OT: Men's Hockey Possibly to Hockey East

[zls44]

Now my regular defense of Bruce Marshall...first off, I'm not suggesting for a second that he is another Jerry York or Jack Parker (god am I old...my first college game I saw York play) . But he isn't some bum either. If you look at his record it is at least credible given the limitations...In the old D-3 daus he built UCONN into a regional power of some renown. Took them to the ECAC Championship game at least once, maybe twice. As a D-1 school, they were ineligible for the NCAA D-3 tourney under the rules at the time. In the D-1 era he has been playing a pretty tough hand...UCONN has no hockey scholarships right now while the league has allowed 11-12 since its inception. The NCAA limit is 18. None the less he has managed most years to put at least competitive teams on the ice. There have been a few duds, but for the most part, the program has always managed to rebound and become competitive in the league again. They ususally manage an non-conference win along the way, which is likewise a mismatch in terms of who they recruit vs their opponents. This year's team sort of fell apart late in the year, which was disappointing, too. But given that Bruce is forever searching for diamonds in the rough, and he has found a few, he hasn't been as bad as some say, in my view.

There is no...zero...defense for Bruce Marshall. None. Yes, he has restrictions, but the man has been doing nothing more than accruing time towards a state pension for 15 years. You could find anyone, ANYONE, to do his job, at a minimum, equally as as Bruce Marshall has.

The best part of this news is that the end of Bruce Marshall's reign of idiocy is soon over.

 

[Dann]

UConn hasn't even funded the basketball practice facility. How can we fund a hockey arena and facilities?

While I admit HE hockey makes sense. It would seem to be quite a few years in the future. Where am I wrong?

i was wondering about this also but then thought there has to be something we don't know yet.
were over half way thru the funding for the pf/other fields right? why would we start something before thats over with? we must have some big news coming. either something like the rest of the $$ has been paid or will be. maybe the nba guys got in on it. who knows, but there must be something we don't that the school is keeping quiet. maybe puck got a big donation for the upgrade? i'm not stupid, tbpicks or the psu guy isn't walking thru the door but i guess its wait and see now.

 

[Dann]

lets say that BM does get fired. any one have some names to throw out there?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

UConn hasn't even funded the basketball practice facility. How can we fund a hockey arena and facilities?

While I admit HE hockey makes sense. It would seem to be quite a few years in the future. Where am I wrong?

This whole plan makes perfect sense. Until you start talking dollars.

I'm highly skeptical of whether hockey could break even. And even more skeptical that the upgrade makes us more viable as an expansion candidate. Can anyone explain that to me? It's a serious question. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Vowelguy]

This is one conference expansion where BC would whole-heartedly support ... since they would finally have a sport where they would crush UConn.

 

[HuskyFan16]

Would love to see an upgrade. I've missed hockey since the whale left and i could never get into uconn puck. If you're going to have something then at least try to be competitive in it, otherwise its not worth having. This is i think the real reason an upgrade is being looked at imo. Susan has shown a thourough desire to make everything that UConn does the best that her power can make it be. If it can't be great, get rid of it. Now of course benefits can be accrued from committing yourself to higher standards (better conference, more grants), but I can appreciate her philosophy of doing the most you can to reach your potential.

oh and this thread is missing something... edsall.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

lets say that BM does get fired. any one have some names to throw out there?

I would think this upgrade would be kind of similar to the football upgrade. So why not Randy Edsall? Timing is perfect. If we beat them like a drum in College Park on 9/15, I don't think they let him address the team in the locker room.

 

[Dann]

I would think this upgrade would be kind of similar to the football upgrade. So why not Randy Edsall? Timing is perfect. If we beat them like a drum in College Park on 9/15, I don't think they let him address the team in the locker room.

lol, i'll try. is jerry york available? haha

how about mike mcshane or bill beaney? are they not big time enough maybe?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Considering our attendance for men's & women's soccer games it isn't a stretch to believe that we could support a quality ice hockey program better than most schools.

That said, fundraising dollars (unless there is a white knight out there) will be the key to getting this off the ground and this is where the lack of foresight when Freitas was built (constructing it as a completed venue with very limited capacity) comes back and bites us (I am still convinced that it was built as it was in large part to eliminate any calls for upgrading the men's ice hockey program).

If we could feasibly add another 2k seats to Freitas for opening of HE play and another 1,200 or so a few years further down the road, we could make a compelling argument for HE to temporarily waive the venue capacity requirement. As it would be far easier (and likely cheaper) to build a new rink, joining HE would be a major undertaking for the athletic department.

 

[freescooter]

This whole plan makes perfect sense. Until you start talking dollars.

I'm highly skeptical of whether hockey could break even. And even more skeptical that the upgrade makes us more viable as an expansion candidate. Can anyone explain that to me? It's a serious question. Maybe I'm missing something.

