I just read something that was titled "BC should leave Hockey East"...upon further investigation; it did seem interesting......With 12 teams in the league we will only play each team twice...not good......the thing that really pissed me of was that ND was turned down by another league because ND had signed a TV deal with their own (NBC) network........it seems as though HE area are bigger subway alumni than any other part of the U.S. and we succumbed to ND's insistance on televising their own games from the ND campus......I'll admit that I don't know the monetary agreements.......are we ever capable of negotionating from a position of strength.......THIS HOCKEY STUPID........Notre Dame's arrogance wins again......
If BC left hockey east and went with BU,NU,ME, PROV,UNH....we could play everyone three times....have two games with the top schools nationwide maybe MN, North Dakota, Miami and Notre Dame and probably four or five locals UMA, UML, MERR Harvard etc.........HE is being weakened in the last few years.......CT (no athletic scholarships) UMA all monet will go to football, Lawller too small etc
2/17 11:57 AM | IP: Logged |
I tend to agree with you. Bertagna is obviously way over his head. BC and Hockey East does not exist to keep Merrimack, UMass, UMass Lowell, viable. This leads to bringing in 20 and 21 year old "hockey" players at these schools, and moves college hockey away from amateur hockey and closer to semi-pro. York hates this trend, and others must also. UConn is dreadful in every way...
2/17 12:49 PM | IP: Logged |
BIG Hockey starts next year w/ a 20 game conference schedule. Two game home and home series against each team. I could easily see a split in Hockey East. Small elite conference, though it would probably include ND, for NBC Sports Network. Two games against UConn each year, yikes.
2/17 2:07 PM | IP: Logged |
What are the advantages (benefits) to BC with Notre Dame's TV Network? If the whole conference benefitted from the TV rights, would Notre Dame agree to be a "team Player"....I don't think kindness is in their DNA....Don't for get the IRISH CREED>>>>All that I am; I owe to me ........all that I am not; I owe to you
2/17 2:19 PM | IP: Logged |
What are the advantages (benefits) to BC with Notre Dame's TV Network? If the whole conference benefitted from the TV rights, would Notre Dame agree to be a "team Player"....I don't think kindness is in their DNA....Don't for get the IRISH CREED>>>>All that I am; I owe to me ........all that I am not; I owe to you
2/17 2:20 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by Bill58:
I just read something that was titled "BC should leave Hockey East"...upon further investigation; it did seem interesting......With 12 teams in the league we will only play each team twice...not good......the thing that really pissed me of was that ND was turned down by another league because ND had signed a TV deal with their own (NBC) network........it seems as though HE area are bigger subway alumni than any other part of the U.S. and we succumbed to ND's insistance on televising their own games from the ND campus......I'll admit that I don't know the monetary agreements.......are we ever capable of negotionating from a position of strength.......THIS HOCKEY STUPID........Notre Dame's arrogance wins again......
If BC left hockey east and went with BU,NU,ME, PROV,UNH....we could play everyone three times....have two games with the top schools nationwide maybe MN, North Dakota, Miami and Notre Dame and probably four or five locals UMA, UML, MERR Harvard etc.........HE is being weakened in the last few years.......CT (no athletic scholarships) UMA all monet will go to football, Lawller too small etc
I'd like to know where you read that....
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People that have no knowledge of college hockey are funny to me. BC is in the minority of having 18-19 year old freshman. Junior hockey has changed the face of college hockey. Look all the D3 teams its the same way . Kids are no longer ready to play at 18 years of age. Its doesn't make BC any better then anyone else cause they have 18 yrs olds playing. Its the face of the game and the direction it has gone. So to take shots at Merrimack and so on its just showing how unknowledgeable you are about the sport
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Actually, people know this quite well, and don't like it, hence why you'll see negative comments about it. Kids only "aren't ready" at 18 because so many of their opponents range from age 22-26.
2/18 2:24 PM | IP: Logged |
Who doesn't like it? Its how it is and will continue to be that way. It acutally a good thing, college hockey has become a lot better because of this. Please explain why its a bad thing?
