(04-17-2017 07:41 AM)Mav Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 12:45 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Yeah, I guess for whatever reason, Indy is below the mason-dixon line for ice hockey.

Michigan is obviously way above. Thinking most of PA is solidly above as well. Minnesota and Wisconsin obviously above.

Be curious about Ohio, Iowa, and the middle to southern half of Illinois.

With as well as the USHL draws and as well as Iowa State's ACHA team is supported, I think Iowa's a pretty underrated hockey state, and varsity Hawkeye or Cyclone hockey would do very well.

I can believe Illinois hockey needing a Pegula to get themselves started. Once you get south of Joliet, there wouldn't be much support for the sport. Really, if I had to pick a B1G school to start hockey in the near future, Illinois wouldn't be one of them.

I agree that Illinois needs a Pegula-type donation. However, I'm not exactly sure what is a better B1G candidate for hockey. The interest from south of Joliet doesn't matter since about 80% of Illinois students actually come from north of Joliet in the Chicago area. Plus, I think people are forgetting how massive the Chicago area is in terms of population. Only 10 states have more people than the Chicago area alone and it's a market with a solid youth hockey core. It's a completely underserved state when it comes to college programs (AKA there isn't a Division I program, so it's exporting everyone that's talented).