Oct. 2, 2008

What are your goals/expectations as a conference for the upcoming season?

Tom Anastos: As you would expect, we have very high expectations for our conference.  I feel comfortable in saying that last season we had at least four teams who could have won the national championship, and I think while the teams in the mix might be different this season, I think the same will prove true this season.  The goals will continue to be the same which are to have great competition within the league, have a high success level in non-conference play, to have an excellent CCHA Championship event, to get as many teams in the NCAA Tournament as possible and to have a CCHA school win the NCAA championship. 

How important was it for the CCHA to add the shootout to conference games this season?

Anastos:  I expect that the shootout will ultimately be very well received, and I would anticipate that other leagues will do the same in future years.  From an ‘importance’ standpoint, I just think it was the right thing to do from many perspectives.  Generally, I think fans want to see a result other than a tie.  This provides that opportunity.  I also think that players in particular are incredibly competitive and want to play to a winner. In addition, I think players love watching it in NHL games, have grown up with it in many of the leagues that they have developed in, and will very much enjoy it as part of their conference games now.  Our television partners are also excited about it and feel that it brings drama and excitement to the game which will translate well on television.  So all in all, I just think it was the right time to do this.

Anastos: We think the city of Grand Rapids and the Van Andel Arena have a lot to offer to both players and fans in an NCAA Regional experience.  Grand Rapids is a terrific city, the arena is outstanding, and it’s in nice proximity to a number of college hockey programs.  Our goal is to raise the awareness of the event in town, try to maximize the attendance at this year’s event and demonstrate that this could be one of the best regional locations for all of college hockey.

In your capacity as president of the Hockey Commissioners Association, how is the HCA addressing some of the challenges facing college hockey today?

Anastos: There are a number of things that our commissioners group continues to work on, including raising the profile of NCAA hockey, help in marketing our sport to future prospects, support the NCAA’s efforts to maximize the NCAA Tournament and to work with the various stakeholders in the sport like the NHL and USA Hockey to help foster the continued growth of our sport in the United States.  Our group has evolved over the years into a very cohesive one, and while our principal focus has to be on our daily work for our respective leagues, we know that in order for us to make a difference in our sport, we need to pool our resources and work together to advance our cause, based on the idea that if the sport benefits, we will all benefit. I feel really good about the energy we put into this and that the time spent is having a positive impact on the sport overall.