MSU head coach Rick Comley's second go-around with Northern Michigan still felt weird.

However, it wasn't quite as strange as his first encounter with the team he coached for 26 seasons before coming to East Lansing this year.

This weekend, Comley and his family reacquainted themselves with several old friends from Northern who traveled to MSU for the teams' two-game series.

Of course, he saw many of the same people when the Spartans traveled to Marquette for a series in October. But the feeling was much different back then.

As the founder of the Wildcats' hockey program, Comley had his hand in everything from designing the arena, to picking the team's uniforms, to cultivating the fan base.

The prospect of squaring off against the fruits of 26 years of his labor was tough for the coach.

"Up there, it was the awkwardness of going into the building you built, but to the opposite locker room," Comley said. "We're not here to beat it to death, but it's such a unique thing.

"Me coaching against Northern means as much as (playing Michigan) does to the fans here. It has so many special features, but it doesn't mean you don't want to beat them."

And he's the first to admit he has a soft spot for his old team.

"There's still a special place for the (Northern) seniors to me," Comley said. "There, you get much closer to your players than here. There you are a counselor, an academic adviser, a disciplinarian. You have to do everything.

"Here, I can see you have to work very, very hard to create that same bond with players."

MSU won the series opener 7-4 on Friday, but the Wildcats bounced back and upset the Spartans 4-2 Saturday night. Afterward, Comley said losing to Northern is no different for him than falling to another team.

The teams also split games in October.

A souvenir (almost)

The Northern series was a physical one for senior defenseman John-Michael Liles. Two of his best battles - one Friday and one Saturday - came against Northern's leading scorer, left wing Mike Stutzel.

The players' second - and more entertaining - scuffle was during the final seconds of Saturday's 4-2 Wildcat win. After they wrestled to the ice along the boards in the MSU defensive zone, Liles put Stutzel in a headlock and ripped off his helmet.

As Stutzel skated away hatless, Liles tossed the headgear over the glass and into the first row of seats. A Northern equipment manager quickly recovered it from surprised fans.

"Sometimes your emotions get to you," Liles said. "It happens. I don't know, it was kind of instinct."

Slater pains

Comley said sophomore center Jim Slater, MSU's second-leading scorer, is "certainly doubtful" for this weekend's series against No. 8 U-M.

"He's not close (to returning) right now," Comley said.

Slater suffered an undisclosed injury around his left shoulder late in Saturday's loss to Northern. He has 13 goals and a team-high 24 assists this season. As MSU's top center, Slater is also a major cog in the team's power-play and penalty-killing schemes.

Michigan 500

When the Spartans and Wolverines face-off this weekend, U-M head coach Red Berenson will be seeking his 500th career victory.

In his 19-year coaching career, Berenson has 499 wins, which places him 14th on the all-time list and fourth among active coaches.

Comley notched his 600th career win in October. He now has 615 victories, ranking him seventh on the all-time list and third among active coaches.

Former Spartan head coach Ron Mason holds the career record with 924 wins.

Serious loot

The team's 27th annual charity broomball game - played against a team of area lawyers on Feb. 4 - raised almost $9,000 for the construction of a pediatric emergency room at Sparrow Hospital, 1215 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing.

Lisa Weber, manager of the Children's Miracle Network, said money is still trickling in from the Coaches for Kids Fund and local Kiwanis clubs, so the total should continue to grow for a little while.

The Spartans lost the broomball game 3-1.

Is blood thicker than ice?

In addition to Nenad and Milan Gajic, brothers who play hockey for MSU and U-M, respectively, there are two other family feuds running through the rivalry series.

One of MSU redshirt sophomore forward Steve Swistak's cousins is J.J. Swistak, a forward/defenseman for U-M. Steve Swistak has played one game for MSU this year, while J.J. Swistak has played 20 games and registered two assists for the Wolverines.

Also, one of Munn Ice Arena Rink Manager Tom Campbell's nephews is U-M forward Charlie Henderson. Henderson, an East Lansing native, has two assists in 16 games.

Hobey hopes

Liles and senior defenseman Brad Fast are still in the top echelon of players in fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award.

But it will take quite a comeback to catch vote-leader Chris Kunitz of Ferris State, who has 56,557 votes.

On Tuesday afternoon, Liles was in sixth place with 18,901 points, while Fast was 12th with 12,172 points.

Fans can vote at voteforhobey.com through March 9.