Few teams can point to their rafters and call themselves great. Only one teach, Michigan, has more banners with North Dakota tied at 7. This goes without saying that DU is a power in college hockey. For the past decade, Denver University has prided itself on national tournament appearances all under the leadership of former head coach George Gwozdecky.
Coach Gwoz built a cult following in Denver with the donors and the fans. He brought special meaning to fan interaction, while having separate meetings with donors to talk about the Pioneers. Every year he garnered huge donations from alumni groups and organizations. The list put DU high in the amount of donations, which helped guide the Pioneers to better days.
With all of this history and team talk, I was surprised to find such good seats at Magness Arena when I got my DU season tickets this year. I was further surprised to find so many open seats. After each game I blew off the open seats as the result of poor competition. So when NCHC play opened up tonight, I was expecting a full crowd. I left disappointed but learned quite a bit.
Magness holds roughly 6,100 spectators for hockey. I've seen the arena hit a max of 3,000 in it's first five games although the attendance was probably higher tonight. Seated all around me was a plethora of alumni who have donated quite a bit. I told them that this was my first year as a season ticket holder, having spent three years holding CC seats. During the intermission they brought me with them to their upstairs meeting area where I met about 20 other donors. At this meeting, I was told the gravity of the seating situation and it doesn't sound good.
Athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes has been pushing for better post season success. When she didn't get it, her decision was to let the Gwoz leave after 20 years behind the bench. This was a shock to the donors and alumni. This particular group had donated over $3,000,000 in the past 2 years. They were promised a public meeting by Peg regarding the seating, but they didn't get one. Instead, a university official met with them to tell them some horrible news: in the past 3 years, DU has lost or replaced 2,500 season ticket holders. 250 left without being filled in the weeks following Coach Gwozdecky's firing. The all important Crimson club, has hit an all time low for seating with only 65% of the tickets bought by DU fans. This leaves the coveted seats open for CC and UND fans.
Now the donors have a decision to make: less donations or to accept a team which cannot fill it's own arena. Some have said this is the last year they will make significant donations to DU. A significant donation is defined as over $100,000 a season.
The problem here is not that DU has an overly large arena which cannot house it's fan base (Ohio State, UNO). Or a small student section which cannot fill up the entire student area (Colorado College, Minnesota State). Some blame the problem on DU being in Denver with the Avalanche, and Nuggets on competing nights. However, the City of Boston currently holds four division 1 teams and they fill just fine.
The problem is that fans have grown accustomed to not playing well in March, and watching great prospects leave for higher dreams. With a new and unproven coach in town, the fears have grown worse. Jim Montgomery cannot replace 20 years of greatness. He's likely not going to advance the Pioneers to Philadelphia this year. If he get's the Maroon warriors into post season play this year, it will be considered a successful season. With that in mind, the expectations in Denver are the same as last year: lose early on with a talented team. Donors cannot face this, fans have better things to do and as a result one of the top 3 teams in tradition and national championships plays to an empty house.
I was asked by the donors to ask anyone who reads this to share, as they have become unhappy with the problems with the DU administration. So please share wherever you can.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
College Hockey week 3
The wrap ups are here, the games are done and we are a week closer to the end of the season. I guess that's a morbid way to look at this, but so far I'm not impressed with college hockey.
Hockey East - For years it's been BC, BU and everyone else. That's just Hockey East. Now with Lowell coming into the picture, Notre Dame being a possible contender it's just something that most people west of Pennsylvania do not understand. The real problem is that through this entire chaos the B1G caused, the only power conference that remains is Hockey East.
Atlantic Hockey - They didn't see the rip tide effects of the shifting college hockey landscape. They lived through it earlier when major programs dumped their hockey teams to save money. Although they have enough teams to keep the stands full, at some point someone has to say something is not right in AH country.
ECAC - Putting past last year's improbable Frozen Four run, the ECAC has had some good entries over the years. This is not a conference that I would expect to compete at all past the first round. Yet every year that they put a team in the frozen dance, they go pretty far. I don't expect this season to yield anything less than what we've already seen in the past.
WCHA - Rebuilding a team is difficult enough. Rebuilding a conference is even tougher. Most of the teams in this conference lack name recognition which is why I expect to see the Xcel Energy Center lacking in attendance when this league returns the Red Barron Final Five back to the Twin Cities.
B1G - of all the conferences, this one is a joke. To put this into football perspectives, I enjoy watching every team play except Notre Dame. For some reason they get special treatment every year at the BCS table because of their self proclaimed independence from conference play. This is the exact type of mentality that the B1G has taken. They can now pick and choose programs to play, or not to play. I would just like to ask the question, when will Alaska be a destination for ANY B1G team in the next 5 years? Also, contrary to popular belief, I believe that after this season the B1G will have a pretty tough time scheduling non-conference opponents which have any self respect. This league is a joke, and I hope it goes down in flames. Unfortunately money dictates more than anything, so that's not likely to happen.
