The VICTORIOUS HOCKEY COMPANY’s Biweekly Newsletter:  WHO YA GOT?

Who ya got?

Who ya got??

Who ya got???

 

Yup—you’re getting this issue a little early, and for good reason. This week marks the start of the (always overshadowed but never outdone) NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. So why does a Junior hockey newsletter get this excited about a college championship?

Because that’s the goal, right?

 

Nearly everyone in Junior hockey—especially now with the recent CHL rule changes—aspires to play college hockey. And for me, and the rest of the JuniorHockey.io and Victorious Hockey Co. crews, the excitement runs even deeper: we’ll be watching some of the very players we’ve helped along the way compete on college hockey’s biggest stage.

 

Starting Thursday, 16 teams will face off in hopes of punching their ticket to the Frozen Four, happening April 11 & 13 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. To get you caught up, this issue includes links to articles about every team in the tournament, as well as the full schedule—dates, times, locations, and broadcast info for each first-round matchup.

 

Personally, the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship is one of my favorite tournaments in all of sports. No best-of-seven here. It’s king-of-the-mountain style—where a single bad bounce can erase an entire season of dominance, and a lucky deflection can turn underdogs into legends. One game. One shot. Last man standing takes it all.

 

The other day, my buddy asked if I was going to fill out a bracket this year. I told him I was hesitant—every time I do, I feel like I jinx my favorite team. I always pick with my heart instead of my head. This year, my heart says Maine, but I decided to finally go logical and fill out a bracket based on matchups, not just my loyalties.

 

So—who ya got? 

Let’s find out. I’ll even post the top brackets on JuniorHockey.io and include them in this newsletter, so your predictive genius will be forever immortalized on the internet. No more arguing on the team bus or at the rink—we’ll have proof.

 

 

Fill out the interactive bracket here:https://bit.ly/4kZTFCx

 

Once you’ve made your picks, either:Take ascreenshot, orClick theSAVE/DOWNLOADbutton and select "Save Image."

 

Post your bracket in theJunior Hockey Discussion Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/juniorhockeydiscussion-OR-Email it to me directly [email protected]

 

Winners will be posted and boasted on JuniorHockey.io, in the Behind the Bench Newsletter, and in the Discussion Group after the tournament wraps. Want to live in internet infamy? Need bragging rights for the rest of the season? Now’s your chance.

 

…Oh, and who did my buddy pick?He picked Maine. ????

 

Bring it on.

Mike

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MANCHESTER REGIONAL - 

SNHU ARENA

 

 

 

(4) Bentley Falcons(23-14-2)Manchester Regional – SNHU ArenaVs. (1) Boston College – Friday, 3/28, 2 p.m. ET (ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+) 

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ALLENTOWN REGIONAL – 

PPL CENTER

 

 

 

(4) Penn State Nittany Lions(20-13-3)Allentown Regional – PPL CenterVs. (1) Maine – Friday, 3/28, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+) 

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FARGO REGIONAL – 

SCHEELS ARENA

 

 

 

(4) Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks(27-8-3)Fargo Regional – SCHEELS ArenaVs. (1) Western Michigan – Thursday, 3/27, 5 p.m. ET (ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+) 

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TOLEDO REGIONAL - 

HUNTINGTON CENTER

 

 

 

(4) Cornell Big Red(18-10-6)Toledo Regional- Huntington CenterVs. (1) Michigan State – Thursday, 3/27, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+, TSN+) 

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The Butte Irish of the NA3HL have joined JuniorHockey.io as a Development & Content Partner to enhance junior hockey talent development and visibility. Head Coach and GM Marc Brodeur emphasized the alignment of values between the organizations. Stephen Heisler of JuniorHockey.io praised the Irish's dedication to player development. Based in Butte, Montana, the team rebranded in 2023 to honor the city's Irish heritage and plays at the Butte Community Ice Center.

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Players and families, we want to hear from you. If there are any questions, concerns, or if you just want to have a conversation, please feel free to contact us directly. We want to hear from you. Good Luck and Great Hockey!

 

Thank you,

Team VHC