The Rink Live

University of Minnesota men's hockey assistant coach Garrett Raboin discusses some of the keys to his team's fast start and No. 1 rating in NCAA Division I. He also discusses some of the key players, how he is armchair quarterbacking a team during the holiday break, some of the Gophers' key players, playing Arizona State this weekend and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten and Jess Myers.

Wally Shaver moved to Minnesota from Canada when his father, Al, became the play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota North Stars. He ended up following some of his father's career path and has been a play-by-play announcer for the University of Minnesota men's hockey team for the last 20 seasons. Wally's son, Jason, is a play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Shaver talks about the family business, being able to broadcast the last North Stars game with Al, how he started announcing Gophers game and the current top-ranked University of Minnesota team with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten and Jess Myers.

In Part 2 of this week's podcast, Matt Wellens and Brad Schlossman rejoin to continue the discussion of the NCHC and the Pod. In this episode, they discuss the finances of putting the Pod together, how testing of the athletes may be in the post-Pod portion of the schedule and they look at the post-Pod schedule and which teams may have an advantage in the conference race because of the unbalanced schedule.

If you haven't already, please check out Part 1 where the reporters discuss more of the hockey side of Week 2 inside the Pod. This podcast is in two parts this week because of a Wifi issue.

The NCHC has been able to get through the first two weeks of its Pod being held in Omaha, Neb. In Part 1 of this week's podcast, Matt Wellens, Brad Schlossman and Mick Hatten discuss what happened in the second week, some surprises, coaching decisions that have been made and how this Pod may benefit the teams in the NCHC in the long run.

This week's podcast is in two parts because of some Wifi issues. Be sure to check out Part 2.

OMAHA, Neb. — Of the media covering the NCHC pod at Baxter Arena, there were four print journalists who were given credentials for the first week. Two of them are Brad Schlossman and Mick Hatten. Schlossman covers the University of North Dakota for the Grand Forks Herald and The Rink Live. Hatten covers St. Cloud State and helps manage The Rink Live website.

So what was it like to cover games with no fans for the first week? What was the atmosphere like? What are the protocols at the rink? Most importantly, what were the games like? Who is off to a surprising or fast start? The pair talk about all this and highlight some of this week's games in this episode of the podcast.

If you have heard of the game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, you know that the actor has been in so many films that you can make connections from him to about anyone in Hollywood within six people. The hockey version of this game could be Six Degrees of Mike Gibbons.

Gibbons, recently hired as an assistant coach at Bemidji State, has been a hockey coach at the college, high school, junior and pro levels since 1981. Gibbons retired after 13 seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State last spring. That plan went to the wayside when Eddie Olczyk left his position as an assistant coach at Bemidji State to work for the NHL's Seattle Kraken and head coach Tom Serratore called.

Gibbons, a former Bemidji State All-American defenseman and coach, was hired to be an assistant coach for this season on Nov. 19. He talks about his career with The Rink Live's Jess Myers and Mick Hatten.

Tom Serratore is beginning his 20th season as Bemidji State men's head hockey coach. His ties to the university go back to his college playing days and he has several family members who attended the university, including his brother, Frank, the Air Force head hockey coach.

Serratore talks about this season's Beavers, his playing and coaching career, growing up in Coleraine, Minn., and more with The Rink Live's Jess Myers and Mick Hatten.

Former Hibbing High School and University of Minnesota standout Pat Micheletti has become one of the most well-known color college hockey commentators in the area in recent years.

Micheletti joins The Rink Live podcast and tells stories about his career, takes a look at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University-Mankato, University of North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth men's hockey teams this season, his cooking talent and more with Jess Myers and Mick Hatten.

Fairbanks Ice Dogs general manager Rob Proffitt discusses what all went into the decision to move his NAHL franchise to Marshall, Minn., for a season, his history with the franchise, the support his team continues to get in Fairbanks, the team's new home and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten and Jess Myers.

Dani Cameranesi has had some big news recently. Cameranesi, a 25-year-old forward from Plymouth, Minn., is one of 53 players taking part in the U.S. Women's National Team Evaluation Camp through Oct. 31 at The Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. Cameranesi, a former University of Minnesota standout, also recently got engaged to Michael Brodzinski, her longtime boyfriend. Brodzinski, a former Gopher defenseman, has re-signed with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.

Cameranesi and Katie Million join The Rink Live's podcast to talk about Team USA. Million, a former WCHA women's hockey commissioner, is beginning her second year as the director of women's national team programs for USA Hockey. Both share some fun stories and insight about women's hockey. Cameranesi talks about being an assistant coach for The Blake School for last year's Hockey Day Minnesota, playing in an outdoor game in college at TCF Bank Stadium and more.