NCHC - I left this one for last. I am a current DU season ticket holder and I have been pretty upset over the lack of conference play in October. I can remember my days rooting for CC. Always a Canadian team the first week to open up, then a decent team the next week. This was followed by two straight weeks of conference play. This year, I had the benefit of watching three weeks of junk hockey teams coming into Magness. I could care less about the score in these, it wasn't just Denver. Only CC, Duluth, UND and Miami scored conference games in October. This is ridiculous and below the product that I was expecting from the NCHC. This definitely needs to be fixed.
Other news:
DU shows another week of frustration. After a 5-1 win over Niagra, the pioneers fell 4-1 against canisious. Pretty bad considering Niagra beat Canisious 6-4 the previous weekend.
CC splits a series in NY to a team not likely to make the season ending tournament.
Miami nearly get's swept by Providence.
B1G:
The B1G-Hockey East challenge went pretty well. Except for Wisconsin. They allowed 16 goals while scoring 3 in a single weekend. The preseason B1G pick has some work to do.
Minnesota looks good, but their lack of inter squad competition will hurt them come late season. Any team coming from this conference deserves the "over-rated" chant.
Hockey East:
I really like what BC has done over the past 3 years. Win, Win, and Win some more. Time to beef up and win next weekend in the big time.
That's all for now.
Hockey East - For years it's been BC, BU and everyone else. That's just Hockey East. Now with Lowell coming into the picture, Notre Dame being a possible contender it's just something that most people west of Pennsylvania do not understand. The real problem is that through this entire chaos the B1G caused, the only power conference that remains is Hockey East.
Atlantic Hockey - They didn't see the rip tide effects of the shifting college hockey landscape. They lived through it earlier when major programs dumped their hockey teams to save money. Although they have enough teams to keep the stands full, at some point someone has to say something is not right in AH country.
ECAC - Putting past last year's improbable Frozen Four run, the ECAC has had some good entries over the years. This is not a conference that I would expect to compete at all past the first round. Yet every year that they put a team in the frozen dance, they go pretty far. I don't expect this season to yield anything less than what we've already seen in the past.
WCHA - Rebuilding a team is difficult enough. Rebuilding a conference is even tougher. Most of the teams in this conference lack name recognition which is why I expect to see the Xcel Energy Center lacking in attendance when this league returns the Red Barron Final Five back to the Twin Cities.
B1G - of all the conferences, this one is a joke. To put this into football perspectives, I enjoy watching every team play except Notre Dame. For some reason they get special treatment every year at the BCS table because of their self proclaimed independence from conference play. This is the exact type of mentality that the B1G has taken. They can now pick and choose programs to play, or not to play. I would just like to ask the question, when will Alaska be a destination for ANY B1G team in the next 5 years? Also, contrary to popular belief, I believe that after this season the B1G will have a pretty tough time scheduling non-conference opponents which have any self respect. This league is a joke, and I hope it goes down in flames. Unfortunately money dictates more than anything, so that's not likely to happen.
NCHC - I left this one for last. I am a current DU season ticket holder and I have been pretty upset over the lack of conference play in October. I can remember my days rooting for CC. Always a Canadian team the first week to open up, then a decent team the next week. This was followed by two straight weeks of conference play. This year, I had the benefit of watching three weeks of junk hockey teams coming into Magness. I could care less about the score in these, it wasn't just Denver. Only CC, Duluth, UND and Miami scored conference games in October. This is ridiculous and below the product that I was expecting from the NCHC. This definitely needs to be fixed.
Other news:
DU shows another week of frustration. After a 5-1 win over Niagra, the pioneers fell 4-1 against canisious. Pretty bad considering Niagra beat Canisious 6-4 the previous weekend.
CC splits a series in NY to a team not likely to make the season ending tournament.
Miami nearly get's swept by Providence.
B1G:
The B1G-Hockey East challenge went pretty well. Except for Wisconsin. They allowed 16 goals while scoring 3 in a single weekend. The preseason B1G pick has some work to do.
Minnesota looks good, but their lack of inter squad competition will hurt them come late season. Any team coming from this conference deserves the "over-rated" chant.
Hockey East:
I really like what BC has done over the past 3 years. Win, Win, and Win some more. Time to beef up and win next weekend in the big time.
That's all for now.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
New year. New look.
It's that time of year again. New hockey blood, and for me a new team. I guess some explanations along the way too.
Last year I attended the final WCHA final five in it's current format. I watched the Badgers beat the Tigers. I saw fans who hated the idea of the B1G, and I watched an old man cry over the loss of the current WCHA.