In fact, lots of programs in Hockey East do break even and a few even make money, so I'm not sure why it would be all that far fetched. But even beyond that, it almost doesn't have to make money, it only has to be around where the current program is in terms of costs to make pretty good sense. Heck, Baseball doesn't make money, swimming doesn't "make money" outside womens basketball which more or less breaks even depending on which figures you see, no womens programs make money. If that's the standard, only basketball would be a sport at UCONN...Maybe a womens team, as I said.

It would likely make us more attractive to the big 10 if that were an option, too. But even if it isn't, hockey is the one varsity sport where UCONN doesn't really compete at a high level. This move would change that. Finally, as far as the relationship between this and the basketball facility, A. those are different issues; and B. when you get a chance to make this kind of move, you really need to take it because it may not come again. We didn't have a basketball facility when we built Shenkman and Burton either...but we haven't done too badly.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

lol, i'll try. is jerry york available? haha

how about mike mcshane or bill beaney? are they not big time enough maybe?

If he's still available by then, a name to consider is Blaise MacDonald. He was a solid recruiter at Lowell, though his record wasn't as good as it could've been for them. But he's got lots of recruiting connections where they need to be, and he's very, very familiar with Hockey East. The problem with hockey recruiting is that you're not just competing against other schools, you're competing against the Canadian junior leagues who do not have to follow NCAA rules, and basically can do whatever they want, including paying players to come play for them. In fact, a team in Canada paid one of our guys at BU $200K to quit the team in December and come finish the season with them before he goes to the NHL. It's a very different bear recruiting in this sport than it is in BB or FB.

UConn would have to get real good real quick for hockey to make a bit of difference for the B1G hockey schools to want us. They're doing just fine with their six teams, all very traditional rivals, four powerhouse hockey schools, and their likely coming scheduling agreements with the NCHC and HE. We would only be added there if ND came along. I wouldn't hold my breath on being part of the BTHC.

 

[FDNY99]

No way HE is going to waive the arena standards for us. As far as recruiting goes...don't forget about Long Island as well. There are regularly at least 3-5 kids who get D1 hockey scholarships who come from Long Island. BC, ND among others have done VERY well with LI kids.
One thing that would be a GREAT marketing move if this goes through is to play a few games including at least 1 or 2 high profile games a year in Bridgeport at Harbor Yards. Talk about a home run!

 

[Kgun7]

lol, i'll try. is jerry york available? haha

how about mike mcshane or bill beaney? are they not big time enough maybe?

Craig Janney coached professionally as recently as 2007 in Lubbock Texas ... that would be an interesting candidate ...

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

No way HE is going to waive the arena standards for us. As far as recruiting goes...don't forget about Long Island as well. There are regularly at least 3-5 kids who get D1 hockey scholarships who come from Long Island. BC, ND among others have done VERY well with LI kids.
One thing that would be a GREAT marketing move if this goes through is to play a few games including at least 1 or 2 high profile games a year in Bridgeport at Harbor Yards. Talk about a home run!

Bridgeport? NOOOOOOO. They've tried playing NCAA tournament regional games there and the place is DEAD. That's Yale/QU hockey territory down there. This would be a terrible move. Hockey needs to be on campus and attendance driven by students. That's the winning formula for every major hockey school.

 

[freescooter]

Agreed on Bridgeport. While I like the facility it is Yale, QU and to a lesser extent Sacred Heart territory down there. An annual game with Yale there, OK, but that's it as far as I'm concerned.

 

[SubbaBub]

Bridgeport? NOOOOOOO. They've tried playing NCAA tournament regional games there and the place is DEAD. That's Yale/QU hockey territory down there. This would be a terrible move. Hockey needs to be on campus and attendance driven by students. That's the winning formula for every major hockey school.

I think you'd be surprised by how much non-student attendance there is a some.of these hockey schools. Either by large metro area Boston, Albany/Troy, Manchester, NH; or by there simply being nothing else going on Clarkson, Cornell.

Storrs gets the worst of both ends. Far from local population, major competing sports (BB), and a regular student exodus on the weekends. They can probably get 3k a game but I doubt much more unless the team is successful.

As for being successful, it comes down to one word, Canadians. You need them. A team made up of mostly CT/MA guys gets buried.

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[zls44]

lets say that BM does get fired. any one have some names to throw out there?

Anyone. Any. One.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I think you'd be surprised by how much non-student attendance there is a some.of these hockey schools. Either by large metro area Boston, Albany/Troy, Manchester, NH; or by there simply being nothing else going on Clarkson, Cornell.

Storrs gets the worst of both ends. Far from local population, major competing sports (BB), and a regular student exodus on the weekends. They can probably get 3k a game but I doubt much more unless the team is successful.

