It’s no secret that those involved with College Hockey Inc. covet the California market. Yes, we’ve seen executive director Paul Kelly talk about the potential for Division I programs in the state, but the more immediate challenge is getting the increasingly fertile ground for players to become even more of a recruiting target for current college programs.
So it’s no surprise to learn of a USA Hockey Collegiate Summit scheduled for this weekend in Valencia, Calif.
Four WCHA coaches are scheduled to attend: Wisconsin’s Mike Eaves, Denver’s George Gwozdecky, North Dakota’s Dave Hakstol and Colorado College’s Scott Owens. It’s billed as an event to educate about the benefits of college hockey and not about those coaches doing some free recruiting, which is an important distinction to make under the NCAA umbrella.
Boston University associate head coach Mike Bavis and Notre Dame associate head coach Andy Slaggert are also among those scheduled to attend.