I am a life long Badger fan, but I just couldn't bring myself to be a fan of the B1G. I think the league is an atrocity, and will only showcase big money hockey. So I moved back to Denver for other reasons and swept up on an offer for Denver University tickets. This does officially make me switch sides away from CC, but I have always been of the impression to make friends at hockey games.
With that being said, here's my yearly take on the goalie situation for DU and CC.
DU: I read everything about this coming year and found that almost every college hockey writer was against DU. I read a blog which said DU would split the series against Merrimack 1-1 with DU allowing a total of 5 goals. DU actually shut out the series and scored 5 goals.
DU has always had good goalies. It's like a natural pedigree to be a decent goalie and play for DU. Sam Brittain has always been a favorite goalie of mine. He had an awesome freshman year, then snapped his ACL and had two off years. He get's his final chance at redemption this year before graduating and ceding the spot to Evan Cowley. I think Brittain has the chance to be great this year and he could backstop a superb DU team.
CC: I have had a love/hate relationship with CC goalies since Bachman left. Howe did good his first two years coming within one win of a frozen four berth. He lost his touch to Thorimbert his Junior year and competed with him during his senior season. Thorimbert is a very good goalie when he's on target. His somewhat tandem last year landed CC their first losing season in 14 years. However, I think he is a good leader in net. He talks quite a bit, and freshman Tyler Marble can learn something from that. Thorny might not be the best in net, but if he's on target like he was in his sophomore year CC could be a force in net.
Next week I'll target the forwards for both DU and CC. Should be a decent season for both.
Last year I attended the final WCHA final five in it's current format. I watched the Badgers beat the Tigers. I saw fans who hated the idea of the B1G, and I watched an old man cry over the loss of the current WCHA.
I am a life long Badger fan, but I just couldn't bring myself to be a fan of the B1G. I think the league is an atrocity, and will only showcase big money hockey. So I moved back to Denver for other reasons and swept up on an offer for Denver University tickets. This does officially make me switch sides away from CC, but I have always been of the impression to make friends at hockey games.
With that being said, here's my yearly take on the goalie situation for DU and CC.
DU: I read everything about this coming year and found that almost every college hockey writer was against DU. I read a blog which said DU would split the series against Merrimack 1-1 with DU allowing a total of 5 goals. DU actually shut out the series and scored 5 goals.
DU has always had good goalies. It's like a natural pedigree to be a decent goalie and play for DU. Sam Brittain has always been a favorite goalie of mine. He had an awesome freshman year, then snapped his ACL and had two off years. He get's his final chance at redemption this year before graduating and ceding the spot to Evan Cowley. I think Brittain has the chance to be great this year and he could backstop a superb DU team.
CC: I have had a love/hate relationship with CC goalies since Bachman left. Howe did good his first two years coming within one win of a frozen four berth. He lost his touch to Thorimbert his Junior year and competed with him during his senior season. Thorimbert is a very good goalie when he's on target. His somewhat tandem last year landed CC their first losing season in 14 years. However, I think he is a good leader in net. He talks quite a bit, and freshman Tyler Marble can learn something from that. Thorny might not be the best in net, but if he's on target like he was in his sophomore year CC could be a force in net.
Next week I'll target the forwards for both DU and CC. Should be a decent season for both.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Why the NFL is NOT the next step for NCAA coaches
Here's a little food for thought: When was the last time an NCAA football coach won a super bowl? Don't think too hard, the answers are not going to be good. But the thought you have is the same one I am having.
Why is it that NCAA coaches with successful teams leave for the NFL ranks only to be horrible at the next level? Well, not everyone has a concrete answer but I seem to have my own. NCAA coaches are not just coaches, they are also general managers. They give offers to players, manage discipline issues on and off the field all while running a team. This is a hard task, right? Well as it turns out, the job prospects don't transition well in the next level.
To punish this point, I will point to one of the more recent NCAA coaches to find disaster in the NFL: Nick Saban. Mr. Saban did great things in the NCAA leading up to his national championship with LSU. He had a great post there and probably could have been revered as a legend. He parlayed his lucky streak into a job with the Miami Dolphins. One year there and he realized that not being able to control everything, while not doing much at the next level, was not his thing. His luck going back has been epic. He had a great job at LSU, he fell into Alabama and did what he knows best by blowing everything away.
So let's go a little further.
Steve Spurrier. Another coach who led his team to a national championship. His luck in the NFL also ran dry. His return to the NCAA has been off beat to say the least. When he left Florida, no one thought he would do poorly at the next level. When he did, the return party wasn't waiting for him. Instead he found South Carolina for which he has not won anything major.
And another.....
