A much-ballyhooed final men's hockey weekend at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center has arrived for Minnesota Duluth. The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs meet No. 10 Denver at 7:07 p.m. Friday and Saturday and the last games can be heard on KZIO 94.1 FM and seen on My9.
The News Tribune has a look back at the 45-year-old rink and performance venue in Friday's editions here.
The Denver Post also talks about the Pioneers being in town for an historic series here.
College Hockey News looks back at the DECC here.
All Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams are paired off in six series.
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No. 7 North Dakota is home with St. Cloud State. The St. Cloud Times takes a look at St. Cloud State junior center and scoring leader Drew LeBlanc of Hermantown here and the Grand Forks Herald has a feature on Sioux sophomore winger Mike Cichy here.
No. 17 Minnesota is at Minnesota State-Mankato. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has an update on revived Minnesota goalie Alex Kangas here and the Mankato Free Press has a feature on Mankato junior right winger Justin Jokinen of Carlton here.
No. 4 Nebraska-Omaha is at Bemidji State as the WCHA's two new members faceoff for the first time. The Bemidji Pioneer has a preview here and the Omaha World-Herald has a story about Omaha's transition to the league from the CCHA here.
No. 15 Wisconsin is at Alaska Anchorage. The Anchorage Daily News profiles freshman goalie Rob Gunderson here and the Wisconsin State Journal has a story about Wisconsin's power play and sophomore defenseman Justin Schultz here.
Colorado College is at Michigan Tech. The Houghton Mining Gazette talks about Michigan Tech's struggles, including the dismissal of senior forward Eric Kattelus for a violation of team rules, and junior center Brett Olson, sidelined following hand surgery. That story is here and the Colorado Springs Gazette looks at junior center Nick Dineen here.
University of Minnesota Duluth Provost Raymond Darland (center) performs the ceremonial drop of the puck at the first hockey game played at the Duluth Arena, now part of the DECC, on Nov. 19, 1966. The players are UMD's Huffer Christiansen (left) and Jim Branch of Minnesota (right). This image is part of a commemorative print to be handed out to the first 3,000 fans at tonight's game. (Photo courtesy of UMD)
