Bulldog Insider

Matt Wellens and fellow Forum Communications reporters were at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the annual NCHC Media Day Thursday, Sept. 20.

The group discusses their five takeaways this season after talking with the league's eight head coaches and captains, NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton and the league's director of officiating, Don Adam.

Tune in every Thursday throughout the hockey season to hear Duluth News Tribune college hockey reporter Matt Wellens and My9 Sports commentator Zach Schneider talk all things Minnesota Duluth hockey. This podcast is produced by Samantha Erkkila. You can email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Dropping the puck for us on season two of the Bulldog Insider is a former national championship captain who grew up in Esko and played for the Stanley Cup as a rookie in the NHL.

Karson Kuhlman caught up with us in mid-August before he had to report back to the Boston Bruins. He tells us about the ups and downs of his rookie season, what it was like to play in the Stanley Cup, what his offseason workout regime is like and what his go-to order is at Gordy's Hi-Hat.

Tune in every Thursday throughout the hockey season to hear Duluth News Tribune college hockey reporter Matt Wellens and My9 Sports commentator Zach Schneider talk all things Minnesota Duluth hockey. This podcast is produced by Samantha Erkkila. You can email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Happy summer from the Bulldog Insider Podcast. We hope everyone is enjoying the warmth and sunshine in Duluth as much as we have. We felt it was about time to come indoors and check in with everyone.

On this offseason episode, Matt Wellens, Bulldogs beat writer at the News Tribune, is joined by the Forum Communications hockey team: Brad Schlossman of the Grand Fork Herald, Austin Monteith of the Bemidji Pioneer and Jess Myers and Mick Hatten of The Rink Live.

The reporters go around the horn with their biggest stories of the summer so far, including the seven teams looking to leave the WCHA, getting fans in the stands, Brett Larson's first season at SCSU, North Dakota's larger than life scoreboard, and NHL departures.

This week we're wrapping up UMD's second-consecutive national championship season with a pair of former Bulldogs who now provide color commentary on radio and television.

Kraig Karakas, who was at UMD from 1990-94, and Judd Medak, who played for the Bulldogs from 1998-02, give us one word to describe the season and submit their season MVP and Unsung Hero award nominations.

We also talk about the key to coach Scott Sandelin's success and the expectations for next year. Can we expect a three-peat? Has a new standard been set?

Championship Saturday has arrived.

Today we sit down with fellow hockey reporters Mick Hatten and Jess Myers to give a little pre-game analysis of tonight's championship game between UMD and UMass at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

The game starts at 7 p.m. Central time on ESPN.

For the last three years, the Bulldogs have had their last practice of the season the day before the national championship game.

We caught up with Parker Mackay, Billy Exell, Jade Miller, Nick Deery and Jarod Hilderman after practice today in the Buffalo Sabres locker room to ask them what that experience is like.

It's game day in Buffalo.

This morning we are joined by NCHC commissioner Josh Fenton to talk about the league's postseason success. In the league's six-year history, they've had a team in the Frozen Four every year, this is the fourth time they've had two teams present, and they've produced a national champion the last three years in a row.

We also learn more about Fenton, a golfer who grew up playing hockey but didn't play at the college level, and his journey to commissioner.

This week we are on the road in Buffalo, N.Y. for the Frozen Four.

The UMD Bulldogs just got off the ice for their first practice at KeyBank Center. On this episode we sit down with UMD alumni Bill Watson and Brant Nicklin to talk about the program's Frozen Four history, of which Bill has been a part of all six appearances.

On Sunday, March 31, the six-team Canadian Women's Hockey League announced it is ceasing operations after 12 seasons.

To talk more in depth about this topic, we have a pair of Bulldogs that played in the league. Ashleigh Brykaliuk, who played last season with the league's franchise in China, the Vanke Rays, is now an assistant coach for the Bulldogs.

Also joining us is Demi Crossman, who played this past season with the Worcester Blades. You may have also seen her on My9 broadcasting Bulldog hockey.

This episode will be part-one of a two-part mini series on the Bulldog Insider podcast talking about the state of professional women's hockey.

Hockey continues into April. For the third year in a row.

This week Bulldog Insider host Matt Wellens and KDAL radio guest Bruce Ciskie sit down with the News Tribune's flagship podcast, the Pressroom Podcast, for a primer on the NCAA Frozen Four tournament in Buffalo. N.Y.

The Bulldogs are making their third consecutive trip to the tournament in hopes of defending their national championship. We talk about the three other teams, the chances of UMD winning it all again, and what it's like to cover the biggest college hockey tournament of the year.