Now you may be wondering why I'm linking to some random story about some obscure school's hockey program possibly facing the axe in these troubled economic times, but as it turns out, there is not only one good reason, which I already knew about, but a second Penguins related link, as well as personal reminiscences to be had here, so indulge me, if you will.

Bowling Green State University is a small school located just south of Toledo, Ohio, and unless you like in the area, or happen to be into Mid-American conference sports or CCHA hockey, it's possible that it's one of those schools that just never popped up on your radar. But, it just happens to be where Dan Bylsma went to school, and played his hockey (1989-92), a fact that I learned when I looked the guy up on Wikipedia just after he was hired.

Now, I'm from just outside Ann Arbor, and Michigan and Bowling Green are both in the CCHA, so I did wonder if I'd ever seen Bylsma play, as I went to a few games at Yost Ice Arena while growing up...don't recall ever seeing BG play before I started  attending Michigan myself, so not until 1993, after he graduated....

The other connection, if you'll follow the link, is apparent when you look at the pic associated with the first paragraph...a pic of Brian Holzinger, 1994 Hobey Baker award winner at BG, who apparently must have had a stop in Pittsburgh at some point...

Anyway, the reason BG hockey means something to me is because they were the first team I ever remember winning an NCAA hockey championship. They got theirs in 1984, with now longtime BC coach Jerry York at the helm, I was 8, and that was the beginning of a CCHA golden age, with league members winning 7 of the next 15 NCAA championship.

Between that, and remembering watching Holzinger play at Yost, it's sad to contemplate this program biting the dust...and even more so thinking about what has happened to a once proud, and even dominant program to bring it to this point.

Just thought I'd share...

 (edit: altered the title...just curious if it might draw a couple of extra eyeballs with some Pens specific link in the title...call it market research or something...)