One tournament is already over, as Minnesota continued its roll to capture the Mariucci — er, Dodge Holiday Classic. Nine others still remain, with seven starting Saturday and two on Sunday.
The annual batch of Holiday tournaments adds to the festive nature of the season, and is a great boon for college hockey junkies, especially those with satellite dishes. For the teams, these games are also fun, coming back from the holidays and getting to go, in many cases, to places you have never played before, and play against teams you rarely, if ever, play.
But it can be more than that, especially for the teams jockeying for potential NCAA position. And teams take a great sense of pride in winning the hardware associated with the event, while most coaches enjoy the chance to test their squads.
“We look forward to it. I think it will be two good days,” says Boston College coach Jerry York, who will participate in the Great Lakes Invitational starting Dec. 27. “We try to get in tournaments that will mean something if you win them, and this is certainly one of them. It would mean something to us.
“It’s certainly an important championship. We don’t play for a lot of championships during the year, and we certainly want to win any we play.”
Click on the tournament for detailed preview, quotes and analysis.
Great Lakes Invitational
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Dec. 27-28
Boston College vs. Michigan, 2:30 ET Saturday
Michigan Tech vs. Michigan State, 6:05 ET Saturday
Consolation, 12:35 ET Sunday
Championship, 4:05 ET Sunday
Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Pot
Dunkin’ Donuts Arena, Providence, R.I., Dec. 27-28
St. Cloud State vs. Harvard, 5 ET Saturday
Providence vs. Clarkson, 8 ET Saturday
Consolation, 5 ET Sunday
Championship, 8 ET CT Sunday
Everblades College Classic
TECO Arena, Estero, Fla., Dec. 27-28
Notre Dame vs. Cornell, 4:05 ET Saturday
Ohio State vs. Maine, 7:05 ET Saturday
Consolation, 1:05 ET Sunday
Championship, 4:35 ET Sunday
Badger Hockey Showdown
Kohl Center, Madison, Wis., Dec. 27-28
Massachusetts-Lowell vs. Ferris State, 4:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Union vs. Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Consolation, 4:30 p.m. CT Sunday
Championship, 7:30 p.m. CT Sunday
Sheraton/Bank North Classic
Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, Vt., Dec. 27-28
Massachusetts vs. Dartmouth, 4 ET Saturday
Minnesota State at Vermont, 7 ET Saturday
Minnesota State vs. Dartmouth, 4 ET Sunday
Massachusetts at Vermont, 7 ET Sunday
Subway Holiday Classic
Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, N.D., Dec. 27-28
Brown vs. Wayne State, 4 CT Saturday
Findlay at North Dakota, 7 CT Saturday
Consolation, 1 CT Sunday
Championship, 4 CT Sunday
Denver Cup
Magness Arena, Denver, Dec. 27-28
Yale vs. Nebraska-Omaha, 4:05 MT Saturday
Niagara at Denver, 7:05 MT Saturday
Consolation, 4:05 MT Sunday
Championship, 7:05 MT Sunday
Rensselaer/HSBC Holiday Hockey Tournament
Houston Fieldhouse, Troy, N.Y., Dec. 28-29
Northeastern vs. Colgate, 4 ET Sunday
Mercyhurst at Rensselaer, 7 ET Sunday
Consolation, 4 ET Monday
Championship, 7 ET Monday
UConn Hockey Classic
Connecticut Ice Arena, Storrs, Conn., Dec. 28-29
Air Force vs. Sacred Heart, 2 ET Sunday
Bentley at Connecticut, 5:15 ET Sunday
Consolation, 2 ET Monday
Championship, 5:15 ET Monday
Dodge Holiday Classic
Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis, Dec. 20-21
New Hampshire vs. Miami, 4:05 CT Saturday
Princeton at Minnesota, 7:05 CT Saturday
New Hampshire/Miami vs. Princeton, 4:05 CT Sunday
New Hampshire/Miami vs. Minnesota, 7:05 CT Sunday
