As Boston residents complain about the dropping temperature, hockey fans are rejoicing. The Northeastern hockey team has officially started practicing, and is gearing up for the 2013-14 season.

Unfortunately, the Huskies open the season with two home games against Alabama Huntsville, who won a total of three games and were swept by the Huskies last year. These games should be all but in the bag for Northeastern, but if the Huskies lose those opening weekend games, fans could potentially be in for a long season.

However, even if they repeat the sweep of the Chargers, it won’t prove the team’s ability to withstand the talent found among their Hockey East opposition.

Last year, the Huskies made a statement with early wins against Boston College and Merrimack College. Following the wins, the Huskies were ranked in the USCHO Top 20, and the season looked promising. This season, the Huskies won’t have the luxury of proving themselves against perennial powerhouses early on. They don’t get their first conference game until November when they play BC.

But, even against a team like Huntsville, a win is a win, and the Huskies will certainly fight for every win they can get.

An already competitive conference schedule is becoming more challenging with the addition of Notre Dame to Hockey East, a team that has been consistently competitive recently. It will be even more difficult for the Huskies to advance in an already difficult conference.

However, there is some hope. Recruiting efforts have led to the addition of a plethora of talent. The team will be very different this year without goalie Chris Rawlings, captain Vinny Saponari and others, but 11 players on the roster are freshmen, so the Huskies will have one of the youngest teams in Hockey East. New, fresh talent is never a bad thing, and it’ll be interesting to see where the young players can take the program.

Of the returning players, Kevin Roy is by far the most exciting forward on the Northeastern roster. He won the Beanpot MVP last year, when he was considered one of the best offensive players in the country. Roy scored 34 points in 29 games last season as a rookie, including three game-winning goals. Senior Cody Ferriero is also returning after recording 26 points last year, and his brother Nathan is among the fresh faces to join the Huskies. Roy and the elder Ferriero will likely be among the Huskies’ leaders offensively.

That said, with so many new faces the Huskies may need a few games to get in sync. Like every other team, they’ll need to get the lines set before a grueling November to March schedule kicks in. The team has proven they can play with the best in the conference in past seasons. Last year the Huskies won matches against both BC and Boston University, despite finishing at the bottom of the standings. There are always glimmers of a strong, talented team throughout the year. While crucial conference play starts late this season, this season’s schedule will allow the Huskies plenty of time to get comfortable before they have to play their most important games.

Speaking of important games, the Huskies will also play Harvard in the first round of the Beanpot this year. This will probably be Northeastern’s best chance of winning the Beanpot for the next three years, as BC and BU are generally perennial contenders. The Huskies have made the finals two of the past three years, losing to BC in both of them.

At this point in the season, it’s difficult to have expectations with so much unknown. After missing the Hockey East playoffs over for the past two years, it would be great for the Huskies to make another appearance and start an upward swing. Fans are also hungry for a Beanpot win, since it’s been about 25 years since Northeastern’s last.

While bringing home the Beanpot or clinching the Hockey East title will not be easy, the Huskies have had stretches in past years where they look like a great team. To be successful, they will have to bring it all together.

               – Chris Judd can be reached at [email protected]