Butch Davis. This selection might be a little controversial given that he never actually won a national championship at the college level. However he did finish with the #3 ranking in his final year, not to mention his recruited players made almost all of the contributions to Miami's 2001 national championship. Somehow, he managed to stay in Cleveland for 3 years. That proved to be a bust, as he only had a winning record the first year. Winning being 9-7. His return was even worse. He now coaches the University of North Carolina, where the only thing anyone can ask is "has basketball started yet?". Not a good slide for his career.
Which brings me to the whole point of this blog.....
Chip Kelly. He ran Oregon like there was nothing to lose. Every game, every play, he made Oregon a contender. He didn't recruit the best at every position, he recruited what he needed to win in his system. Speed and agility were the key. He guided his team to a national championship appearance. Although he lost, he made Oregon a contender again. It could be said that he revitalized the Pac-12 and gave the entire conference motivation to distance itself from just being everyone else and USC.
Now he is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles where he has racked up a 1-2 record. Not bad right now, but the makings of a fallout are all in place. Just look, so many teams with NFL level talent are failing. The Eagles don't really have anyone who falls into his system, and he has not been able to keep his offense on the field long enough to allow the defense time to rest. It's time to start thinking, where will he go if this NFL gig fails?
Pondering.....
Why is it that NCAA coaches with successful teams leave for the NFL ranks only to be horrible at the next level? Well, not everyone has a concrete answer but I seem to have my own. NCAA coaches are not just coaches, they are also general managers. They give offers to players, manage discipline issues on and off the field all while running a team. This is a hard task, right? Well as it turns out, the job prospects don't transition well in the next level.
To punish this point, I will point to one of the more recent NCAA coaches to find disaster in the NFL: Nick Saban. Mr. Saban did great things in the NCAA leading up to his national championship with LSU. He had a great post there and probably could have been revered as a legend. He parlayed his lucky streak into a job with the Miami Dolphins. One year there and he realized that not being able to control everything, while not doing much at the next level, was not his thing. His luck going back has been epic. He had a great job at LSU, he fell into Alabama and did what he knows best by blowing everything away.
So let's go a little further.
Steve Spurrier. Another coach who led his team to a national championship. His luck in the NFL also ran dry. His return to the NCAA has been off beat to say the least. When he left Florida, no one thought he would do poorly at the next level. When he did, the return party wasn't waiting for him. Instead he found South Carolina for which he has not won anything major.
And another.....
Butch Davis. This selection might be a little controversial given that he never actually won a national championship at the college level. However he did finish with the #3 ranking in his final year, not to mention his recruited players made almost all of the contributions to Miami's 2001 national championship. Somehow, he managed to stay in Cleveland for 3 years. That proved to be a bust, as he only had a winning record the first year. Winning being 9-7. His return was even worse. He now coaches the University of North Carolina, where the only thing anyone can ask is "has basketball started yet?". Not a good slide for his career.
Which brings me to the whole point of this blog.....
Chip Kelly. He ran Oregon like there was nothing to lose. Every game, every play, he made Oregon a contender. He didn't recruit the best at every position, he recruited what he needed to win in his system. Speed and agility were the key. He guided his team to a national championship appearance. Although he lost, he made Oregon a contender again. It could be said that he revitalized the Pac-12 and gave the entire conference motivation to distance itself from just being everyone else and USC.
Now he is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles where he has racked up a 1-2 record. Not bad right now, but the makings of a fallout are all in place. Just look, so many teams with NFL level talent are failing. The Eagles don't really have anyone who falls into his system, and he has not been able to keep his offense on the field long enough to allow the defense time to rest. It's time to start thinking, where will he go if this NFL gig fails?
Pondering.....
Monday, August 26, 2013
State of the NCHC: First cut
With the start of college hockey just over a month away, final preparations are occurring at schools all around the nation. In particular, one new conference has eight members making plans for fan enjoyment while coaches prepare complex attack schemes aimed at winning every game.
In respect to every league, I have chosen to focus on the NCHC. This is the product of a combination between rebounding programs and the top teams from roughly a year ago. Each team in this league began last year with hopes of winning their league title. Almost every team in this league had a shot at their former league titles halfway into their 12-13 campaign. This is different. Now these same eight teams will need to focus hard, with at least two dominating teams accepting their fate as bottom feeders. This is not a mean spirited post, it's just the truth. Somewhere between Denver, Colorado and Oxford, Ohio one team will rise to become the league best. One team will fall to be the league worst.
Although I have not seen every team in it's true form, I feel that I have fairly decent grasp at what we can expect to see and the question marks running wild.
1. Will the worst team in the NCHC be able to focus on playing hard throughout the season just as they would as a league leader?
The answer to this is complex. New additions from the CCHA Miami and Western Michigan are definitely good teams. W.M. has been rising lately with a new coaching change, but that cannot overshadow years of bad hockey. Many people will pick W.M. to be on the lower end of the NCHC, but they have been fighting hard under their new coach.
