This week on RinkRap: A silver rush in Mankato, Bowling Green alum Scott Hamilton wows the current Falcons, and the origin of the Little Ball of Hate.

Mankato’s Magnificent Seven

When it comes to hoisting college hockey’s oldest chalice, seven Minnesota State seniors have reached the magic pinnacle. After defeating Bemidji State in overtime last Thursday night, seven Mavericks got to raise the iconic MacNaughton Cup for the fourth time as WCHA regular-season champs. 

It was a historic first, one not lost on coach Mike Hastings. 

“It’s one that could be tied, but can’t be beaten,” said Hastings in the giddy post-game. He’s referring to Jack McNeeley, Jake Jaremko, Jared Spooner, Reggie Lutz, Walker Duehr, Dallas Gerads, and Reese Zmolek, Mankato’s Magnificent Seven, who all enjoyed a spin with the silver chalice in sweaty gear on home ice.

Mood: @RZmolek21 ’s face 😝

In the history of the WCHA, here are the only players who have won it 4 years in a row #HornsUp😈 pic.twitter.com/lf36owyTCp

— Minnesota State Hockey (@MavHockey) February 26, 2021

“Very appreciative of that group, and what they’ve done to elevate our program,” said Hastings.”

In terms of hockey history, this group of Mavericks finds themselves on a par with Boston University’s Super Six from their class of 1998. Chris Drury and company hoisted four Beanpot trophies, the only college hockey trophy that rivals the MacNaughton Cup. There is an enormous color photo of the Terrier legends — Chris Drury, Mike Sylvia, Jeff Kealty, Chris Kelleher, Peter Donatelli and Tom Noble — at the players’ entrance to BU’s Agganis Arena, honoring their historic accomplishment. 

One might expect a similar tribute to Mankato’s Magnificent Seven.

The Genesis of the Little Ball of Hate

Northern Michigan’s combustible sniper Griffin Loughran has clearly earned the moniker “Little Ball of Hate” for his ferocious play and bulging PIM total. His predecessors who carried that nickname are an impressive pair, starting with current NHL All-Star Brad Marchand of the Bruins. But the original L.B.O.H. is Pat Verbeek, the 20-year NHL veteran who amassed 522 goals and a whopping 2,905 penalty minutes. Glen Healy of Hockey Night in Canada is credited with labeling Verbeek with the all-time sobriquet.

Hatred is a controversial word, and clearly we could use more love than hate in our daily lives, but hatred has always fueled the best hockey rivalries. In order to play an oft-violent game as a 5-foot-7 player — frequently at eye level of opposition sticks — requires the temperament of a sputtering Tasmanian Devil. 

Friday night the man know affectionately as “Griff” to his Wildcat teammates racked up 19 minutes in penalties in the third period against blood rival Michigan Tech. As he was being escorted off the ice, he gave a threatening gesture to yet another Husky Brett Thorne. 

“Loughran’s a little water bug out there, yapping all night,” said Tech broadcaster Brent Peterson, an NHL veteran who knows the value of a disturber.

There will always be roster room for hockey’s angry small men, particularly ones with a scoring knack. The other Little Balls of Hate, Marchand and Verbeek, both have their names etched for all time on Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

Friday’s game was out of reach for Northern when Loughran melted down, yet he made it clear to everyone in the MacInnes Center that in his mind, “surrender” was a four-letter word. While some fans were wringing their hands over the chaos he was creating, NHL scouts watching the game were putting checkmarks next to Northern Michigan’s Little Ball of Hate.

BGSU Visits with a Different Breed of Ice Legend.

Nashville has become a regular stop for NCAA teams traveling south to play the Huntsville Chargers. Teams fly into Nashville and get in a practice at the NHL Predators training facility, and after taking a sniff of life in The Show, board a bus for the roll on to ’Bama. Last week the Bowling Green Falcons added a new twist to this routine, when figure skating superstar and BGSU alum Scott Hamilton visited the team during their practice in Music City.

He came to the players bench and shared his considerable wisdom, from one Falcon to another. “It was one of those moments when everybody’s eyes were trained on the speaker,” said assistant coach Maco Balkovec. “Because of who he is, what he stands for, and what he’s accomplished. It’s was pretty cool to see the laser focus that the boys had.”

The Falcons went on to down Huntsville Sunday night 4-2, maintaining their hold on home ice spot in the WCHA playoffs. But the highlight of their trip was a glimpse of The Show in Nashville, and hearing from the most famous Falcon skater of them all.

Tim Rappleye is the author of two books: Jack Parker's Wiseguys and Hobey Baker, Upon Further Review. You can find him on Twitter.