Big Ten Hockey is expanding. Today the Big Ten formally announced that Notre Dame will join B1G Hockey as an affiliate member. The team will skate one more season in Hockey East and transfer to the Big Ten for 2017-18.
The addition of UND is a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Irish bolster the sagging reputation of B1G Hockey. UND has become a perennial contender. The team has made seven trips to the national tournament during head coach Jeff Jackson’s 11 year tenure.
The Big Ten offers the Irish a much better geographical and social fit when it comes to conference affiliation. Notre Dame is currently the only Hockey East team located west of Connecticut. The Irish’s shortest HE road trip spans over 800 miles.
Besides easing the team’s travel woes, the move to the Big Ten renews Notre Dame’s conference ties with each of the B1G’s teams. The team played in the WCHA against Minnesota and Wisconsin from 1971-81. The Fighting Irish are extremely familiar with Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State as the teams battled each other in the CCHA from 1992 until the league folded in 2013.
The Irish have scheduled several non-conference games against Big Ten teams since the Great College Hockey Conference Realignment. Notre Dame is 3-6-0 in those contests. Although that record is about to change.
In a funky twist of fate, Notre Dame is scheduled to face Michigan this Friday in a first round NCAA tournament tilt. When the match up was first announced, the bout was going to be a nostalgic look back. Now it’s a glimpse into the Big Ten’s future.
