A few random thoughts on Wisconsin's 2008-09 schedule, which was released today:

** That's a tough start. At Boston College and New Hampshire, at Denver, home vs. Minnesota and at North Dakota? Playing five of the first seven series on the road? There's a challenge.

** The tough start may stand out first, but there's a more important element here: The Badgers don't play a conference game during the World Junior Championship. They host the Badger Hockey Showdown on Dec. 27 and 28, then host Northern Michigan in a nonconference series Jan. 2 and 3. The WJC -- you'd imagine that the Badgers could lose at least two defensemen, right? -- runs Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Ottawa.

Making sure they didn't have a WCHA series during that second weekend is a big thing for the Badgers, who had players gone to the WJC for league games the last two seasons.

** UW travels only three times in the regular season after returning from the holiday break. That might make for an inviting stretch run.

** Let's hope it's not too warm on Oct. 10 in Chestnut Hill. On Oct. 19 last season, the BC-North Dakota game at Conte Forum had to be called off after a scoreless first two periods because of fog and poor ice conditions.

** Wisconsin has two second-half bye weekends, and neither is at the end of the schedule. You'll remember that last season, the Badgers had the last weekend off and watched teams pass them for the final home-ice spot. This season, the first off weekend of the second half is Jan. 23-24, between home series against Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth. The second is Feb. 13-14, between a series at Minnesota and home series against Denver.
The trade-off is that the Badgers don't have an off weekend in the first half, going nine straight weeks after the start until winter break.