Interesting changes in the Division I hockey landscape this summer.  Basically, the long traditions of the WCHA and CCHA are ending.  The power teams in the two conferences will all leave by the 2012-2013 season, when the Big Ten adds hockey with a new team at Penn State, CCHA members MSU, scUM, and Ohio State, and WCHA members Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Now, a new hockey conference will take the remaining power teams from the WCHA (Minnesota-Duluth, Colorado Collage, Denver, North Dakota) and Miami-Ohio and Nebraska-Omaha from the CCHA. That announcement today was the final death blow to the WCHA and CCHA.  Notably, the former commissioner of the CCHA, Tom Anastos, read the writing long ago when Penn State announced the beginning of its hockey program -- and bolted to the opening head coaching position at Michigan State to replace the retiring Rick Comley.

The funerals for WCHA and CCHA will likely be held in those teams that have been left out in the cold, like Michigan Tech, Ferris State, and Western Michigan, all season long beginning this fall.  Welcome to new NCAA hockey in 2012!