By Bryan Zollman
Let’s Play Hockey

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) kicks off its season this weekend at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., with the 8th annual MIAC Men’s Hockey Showcase. The tournament offers a sneak peak at the top teams and some of the very best hockey players the state of Minnesota has to offer.

How good is MIAC hockey? Probably a lot better than you think. 

The MIAC player isn’t that much different than many of the college hockey players you see on television at the Division I ranks. They are the top high school players in their programs and most of them play one or two years of junior hockey before settling in with their college programs.

“I have several players on my team who could play Division I hockey, but maybe just fell through the cracks,” said St. John’s head coach Doug Schueller. “They maybe wouldn’t be on the top two lines, but could be a third or fourth liner.”

Schueller  should know. He played Division I hockey at Bowling Green, coached there and also served as a coach in the junior ranks for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede.

“Every team in the MIAC has a couple  of players who could play Division I,” said Schueller. 

Jeff Boeser, who played in the MIAC in the 1970s and has coached for several years, including the past eight as the head coach at St. Thomas, agrees.

“It’s a little different from when I played,” he said. “Now we are getting 20-year-old freshmen. These players might not be able to play Division I when they are freshmen, but by the time they are juniors or seniors they could.”

Boeser said the MIAC landscape has changed significantly from when he played at St. Thomas. Back then, there weren’t as many Division I programs, players didn’t train year round and practices were held off campus during the late evenings.

“The culture is a lot different now,” he said. “We would practice at 10 p.m. Now we practice in the middle of the day. And when I played, once the season was over, most players would put their skates away until the next season.”

Nowadays, players train year round up to six days a week in the offseason. As the players have gotten bigger and better, so has the quality of play.

“Nick Wohlers played in the 90s and led the league in scoring as a defenseman,” said Boeser. “He told me he isn’t sure if he could play today. That speaks for itself.”

While the disparities between the skills of a mid-level Division I player and a top-end MIAC player aren’t much different, there are many differences with how the kids approach the game itself.

“It’s not as much of a job at this level,” said Boeser. “The longest day is an hour and a half to three hours, four days a week.”

And when thinking about reaching the next level, players aren’t thinking of making the jump to pro hockey; they are thinking of following their career path after earning their academic degree.

“When these kids come here at 20 years old, they know they won’t be playing in the NHL some day,” said Boeser. “So they buckle down and get their degree.”

Last year, St. Thomas had 23 players with a 3.5 grade-point average or higher. One of their team goals is to have a higher team GPA every year.

“All of our seniors have gotten jobs and that is a compliment to them,” said Boeser. “Here, it’s a balance of life.”

Schueller said he loves coaching at the Division III level because the players know this is their last chance to play highly competitive hockey. While there are a few who jump to the pro ranks, most players move onto their careers after receiving their education.

“They are playing simply because they love the sport, not because there is a personal reward at the end of the road,” Schueller said. “They play because they love their teammates. That’s what makes it the most special level I have ever been a part of.”

Schueller said most MIAC games draw between 800-1,000 fans with some of the marquee matchups drawing more than 1,500.  That’s because the quality of play is higher than most casual hockey fans might think.

“You could come watch a Division III college hockey game and you’d be surprised,” he said. “You’d be surprised with some of the names you see. I have a freshman this year who led Hermantown in scoring for two years when they were winning state championships.”

The quality of play and the quality of player are two reasons why this weekend’s MIAC Showcase is a great venue for any hockey fan who wants to see good hockey.

“I played Division I hockey and minor pro, and I can tell you this level of hockey is really, really good,” said Schueller. “Fans can come watch for only $7 and be thoroughly entertained.”

Photo: Mark Brown/UST