Miami has pure confidence in their coaching structure, which is why they signed him to a long term deal. The product on the ice in Oxford has been great. Fans here will not likely travel far to see the Redhawks play opposing teams. Although a traveling fan base has nothing to do with a teams success, in this case Miami may have a difficult time overtaking other dominant NCHC teams.
Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and Miami have produced the last three Hobey Baker winners respectively. With UMD coming off of a national championship three years ago, their roster has been completely depleted. Skating with the best will be key, however I don't see relief coming this season. This squad may be a bottom feeder. Unlike UMD, St. Cloud has been turning over player after player recently. Three years ago, a locker room scuffle in Florida marred a good team and sent many NHL draft picks packing mid-season. This year will be far different. SCSU may not win it all, but they sure will be fighting to the bitter end.
North Dakota and UNO are another two teams on opposite sides. North Dakota has been adding high level talent while UNO has been kicking players off for violations and watching decent goalies walk for better prospects. I have watched UND knock off team after team, year after year. In the past, UND has had to run through both Denver and Minnesota. This year they are relieved from UoM and they only play Denver on the road. Unless an above mention team walks through this gauntlet blind folded, UND with be the yours truly of the NCHC watching everyone else fall into place. As for UNO, I hope they find their stride. Dean Blais is a great coach, but he has not fielded a national championship caliber team since his days at North Dakota. I don't expect him to change this year given the off ice issues. If he can keep his team focused and skating, UNO will finish mid level. If not, UNO will have a difficult season.
The last two are by no means the least. In fact, DU and CC will likely make up a similar dynamic this year. Last season they finished sixth and seventh in the WCHA. The big change here is the coaching for DU. The question mark at Magness will be behind the bench. Will Jim Montgomery be able to handle the faster pace of mature upperclassmen? The next question for both teams will be goaltending. Denver added a very good freshman who was taken in the fourth round of the NHL draft. CC didn't add anything of relevance. Both schools lost their starters from a year ago. Both former goalies had beat out stiff competition in net to be named number one. In the case of CC, Joe Howe beat an off base Josh Thorimbert who had not played his best since he was the starter in the 11-12 campaign. Juho Olkinoura beat out a former high level goaltender who has fallen to the ground since ACL surgery. Sam Brittain is pretty decent. After his ACL surgery, nothing has been certain. This year will be the same. I believe the goaltending this year could define the goldpan rivalry. If Sam is not able to anchor a talented DU team, will the squad embrace a freshmen with immense talent? In the case of CC, if Thorimbert cannot be the savior that CC so needs will this be the curtain call for Scott Owens?
Ultimately every team here will face big time emotions. The question is, who fits where and how?
Based on last year's teams in their respective conference, here is my preseason final rankings for the first year of the NCHC:
1. North Dakota
2. SCSU
3. DU
4. Miami
5. CC
6. Western Michigan
7. UMD
8. UNO
Should be a great season!
In respect to every league, I have chosen to focus on the NCHC. This is the product of a combination between rebounding programs and the top teams from roughly a year ago. Each team in this league began last year with hopes of winning their league title. Almost every team in this league had a shot at their former league titles halfway into their 12-13 campaign. This is different. Now these same eight teams will need to focus hard, with at least two dominating teams accepting their fate as bottom feeders. This is not a mean spirited post, it's just the truth. Somewhere between Denver, Colorado and Oxford, Ohio one team will rise to become the league best. One team will fall to be the league worst.
Although I have not seen every team in it's true form, I feel that I have fairly decent grasp at what we can expect to see and the question marks running wild.
1. Will the worst team in the NCHC be able to focus on playing hard throughout the season just as they would as a league leader?
The answer to this is complex. New additions from the CCHA Miami and Western Michigan are definitely good teams. W.M. has been rising lately with a new coaching change, but that cannot overshadow years of bad hockey. Many people will pick W.M. to be on the lower end of the NCHC, but they have been fighting hard under their new coach.
Miami has pure confidence in their coaching structure, which is why they signed him to a long term deal. The product on the ice in Oxford has been great. Fans here will not likely travel far to see the Redhawks play opposing teams. Although a traveling fan base has nothing to do with a teams success, in this case Miami may have a difficult time overtaking other dominant NCHC teams.
Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and Miami have produced the last three Hobey Baker winners respectively. With UMD coming off of a national championship three years ago, their roster has been completely depleted. Skating with the best will be key, however I don't see relief coming this season. This squad may be a bottom feeder. Unlike UMD, St. Cloud has been turning over player after player recently. Three years ago, a locker room scuffle in Florida marred a good team and sent many NHL draft picks packing mid-season. This year will be far different. SCSU may not win it all, but they sure will be fighting to the bitter end.
