Couldn't help but think of Eddie Bumbacco when Notre Dame squared off against Boston College in the NCAA men's college hockey finals Saturday night. Couldn't help but think of the legendary Charles (Lefty) Smith, too.

Indulge me by hitting rewind to the 1972-73 season. Anybody under 40 must get permission from their parents before accepting a ride in the time machine. Especially if you can't tell the difference between a Butters (Billy), a Bessone (Amo) and a Bumbacco.

Bumbacco? A high-scoring Notre Dame forward. John Noble was his crafty center and Ian Williams was his powerful wingman. Bumbacoo led the WCHA in scoring that season with 31 goals in 28 games. The Irish, coached by Smith, could do more than just score, thanks to the skill of Bill Nyrop on the blue line. Bumbacco and Nyrop were All-Americans.

Although Denver won the regular season championship, Notre Dame had the talent and a favorable draw in the playoffs. All the Irish had to do was beat Wisconsin on home ice (the Athletic and Convocation Center in South Bend) to advance to the Final Four.

Didn't happen. Instead, the Badgers won the total goals series on the strength of Dave Pay's power play goal at 3:10 of the third period. The Irish were shorthanded after Noble was assessed a two-minute minor penalty by official Red Wilkie, who needed a police escort to leave the rink afterward.

That Wisconsin team went on to win the school's first national championship.

Throughout the '70s, there were spirited matchups between the Badgers and the Irish, spurred on, in part, by the competitiveness of their coaches, Bob Johnson and Lefty Smith. My favorite Smith moment involved the officiating of the aforementioned Wilkie and Dino Pannaecia. Smith thought his team got jobbed. And said so.

"They were really Big Ten basketball officials who got here by mistake,'' Smith grumbled. "It was just basketball out there. The only thing they didn't do was make the players hold up their hands and curtsy.'' Gotta love the brutal honesty.

And, to be honest, the WCHA took a hit when Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State left after the 1980-81 season for the CCHA. Would the Badgers ever make the same move? Especially if the Minnesota Golden Gophers would also make the switch?

It's something to think about, particularly with the advent of the Big Ten Network. Consider a division featuring Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. That's a 16-game guarantee, playing home-and-home. Add Notre Dame to the mix, and that's 20 high profile games every season.

What about the budding hockey programs at Penn State and Illinois? Most recently, the Illini capped an undefeated 38-0 season by winning the American Collegiate Hockey Association national championship. Illinois has won two of the last four ACHA titles.

Who do you want to see at the Kohl Center? A series matching the Badgers against the Spartans, the Wolverines, the Buckeyes or the Fighting Irish? Or, are you still married to the status quo? Would you miss seeing St. Cloud State and Alaska-Anchorage?

Maybe it's something to ponder; filing divorce papers on the WCHA.

What do you think?