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G LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS // UWBADGERS.COM Wisconsin, Michigan renew rich history on ice 12 ary Shuchuk didn't want to make the phone calls. But his dad wouldn't let him off the hook. In no uncertain terms, he told him, "You've got to call those coaches and tell them you're not coming." Almost three decades later, Shuchuk, now entering his fourth season as a Wisconsin men's hockey assistant, remembered that "it was probably the two hardest conversations that I've ever had." What made it so hard was telling someone "thanks but no thanks" in the recruiting process. As an 18year old, he put up big numbers for the St. Albert Saints in the American Junior Hockey League. Shuchuk's play attracted the attention of college recruiters. Michigan State had expressed some interest but not as much as Michigan or North Dakota or Wisconsin, coached then by Jeff Sauer. When Shuchuk left his home in Edmonton, Alberta, for his official visit to the UW campus, he was still scheduled to make recruiting trips to Ann Arbor and Grand Forks. At least that was the plan. "But when I came here," he said, "I fell in love with Madison and committed." Prodded by his dad to do the right thing, Shuchuk called North Dakota coach Gino Gasparini and informed him of his intentions to play for the Badgers. Michigan's Red Berenson was next. "Red said, 'Why don't you just come for the visit, we're paying for it,"' Shuchuk recalled of their conversation, which ended after // VARSITY January 9, 2014 Shuchuk politely declined the invitation. "He said, 'OK, good school."' But what if? "If I would have gone on that visit, who knows?" admitted Shuchuk, who might have had a different sight line for Friday night's series opener between the Wolverines and Badgers. Who knows, maybe Shuchuk might have been standing next to the aforementioned Berenson on the Michigan bench ― yes, Red is still going strong ― instead of Mike Eaves on the Wisconsin bench? Gordon Arthur "The Red Baron" Berenson is in the midst of his 30th season at Michigan, his alma mater. He holds two degrees from the school and one from the NHL and the school of hard knocks. Berenson played 17 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues. He scored 261 goals, including six in one game against Philadelphia. Shuchuk crossed paths with Berenson last summer at a convention. He hinted the 74-yearold Berenson is the E.F. Hutton of coaches. "It's almost like when he speaks," he said, "everyone listens." Seniority is a beautiful thing. What hasn't Berenson seen during his playing days or coaching career? "He's been around the block," Shuchuk said. "He speaks his mind. I love it, he's a great man." There is another "what if" in the Berenson-Shuchuk storyline. What if the 1990 Badgers and the "Magnificent Seven" played the 1997 Wolverines and the "No-Nonsense Nine?" Who would win? That '90 team won 37 games under Sauer and the NCAA championship in Detroit and was led by its seniors: Shuchuk, Steve Rohlik, John Byce, Mark Osiecki, Rob Mendel, Tom Sagissor and Chris Tancil. They were dubbed the "Magnificent Seven" in Madison. That '97 team won 35 games under Berenson and it was led by its seniors: Jason Botterill, Brendan Morrison, John Madden, Mike Legg, Warren Luhning, Harold Schock, Blake Sloan, Chris Frescoln and Peter Bourke. They were dubbed the "No-Nonsense Nine" in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines, though, fell short that season of repeating as national champions when they were upset, 3-2, by Boston University in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament at Milwaukee's Bradley Center. Most of those seniors delayed turning pro for a shot at defending their crown. "People often say the best team doesn't always win," Berenson said, "but the team that plays best does. We didn't play our best (against Boston University, which lost to North Dakota in the finals)." After a long separation from their days together in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Michigan and Wisconsin are fraternity brothers again with this season's debut of Big Ten hockey. "Our quote of the day has been 'the Big Ten starts now,"' Shuchuk said of this weekend's series. "We know what's at stake now. Our season starts with Michigan and our guys are looking forward to it. "To have them on the schedule, Continued on Page 14