North Dakota and UNO are another two teams on opposite sides. North Dakota has been adding high level talent while UNO has been kicking players off for violations and watching decent goalies walk for better prospects. I have watched UND knock off team after team, year after year. In the past, UND has had to run through both Denver and Minnesota. This year they are relieved from UoM and they only play Denver on the road. Unless an above mention team walks through this gauntlet blind folded, UND with be the yours truly of the NCHC watching everyone else fall into place. As for UNO, I hope they find their stride. Dean Blais is a great coach, but he has not fielded a national championship caliber team since his days at North Dakota. I don't expect him to change this year given the off ice issues. If he can keep his team focused and skating, UNO will finish mid level. If not, UNO will have a difficult season.
The last two are by no means the least. In fact, DU and CC will likely make up a similar dynamic this year. Last season they finished sixth and seventh in the WCHA. The big change here is the coaching for DU. The question mark at Magness will be behind the bench. Will Jim Montgomery be able to handle the faster pace of mature upperclassmen? The next question for both teams will be goaltending. Denver added a very good freshman who was taken in the fourth round of the NHL draft. CC didn't add anything of relevance. Both schools lost their starters from a year ago. Both former goalies had beat out stiff competition in net to be named number one. In the case of CC, Joe Howe beat an off base Josh Thorimbert who had not played his best since he was the starter in the 11-12 campaign. Juho Olkinoura beat out a former high level goaltender who has fallen to the ground since ACL surgery. Sam Brittain is pretty decent. After his ACL surgery, nothing has been certain. This year will be the same. I believe the goaltending this year could define the goldpan rivalry. If Sam is not able to anchor a talented DU team, will the squad embrace a freshmen with immense talent? In the case of CC, if Thorimbert cannot be the savior that CC so needs will this be the curtain call for Scott Owens?
Ultimately every team here will face big time emotions. The question is, who fits where and how?
Based on last year's teams in their respective conference, here is my preseason final rankings for the first year of the NCHC:
1. North Dakota
2. SCSU
3. DU
4. Miami
5. CC
6. Western Michigan
7. UMD
8. UNO
Should be a great season!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
B1G hockey: Now I understand.......
About almost two years ago, the college hockey world became aware of the Big 10 hockey conference. The stage was small, and not many people gave the idea a chance. Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney went as far to say that hockey "just won't work" in a conference known for it's football and basketball teams. So with that Mr. Delaney gave the idea to current Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alavarez. Barry can do many things, win games, bring stability to football and get influxes of money. That last one, is what sealed the Big 10. Currently all Big 10 members receive a $32 Million dollar stipend for being in the conference. That's the perk of being in the big 10. However, within that conference and prior to Penn State, their had only been five mens hockey teams. 1 short of the minimum required.
So when Penn State came aboard, Barry began his pitch game to which I bought in. All in. Barry went to the widely publicized Badger football and basketball games to gain support for the hockey conference. He brought everyone aboard and brought money to boot. As it stands, each hockey school within the Big 10 will receive a total of $7 Million extra from the network. When that number arose, every team in the possible conference joined in. From Minnesota to Michigan, they were all in.
Like wise, I really enjoyed the prospect of a super power conference in all other sports merging to create an awesome conference in hockey. I never looked at the specifics. Just that my Badgers would see more teams. I was blinded, and didn't see much beyond the idea of "B1G" hockey. Judging from many fans at this year's WCHA final five, similar schools such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Michigan State were just as blinded.
But now, the time has surfaced. The WCHA will fracture into a league similar to Atlantic Hockey. Stretched from the North East corner of Alabama to just under the Arctic circle in Alaska, the WCHA is all but certain to fracture again. The CCHA has folded, and along with it 43 years of hockey tradition. A new conference has formed and will likely send a good team to the cellar every year because of it: the NCHC.
I admit, I was blind. If I would have looked at everything in a more vibrant view, I would have seen that the only real rivalry in the Big 10 will be the Wisconsin - Minnesota series. Michigan has the most NCAA championships in college hockey, but they don't live and breath by the sport as do fans of North Dakota and Minnesota. A game featuring Wisconsin and Ohio State will do little to fill the Kohl Center. Similar to a game involving Penn State and Minnesota. This will likely render Marriucci arena at less than 1/4 capacity. Maybe the wait list will finally go down.
The point is, college hockey is worse off thanks to the Big 10 and Barry Alvarez. I'm honestly sorry that I bought into the hysteria of what was supposed to be a good conference. I feel sorry for all the student athletes in the new look WCHA that will likely never experience what once was the best conference in the nation. That winning the Mcnaughton cup or the Broadmoore trophy didn't just guarantee a spot in the playoffs, but more likely than not guaranteed a decent post season run.
