Let’s skip this whole “BU no longer has a team” talk. We’re just eliminating all the taller players – it works for BC after all. There’s so much I would love to say about the Saponaris being dismissed from the Boston University hockey team, but it’s all already been said.

Merrimack's favorite hockey player: The Flying Frenchman Stephane Da Costa

Da Costa is busy reppin' France. (Photo: Merrimack Athletics)

With that out of the way, here’s my newest idea to keep me blogging every single day: This Week in College Hockey Withdrawal. Because the Pittsburgh Penguins may have a whopping 14 ex-college guys on their active playoff roster, but that only makes me miss college hockey more.

– The University of Maine officially released their 2010-11 schedule on Wednesday. One of the surprises for me is that the Black Bears and BU will not face each other Valentine’s Day weekend, which is unusual. 2010-11 is Maine’s year to host two games in that matchup, and they will do so on January 28th and 29th.

– Merrimack’s Stephane Da Costa is a part of the France squad at the IIHF World Championships that start up this weekend. Da Costa’s brother, Teddy, who usually plays in Poland, will also play on the team. Da Costa and his fellow Frenchmen skated an exhibition against the USA (a team which has only two players that didn’t participate in college hockey according to the sharp fact finding of Joe Yerdon) on Tuesday. Those two non-college guys on team USA (Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno) each had two assists in the 3-1 win.

– The guys over at BC Interruption find themselves talking college hockey when discussing the “Boston College to the Big Ten” rumors. Would an Eagles move to the Big Ten force the conference to add college hockey? My question: Would a big money conference like the Big Ten even want to do so in the age of Title IX? Also, who says it would be worth the conference’s while, given that the popularity of college hockey dropped off after its 2009 surge?