MADISON — You could make a case that the University of Wisconsin men's hockey schedule for 2008-09 is its toughest ever.

Consider: UW will open the season Oct. 10 at Boston College, marking the first time in program history it will kick things off against the defending NCAA champions.
Consider: The first eight games for the Badgers are against schools that qualified for the NCAA tournament last season.

Consider: Ten of the first 14 games are on the road, including the reigning national champions, the defending Hockey East Association champion (New Hampshire), the defending Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff champion (Denver) and a school fresh off its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA semifinals (North Dakota).

Consider: There is only one possible Badgers opponent that didn't rank among the top 25 in schedule strength last season (Alabama-Huntsville, a Badger Showdown tournament entry, was 52nd).

''You look a strength of schedule,'' UW coach Mike Eaves said Tuesday when the 36-game composite was rolled out, ''it's going to be most difficult again.''

But while Eaves likes the performance bar to be set as high as possible, he acknowledged a scenario where that philosophy could change very quickly.

When the Badgers became the first team in the history of the 16-team NCAA tournament format to receive an at-large berth with a losing record - they were seeded third in the Midwest regional despite a 15-16-7 record - it triggered discussion across the upper levels of college hockey that could lead to a new NCAA provision for the 2009 tournament.

''If they create the rule that you have to be .500 or above to get into the tournament, we're going to have to take a look at what we do,'' Eaves said of his approach to scheduling.

UW qualified for the 2008 national tournament in part because it played the eighth-toughest schedule in the nation. That was built on the fact WCHA schools held down the top 10 spots on that list.

''We might have to adjust our schedule to put in, you know, a couple games (against) teams where maybe they're a young program or they're just starting out,'' Eaves said. ''Right now, our strength of schedule has been a key factor for us in being able - as was the case last year - to get in (to the NCAA tournament) and stay in the top 20.''

Eaves said the issue was discussed ''to some degree'' during the recent American Hockey Coaches Association meetings in Naples, Fla.

''Now they're going to step back and there's going to be a survey that's going to be sent to all the coaches,'' he continued. ''We'll send that in and then the rules committee will look at (the results).''

It's reasonable to assume that such a provision, if adopted, would go into effect next season.

The new UW schedule has a host of noteworthy aspects.

Unlike recent seasons, the Badgers won't play a WCHA opponent during the World Junior Championships. It's been a point of contention because they've been without multiple players who were tabbed to play for their countries in that venue. That's expected to be the case again in 2008-09.

There is only one weekend where men's hockey and the UW football team are at home the same weekend, but it's a big one. That's Oct. 24 and 25 when Minnesota comes to the Kohl Center and Illinois is the Big Ten Conference homecoming opponent at Camp Randall Stadium.

This is the second time in the Eaves Era, dating back to the 2002-03 season, that the Badgers have opened with four straight games on the road.

The fact BC lost a major piece of its machinery Tuesday - winger Nathan Gerbe, the Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four, signed a NHL contract with Buffalo - doesn't diminish the challenge of kicking off the season in three daunting venues.

''I like the fact that we're on the road early in the year and going right into the lion's den,'' Eaves said. ''That could be a really good bonding thing for us.''

Keep up with all the UW hockey news at our Badger Blog at www.madison.com/wsj/blogs.

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