As for being successful, it comes down to one word, Canadians. You need them. A team made up of mostly CT/MA guys gets buried.

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I know how much non-student attendance is at hockey schools, I went to a hockey school and have been a season ticket holder at a hockey school for a long time. Thing is, many of those non-student season ticket holders all started out as students. That, plus at many bottom half HE schools, such as Northeastern, UMass, and Lowell, student attendance at games consistently is at or above 50% of the total attendance on a given night. Student attendance is vital to the overall attendance numbers in hockey.

You're right, a team of CT/MA kids won't succeed because you're going to lose all of the good ones to BU, BC, etc., and the leftovers won't be good. Lots and lots and lots of recruits come from Canada. For comparison, there are almost always more Canadians on the BU roster than there are MA kids.

 

[freescooter]

Friend of ours coached at a smaller school and now is an top assistant at a Hockey East program and he says if he could he'd only recruit Canadians if the school would allow it. they won't for "political" reasons. Better skills, more game savy than Americans he says. Back in the day, BC was the only school that didn't recruit Canadians, but that hasn't been true for a while. the one thing about hockey that is unlike basketball or football, but in some ways similar to baseball, is that a top notch goaltender can make a huge difference and can keep lesser teams in the game against good competition, just like a really good pitcher can keep a lousy baseball team in the game against a great one. (See Steve Carlton, who once won 27 games for a Phillies team that won a total of 59) while it isn't comparable, UCONN's goalie stopped 40+ shots in a game this year which the Huskies one taking fewer than 20. Now shots on goal in hockey aren't all equal, but when you can rely on a guy for 40-50 saves regularly, it helps a lot.

 

[Dann]

should we add d brown to the coaching staff. he once scored 17 hat tricks in a hs game up there.

 

[upstater]

Friend of ours coached at a smaller school and now is an top assistant at a Hockey East program and he says if he could he'd only recruit Canadians if the school would allow it. they won't for "political" reasons. Better skills, more game savy than Americans he says. Back in the day, BC was the only school that didn't recruit Canadians, but that hasn't been true for a while. the one thing about hockey that is unlike basketball or football, but in some ways similar to baseball, is that a top notch goaltender can make a huge difference and can keep lesser teams in the game against good competition, just like a really good pitcher can keep a lousy baseball team in the game against a great one. (See Steve Carlton, who once won 27 games for a Phillies team that won a total of 59) while it isn't comparable, UCONN's goalie stopped 40+ shots in a game this year which the Huskies one taking fewer than 20. Now shots on goal in hockey aren't all equal, but when you can rely on a guy for 40-50 saves regularly, it helps a lot.

This sounds really suspicious to me. Canadians are simply not as loyal to the school, so if you're relying on them, beware. The Americans seemed to be the glue guys.

It's interesting to compare the experiences of hockey players to basketball. BBall players get drafted and their amateur career is over, but hockey players can still play after the draft. As well, there are a lot of college hockey players who are already represented by agents. Can't do that with basketball.

 

[freescooter]

I tend to agree with you upstater. And I think American players have improved dramatically over the last decade or so as well. this is one guy's opinion, though and he was a pretty successful head coach at D-3 and a small D1 program before heading off to become the top assistant at a major D1 program. Still, landing a few talented Canadians is almost required to be successful at the highest levels.

 

[mattp]

This sounds really suspicious to me. Canadians are simply not as loyal to the school, so if you're relying on them, beware. The Americans seemed to be the glue guys.

It's interesting to compare the experiences of hockey players to basketball. BBall players get drafted and their amateur career is over, but hockey players can still play after the draft. As well, there are a lot of college hockey players who are already represented by agents. Can't do that with basketball.

i don't get what you mean by this. i don't follow college hockey, are you saying they're more likely to leave us for a Canadian Junior league or something like that rather than stay 4 years?

 

[Dann]

i don't get what you mean by this. i don't follow college hockey, are you saying they're more likely to leave us for a Canadian Junior league or something like that rather than stay 4 years?

yes basically.

puck is like baseball but with a twist in college. guys leave early alot but also a good amount of the best puck is played outside the US. so kids from the north come down and play to make there names, then they get offers from leagues and bolt asap for them. kids don't finish school semesters, they go for the $$ on the day it happens. american kids are somewhat more brought up in college culture vs pro culture up north. so they more times then not are more loyal to the school to atleast finish a year there.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

lets say that BM does get fired. any one have some names to throw out there?

Mike Bavis.

It would probably be a temporary gig (for just a few years) until Jack Parker finally retires and Bavis goes back to lead BU. But he is a younger coach with a great reputation and is very well connected in the hockey recruiting world. Let him build the UConn program for a couple of years and then when he leaves to take over BU, we can hire from a much stronger position.