Tag Archives: Hockey News

LetsGoDU SUPER-POLL™ Slots DU Hockey in the Top Spot, Again

LetsGoDU has released its 18th annual hockey Super-Poll™ for the 2022-23 season. A host of statistics are fed into the supercomputer at Goddard Computing Center in Houston. The program runs ten thousand Monte Carlo simulations and places the Pioneers in their rightful place and Colorado College in the cellar. The results are then tabulated by Deloitte, hermetically sealed, and sent to Denver via Brinks truck to reveal the results. For the eighteenth consecutive season, DU claims the top spot.

Continue reading LetsGoDU SUPER-POLL™ Slots DU Hockey in the Top Spot, Again

Damien Goddard Makes 11th Hour Plea For CC Hockey

Following Denver’s decisive sweep of Colorado College in which they outscored the Tigers 9-0 this past weekend, Damien Goddard doubled down on his effort to bolster the lagging CC hockey program. “I put my flight suit on eBay for a reason – the Tigers need our help. Let’s bring adequate Division I men’s hockey back to the Springs!” Continue reading Damien Goddard Makes 11th Hour Plea For CC Hockey

Damien Goddard: First in Space for DU

The inimitable Damien Goddard, the founder of LetsGoDU,  was recognized Wednesday by the University of Denver as the first DU graduate venturing to space. Following in the footsteps of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and William Shatner, Goddard will be blasting into the great unknown on January 15th, 2022. Goddard’s travel was booked through Elon Musk’s Space Perspective company at a cost of $125,000. Continue reading Damien Goddard: First in Space for DU

70 Years of DU Hockey History Part II: A Temporary Decline – 1970-1994

Our own Puck Swami has authored a four-part historical retrospective for the 70th anniversary of the DU Hockey program. This is Part II. Part One can be found here, and Parts III and IV will follow in the coming weeks. While these stories will run far longer than our usual stories, remember that 70 years is a lot to cover. Enjoy!

Given DU hockey’s successes in the program’s first 20 years, there was no reason to believe that the Pioneer hockey program was about to enter a 35-year period with no NCAA titles. After all, there was plenty of talent in the pipeline. In the early 1970s, DU leveraged its 1960s dominance to attract a number of star players who would move on the NHL — George Morrison, Peter McNab, Bruce Affleck, Rob Palmer, Mike Busniuk, Rich Preston, Mike Christie, Mike Lampman, Vic Venasky and Ron Grahame would all wear the Crimson and Gold in the early-to-mid 70s before moving on to the highest level. Continue reading 70 Years of DU Hockey History Part II: A Temporary Decline – 1970-1994

Old North End neighbors fight CC’s new arena plans

A pitched battle is heating up in the Springs. What appeared to be a project to build a small hockey practice facility on the CC campus has morphed into a full-blown on-campus arena. The upscale Old North End Neighborhood is not happy about the sleight of hand by Colorado College leadership.

The announcement of the new Robson Arena was made before consulting with neighbors. Continue reading Old North End neighbors fight CC’s new arena plans

Denver Hockey Weekend Preview: Air Force & Alabama-Huntsville

Photo courtesy of DenverPioneers.com

The Denver Pioneers start the 2018-19 season on the road with a tough game against the Air Force Falcons

Welcome back Pioneers fans!  After a long summer, college hockey is finally back and it couldn’t have come any sooner.  There have been several questions surrounding the Denver Pioneers this offseason regarding their new leadership behind the bench and on the ice, but only time will tell how the young group transitions.

In the first USCHO poll of the season, the Pioneers are ranked #10 in the country.  They are joined in the top 20 by fellow NCHC members #3 Minnesota-Duluth, #5 St. Cloud State, #13 North Dakota, and #18 Western Michigan.  It’s safe to say the NCHC will be uber-competitive yet again this year. Continue reading Denver Hockey Weekend Preview: Air Force & Alabama-Huntsville

Puck Swami: DU and the Elusive Art of Sports Scheduling in Denver

desk calendar with days and dates in July 2016, flip the calendar page

Sports scheduling for the Denver Pioneers, in all sports, is often an elusive and frustrating exercise.

Being located in Denver is the largest problem, as playing here requires plane rides and hotel stays for all but a handful of DU’s D-I opponents, which is tough for non-revenue sports. We don’t have the exact figures, but it’s probably a safe bet that about 85% of DU’s opponents must fly here to play us, and likewise, DU needs to fly its own mostly non-revenue sports teams to 85% of its opponents — a dynamic that puts a lot of pressure on athletic budgets and eliminates many opponents for cost reasons.

Then there is the mile-high altitude here, a factor that still scares a number of opposing coaches from flatter places. For example, in 2004, the University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team, ranked #1 nationally at the time, came out here to play both DU and Air Force, and lost both games. The Cavaliers’ coach publicly blamed the altitude for their stumbles, and the Cavaliers have not appeared on the DU home schedule since then. Who knows how many other opposing coaches privately loathe our altitude? Continue reading Puck Swami: DU and the Elusive Art of Sports Scheduling in Denver

Puck Swami’s Rapid Reaction: DU’s Choice of Maine AD Karlton Creech is a “Safe Hire”

The hiring of University of Maine Athletic Director Karlton Creech as DU’s new Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation looks to be a ‘safe’ hire for the University of Denver, likely to build incrementally on the legacy of the retiring Peg Bradley-Doppes, who spent the last 13 years in the position. Creech begins at DU on May 1, 2018.

DU wanted to hire a “sitting” AD and did just that. Creech will inherit a DU athletic program that is flying high as the best non-football athletic department in the country, but still faces many challenges going forward. Continue reading Puck Swami’s Rapid Reaction: DU’s Choice of Maine AD Karlton Creech is a “Safe Hire”

2017-18 Denver Hockey: Comprehensive freshman class profile

Photo credit: Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today

Summer is finally over and Fall is upon us once again. Rather than waking up to the bright, piercing sun, we’re waking up to cool, crisp mornings. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back and Major League Baseball playoff races are heating up (the Rockies are still in it!) and we’ve reached the final days of September. All of this means only one thing. College hockey is finally right around the corner. Continue reading 2017-18 Denver Hockey: Comprehensive freshman class profile

Puck Swami: DU Athletic leadership change offers new Vice Chancellor possibilities

Screen Shot 2017-08-27 at 11.01.04 PM(Photo Credits: University of Denver (Grahame, Peck), Swarthmore College (Akotaobi), Tulane University (Macneill), St. Cloud St. University (Weems), Blacktop Colorado (Willis)

We’ve now had a few days to process the major change in athletic leadership coming our way as DU fans: DU Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation Peg Bradley-Doppes announced her retirement at the end of the 2017/18 school year.  While longtime DU Deputy Athletic Director Ron Grahame is taking over the athletic director’s day-to-day responsibilities immediately, DU also announced that a nationwide search would take place this year to ultimately fill the vice-chancellor’s position that Peg has filled so well for the last nearly 15 years. Continue reading Puck Swami: DU Athletic leadership change offers new Vice Chancellor possibilities