To whom it concerns,
As the college hockey world takes this shift due to the onset of Big Ten hockey, I ask you to remember Michigan Tech, founding member of the WCHA.
Michigan Tech, home to three national championships and arguably one of the most respected fan bases in college hockey. Season after season these fans travel the country; cheering for the Huskies, reveling with the locals, and frequenting local businesses. To say we’re diehards would be an understatement, we bleed Husky black and gold. We understand and respect the history of our program and that of our WCHA brethren.
In the history of the WCHA, legendary John MacInnes helped found the conference and bring home to it three national championships. It would dishonor his name to forget what, he and the program he led did for the WCHA and college hockey as whole. It is unfortunate that with his passing, the hockey program suffered a long decline. However, with a $275,000 head coach salary commitment, our school and alumni have shown that we have recommitted to hanging with the haves and not the have-nots.
Although our arena is small, the alumni have stepped forward to support its renovation. Already, the press box and locker rooms have been expanded, suites added, and seats replaced. A new scoreboard and video system is on the horizon as we move along. We’d love to be able to invest the public money that has been available for other programs to improve our arena, but the state of Michigan doesn’t have the economic or political climate to make that a reality. There’s a reason for “student” in the name of the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, our former students and current alumni made a commitment to the program that allowed for the program to move to what was once the crown jewel of the WCHA from the chain-linked protection of Dee Stadium.
As the landscape of college hockey shifts, I ask that you remember what Michigan Tech hockey has meant to the WCHA, your programs, and college hockey and not be responsible for its demise. It would be disappointing to see the MacNaughton cup be devalued for what it has symbolized in the history of the great sport.
Sincerely,
Brandon Maurisak
BS Civil Engineering ’10
Tech Hockey Guide
Brandon is a 2010 graduate of Michigan Tech. He co-founded Tech Hockey Guide with Tim Braun as a outlet to expand the coverage of Michigan Tech Hockey. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife Lindsey and corgis Quincy and Niko.
