Well, I kept my promise to myself -- no working during my vacation. That's why you haven't seen these entries in the blog over the last week-plus:

You lose, you snooze: The NCAA men's ice hockey committee has forwarded a recommendation to the championships cabinet that only teams with at least a .500 overall record can be considered for at-large bids to the NCAA tournament.

This isn't a shock, considering it was already in the rule book last season. That inclusion, we found out during the season, was erroneous. But maybe it was just holding the spot where the rule will go next season.

Maybe it was a direct shot at Wisconsin getting into the tournament last season with a sub-.500 record. Maybe it wasn't. It does, however, bring hockey in line with other sports that have the same criterion. It's just funny that the Badgers were the first team to get in with a losing record, and the next season, the loophole (if that's what you want to call it) is closed.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with the rule change, though. The whole reason the NCAA uses the RPI and PairWise rankings is do it doesn't have to go only on records to decide which teams get in the tournament. Does the hockey committee not trust the RPI and PairWise to make those decisions anymore? I have long been a fan of the PairWise system because it provides transparency into the selection process, but when you're not satisfied with the results that system spits out, it sounds like there's apprehension about the whole process.

I'd love to hear thoughts on this one -- not necessarily limited only to the .500 rule, but also the PairWise system as a whole.

Schedule updates: As expected, the Badgers will play Alabama-Huntsville in the first round of the Badger Hockey Showdown on Dec. 27. Harvard and Lake Superior State play in the other semifinal.

And one time change to note: The March 7 regular season finale has been pushed back an hour to 8 p.m.

Bourque to Calgary: Former Badgers winger Rene Bourque was traded to Calgary by Chicago. He then signed a two-year contract with the Flames last Friday to avoid salary arbitration that he said he didn't want.
It's a move closer to home for the Lac La Biche, Alberta, native.