The “i’s” have been dotted and the “t’s” crossed on Denver’s 2021-22 hockey schedule.

Here are four things Magness Mayhem likes about the slate:

Tough start

The first five weeks include hosting Arizona State, a home and home with Air Force, a trip to Providence and Boston College, a trip to North Dakota and playing host to Western Michigan. The Sun Devils swam liberally in the transfer portal, the Falcons are never a fun series, and the next six games likely will be against top 20 opponents, including four in a row on the road. Bad news, no? DU has a young team, so why not start learning lessons early on. Win six or seven of those games and you’re setting yourself up for a potentially big season. Even if you don’t, you still have plenty of season left to grow.

Devil of a time

I like the two series vs. Arizona State, a program that keeps building and might signify the future of college hockey (huge school in a major conference adding hockey). I like regional games, and ASU has not been a cupcake. DU has not defeated it since 2017.

Dog-gone good series

Say what you will about North Dakota, but my vote for the most entertaining series DU plays every season goes to Minnesota Duluth. And after a two-year hiatus, the Bulldogs are back in town Feb. 11-12. And the Pioneers catch the Bulldogs after a bye week. That is must-see hockey. … Two weeks later Omaha visits. Omaha, which went to the NCAA Tournament last season while Denver didn’t. Omaha, which ended a 19-game winless streak against the Pioneers last season.

New barn

In-state rival Colorado College christens a new rink this season, the Ed Robson Arena. And good for the Tigers. After years playing in sterile and hulking World Arena, they move into an on-campus venue that should be filled to capacity. That can only help add some atmosphere to what typically has been a fairly one-sided rivalry of late.

A few we don’t:

No Green Menace at Magness

The nature of the NCHC schedule means certain opponents rotate through only one series in a season. Unfortunately, DU fans won’t get to jeer North Dakota at Magness Arena this season, nor will the Pioneers travel to NCAA runner-up St. Cloud State this season. While that might be good for the record, only four games instead of eight against two national powers won’t do any favors on the Pairwise ratings front.

See you in 2022

The back half of the schedule tips in the fans’ favor, with 10 of the 18 games from New Year’s Eve on at home. Denver typically has played its best in the NCAA Tournament when it heads in on a heater. The real minefields appear to be the home series vs. St. Cloud and Duluth and the trip to Western Michigan, which has been a house of horrors for DU in recent times. The flip side is DU is only home for seven games before that.

2021-22 schedule

Oct. 8-9: vs. Arizona State

Oct. 15: at Air Force

Oct. 16: vs. Air Force

Oct 22: at Providence

Oct. 23: at Boston College

Nov. 5-6: at North Dakota

Nov. 12-13: vs. Western Michigan

Nov. 19-20: vs. Miami

Dec. 3-4: at Arizona State

Dec. 10-11: at Minnesota Duluth

Dec. 31-Jan. 1: vs. Alaska Fairbanks

Jan. 7-8: at Omaha

Jan. 14-15: vs. St. Cloud State

Jan. 21: vs. Colorado College

Jan. 22: at Colorado College

Jan. 28-29: at Miami

Feb. 11-12: vs. Minnesota Duluth

Feb. 18-19: at Western Michigan

Feb. 25-26: vs. Omaha

March 4: at Colorado College

March 5: vs. Colorado College

March 11-13: NCHC quarterfinals

March 18-19: NCHC Frozen Face-off

©First Line Editorial 2021