When archrivals MSU and Michigan face-off in “The Cold War” - the largest hockey spectacle ever - at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, it will be a battle between the CCHA’s preseason favorites and two teams ranked in the top 5 nationally.
The game is expected to break the world record for hockey attendance, which stands at 55,000.
And while many of the 72,000-plus fans expected to jam Spartan Stadium probably don’t know the teams’ rosters by heart, both the Spartans and Wolverines surely recognize what’s at stake - two potentially important CCHA points.
“It’s a meaningful league game - I had to make sure something was going to be at stake,” MSU head coach Ron Mason said. “Michigan is a darn good team and shouldn’t be overlooked.”
Saturday’s main event is definitely hockey, but the Athletic Department has augmented the contest with a pregame laser light show and a 13-minute country concert by Shannon Brown during each intermission.
Mason predicts about a 50-50 split in Saturday’s crowd between die-hard hockey fans and people attending for the sheer spectacle. And that’s OK, he says.
“I think it’s going to be a Michigan State hockey, basketball, football, baseball, track, women’s basketball, volleyball crowd,” he said. “I think we’re going to have people from all walks that you can possibly think of because it’s become more of an event.”
But the 23-year MSU foreman is far more concerned with what will transpire on the ice than in the stands. For one thing, the temporary stadium ice rink is 3 feet shorter and 5 feet wider (197-by-90 feet) than the sheet in Munn Ice Arena.
And the weather, board liveliness and lighting are also big unknowns, although both teams should have better grasps on those variables after practices Friday evening and morning skates Saturday.
The Spartans canceled Thursday’s planned skate on the rink because the ice was not ready.
As for Saturday’s game, both teams are young and inexperienced, particularly up front. The Wolverines have ten freshmen on their roster and the Spartans aren’t too far behind with eight. As many as six rookie forwards could lace up for each team Saturday.
“Whenever you get 18 (freshmen) for both sides, obviously, it’s going to play a big factor in the game,” said freshman center Jim Slater, who missed last weekend’s Green and White game and an exhibition against Queen’s University (Ontario) with a groin pull. He said he’ll “definitely” play Saturday.
“I’m going to be real nervous. Especially for my first game in college being in front of 70,000 fans.”
The Spartans will likely rely on their highly touted defensive unit - paced by Hobey Baker Award-winning junior goaltender Ryan Miller - to shut down U-M center Mike Cammalleri, a second team All-American, and the rest of the Wolverines’ offense.
Like MSU with Miller, the Wolverines also have an established goalie - four-year starter Josh Blackburn.
Senior right wing and team captain Adam Hall has seen Blackburn and the Wolverines as much as anyone on the MSU roster and he expects the usual strong performance from the perennial hockey power.
“Michigan has always had really highly skilled teams, really fast teams that play physical,” Hall said. “They’ve always been near the top of the league and I think we can expect that out of them again.”
Weather update
A forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Grand Rapids office said Saturday will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers until midnight. Temperatures could dip to the upper 30s by the end of the game.
Rink update
Mike Eidelbes, an MSU sports information director, said lines were painted on the ice Thursday afternoon, but white paint was not applied to any of the ice surface. A big block “S” will adorn center ice.
Miller on ESPN.com
The Spartan goalie will field questions from fans starting at 2 p.m. today. People wishing to chat can log in by clicking the “Chat Schedule” link on the left side of the ESPN.com main page.
James Jahnke can be reached at jahnke@msu.edu.
