Good morning, Bulldogs fans.

Happy Ice Breaker Week, which in Duluth has become more than just a four-game tournament. It's a hockey extravaganza.

It all started Tuesday with a visit from the Minnesota Wild, who decided to wrap up training camp by visiting the North Shore. They golfed, they took a dip in Lake Superior and they practiced Tuesday at Amsoil Arena before returning to the Twin Cities.

While it was nice of the Wild to visit this week, it's a good thing their stay was short, because four college hockey teams are moving into Amsoil Arena and the DECC on Thursday to play six games in three days against the Bulldogs.

Wisconsin is in town for a WCHA series against the UMD women's team, while the UMD men host Michigan, Minnesota State and Providence in the Ice Breaker Tournament on Friday and Saturday. To accommodate everyone, locker rooms next door at DECC Arena are being used, with two Ice Breaker participants staying over there. A third Ice Breaker team and the Badgers are using the visiting locker rooms at Amsoil Arena.

I have a schedule for the weekend below in Follow, Watch, Listen. I was at Amsoil Arena on Tuesday for the Wild practice, again on Wednesday for UMD media availability and you'll find me there for all six games this weekend.

Can I eat through the Amsoil Arena food menu this weekend? Chances are high I'll come close while covering that many games. I'll try and share all my meals over on The Rink Live's Instagram stories, so give us a follow.

THIS WEEK ON BULLDOG INSIDER

Bulldogs' Hermantown alumni are no strangers to big games at Amsoil Arena

This week on the Bulldog Insider Podcast, I interview two Bulldogs who are no strangers to playing in big games and big tournaments at Amsoil Arena.

Hermantown natives and UMD forwards Jesse Jacques and Blake Biondi sit down with me at Amsoil Arena to share their big-game experiences at the rink not only as players, but as fans too. What do they remember about their first game at Amsoil Arena as a kid? What made it great for them as fans? And what was their go-to concession stand order as kids?

Bruce Ciskie also joins me on the podcast this week to help take a look back at the Bemidji State series and preview the upcoming Ice Breaker Tournament. Somehow we also end up breaking down what "quick as a hiccup" means. Feel free to skip that tangent.

You can find this week's episode of the Bulldog Insider Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. You can also find it on duluthnewstribune.com and therinklive.com.

FOLLOW, WATCH, LISTEN

How to keep up with all the games this weekend at Amsoil Arena

UMD women vs. Wisconsin

12:01 p.m. Friday, 1:01 p.m. Sunday

Amsoil Arena, Duluth

Follow

Twitter: Follow @mattwellens for updates both days

Instagram: Matt Wellens will be posting sights and sounds from @therinklive

Live stats: UMD sports information

Watch

Online streaming: Big Ten Plus (subscription required)

TV: My9 Sports

Listen

Radio: KDAL 610AM/103.9 FM (Friday only)

2021 Ice Breaker Tournament

Hosted by UMD men at Amsoil Arena

Friday's Games

Minnesota State vs. Providence, 4 p.m.

Minnesota Duluth vs. Michigan, 7:37 p.m.

Saturday's Games

Michigan vs. Minnesota State or Providence, 4 p.m.

Minnesota Duluth vs. Minnesota State or Providence, 7:37 p.m.

Follow

Twitter: Follow @mattwellens for updates from all four games

Instagram: Matt Wellens will be posting sights and sounds from @therinklive

Live stats: UMD sports information

Watch

Online streaming: NCHC.tv for all four games (subscription required)

TV: My9 Sports will have all four games

Listen

Radio: KDAL 610AM/103.9 FM for UMD games

2021 ICE BREAKER PREVIEW

Here's three interesting tidbits going into this weekend's tournament

Here's some interesting tidbits of information ahead of the 2021 Ice Breaker Tournament at Amsoil Arena this weekend. Watch for a larger story Friday morning at DuluthNewsTribune.com and TheRinkLive.com.

Future NHLers take center stage

The Bulldogs boast seven NHL draft picks on their 2021-22 roster. That's the same number of first-round draft picks Michigan has in its lineup, which is a record in college hockey.

