The Rink Live

Long before he got to campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan rookie center Garrett Schifsky knew all about playing on a big stage, as a member of two Minnesota state tourney teams at Andover. His adjustment to the college game has included centering the Wolverines' top line between two of the bigger names in Big Ten hockey.

And Schifsky was able to make three trips back to his home state this year, where the team in maize and blue won once at St. Cloud State and twice at Minnesota, the second win earning them a spot in the Big Ten tournament title game versus archrival Michigan State this weekend.

Mick and Jess talked all things hockey with Schifsky, and broke down the rest of the league action, including a few now-former collegians who inked their first pro contracts.

Sydney Wolf and Jordan McAlpine talk about how the playoff picture in the USHL is starting to piece together.

They also discuss how close Fargo is to capturing the USHL's Anderson Cup, the recent NTDP Evaluation Camp invites, and a few notable commitments from the NAHL.

The Rink Live's Mick Hatten chats through the NCHC playoffs and previews the Frozen Faceoff this weekend in St. Paul with the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman.

Color analyst Dave Starman watches as much NCHC hockey as anyone, so who better to have as a guest to help break down this weekend's NCHC quarterfinals.

Starman gives insight as to the keys to each team in the conference and in the series ahead of them in this conversation with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten on this episode of the NCHC Icecast.

The Rink Live's Jess Myers and Mick Hatten discuss the latest news in the Big Ten and chat with Ohio State defenseman Scooter Brickey after the Buckeyes' series win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Sydney Wolf and Eli Swanson recap the boys state high school tournaments played last week at the Xcel Energy Center.

Penn State junior Danny Dzhaniyev joins Jess Myers and Mick Hatten as they discuss the latest news from around the Big Ten.

The Rink Live's Sydney Wolf and Eli Swanson break down every matchup of the MSHSL boys state tournament and make their picks before the start of the fun on Wednesday. For more coverage of the Tourney from The Rink Live, visit our high school page.

This is the last weekend of the regular season in the NCHC and there are some things that have been decided and several things that will be decided this weekend.

North Dakota will be the No. 1 seed in the NCHC quarterfinals after sweeping Western Michigan and Denver sweeping St. Cloud State last weekend. Miami will be the No. 8 seed and will play at North Dakota in the quarterfinals. Minnesota Duluth will be the No. 7 seed.

Spots 2-6 will be decided this weekend.

Matt Wellens, the beat reporter of Minnesota Duluth hockey for the Duluth News-Tribune, joins The Rink Live's Mick Hatten to break down last weekend's series, take a look at the standings and the PairWise Rankings and preview this weekend's series.

During the discussion, Wellens and Hatten also discuss who some of the top candidates are for MVP in the NCHC. All this and more on this episode of the NCHC Icecast.

Zach Okabe was not sure if he was going to come back for a fifth season with the St. Cloud State men's hockey team. He is glad that he did.

Okabe is heading into his last regular season series of his college career this weekend when the Huskies play Denver at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Okabe helps recap how last weekend went against Western Michigan and preview this weekend's series with the Pioneers.

He also talks about his group of buddies from Alberta on the team, which NHL team is his favorite (a bit of a surprise) and why he thinks this SCSU team has a chance to do something special this season.

Before that interview, The Rink Live's Mick Hatten and Sydney Wolf break down last weekend in the NCHC and preview this weekend's series for all eight teams.