Miami was a favorite in the Rink Rat Rankings early on last season before fading down the stretch, but the RedHawks pulled it together to make the NCAA tournament and knock off the top seed in their region (although we all know who the real favorite was in Manchester). Now, with a very strong returning group in 2007-08, the RedHawks are primed for a big year, and their 2007-08 schedule should put them in prime position to make something happen.

The RedHawks open their season with a series at home against Vermont, in a rematch from the finals of last season's Ice Breaker, which was also played at Steve Cady Arena. That was a pretty good game - if marred by a ton of penalty calls - and with both teams returning a lot of their talent (Vermont's Torrey Mitchell being the most significant loss), this could be one great way to start the season (if UVM's Peter Lenes can keep his eyes off the Miami student section). Of course, there are plenty of other big games to open the year - Maine at Denver, Michigan State at North Dakota, and of course, this year's Ice Breaker with Minnesota, BC, Michigan and RPI - but this will only add to those high-powered matchups.

After the opening weekend, it's all CCHA action until Thanksgiving weekend, when Canisius comes to town. Unless the Golden Griffins pull something big off, it'll be "Ho Hum" next to the College Hockey Showcase with Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin, not to mention the "Red Hot Hockey Classic" at Madison Square Garden between Cornell and BU. Heck, even the NCAA tournament rematch between Notre Dame and Alabama-Huntsville at RPI's tournament has more intrigue. I don't say this to knock anyone, just pointing out that it's not exactly a highlight.

The first half concludes December 15-16, when the RedHawks head to Troy, N.Y. for what should be a fun series against Rensselaer. The fun comes from the fact that both Miami head coach Rico Blasi and RPI bench boss Seth Appert are protégés of Denver head coach George Gwozdecky, the former having both played for and coached under the "Wizard of Gwoz" (learned that one from Let's Go DU's DG Goddard).

Unfortunately, Denver is on the road at Alaska-Anchorage that weekend, so if you were hoping to see Gwozdecky sitting in the stands at Houston Field House imploring Blasi and Appert to fight for their mentor's approval a la the "Lisa on Ice" episode of The Simpsons, you'll probably be disappointed. Then again, it's a Saturday-Sunday series, and Dave Starman did once make it back from calling a Friday night game in Fairbanks to coach the New York Bobcats on Saturday night, so maybe we could get a Gwoz appearance on Sunday night.

The non-conference action concludes in Columbus two weeks later, as the RedHawks close out 2007 at the Ohio Hockey Classic, with St. Cloud and Harvard joining the party. That should be a nice little tournament there at Nationwide Arena, with four pretty well-matched teams and not a "cupcake" in the bunch (as long as Harvard sorts out its goaltending situation).

The CCHA schedule cluster is the most difficult from a travel perspective, as the RedHawks and rivalry partner Ohio State get trips to Alaska and Nebraska-Omaha. All the conference series other than Ohio State are in one place, no "home-and-home" series. A bit surprising there, since Bowling Green is only about 14 miles further from Miami than Notre Dame is from Michigan State, and the Spartans and Irish are going home-and-home this year.

Meanwhile, having mentioned that Notre Dame-Alabama-Huntsville matchup above as a highlight to the Thanksgiving weekend action, there is a bit of Chargers news out there today. Wyatt Russell, the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, has signed a letter of intent to play at UAH this season. Now, honestly, the only things I've ever watched with Goldie Hawn are a few bits of Death Becomes Her that I caught on TV and the tour movie she did at Disney MGM Studios a while back with Rick Moranis ("Watch out for the automatic doors!" "What automatic doors?" BONK! "Oh...those automatic doors!"), but Russell...well, I don't think I need to explain that one.

From the article, it seems like UAH coach Danton Cole knows how to handle the situation, and it should help that Russell is seemingly being brought in for depth. Of course, goaltender development is always tough to track, so he could well be a revelation for the Chargers, but I think that'd be a welcome surprise, based on his good, but not great, numbers with the OPJHL's Brampton Capitals, and his previous struggles in junior leagues in the U.S.

It's a small club, though, children of non-sports celebrities who become prominent college athletes. Among the more prominent ones: John David Washington, son of Denzel Washington, who played football at Morehouse College and spent last season on the practice squad of the St. Louis Rams; Patrick Dobson, son of actor Kevin Dobson (Kojak, Knots Landing), who played baseball at UNLV, and is currently playing in the minor leagues with the Connecticut Defenders, a Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants (who drafted him in 2003); and on the horizon, Percy "Romeo" Miller, son of rapper Master P, has verbally committed to play basketball at USC beginning in 2008. A brief survey of the CSTV.com editorial staff this morning didn't come up with much else.

Getting back to Russell, though, I imagine that Miracle is a popular movie choice among D-I hockey players, based on the ones I know outside the rink. I've got to wonder if Wyatt gets sick of that one quickly?

OK, that'll be it for today.