The Wolverines have 13 total NHL draft picks on their roster, including four of the first five picks from the 2021 NHL Draft in No. 1 Owen Power, No. 2 Matt Berniers, No. 4 Luke Hughes and No. 5 Kent Johnson. Power, Berniers and Johnson are all sophomores while Hughes is a freshman.

Providence has nine NHL draft picks (all from the third through seventh rounds, like UMD), while junior forward Nathan Smith is Minnesota State's lone NHL draft pick, taken in the third round in 2018 by Winnipeg.

Regional rematches

Both Ice Breaker semifinals on Friday are rematches of recent NCAA regional semifinals, though only one was actually played.

Providence beat Minnesota State two years ago in the 2019 NCAA East Regional semifinals in Providence, Rhode Island. The Mavericks were a No. 1 seed and the third overall seed in the tournament that year. The Mavs led 3-0 11-plus minutes into the game, only to surrender six unanswered goals to the Friars. This is the first meeting since.

UMD and Michigan were to play each other a year ago in the NCAA Fargo Regional semifinal in Fargo, North Dakota, however, the Wolverines had to withdraw from the NCAA tournament just hours before puck drop due to COVID-19 protocols. The Bulldogs were advanced to the regional final, where they beat host North Dakota in five overtimes to reach a fourth-straight Frozen Four.

Friday's meeting between the Bulldogs and Wolverines will be their first meeting since the 2011 NCAA national championship game, won 3-2 by UMD in overtime for the program's first NCAA title.

UMD has won its last two tournament meetings with Michigan, beating the Wolverines 3-2 in OT at the 2001 Maverick Stampede in Omaha.

Hermantown homecoming

Don't be shocked to see some Hermantown apparel, maybe even a Hawks jersey or two, in the crowd at Amsoil Arena this weekend.

In addition to the three Hawks alumni playing at UMD -- Darian Gotz, Blake Biondi and Jesse Jacques -- Minnesota State features a pair of Hermantown alumni in Wyatt Aamodt and Ryan Sandelin.

Jacques, Aamodt and Sandelin were all teammates on the 2016 Class A state championship team when Aamodt was a senior. Jacques and Sandelin won it all again as seniors in 2017 on a team that also included Gotz.

ICYMI

Get caught up on all our Bulldogs hockey coverage

Here's some of the Bulldogs hockey coverage you may have missed in the last week from DuluthNewsTribune.com and TheRinkLive.com.

Eight former Bulldogs start 2021-22 season on NHL rosters

That number, eight, comes with an asterisk as two of the six players -- Alex Stalock and Dylan Samberg -- are both on injured reserve to start the season. Stalock likely is not coming off anytime soon as he deals with a heart condition from COVID-19. Samberg will likely be sent down to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL once he is healthy.

Olson, James, Biondi get off to good start as Bulldogs' linemates

I highlight the Bulldogs third line in this week's "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Three Stars" column. I also take Flohockey to task for its poor streaming quality and $30 price tag.

Video: Bulldogs prepare to host Badgers in WCHA series

I'll have a UMD women's hockey notebook coming Thursday, but for now, check out the highlights from the Bulldogs media availability Wednesday at Amsoil Arena.

Video: Sandelin, Biondi preview 2021 Ice Breaker at Amsoil

Thanks to Michigan still being fresh in the Bulldogs' minds after not playing them last spring in the NCAA tournament, Scott Sandelin and Blake Biondi were able to provide a good scouting report on the Wolverines heading into Friday's game.

FOLLOW THE RINK LIVE ON INSTAGRAM

Every Monday we'll rewind the week that was in college hockey

The Rink Live has started a new "show" at noon on Mondays over on our Instagram account (@therinklive), unofficially dubbed The Rink Live Monday Rewind. Every Monday at noon I'll be hosting a short half hour Instagram Live session along with Jess Myers, Mick Hatten and whoever else from our team can make it.

It's a casual discussion taking a look back at what went down in college hockey over the weekend, plus a look ahead. Audience participation is encouraged, so join us live and fire away any questions you have. Each weekly episode is also archived on Instagram, including last week's premiere episode.

If you can't make it live, but want to submit questions for myself or the team, email me mwellens@duluthnews.com or message me on my own Instagram, @mattwellens.