Commissioners from the nation’s six Division I ice hockey conferences have announced the creation of a 21-game series to be played among the conferences throughout the 2004-2005 season. The first annual Commissioners’ Cup Series faces off with five games on Saturday, October 23 and concludes in late January. Each conference participates in 7 designated contests, each league playing three home games, three away, and one at a neutral site.

Commissioners’ Cup standings will be maintained with two points awarded for each victory and a point for a tie.The conference who amasses the most points through its seven games will be presented with the Commissioners’ Cup at its conference championship weekend.

“This is an opportunity to create a little added excitement to regular season games for the fans,” said Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna. “We have tried to choose games that collectively give every league a fair shot at this particular title. And I think we have accomplished that.” Only three schools appear on the schedule more than once as 39 of the nation’s 59 Division I ice hockey institutions will participate in the series.

“It was important to us that we spread participation beyond perennial national powers,” said Bertagna. “We have done that while also including some of our nationally-ranked programs as well.”

The six competing conferences are:

Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA)
ECAC Hockey League (ECACHL)
Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)
Hockey East Association (HEA)
College Hockey America (CHA)
Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA)

Three of the games will be broadcast live on College Sports Television (TV). Those contests are:
Friday, October 29: North Dakota at Boston College (8:00 p.m.)
Monday, January 3: Minnesota at Boston University (7:00 p.m.)
Friday, January 21: Wisconsin at Notre Dame (8:00 p.m.)

2004-2005 Commissioners’ Cup Series Schedule

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 23
Ferris State (CCHA) at Bemidji State (CHA)
Rensselaer (ECACHL) at Army (AHA)
Holy Cross (AHA) at Alabama-Huntsville (CHA)
Wayne State (CHA) at Merrimack (HEA)
Northeastern (HEA) at Colgate (ECACHL)

Friday, October 29
Miami (CCHA) at St. Lawrence (ECACHL)
North Dakota (WCHA) at Boston College (HEA) - CSTV

NOVEMBER

Thursday,November 4
Northern Michigan (CCHA) at Michigan Tech (WCHA)

Friday, November 12
UConn (AHA) at Ferris State (CCHA)

Saturday, November 20
Brown (ECACHL) at Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA)

Friday, November 26
Air Force (CHA) vs. Sacred Heart (AHA)*

Saturday, November 27
Massachusetts (HEA) at Denver (WCHA)

DECEMBER

Saturday, December 11
Maine (HEA) at Harvard (ECACHL)

Sunday, December 12
Robert Morris (CHA) at Quinnipiac (AHA)

Thursday, December 30
Ohio State (CCHA) v. Colorado College (WCHA)**

JANUARY

Sunday, January 2
Union (ECACHL) at UConn (AHA)

Monday, January 3
Minnesota (WCHA) at Boston University (HEA) - CSTV

Saturday, January 8
Canisius (AHA) at Niagara (CHA)

Wednesday, January 12
New Hampshire (HEA) vs. Dartmouth (ECACHL)***

Friday, January 21
Wisconsin (WCHA) at Notre Dame (CCHA) - CSTV

Saturday, January 29
Wayne State (CHA) at Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA)

* At Houston Fieldhouse in Troy, NY
** At Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
*** At Verizion Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH