For all intents and purposes, the Mountain Division served as the ECHL’s Western Conference last season, save for the eventual Kelly Cup-winning Fort Wayne Komets slotting into the place of the Idaho Steelheads, who were the lone division club to opt out of the 2020-21 season.

Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson ranks second nationally among active Div-I coaches with 530 career wins. Although he has led the Irish to two NCAA title games, he will forever be remembered for his dynastic Lake Superior State clubs of the early ’90s. This past weekend Jackson returned to the Upper Peninsula, leading No. 17-ranked Notre Dame to a sweep of Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. FloHockey’s @TeeRaps caught up with the living member of the Mt. Rushmore of college hockey coaches to discuss the state of hockey in the U.P., a link to his glory years up in the Soo, and his future in the game.

Five of the South Division’s seven teams suited up last season, and they combined to produce some of the league’s most fascinating storylines all year long.

The last time the North Division was intact was at the end of the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign. Last season, the league used a conference-only format due to the smaller number of teams. It will look a little different when the games get going again exclusively on FloHockey starting on October 21.

Coast To Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and live-streaming partnerships.

The trip from head coach Kirk MacDonald’s office to the rink requires two quick turns. First, a left down a hallway that celebrates the Reading Royals’ players who have reached the NHL; then a right up the tunnel to the bench.

College hockey reuturns and so does inter-conference play.

Jake Linhart was looking for the perfect situation