Bruce McLeod, the commish of the WCHA, said he is meeting with Xcel Energy Center administrators on Friday to discuss the future of the Final Five.

The Final Five, of course, is the three-day, five-team conference tournament held at the X.

The format of the tournament undoubtedly will chance after this season because, starting in 2010-11, the WCHA will have 12 teams with the addition of Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha.

“We’re going to work out the logistics,’ McLeod said.

He said six teams will be advancing to the tournament in 2011, and there probably will be two games on Thursday, two semifinals on Friday and a championship game on Saturday, with the third-place game eliminated.

In that scenario, McLeod said, keeping the Final Five name makes sense. There would be five final games, he said, and there is some brand value in not changing the name.

But other possible names for the postseason WCHA tournament also have been thrown around like the Final Five Plus One and the Super Six.

Personally, I think the WCHA should stick with the Final Five if there are only five games. But I don’t have a vote.

The Final Five Plus One is awkward and the Super Six sounds like the name for a hotel or motel.

McLeod also said the WCHA is working hard on a schedule for 2010-11 and probably will have one completed by the end of next week.

There are four new officials for men’s WCHA games this season, McLeod. Those newbies and some veterans will meet with Greg Shepherd, the conference’s supervisor of officials, this weekend in the Twin Cities.

 They all have to get on the same page before the hockey season starts. There are no rules this season. Rule changes are made every other year. So Shepherd will not meet with coaches before this season like he did a year ago.

To blog readers: Do you have a good name for the WCHA tournament once it expands to six teams? Conference officials don’t seem to have anything real catchy in mind. I’ll pass your suggestions on to the commish.

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