Second among active coaches with 835 victories and fourth on the all-time wins list, Berenson said in 2012 a contract extension that ran through last season likely would be his last. But after making the NCAA tournament for the first time in four seasons, he said he’s coming back.

Not to say, however, that was the case for everyone with the Wolverines. Last season’s top line of Hobey Baker Award finalists Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Tyler Motte, responsible for 83 of the team’s 181 goals, all gave up collegiate eligibility to sign pro deals. Likewise, top defensemen Zach Werenski and Michael Downing left early.

Michigan has enjoyed big contributions from freshmen recently (Connor last season and Dylan Larkin in 2014-15), and bringing in five players from the U.S. National Team Development Program could continue the pattern.

If you subscribe to the theory that, because of the length of time and number of games involved, a regular-season title is harder to win than a playoff crown, Minnesota’s streak is impressive.

The Golden Gophers have topped the standings five years in a row, the first two in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the past three in the Big Ten.