The reformed CCHA announced its conference schedule last week as the season prepares to drop the puck and display its 2021-22 talent in less than two months.

NCAA hockey has come a long way in the past year after a season of opt-outs, late transfers, postponements, cancellations, eligibility tweaks and dozens of other events to be filed under adversity.”

The 2021-22 season is ready to get back to normal as schedules have reverted to normal length, non-conference traveling is returning and in-season tournaments and showcases are set.

The new eight-team CCHA features WCHA departures, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Northern Michigan, and St. Thomas, entering its inaugural Division-I season.

👋 @USTMensHockey #NMUwildcats pic.twitter.com/zmaF7VGDfs

— NMU Men’s Hockey (@NMUHockey) August 11, 2021

 All eight teams will have their seasons streamed live on FloHockey starting Oct. 2 through the NCAA National Tournament Championship on April 9.

Winning has become the culture in Mankato as the Minnesota State Mavericks enter the 2021-22 season with four consecutive MacNaughton Cups as the WCHA’s regular season champs.

While the WCHA is in the past, the historical MacNaughton Cup will carry over to the CCHA, where four Mavericks players will have a large say in claiming the trophy for the fifth-straight season.

A third-round pick—No. 91 overall—by the Winnipeg Jets in 2018, Nathan Smith enters his junior season with an increased workload following the departure of six seniors in the forward ranks. Smith improved his per-game scoring and matched his freshman total of nine goals in seven fewer games as a sophomore.

With 52 points over 63 games with the Mavericks, more ice time and the likelihood of more offensively inclined line mates could see Smith score his way among the best in the CCHA this season.

One of those line mates is likely to be Cade Borchardt, who recorded 24 points (9 G, 15 A) in 28 games last year after a 10-game freshman year in which he failed to record a point. Borchardt proved doubters wrong as a sophomore and is in a position as a junior for a career year.

On the backend, freshman defenseman Akito Hirose led all Mavericks skaters with a plus-18 defensive rating and showed poise on both ends of the ice. His one goal and modest 15 points in 28 games displayed his mix of offensive ability and defensive awareness in not trying to force plays.

Should Hirose display similar growth to his brother, Michigan State hockey alum Taro Hirose, the Mavericks defense will be in great hands this season.

The 2020-21 Rookie of the Year is Minnesota State's Akito Hirose!

The freshman blueliner is Minnesota State's top-scoring defenseman with 13 points on a goal and 12 assists and earned All-WCHA and All-Rookie honors earlier this week.#WeAreWCHA | #TraditionStartsHere pic.twitter.com/vEDkI1TQ0j

— WCHA Men's Hockey (@WCHA_MHockey) March 11, 2021

About 400 miles northeast, Northern Michigan boasts another pair of CCHA player to keep an eye on this year in Andre Ghantous and AJ Vanderbeck. With the transfer of Griffin Loughran to Michigan State, the Wildcats are losing two of their top-four scorers from last season.

Ghantous is entering his junior year, returning as the leading scorer after scoring 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 27 games. The 5-foot-9 forward has outplayed his stature at every level and is going to be an even larger piece of the offense in 2021-22.

Right alongside Ghantous will be Vanderbeck, also entering his junior season. Vanderbeck scored an impressive nine points in just eight games as a freshman in 2019-20 and followed it up with a similarly productive sophomore year. Last season, he recorded a team-leading 14 goals and added 13 assists in 29 games. The pair will have a lot of say in Northern Michigan turning itself around after an underwhelming 11-17-1 season.

With 10 seniors at Bowling Green last season, the Falcons will be a much different team than the past few years of regular weekly national ranks. With all five of their top scorers from 2020-21 transferring, the offense will take a hit.

Add in the loss of starting netminder Eric Dop and head coach Ty Eigner will need strong systems, full buy-in, and some surprising performances to continue their 20-win minimum established over the past seven years.

Enter goaltender Zack Rose. Rose was encouraging as a back-up behind Dop, going 7-2 with a .908 SV% and 1.98 GAA that would have been 11th in the NCAA with two more periods on the season. Rose showed promise in being the go-to this season, where he’s included on this list as the potential saving grace in Bowling Green.

Should Rose transfer his numbers over the course of a full season he could steal the Falcons another 20-win season and offset their staggering losses.

Should Rose transfer his numbers over the course of a full season he could steal the Falcons another 20-win season and offset their staggering losses.

Conference-newcomer, the University of St. Thomas Tommies, will be thrust into the CCHA with 10 of their first 13 games as the visitor this season. Last year, as a Division III program, the Tommies went 6-1-2.

Grant Loven transferred from Northern Michigan, joining the Tommies in the new year to lead the team with 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in nine games after a scoreless eight games with the Wildcats.

Loven will be the leading factor again in 2021-22, where his D-I experience will be a calming factor for a team facing adversity against established NCAA programs. His translation of D-III scoring back to D-I hockey will be key for the Tommies inaugural season success.

Add in Tommies new head coach Enrico Blasi, who accumulated a 398-311-76 record over 20 seasons with the Miami Redhawks and led them to 10 NCAA National Tournaments and the Tommies mean business.

Don’t miss any CCHA action in 2021-22; stream it all live on FloHockey starting Oct. 2.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.