2/18 2:32 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by shkeebert:
Who doesn't like it? Its how it is and will continue to be that way. It acutally a good thing, college hockey has become a lot better because of this. Please explain why its a bad thing?
York has been quoted several times that he hates the trend of the 21 year old freshman. I don't normally thing of "college aged" when I see a 24/25 year old.
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if the hockey is better, what does it matter the age?
2/18 3:04 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by shkeebert:
if the hockey is better, what does it matter the age?
Not sure it's better...you have 18 year olds competing w/ 26 year olds. That's a HUGE gap in physical maturity.
It probably won't change but I don't think it's made for a better game. A
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Going back to the original discussion of how Hockey East expansion will reduce the number of conference games from 27 (playing each team three times) to 20 in 2013-2014 with the addition of Notre Dame and to 22 starting in 2014-2015 with the addition of UConn (playing each team now only two times), has there been any thought of dividing up the 12-team Hockey East into two 6-team divisions (dubbed "North" and "South," for now, for lack of better names), where teams would play those in their division three times and would play those in the other division twice, yielding 27 conference games again? On a first crack, I could see the North Division comprised of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, UMass-Lowell, Merrimack and Notre Dame (It doesn't fit anywhere, but it is "north" of Alabama-Huntsville) and the South Division comprised of UMass-Amherst, UConn, Providence and the three Boston schools. While it would still mean playing some teams only twice each season and long trips to Notre Dame, Vermont and Maine for just one game, the schools would have an easier time creating their schedules (i.e., only seven non-conference games like now rather than fourteen non-conference games (or over one-third of regular season schedule)) and they would get to play a greater number of meaningful conference games, including games against their fiercest rivals. In addition, the Hockey East teams wouldn't have to look for games with the mostly inferior ECAC Hockey or Atlantic Hockey conferences or with the more-distant Big 10, NCHC or WCHA conferences, where for the most part there aren't any storied rivalries with Hockey East teams.
2/18 4:44 PM | IP: Logged |
Who knows maybe BC ends up in the BIG hockey conference.
2/18 5:30 PM | IP: Logged |
Talk about irony. Buoy have no idea what you're talking about and you are mocking people that are clueless about the sport. Ha. Joegrav nailed it.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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Originally posted by kimy:
Who knows maybe BC ends up in the BIG hockey conference.
As I've written in another thread...that will be done without York. No way he wants to travel that far to every league away game.
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The elite 18 year olds are ready, and BC gets basically anyone they want who is elite now, so who cares how old the kids on the other teams are? BC's recruiting is constantly rated # 1 or near # 1 year in and year out...the age of the oppenents is really irrelevant to me.
I was speaking to a D3 coach last year at a summer camp...he hasn't been to a high school game in 5 years. Pretty telling when a D3 coach won't even look at kids in high school anymore. He is 100% recruiting showcases and Juniors.
2/18 8:30 PM | IP: Logged |
Patriot you hit it right on the head. !0 years ago high school kids were making the jump right to college hockey and it just doesn't happen any more. They are all taking a year or two of juniors to get the looks and to grow there game. Was at the Umass Boston, Norwich game over the weekend and there was 2 kids between the two tow who hadn't played juniors and its division 3. Its the way the sport has gone. College coaches are pushing these kids to do another year or two to grow there game and to mature hockey wise. They would rather them mature on a junior team then ride the bench for 2 years for them. Its the way the game is going. BC gets anyone they want and thats true but the other schools that can't get this type of talent need to dig into tese kids that spend a few years after highschool. It doesn' make those programs shady or whatever was said above they are just looking for ways to compete. To bad there isn't a way for our basketball progarm and footballl program to do somthign similar right now.
