The summer months are usually slow for a hockey blog. Since I don't blog about the NHL playoffs, it can be REALLY slow.

So, there are 17 weeks in the regular season...and there are (about) 17 weeks until the team reports for the 2010-2011 season. So, starting in May, I'll be recapping the season that was, one weekend at a time...one week at a time. Now, I'm not talking about recapping the play on the ice...that's too easy. I'll be talking about the road trips...the stories away from the rink.

I hope you enjoy! The recaps will come every Sunday throughout the spring and summer.

RIT Coach Wayne Wilson won the "Coach of the Year" award (Spencer Penrose Award) as voted on by the coaches. Tom Serratore didn't win it last year. Usually, the winner is the coach of the championship team. By naming Wilson, the coaches are saying that they thought Wayne was the best coach in the country. Why didn't Tom win it last year? Are the coaches saying that BSU's accomplishments last year weren't as impressive as RIT's this year? Maybe I'm reading more into this, but I think they are. If I read between the lines, BSU (and Tom) are expected to do well.

Now, I'm not saying that BSU is expected to go to the Frozen Four every year...but BSU was the "face" of college hockey last March and April...and Tom still didn't win the Spencer Penrose.

I guess that's a compliment to BSU and to Tom!

The Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey program today announced the addition of Kyle Brodie (Northglenn, Colo.) and Garrett Ladd (Fenton, Mich.) to the Beaver hockey program for the monumental 2010-11 season. Both incoming student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA’s regular signing period beginning April 14.

http://www.bsubeavers.com/news/default/18/2694/

As I suggested would happen, Matt Read has made it official...he will be back for his senior season.

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100017815

By the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, Matt can make A LOT more money next season than he can this season. Wouldn't surprise me if he took out an injury insurance policy. Those are more prevalent in football than hockey, but like I said, it wouldn't surprise me.

Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey junior forward Matt Read (Ilderton, Ontario) has been named Second Team RBK All-America. The announcement came from the American Hockey Coaches’ Association (AHCA) on Friday as a part of the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four festivities in Detroit, Mich. Read becomes the first BSU Division I-era player to earn AHCA postseason recognition.

The RBK All-America honor is another in a long list of accolades already garnered by Read this year. The College Hockey America (CHA) Pre-Season Player of the Year and Preseason All-CHA pick, was a First-Team All-CHA selection and became the second player in BSU history to be named CHA Player of the Year. A three-time CHA Offensive Player of the Week recipient, Read also garnered INCH All-CHA and Conference Player of the Year accolades and Hockey Commissioner’s Association (HCA) National Player of the Month Honorable Mention recognition in October.

Read becomes the 56th player in Bemidji State history to garner all-America accolades, and those 56 players have now won a total of 82 all-America awards led by Jim McElmury (1968-71) and Mark Eagles (1973-76) who each corralled four all-America honors while at BSU. Read becomes Bemidji State’s first all-America pick since Andrew Murray (2001-05) garnered Third-Team All-USCHO.com laurels at the conclusion of the 2005 campaign.

The first thought that came to my mind yesterday afternoon as I watched the RIT-Wisconsin game was, "at least BSU made a game of it last year!"

Now, that's not fair to RIT...or BSU for that matter...to compare to games against four different teams. But, the premise is still the same. RIT was playing in their first Frozen Four. BSU was playing in their first Frozen Four. For a while yesterday it looked as if Wisconsin was trying NOT to score. That's the one good thing about hockey...it's hard to say that a team ran up the score. You just play the game. Now, you may not have your top power play unit out there if you're up by six goals (which Wisco didn't)...but other than that, you just play the game.

As for the second game, it was a closer game than the 7-1 score (I really do hate that phrase) but Miami looked stunned to get blown out.

I'm expecting a 6-4 game Saturday...both of these two teams can score at will, it seams. I'll take Wisconsin to win it (with an empty netter).

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/157079

5-2 tonight...Matt Climie faced 38 shots.

Matt was recalled to the Stars Thursday. He spent most of the year with the Texas Stars of the AHL and Idaho of the ECHL. He didn't play tonight in a 2-1 loss to St. Louis.