The stars will be out at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center on Saturday night. After No. 1-ranked Minnesota Duluth and No. 10 Denver clash at 7:07 p.m., in the last men's game to be played in the building, a number of former Bulldogs will take the ice.
Representatives of the 21-member All-DECC team, as chosen by the school's hockey alumni for those playing during the 45 years of the building, will be honored while banners and jerseys are brought down from rafters in preparation for being moved next door to Amsoil Arena.
RSVPs from All-DECC members, saying they will be attendance, include the top four scorers in program history -- Dan Lempe (1976-80), Derek Plante (1989-93), Matt Christensen (1982-86) and Bill Watson (1982-85). Of course Plante and Watson, as part of UMD's coaching staff, were already set to be in the building.
Also scheduled to be in the rink are -- Huffer Christiansen (1963-67), Guy Gosselin (1982-87), Brett Hauer (1989-93), Jim Johnson (1981-85), Tom Kurvers (1980-84), Norm Maciver (1982-86), Walt Ledingham (1969-72) and Chris Marinucci (1990-94).
There's always a chance of late additions, so don't count out Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull or Minnesota Wild goalie coach Bob Mason.
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The Bulldogs will be wearing retro jerseys, similar to those UMD wore on the DECC's opening night on Nov. 19, 1966. The jerseys will then be auctioned off.
Current UMD players are also feeling a bit nostalgic this week in the final days of the DECC and the News Tribune has a Wednesday story here.
Monitoring the PairWise Rankings and theorizing Bracketology match ups for Division I men is usually reserved for February and March, but the blog, Sixty minutes. No alibis. No regrets. is already in Bracketology mode here.