I can say that I am not looking forward to the Big 10 championship. It's going to be a sad display of great hockey programs that became too hungry for cash. After all, hockey is one of the few remaining college sports that actually make a profit.
Good luck in the future to the WCHA, and NCHC. Hockey will be so much different. I'll always be a fan of my Badgers. Just sad that I won't be able to see them make history at least once a year playing CC,Denver, UND, and all the other fine programs.
Almost makes you want to be the fan of another program......almost.....
So when Penn State came aboard, Barry began his pitch game to which I bought in. All in. Barry went to the widely publicized Badger football and basketball games to gain support for the hockey conference. He brought everyone aboard and brought money to boot. As it stands, each hockey school within the Big 10 will receive a total of $7 Million extra from the network. When that number arose, every team in the possible conference joined in. From Minnesota to Michigan, they were all in.
Like wise, I really enjoyed the prospect of a super power conference in all other sports merging to create an awesome conference in hockey. I never looked at the specifics. Just that my Badgers would see more teams. I was blinded, and didn't see much beyond the idea of "B1G" hockey. Judging from many fans at this year's WCHA final five, similar schools such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Michigan State were just as blinded.
But now, the time has surfaced. The WCHA will fracture into a league similar to Atlantic Hockey. Stretched from the North East corner of Alabama to just under the Arctic circle in Alaska, the WCHA is all but certain to fracture again. The CCHA has folded, and along with it 43 years of hockey tradition. A new conference has formed and will likely send a good team to the cellar every year because of it: the NCHC.
I admit, I was blind. If I would have looked at everything in a more vibrant view, I would have seen that the only real rivalry in the Big 10 will be the Wisconsin - Minnesota series. Michigan has the most NCAA championships in college hockey, but they don't live and breath by the sport as do fans of North Dakota and Minnesota. A game featuring Wisconsin and Ohio State will do little to fill the Kohl Center. Similar to a game involving Penn State and Minnesota. This will likely render Marriucci arena at less than 1/4 capacity. Maybe the wait list will finally go down.
The point is, college hockey is worse off thanks to the Big 10 and Barry Alvarez. I'm honestly sorry that I bought into the hysteria of what was supposed to be a good conference. I feel sorry for all the student athletes in the new look WCHA that will likely never experience what once was the best conference in the nation. That winning the Mcnaughton cup or the Broadmoore trophy didn't just guarantee a spot in the playoffs, but more likely than not guaranteed a decent post season run.
I can say that I am not looking forward to the Big 10 championship. It's going to be a sad display of great hockey programs that became too hungry for cash. After all, hockey is one of the few remaining college sports that actually make a profit.
Good luck in the future to the WCHA, and NCHC. Hockey will be so much different. I'll always be a fan of my Badgers. Just sad that I won't be able to see them make history at least once a year playing CC,Denver, UND, and all the other fine programs.
Almost makes you want to be the fan of another program......almost.....
Saturday, February 9, 2013
St. Cloud Over the moon. Breaking down the broken.
Although another weekend in the current WCHA is about to sunset with two vastly different perspectives brewing.
St. Cloud has been a force this year. A team that seems to tie up loose ends by fighting to the finish. Mentioning this year's huskies to previous ones might make some laugh. Hell, it wasn't but two years ago that the Huskies were reeling from a locker room fight in Tampa, Florida which sent some of the teams best prospects running away from the school. That dark weekend seemed to solidify the Huskies as a joke of a team with no solid future.
However, these Huskies have surged. Rightfully so they own the bragging rights to current WCHA leader as the season winds down. While taking what is theirs, they are slowly and painfully eliminating this season's class of bottom feeders. Without a doubt, this Husky team is ready.
While the Huskies look up, they cannot help but to look down at the crowd beneath them. Having freshly beaten a contentious Gopher team, they are presently the understudy of another Husky team living in their past. That Husky team would be none other than the Michigan Tech Huskies. Led by former Michigan assistant coach Mel Pearson, they've just been eliminated from contending for the Mcnaughton cup. In two weeks time, they will likely be out of contention to stay home for the WCHA first round playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, let's break down the probabilities of home ice. With 12 points available for the taking, the home playoff picture is starting to glisten.
Anchorage, Bemidji will not be hosting a home series during the first round. One more loss officially put's Michigan tech out of the picture as well. Given St. Cloud's win this weekend, Michigan Tech has been officially eliminated from the Mcnaughton cup.
Next on the chopping block is Colorado College. Facing a tough Husky team next week they will need a win to stay relevant. Colorado College is not officially eliminated from the status as league champions, but aside from every team in front of them not showing up next week they won't be hosting any hardware in Colorado Springs. CC is down at this point but not out of anything. With 12 points remaining, they will need a sweep of St. Cloud AND Minnesota State to break the 3 way tie for 5th place. Currently, CC owns the advantage over Wisconsin and would lose by virtue of record to DU.
