I hear people say a lot that we are playing "little brother" or playing XYZ team is "their Super Bowl."
On the other hand, who are the programs in college hockey that are true peers of Minnesota? Where they have the prestige / fanbase / success / money of Minnesota?
It is not easy having nobody on your same level because then you have no peers. 🤣🤣🤣
Even though this smells of trolling I will answer.
For program peers i would include Boston College (I see this as the closest. Them in the east, us in the west), Michigan, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Boston University. I almost listed Denver but in reality Denver is almost always the last team I think of despite their success.
For the women's team, Wisconsin, UMD, and Ohio State (recently).
why did you think I was trolling? lol
but I hear you on Denver, a successful program but not the same hype around them as the other schools you mentioned.
Quote: gopheritallWisconsin, Boston University. I almost listed Denver but in reality Denver is almost always the last team I think of despite their success.
I do not view the Wisconsin men as a peer-level program. Every single decade they've always had more bad years, fewer tourney bids, fewer runs to the Frozen Four, fewer league playoff and season titles, less talent and depth than us in the aggregate.
Their absolute historical-best teams and players certainly match ours, but most programs who have simply existed for long enough can say that.
Sorry, Denver is absolutely there. I can see arguing Wisconsin, but for me they’re there too.
Quote: KarlssonSorry, Denver is absolutely there. I can see arguing Wisconsin, but for me they’re there too.
I dont necessarily disagree but when I think of college hockey elites and Minnesota rivals Denver is always the last one I think of. I get they have had a ton of success and deserve to be considered with the other programs. I just don't think of them first.
So far:
- Michigan: Yes
- North Dakota: Yes
- BC: Yes
- BU: Yes
- Wisconsin: maybe
- Denver: maybe
That seems to be the consensus right now.
Quote: scsufanSo far:
- Michigan: Yes
- North Dakota: Yes
- BC: Yes
- BU: Yes
- Wisconsin: maybe
- Denver: maybe
That seems to be the consensus right now.
This is the list of blue bloods. There’s really no debate about it and if you’re making a “peer” list, yeah that’s it.
people do stuff like trying to add rivalry, location, etc to it, but this is the consensus list. Anyone who says not Wisconsin because of less success, they’ve won 6 titles. Anyone who says not DU, well then it’s because they’re above us and peerless
Quote: upnorthkidAnyone who says not DU, well then it’s because they’re above us and peerless
I suppose this depends on the ranking criteria. I was at the Denver-BC title game a couple of years ago, and their fan attendance was appalling, considering that the game was drivable. For that, they take a big hit in my view.
As far as the hockey goes, they've always been as good as anyone--and that goes back a long time.
Quote: upnorthkidAnyone who says not Wisconsin because of less success, they’ve won 6 titles.
they also had multiple seasons of single-digit wins in the 2010s, including a 4-win year. And we beat them a ridiculous % of the time overall for being a rival.
if Skarda doesn't hit that post we'd have 6 too. In the modern era Wisconsin has been way too up and down year to year, in any decade to be a true peer in my opinion.
Quote: streaky gopherQuote: upnorthkidAnyone who says not DU, well then it’s because they’re above us and peerless
I suppose this depends on the ranking criteria. I was at the Denver-BC title game a couple of years ago, and their fan attendance was appalling, considering that the game was drivable. For that, they take a big hit in my view.
As far as the hockey goes, they've always been as good as anyone--and that goes back a long time.
I get what you're saying as far as attendance (was at that game as well and they showed up better than BC), but I think the bulk of people forget how small a school DU is with half their enrollment being grad students. They're certainly not a huge alumni network school or something (which is why there was the debate of how things would go for them in the NIL era).
Have always felt the relationship with DU fans has been polite as well, so that's why I'm trying to stick away from the "rivalry" and just say they are peers because if you're ranking based on success, they're going to be #1 as well as pretty high (if not the top) in terms of prestige because of that success. Fanbase is smaller but devoted (having been to the Pio parties post-game as am friends with one of their law school alums who's a Gopher first and Pio second).
Quote: Walker? I Barely Know HerQuote: upnorthkidAnyone who says not Wisconsin because of less success, they’ve won 6 titles.
they also had multiple seasons of single-digit wins in the 2010s, including a 4-win year. And we beat them a ridiculous % of the time overall for being a rival.
if Skarda doesn't hit that post we'd have 6 too. In the modern era Wisconsin has been way too up and down year to year, in any decade to be a true peer in my opinion.
ifs and buts man
they've won titles across the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s and lost in the title game in the 10s and 20s.
They're the most debatable in terms of in the blue blood convo because of their drought periods for sure, but if we miss the tourney we'll also have missed 5 times over the last 10 years and are coming up on 25 years since a title. Not WI under the Eaves to Granato transition, but they've had staying power overall as a program