The PuckPedia Hockey Show Episode 36: College Hockey’s Rise & Great Debate ft. Adam Wodon

Episode 36 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Adam Wodon, the founder of College Hockey News. Adam has been embedded in college hockey for over 35 years as a broadcaster, writer, and editor, and runs the go-to destination for everything NCAA hockey at CollegeHockeyNews.com.

We start the episode by discussing Adam's background and how he got into college hockey (2:00). He attended Ithaca College, a school that has produced five current NHL broadcasters, and covered Cornell hockey as a student media contributor. He then worked on broadcasts for Princeton and Cornell, had a brief stint in the minor leagues, and ultimately made college hockey his niche, turning his passion into College Hockey News when the internet made it possible to build the stats and roster resource he always wanted for his own broadcasts.

Then we dive into the evolution of college hockey and the growing impact of NIL and the transfer portal (12:00). Adam discusses how the game has completely shifted, pointing to players like Michael Hage choosing to return to Michigan for his junior year as a sign that NIL money is now a real factor in keeping top talent in the NCAA. We also discuss how facilities and the grind of the schedule in the AHL versus college hockey have made the NCAA an increasingly attractive option for developing players.

Then we get into some of the hot-button topics that came up in recent episodes with Colby Cohen and Mike Grinnell (20:00). Adam shares his thoughts on the neutral-site regionals format and whether the debate around it will ever be resolved. He's direct because he thinks college hockey has the same summer debates year after year without any real resolution, and the regionals discussion is no different.

We talk about the Frozen Four in Las Vegas and Denver's dominance under Coach David Carle, who has now won three national championships in five years (26:00). Adam also touches on the Spittin' Chiclets situation at the Frozen Four, and the record TV ratings the tournament pulled in.

We wrap up by discussing the future of the NCAA versus major junior pipeline (30:00). Adam believes Porter Martone's success with the Philadelphia Flyers (scoring in both of his first two playoff games) is essentially a walking advertisement for NCAA Hockey and expects NHL teams to become even more comfortable with the college development route going forward.

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