Mailbag: Michigan State's penalties, tampering, non-conference strategies, and potential D-I program launches
Today’s newsletter (#637) is a mailbag edition, with questions and topics that include:
What’s behind the absence of some assistant coaches on game nights?
Michigan State is one of the most penalized teams in the nation. Will that hurt the Spartans’ chances of winning a national championship?
How have college hockey coaches and general managers reacted to “tampering,” and how does that compare to other sports?
Is scoring up in college hockey this season?
What strategies do coaches use when building a non-conference schedule?
Which schools are on my wish list to launch Division I hockey programs?
Then, in the notebook, we have the latest NCAA commitments, including a 6-foot-3 Colorado Avalanche draft pick who is headed to UMass next season. Plus, other commitments to Long Island, Air Force, Lake Superior, RIT (2), Holy Cross (2), Alaska, and Robert Morris.
Our next mailbag will be posted on WEDNESDAY. You can send in submissions by replying to this email.
This newsletter is brought to you by the United Collegiate Hockey Cup, the inaugural postseason tournament for college hockey’s independent programs, set for March 5–7 in St. Louis. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the first edition of this new championship event — click here to purchase tickets to the 2025 UCHC.
If you have ideas for a future newsletter, tips to pass along, or questions for a mailbag, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at mike@collegehockeyinsider.com. Sponsorship inquiries are also welcome.
You can also find me on X at @MikeMcMahonCHN.
And a sincere thank you to our premium subscribers — your support makes independent, in-depth college hockey coverage possible.
Now, let’s get into today’s newsletter.