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Originally posted by WestSideStory:
Going back to the original discussion of how Hockey East expansion will reduce the number of conference games from 27 (playing each team three times) to 20 in 2013-2014 with the addition of Notre Dame and to 22 starting in 2014-2015 with the addition of UConn (playing each team now only two times), has there been any thought of dividing up the 12-team Hockey East into two 6-team divisions (dubbed "North" and "South," for now, for lack of better names), where teams would play those in their division three times and would play those in the other division twice, yielding 27 conference games again? On a first crack, I could see the North Division comprised of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, UMass-Lowell, Merrimack and Notre Dame (It doesn't fit anywhere, but it is "north" of Alabama-Huntsville) and the South Division comprised of UMass-Amherst, UConn, Providence and the three Boston schools. While it would still mean playing some teams only twice each season and long trips to Notre Dame, Vermont and Maine for just one game, the schools would have an easier time creating their schedules (i.e., only seven non-conference games like now rather than fourteen non-conference games (or over one-third of regular season schedule)) and they would get to play a greater number of meaningful conference games, including games against their fiercest rivals. In addition, the Hockey East teams wouldn't have to look for games with the mostly inferior ECAC Hockey or Atlantic Hockey conferences or with the more-distant Big 10, NCHC or WCHA conferences, where for the most part there aren't any storied rivalries with Hockey East teams.
A better two-division split is privates and publics. Your split is OK but you're isolating ND from their natural rivals (BC and to a lesser extent BU and Providence). The only major issue with a public/private split is competitive balance, but I look at that as only a short-term issue. Over the long run BC/BU and UNH/Maine will be comparable, Merrimack will resume their position firmly rooted at the bottom of HE when Dennehy leaves for bigger and better things, and UMass and Vermont (and even eventually UConn IMO) should be solid mid-level HEA teams. FWIW, I also think it's a total crapshoot as to how the move will affect ND's program--they'll have a lot more visibility to be sure, but what about recruiting?? They won't be able to consistently beat out Michigan/Wisconsin/Minny/North Dakota for the top midwestern kids if they're playing half their games on the east coast nor will they be able to consistently beat out BC/BU/UNH/Maine for the top eastern kids. Their biggest recruiting rivals IMO will be schools like Miami, MSU, Northeastern, and the better Ivy League programs. They'll be able to get good classes by snagging one or two elite-level kids a year and rounding out their class with second-tier guys from both regions, but I don't see them ever developing into a BC/Minnesota/North Dakota-level program.
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Originally posted by shkeebert:
Patriot you hit it right on the head. !0 years ago high school kids were making the jump right to college hockey and it just doesn't happen any more. They are all taking a year or two of juniors to get the looks and to grow there game. Was at the Umass Boston, Norwich game over the weekend and there was 2 kids between the two tow who hadn't played juniors and its division 3. Its the way the sport has gone. College coaches are pushing these kids to do another year or two to grow there game and to mature hockey wise. They would rather them mature on a junior team then ride the bench for 2 years for them. Its the way the game is going. BC gets anyone they want and thats true but the other schools that can't get this type of talent need to dig into tese kids that spend a few years after highschool. It doesn' make those programs shady or whatever was said above they are just looking for ways to compete. To bad there isn't a way for our basketball progarm and footballl program to do somthign similar right now.
I think York knows more than all of us combined...so I'll side w/ Jerry.
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Well this got sidetracked quickly...
As for the "who cares about the kid's ages as long as it makes the hockey better!!11!!" argument. You know else would make the hockey better? Paying the players so NCAA teams could compete with the Canadian JR leagues for the top level kids on a more even playing field. The "X school has to recruit 22 year old freshmen" is pure crap, it's the easy way out.
The one benefit of expansion (which was dumb, have you seen UConn's program and rink?), is limited in conf games. I can only see so much of the UVMs, UMass, UMLs...
2/19 9:43 AM | IP: Logged |
I dont believe BC's recruiting classes are #1 or near #1 EVERY year. Top ten every year but not #1 regularly
2/19 10:54 AM | IP: Logged |
BC's classes are normally ranked in the 5-10 range according to the gurus. They end up doing better than that on the ice mainly because of the coaching and because everyone stays 3-4 years.
