi01

@steve-mn 

No its not the same you dont have 70 years of beef with any other team other than Wisconsin.

we shutout swept Michigan in 1943. 83 years ago

Also, we've played more games all-time vs. Michigan (319) than we have against UND (306*).

Michigan is our 2nd-most frequent opponent, with only 1 less game than Wisconsin thru 105 years of Gopher hockey. See:

This despite not even sharing a conference with Michigan for half our respective programs' lifetimes.

*I'm not sure if "306 games vs. UND" includes those disputed early games from when the Whioux were still a club/non-varsity team

People also seem to forget that for 18 years running from the early 90s until the announcement that the BigTen would be starting up a Hockey Conference, that the Gophers played Michigan and Michigan state every year.  Then WisconSIN declined to renew for the last couple years before the B1G started up.  And, in those two years between the last College Hockey Showcase and the first B1G season, the Gophers had Michigan State on the schedule.

So, anyone thinking that we don't have a "real history" with any of the B1G teams other than Wisconsin is just not paying attention.

Quote: Steve MN

People also seem to forget that for 18 years running from the early 90s until the announcement that the BigTen would be starting up a Hockey Conference, that the Gophers played Michigan and Michigan state every year.  Then WisconSIN declined to renew for the last couple years before the B1G started up.  And, in those two years between the last College Hockey Showcase and the first B1G season, the Gophers had Michigan State on the schedule.

So, anyone thinking that we don't have a "real history" with any of the B1G teams other than Wisconsin is just not paying attention.

Based on history, does it really surprise you that someone would clearly not be paying attention?

Quote: Steve MN

Then WisconSIN declined to renew for the last couple years before the B1G started up.  And, in those two years between the last College Hockey Showcase and the first B1G season, the Gophers had Michigan State on the schedule.

Wisconsin's (mis)management of their hockey program for the entire 2010s is pretty baffling to look back on. In 2010 the BADgers were in the national championship game, by 2020 they had racked up multiple seasons of single-digit wins.

I thought Barry Alvarez in those days was always saying UW wanted to play big-brand, nationally relevant teams in hockey instead of schools like Bemidji and Anchorage. So why abandon the College Hockey Showcase, lol.

Quote: Walker? I Barely Know Her

Quote: Steve MN

Then WisconSIN declined to renew for the last couple years before the B1G started up.  And, in those two years between the last College Hockey Showcase and the first B1G season, the Gophers had Michigan State on the schedule.

Wisconsin's (mis)management of their hockey program for the entire 2010s is pretty baffling to look back on. In 2010 the BADgers were in the national championship game, by 2020 they had racked up multiple seasons of single-digit wins.

I thought Barry Alvarez in those days was always saying UW wanted to play big-brand, nationally relevant teams in hockey instead of schools like Bemidji and Anchorage. So why abandon the College Hockey Showcase, lol.

It is pretty wild to think about honestly. Do we think they’re back to stay with Hastings?

@maroon_and_gold 

More than likely. He hasn't really used the CHL as much as I would have thought. Seems like he will use older USHL players that may result in some down years when he has to reload. We will see.

Quote: maroon and gold

Quote: Walker? I Barely Know Her

Quote: Steve MN

Then WisconSIN declined to renew for the last couple years before the B1G started up.  And, in those two years between the last College Hockey Showcase and the first B1G season, the Gophers had Michigan State on the schedule.

Wisconsin's (mis)management of their hockey program for the entire 2010s is pretty baffling to look back on. In 2010 the BADgers were in the national championship game, by 2020 they had racked up multiple seasons of single-digit wins.

I thought Barry Alvarez in those days was always saying UW wanted to play big-brand, nationally relevant teams in hockey instead of schools like Bemidji and Anchorage. So why abandon the College Hockey Showcase, lol.

It is pretty wild to think about honestly. Do we think they’re back to stay with Hastings?

What’s back? Conf title caliber every few years and fluke runs to the FF every once in a greater while? Sure 

Quote: upnorthkid

Based on history, does it really surprise you that someone would clearly not be paying attention?

Not surprised in the slightest.  But, it is an important data point in the discussion at hand.