Thursday evening linkorama

• The NCAA has announced the NCAA Women of the Year Award conference winners, and Jessie Vetter was picked for the WCHA. Out of the 132 conference winners, the top 30 will be considered for the national award. I gotta think Vetter will be in the running. (Thanks to Boscacci for the heads-up.)
  

• The Badger Men have been invited to open the 2010-11 season in St. Louis at the Icebreaker Invitational. Other expected invitees include Boston University, Holy Cross, and Notre Dame. Sounds fun to me!

• Two Badgers have made THN's Top 10 American-Born Players: Mike Richter (#10) and Chris Chelios (#1). How 'bout that, Ma?

  10. Mike Richter, G
  Richter makes the grade here less for his NHL resume than for his international one. Richter did win a Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994 and has the third-most NHL victories (301) amongst American netminders. But he answered his country’s call on 11 separate occasions, playing in world juniors, world championships, three Olympics, a Canada Cup and a World Cup – in which he led the U.S. to a gold medal and was named tournament MVP. Richter even left the University of Wisconsin after just one season to play for the U.S. national team for a year-and-a-half in preparation for the 1988 Olympics. His NHL career began the next season.
  
  1. Chris Chelios, D
  Chelios has been playing in the NHL since 1983-84. He is fourth all-time in games played and is the 10th-highest scoring blueliner ever. Chelios has never been the most prolific scoring rearguard – his best season came in 1988-89 when he totaled 15-58-73 in 80 games – but scoring was never the best part of his game. Chelios is one of the NHL’s all-time nastiest players, as his 2,891 penalty minutes – 12th most ever – attest to. But with that nastiness came skill, too. Chelios is a five-time first team all-star and a two-time second-teamer. He’s played in 11 all-star games and, most impressively, won three Norris Trophies. He’s also a three-time Stanley Cup-winner who has played for the U.S. at 12 international events, including three Canada Cups and four Olympics.

• Andy Baggot has a bit on Tony Hrkac's involvement in the Badgers' high school development camp. He also mentions the other coaches on the camp's staff.

• Davis Drewiske recently blogged from the Kings Fans Cruise. Among other things, we learned that he swims like a rock. (Thanks to Capobianco for the heads-up.)

• Not really Badger-related, but here's an article about the goaltender that Brian Elliott will be backing up.

• And completely not Badger-related: Plastic Ice.