LARSMONT… As you know, this is the last season of the greatest collegiate hockey conference in college hockey history as we knew it. Now that we’re in mid-February, I felt that this might be a good time to project an order of finish for those still considered contenders. With all due respect to those clubs that aren’t in position to battle for the WCHA crown at this point, I hope you will take solace in knowing that I think this is the toughest, most competitive conference in the country bar none. I believe that parity in college hockey is very strong and that even those that haven’t accumulated a lot of points in this league could still beat a lot of teams from other prominent conferences.

Having said that, all teams will play 28 games, with the points leader being crowned as the regular season champion. Here’s how they look right now, with games played and point totals as of the conclusion of last week’s play. St. Cloud State: 22/31, U of Nebraska Omaha: 24/30, Mankato State: 24/29, Minnesota: 22/28, U of North Dakota: 22/28, U of Wisconsin: 24/27, U of Denver: 22/25. After these teams, point totals drop off and these clubs are not in the running for the conference regular season title: Colorado College: 22/20, UMD: 24/20, Bemidji: 24/16, Michigan Tech: 24/16, and Alaska Anchorage: 24/10.

Here is what the contenders have left: SCSU: at CC, home vs. MT and at Wisconny. UNO has 2 vs. UW and 2 at UMD. Mankato has 2 at CC and 2 vs. UND. Minnesota has 2 vs. the Bulldogs, 2 vs. Denver and finishes with 2 at BSU. UND will finish with 2 at Denver, 2 vs. BSU and 2 at Mankato. UW will face 2 at UNO and 2 vs. SCSU. Finally, Denver goes up against UND, 2 at Minneapolis and 2 vs. UAA.

Here is how I think each club will do. I believe that SCSU will go 4-2 down the stretch. They are a good, efficient team with an outstanding young goalie. Their non-conference schedule has been unremarkable at 3-1. I look for UNO to go 2-1-1. This is a tough team that usually plays smart hockey, driven by a pretty good coach. Their non-conference schedule shows losses to Notre Dame and two to Quinnipiac. Mankato will go 2-1-1. They are very good with some forwards that are challenging to cover and good net minding. They had success versus non-conference opponents in Rensselaer, Brown, Connecticut, and Providence going 5-1, but in my opinion those clubs would get chewed up in the WCHA.

I look for the U of M to go 5-1, with the possibility of 4-1-1, but I’ll go with the 5-1. This is a hard team to figure. Lots of talent, but for followers who keep looking for that one weekend where they “crush” some opponent in a two-tilt series, that hasn’t happened. They are, however, 6-0 in non-conference games, smacking two pretty good teams, Notre Dame and Boston College, by a combined 12-2 score. When they are “on” it is a long night for the opposition. For UND I look for a 4-2 finale. This team is tough year in and out and has gone 5-3 against non-conference teams including Boston U. and Notre Dame.

I’m looking for UW to go 2-1-1. Oddly, they are one of the toughest defensive teams in the league but are challenged scoring-wise. They just split with UM over the weekend and in non-league play have split with Miami-Ohio, dropped two to Northern Michigan, and swept a hapless Alabama Huntsville team. Denver, I believe, will go 3-3. This team has been a bit enigmatic this year. They have gone 5-2 in non-WCHA play, beating some Eastern power programs in Boston U. and Cornell while going 10-7-5 in league play.

So, what will my projected order of finish for these contenders be? Here it is: 1. St. Cloud, 39 pts., 2. U of M, 38 pts., 3. UND, 36 pts., 4. Mankato, 34 pts., 5. UNO, 33 pts., 6. UW, 32 pts., 7. U of Denver, 31 pts. Additionally, teams at this point with lower points accumulation could skewer the lower level of the standings with a late run, but we’ll see on that. As always, this league is interesting and ultra competitive to say the least. I am most sad that this will be the grand finale of it as we have known it for years. I am convinced that no new conference will ever have the lore and aura of the WCHA—it has been that special. The Big Ten has my total contempt for causing its demise. Enough said for now… PEACE

THE MFAN NHL TOP TEN FOR 2/18/2013:

1. CHICAGO, mowing down everyone in their path.
2. ANAHEIM, balanced game, winning at home and on road.
3. PITTSBURGH, 8-2 in last ten tilts.
4. BOSTON, 9-2-2, Tuuka Rask is tough net minder, Tim who?
5. VANCOUVER, may not win Cup, but you WILL have to deal with them.
6. NEW JERSEY, lost star player? Still winning, it must be the formula.
7. MONTREAL, Carey Price tough in net, scoring, winning.
8. ST. LOUIS, up and down, when net minding is figured out, look out!
9. NASHVILLE, game coming around, Pekka Rinne capable of victories on own.
10. TORONTO, ex-GM Burke roster finally coming around?

Marc Elliott is a freelance sports opinion writer who splits time between his hometown in Illinois and Minnesota. Elliott grew up in the Twin Cities with many of his childhood neighbors working or playing for the Vikings and Twins. He participated in baseball, football and hockey before settling on hockey as his own number one sport. Elliott wrote “The Masked Fan Speaks” column for the Lake County News Chronicle for ten years and was a prominent guest on the former “All Sports” WDSM 710AM in Duluth.