2/19 12:22 PM | IP: Logged |
Steroids and PED's would also be a good thing for college hockey. If these other schools can gain a competitive advantage by looking the other way, while their 6' 2" 25 year old "student athlete" from Prarie Sound, Canada, goes from 163 pounds to 235, this would ge great.
Do you work for the Obama administration?
2/19 12:43 PM | IP: Logged |
Not being at ground level makes it really hard to understand the direction of amateur hockey at this time, I'd love to sit and listen to Jerry explain the dynamics of youth hockey. I noticed some time ago that the lesser programs have older players, UNO comes to mind in WCHA while top programs like BC and Minn have players the normal age of college students. OK so places like UNO, Merrimack, Quinnipiac maybe and the like cannot get the best young players but where do these kids play between high school and going to college at age 21 and 22? They're too old for juniors, can they play in the minor pro leagues? prep schools? can somebody explain this.
I know this, my uncle is a big booster of Hill Murray High School. H-M is always in the running for the Minn Class 4 A championship but even a program as high powered as this usually now sends only one or two players directly to a Div 1 college team.
2/22 10:49 AM | IP: Logged |
Link: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/6/28/3110587/conference-realignment-hockey-east-uconn-notre-dame-boston-college
2/22 12:21 PM | IP: Logged |
I can't believe some of you guys would want to break up Hockey East. I'm a Minny fan. I got to tell you it will be sad to not see North Dakota, Mn-Duluth, St. Cloud, Denver and Colorado College on a regular basis. You can relate to our fierce rivalry with North Dakota - they have more NC's, but we own them head-to-head, all time. Their rosters are always filled with some of the top recruits from Minnesota. Our rivalries with Duluth and Denver are intense as well. Denver and Colorado College are wonderful road trips - a winter wonderland. Take away St. Cloud, those teams combine for 17 NC's and will make the new NCHC one fine conference.
The fragmentation and reconfiguration of the WCHA clearly makes Hockey East the most storied conference with current members from 2013-2014 on. The BIG will be weird for a few years, even though Michigan and Michigan State were once WCHA members. Jesus, Michigan won 5 of its 9 NC's in the WCHA. But our rivalries with both have been dormant for so long. The road trips will be longer.
Stick with Hockey East. Your tradition won't be ruined.
It's important to play these lesser teams because the sport needs growth, which is the only reason why I like the new BIG. We add PSU to all of college hockey and the new NCHC, as stated, will be a very formidable conference. The growth of the sport is a must. Hockey East must go on in its current context.
3/2 4:22 AM | IP: Logged |
I don't want to overhaul Hockey East completely but I do think it's better for the sport when schools like BC, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, etc. are on top of the sport. There are a few other schools that are recognized by casual sports fans as hockey powers (BU, UNH, North Dakota, Denver, CC) and that's fine too--similar to schools like UC-Irvine, Cal State-Fullerton, and Coastal Carolina that are recognized as baseball powers. But honestly, it's bad for the sport when schools like Union, Ferris State, and RPI are in the Frozen Four. Won't happen anytime soon but I'd like to eventually see Syracuse and Pitt go D1 in hockey and take the place of Merrimack and UMass-Lowell in Hockey East.
3/2 7:39 AM | IP: Logged |
"...and take the place of Merrimack and UMass-Lowell in Hockey East."
What!?? And what would do with UCONN and ND?
3/2 7:51 AM | IP: Logged |
Keep dreaming, buddy.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 3/2 8:24 AM | IP: 209.6.49.88
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BSM, I have to disagree with you about RPI. They fall into the category with BU,North Dakota, Denver,CC etc. maybe even more so than UNH. They play before large and enthusiastic home crowds for the most part in an historic 4800 seat hockey only arena. They may well get into the NCAA's again this year as they are on the bubble again. It is a shame Hockey East chose UConn over them.
3/2 8:32 AM | IP: Logged |
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