CCHA TV SCHEDULE

The CCHA has announced their 2003-04 TV schedule. This years games will be
seen on Fox Sports and the College Sports Network (CSTV). Check your local
listings for availability of both channels. The Wolverines will appear a
minimum of eight times this season. Here is the full TV schedule as posted
on CCHA.com:

Fri. Oct. 3 CSTV St. Lawrence at Miami (OH) 8:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Oct. 10 CSTV Notre Dame at Ohio State 8:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Oct. 31 CSTV Ferris State at Michigan State 8:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Nov. 14 CSTV Michigan at Ohio State 8:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Nov. 28 CSTV UMass at Nebraska-Omaha 8:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Dec. 5 Fox Sports Michigan State at Michigan 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Dec. 27 Fox Sports GLI: Michigan vs. Boston College 2:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Dec. 27 CSTV Everblades Classic: Maine vs. Ohio State 4:05 p.m. ET
Sat. Dec. 27 Fox Sports GLI: Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech 6:05 p.m. ET
Sat. Dec. 27 CSTV Everblades Classic: Cornell vs. Notre Dame 7:05 p.m. ET
Sun. Dec. 28 Fox Sports GLI: Third Place Game (at Joe Louis Arena) 12:35
p.m. ET
Sun. Dec. 28 Fox Sports GLI: Championship Game (at Joe Louis Arena) 4:05
p.m. ET
Sun. Dec. 28 CSTV Everblades Classic: Championship Game 4:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Jan. 9 Fox Sports Ohio State at Michigan 7:35 p.m. ET
Fri. Jan. 23 Fox Sports Michigan at Western Michigan 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Feb. 7 Fox Sports Michigan State vs. Lake Superior 7:35 p.m. ET
Fri. Feb. 13 Fox Sports Miami at Michigan 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Feb. 14 Fox Sports Ferris at Notre Dame 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Feb. 21 Fox Sports Nebraska-Omaha at Michigan State 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Feb. 28 Fox Sports Northern Michigan at Bowling Green 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Mar. 6 Fox Sports Michigan vs. Michigan State (at Joe Louis Arena)
7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Mar. 13 Fox Sports CCHA 1st Round Playoffs (Campus Site TBD) 7:35 p.m. ET
Fri. Mar. 19 Fox Sports CCHA Championship: Semifinal #1 (at JLA) 4:05 p.m. ET
Fri. Mar. 19 Fox Sports CCHA Championship: Semifinal #2 (at JLA) 7:35 p.m. ET
Sat. Mar. 20 Fox Sports Mason Cup Championship (at Joe Louis Arena) 7:05
p.m. ET

CCHA RULE CHANGES

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — The Central Collegiate Hockey Association today
announced that the home teams will wear their dark uniforms and the road
teams will don their white or light-colored uniforms for all conference
action during the 2003-04 season.

CCHA teams will continue to wear light-colored jerseys (e.g. white, gold,
yellow or light blue) at home for non-conference games although NCAA rules
still allow for them to wear their darks upon prior mutual agreement with
their opponent.

The CCHA will also employ a number of NCAA-mandated rule changes, including
a new penalty instituted for ‘contact to the head’. Rule 6-8 states, "A
player shall not make contact to an opposing player’s head or neck area in
any manner. PENALTY- Minor or major or disqualification at the discretion
of the referee. Contact to the head shall be assessed in front of the
infraction (i.e. contact to the head - elbow). The NCAA Rules Committee has
instructed officials to use a zero tolerance policy in this area.

The home team will be granted additional time, if necessary this season, to
make a line change during a stoppage in play. Rule 2-5-b-3 has been amended
to state, "The referee puts his hand up to the visiting team indicating no
further changes can be made and signaling the home team that it has up to
8-seconds to change players." The home team was allowed up to five seconds
to change last season when the so-called ‘fast face-off rule’ was implemented.

Face-off protocol has also been modified to mandate that players must take
a stationary position in the immediate vicinity of the face-off before the
puck is dropped and that teams must begin with the proper number of players
on the ice. Rule 2-5-f states, "Should a team start with fewer players than
allowed and the officials err in detecting this situation, any subsequently
entering players shall not be eligible to play the puck coming from the
player’s defensive zone until that player has returned to the defensive
zone or until possession and control of the puck have been gained by
another player in the neutral zone or in the player’s attacking zone.
PENALTY — First offense: warning. Second and subsequent offenses: bench
minor penalty."

Player safety will be augmented through enforcement of a revised ‘helmet
chinstrap’ rule. Rule 3-5 dictates that "All players, including
goalkeepers, are required to wear ice hockey helmets with chin straps
securely fastened. There shall only be enough room between the chin strap
and the chin to insert two fingers." The goaltender’s chin strap will be
checked by an on-ice official prior to the start of the game and, if in
violation, the equipment deficiency must be corrected before the goalie
will be allowed to participate.

Language for the interpretation of a diving sweep check has been added to
Rule 6-58-a governing the infraction of tripping. It states, "Player A1, on
a two-on-one, has the puck. Player B1 slides on the ice, knocking the puck
away from A1, but in the process, tripping A1. RULING: Minor for tripping
must be called. Tripping must be called anytime it occurs, regardless of
whether or not contact is made with the puck."

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net/