Best case scenario: CC goes into the Michigan Tech game needing a win or better for home ice. They'll get it. But aside from a "sweeping" (pun intended) performance over two Minnesota State schools, they Tigers will be packing their bags for the first round.
Minnesota Duluth will likely play on the road during the first round. They face a down bemidji team followed by Minnesota, UAH and UNO. I fully expect the Bulldogs to leave those three series with two points. (The two that don't matter).
Wisconsin is in a tough Situation. They currently head into the next 4 series against the toughest WCHA competition. The Badgers need to register a win each WCHA weekend or the Kohl Center will be filled with Basketball fans in March.
Denver has a little bit easier schedule for the 6th and final playoff spot. Anchorage has not been playing well, so it appears that in all likely hood the Pioneers will leave the next 3 series with at least four points. Good enough to keep them home for the first round.
Minnesota State has been solid all year. Not as solid as their husky upstate counter parts, but ready to take on any challenge. Michigan Tech shouldn't be to tough. Expect Mankato to be hosting the first round.
Minnesota will likely coast to a first round home series. Omaha looks solid for a home game while the, No named former Indians and Huskies will both be at home.
What I predict:
Mcnaughton cup to the Gophers.
1st round:
UM hosting UAA
SCSU hosting Bemidji
UND hosting either CC or Tech
UNO hosting CC or Tech
Minnesota State hosting Duluth
DU hosting Wisconsin
These are radical for the most part and will likely change.
St. Cloud has been a force this year. A team that seems to tie up loose ends by fighting to the finish. Mentioning this year's huskies to previous ones might make some laugh. Hell, it wasn't but two years ago that the Huskies were reeling from a locker room fight in Tampa, Florida which sent some of the teams best prospects running away from the school. That dark weekend seemed to solidify the Huskies as a joke of a team with no solid future.
However, these Huskies have surged. Rightfully so they own the bragging rights to current WCHA leader as the season winds down. While taking what is theirs, they are slowly and painfully eliminating this season's class of bottom feeders. Without a doubt, this Husky team is ready.
While the Huskies look up, they cannot help but to look down at the crowd beneath them. Having freshly beaten a contentious Gopher team, they are presently the understudy of another Husky team living in their past. That Husky team would be none other than the Michigan Tech Huskies. Led by former Michigan assistant coach Mel Pearson, they've just been eliminated from contending for the Mcnaughton cup. In two weeks time, they will likely be out of contention to stay home for the WCHA first round playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, let's break down the probabilities of home ice. With 12 points available for the taking, the home playoff picture is starting to glisten.
Anchorage, Bemidji will not be hosting a home series during the first round. One more loss officially put's Michigan tech out of the picture as well. Given St. Cloud's win this weekend, Michigan Tech has been officially eliminated from the Mcnaughton cup.
Next on the chopping block is Colorado College. Facing a tough Husky team next week they will need a win to stay relevant. Colorado College is not officially eliminated from the status as league champions, but aside from every team in front of them not showing up next week they won't be hosting any hardware in Colorado Springs. CC is down at this point but not out of anything. With 12 points remaining, they will need a sweep of St. Cloud AND Minnesota State to break the 3 way tie for 5th place. Currently, CC owns the advantage over Wisconsin and would lose by virtue of record to DU.
Best case scenario: CC goes into the Michigan Tech game needing a win or better for home ice. They'll get it. But aside from a "sweeping" (pun intended) performance over two Minnesota State schools, they Tigers will be packing their bags for the first round.
Minnesota Duluth will likely play on the road during the first round. They face a down bemidji team followed by Minnesota, UAH and UNO. I fully expect the Bulldogs to leave those three series with two points. (The two that don't matter).
Wisconsin is in a tough Situation. They currently head into the next 4 series against the toughest WCHA competition. The Badgers need to register a win each WCHA weekend or the Kohl Center will be filled with Basketball fans in March.
Denver has a little bit easier schedule for the 6th and final playoff spot. Anchorage has not been playing well, so it appears that in all likely hood the Pioneers will leave the next 3 series with at least four points. Good enough to keep them home for the first round.
Minnesota State has been solid all year. Not as solid as their husky upstate counter parts, but ready to take on any challenge. Michigan Tech shouldn't be to tough. Expect Mankato to be hosting the first round.
Minnesota will likely coast to a first round home series. Omaha looks solid for a home game while the, No named former Indians and Huskies will both be at home.
What I predict:
Mcnaughton cup to the Gophers.
1st round:
UM hosting UAA
SCSU hosting Bemidji
UND hosting either CC or Tech
UNO hosting CC or Tech
Minnesota State hosting Duluth
DU hosting Wisconsin
These are radical for the most part and will likely change.
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