2009 ACHA Division 1 Season Is Set to be One of the Association's Most Memorable

The most exciting aspect of the upcoming season is not what is happening on the ice but what is happening off the ice.

For the past several seasons the ACHA (Division 1) has seen not only better teams take the ice, but also far more parity. For as long as anyone can remember it has always been the "usual suspects;" Penn State, Ohio University, Iowa State, and Illinois have been the ACHA's perennial powers. Their depth, talent, and organizational strength have set them apart from nearly everyone else.

However, slowly but surely the disparity is starting to close. What is most exciting for the ACHA is that the gap is closing not because the aforementioned teams are losing talent or regressing, but quite to the contrary: The door is slowly opening for other teams to begin challenging the old guard.

Teams like Penn State have not only set the bar for the ACHA in regards to talent, but have also established the model for how a team should be run. Now more than ever teams are actively recruiting in the junior and prep school ranks, which is bringing top-notch talent to the ACHA.

The math is simple. There are approximately 110 teams in NCAA Division 1 and 3 hockey. Each year there are about 2,750 roster spots up for grabs in the NCAA. Coaches across the ACHA are finally starting to figure out what the top teams have known for a decade or so. There are countless players in the junior ranks who, for whatever reason, do not play in the NCAA. These players now have a potential home in the ACHA.

It is now not uncommon to see players from the CSHL, NAHL, USHL, and OPJHL on ACHA Division 1 rosters. This is a testament to the efforts of the coaches who are out on the recruiting trail. It is easy to sell hockey at a school like Ohio University or Illinois. But how easy is it at a school like Central Oklahoma or Rutgers?

The top five teams will be the top five teams for quite some time. However, as the "mid-majors" continue to grow, it only spells success for the ACHA as a whole. Just as college basketball benefits from teams such as George Mason, Western Kentucky, and Bucknell making noise at national tournaments, the "mid majors" can have the same effect on the ACHA.

An organization is only as good as the people who run it. There has been a paradigm shift in the coaching ranks of the ACHA which is quite obvious as you look at some of the teams who are sandwiched from 15 to 25 in the national rankings. They all have well-run Web sites, well-organized recruiting efforts, and some forms of marketing to present not only their team as a viable option for talented junior players, but also the ACHA.

As teams like Central Oklahoma, Stony Brook, and Rutgers continue to grow, it will not only make those teams better. But also the top ten teams, and the ACHA as a whole, will reap the benefits of a stronger, more respected league.

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